Three years ago, if you had asked a person from Denmark the secret to happiness, you probably would have gotten back a blank stare. The same question today, however, likely would be answered with knowing laughter and any one of several explanations.

Being recognized as the world’s happiest people simply takes some getting used to.

Since 2006, Denmark, a largely homogenous country of 5 million people on Europe’s stormy northern coast, has been anointed the happiest place on earth by two very different surveys. The studies’ findings have upended dated international perceptions of Denmark as a quaint but chilly dairy exporter with a high suicide rate, recasting the country instead as a model of social harmony that is thriving in an era of globalization.

Click here for the full article.

That’s it.  I’m moving to Denmark.

The article also says, “Denmark’s approach relies on high taxes and aggressive redistribution of wealth—anathema to many free-market Americans—which results in a broad range of social services like health care, retirement pensions, and quality public schools.”  I fully support the free market and individual responsibility for one’s success, but I also sometimes think that “aggressive redistribution of wealth” would be a good thing even if all it did was guarantee that we had better public schools.  Some of our nation’s public schools are in positively shameful conditions.  Evidence suggests that access to a good education creates happier people with an overall better quality of life.  I know I’d be happier knowing that every child in American had access to a clean, structurally sound school building, with decent teachers and an effective curriculum.   How about you?

-MJ

A wise man once noted that there are two things guaranteed in life: death and taxes. Our forefathers tried to assure us of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” but the government does not pursue my happiness with the same vigor that the Internal Revenue Service pursues my taxes.

I think there should be federal agencies that promote happiness. Here are some of the new agencies I have come up with:
The Internal Dating Service: Statistically, who knows more about where all the right women (or men) are than the federal government? There must be places in the U.S. where the ratio of women to men is 2:1. Why is this a secret? If I was not happily married, I would want to know where these women are. Using government statistics, I could type in a few key words, and there would pop up 10 or 20 places in the U.S. where my ideal mate would be.

Click here for the full article.