[0:05] Hello everyone and welcome to the fourth episode of the ShiftEnglish podcast! I am happy that you are listening with us today. The weather is finally making indications it might cool down here in New Orleans. It is finally slightly cooler in the mornings. Growing up in Scotland it was sometimes difficult to get out in winter to do fun things. Here in Louisiana, itâs the opposite. We have to wait until summer is over before we can get outside and play around. There is definitely no lack of sunlight here! And sunlight is important to happiness…right?
[0:53] Well, perhaps it can be, but that doesn’t explain why some of the coldest, greyest countries are consistently top of the World Happiness Report. When I first heard of the World Happiness Report I was sort of surprised. Firstly, why are people in some countries happier than in others? I thought that people individually would be more or less happy. I hadn’t considered that certain countries would be overall happier than others.
[1:40] And I was even more surprised to learn that it is the countries even further north of Scotland that typically come out top on of this happiness report. So, what makes a country truly happy, if it isn’t the weather? What can we learn about happiness and wellbeing? That is what weâre going to explore in todayâs episode of ShiftEnglish.
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[2:08] My name is Joseph, and in this podcast, I donât give you boring grammar lessons or exercises. Instead, I talk to you in English about real topics, real ideas. Like that, you can learn English the natural way. Today, weâre going to take a little trip around the world â not to see the most beautiful places, but to understand where people feel the happiest, and why.
[2:43] As always, you will find a full and accurate transcript of this episode, along with a list of vocabulary and their definitions over at ShiftEnglish.com. Totally free of course. I really suggest reading through the transcript as part of the learning process. It is a useful way to help your brain understand more of the words and structure of the English I am using.
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[3:11] I think it’s important to ask immediately, how do we measure happiness? And how do we measure that for a whole country? When we talk about happiness, it sounds very personal. For one person, happiness might be talking with a friend. For another, it might be watching a sunset. So how can we measure something so personal for a whole country?
[3:42] Thankfully someone else has done the hard work. There exists something called âThe World Happiness Reportâ. It is a big international study created every year by a group of researchers and experts from the United Nations, together with some universities, like Oxford. They collect information from thousands of people around the world and then publish a list of the happiest countries.
[4:14] It is based on six main categories, or things. First, they ask people about their life satisfaction â how happy they feel with their life, from 0 to 10. They also look at social support, which means if people have someone they can call for help. Another part is health, like living a long and healthy life. Then there is freedom, the feeling that you can make your own choices in life. They also study generosity, whether people share or help others. And finally, they ask about corruption, which means if people trust their government and society. It takes a large team of researchers to collect the responses, at least one thousand people are asked in each country on the happiness list.
[5:26] For me the fact that the research uses these six categories is the first interesting indication, or clue about what is important for finding happiness. It isn’t just one thing! We know that âmoney can’t buy us happinessâ. At least we remember the phrase. And then proceed to buy the next useless thing online. But hey! No judgement here. I have my own collection of useless things bought online that will be going to a charity shop soon.
[5:58] But anyway, at least this one is obvious. Money doesn’t equal happiness. But are we so quick to make the connection that the overall corruption and general condition of our society is important, vital even, to our individual level of happiness? Certainly not me! I had never really considered that link as important to happiness until reading the study. Perhaps that is a privilege that many people living in the West have. We expect our governments and societies to be fair.
[6:40] But imagine living in a place where you canât trust your government, where rules are often ignored, and where people feel that only those with connections get ahead. Perhaps that is not something you have to imagine. Perhaps that is the daily reality where you live. In these places, even if you work hard and do everything right, it can feel like life is unfair.
[7:12] Researchers have found that countries with high corruption scores usually have lower happiness ratings. On the other hand, when people trust their leaders and institutions, they feel safer and more confident about the future. Itâs like having a solid foundation under your feet â even if life isnât perfect, you can plan, grow, and enjoy it. For example, Finland and Denmark consistently top the happiness list not only because of social support, health, or wealth, but also because people there trust that their government works for everyone.
[08:03] I find this trust element really key. It is something that comes up repeatedly in the report. Trust is one of those things we often donât notice until it matters. Or until it isnât there. When you know that people around you â neighbors, colleagues, or strangers â are likely to be honest and fair, life feels easier and safer. The World Happiness Report shows that trust strongly affects happiness. In countries like Canada or New Zealand, many people feel confident that rules are followed, businesses are fair, and leaders act responsibly. This sense of trust lowers stress and helps people feel more comfortable in their daily lives.
[09:03] Personally, I notice how trust changes the way I experience a place. When I visit a country where I feel like I can trust their people and institutions, I feel more relaxed and open to meeting new people. I enjoy exploring, trying new things, and connecting with locals. In contrast, when trust is low, I feel cautious, perhaps unsafe, and always on my guard. Always looking for the danger. It is one the reasons that I’ve never been able to understand how people can go to a country like North Korea and not be freaking out the whole time!
[09:48] In the next section weâll take a little look more at the role that society and community play in our individual happiness.
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[10:03] Nowadays, in many countries, especially in the West, we are very individualistic. That is to say, we grow up believing that individual freedoms and rights are the most important thing. We have this popular image that we are all âspecial little snowflakesâ. In the same way that each snowflake that falls from the wintery sky is unique and original when looked at closely. This image, this value, of individual importance didn’t happen by chance, and it didn’t happen overnight. It took many, many years and some very important historical moments and thinkers to create this change. It was a culmination, or a collection of things that made this transformation, this change happen.
[11:04] There was for example around the 16th century the change in the church’s philosophy. The church was encouraging believers to have an individual relationship with God. Then there was soon after a more general philosophical shift beginning in the 17th century. Influential thinkers at the time like John Locke created convincing arguments why individuals have natural rights and why governments should exist to protect those rights.
[11:47] And then there was the general shift in society of people leaving their villages to make larger and larger cities. Places where they were more autonomous, and less tied to the obligations of their previous way of life. Some not so easy words and ideas I’m throwing your way there! Remember the accurate transcript and vocab list you’ll find on ShiftEnglish.com.
[12:19] But anyway, these historical changes were embraced. That means, people were also ready for the changes to individual freedom. People were tired of tradition. After centuries of their future being defined by their birth, individual freedom offered a new and exciting path. One where they could be fulfilled if they had enough talent and ambition.
[12:55] And the rise in capitalism was very happy to encourage this change. Individualism and capitalism make a happy duo. Well, at least for the capitalism. Individual self-interest is what drives the entire capitalist system really. Individuals acting on their own in a free market is what creates competition, growth, and innovation.
But ok, ok, before I go down a rabbit hole that I may never come back out of. That means, before I start getting focused on something that is not our subject. Why does individualism matter about being happy or not?
[13:39] The problem is that many of us are now living in societies that are hyper-focused on individualism â the idea that everyone should live for themselves and be independent.
And it is leading to people being lonely. Being isolated. Imagine two people. The first person is very independent, lives alone, and doesnât really connect with others. They might feel free, but often they feel lonely too. The second person has friends and family they can call, or a community group they join with regularly. Even if that person has less money or freedom, they usually feel happier.
[14:33] Researchers today often describe loneliness as a kind of âsilent epidemic.â Some scientists even say that being lonely can damage your health as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. That sounds dramatic, but the idea is simple: when we feel lonely, our body produces more stress hormones. Over time, stress hurts our heart, our sleep, and even our immune system – the part of your body that protects you from sickness. So when the Happiness Report asks, âDo you have someone you can count on?â, it is not only about emotions. It is also about health. People with friends, family, or community support live longer and feel better.
[15:32] In countries where most of the people answered âyesâ to the above question the happiness score was always higher. Finland, Denmark and Iceland were 3 of the 4 countries that answered most positively to this question. And they are the 3 countries that came top of the World Happiness Report. Can you guess the other country that was in the top 4 countries to answer âyesâ to the question about having support? I won’t hold you in suspense too long, it was Lithuania.
[16:22] The Report is actually quite cool. It’s very interactive. You can easily filter by country, or by different criteria that interests you. I’ll put a link in the transcript at ShiftEnglish.com of course. But quite quickly we can see that as important as social support is, it isnât the only thing that determines how happy a country is. We’ll take a look at some of those other important factors in the next part of this episode. We’ll also take a look at who the overall winners, and yes, losers, were of the last World Happiness Report.
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[17:14] So, I mentioned briefly already the top three on the report but let me give you a quick rundown of the top seven and the bottom seven. First position was Finland, second was Denmark, third was Iceland, fourth was Sweden, fifth was the Netherlands, sixth was Costa Rica, and seventh was Norway. Congratulations if you happen to be a lucky resident of one of these joyful countries! Certainly, Costa Rica is an interesting country in the list. Or one that seems a bit different from the others at the top, in terms of climate, geographical position and average income.
[18:01] So, let’s come back to that one in a minute and have a closer look what’s going on there. But before that, let’s see which seven countries came bottom of the list. Starting with the country seventh from the bottom of the list is Dominican Republic of Congo; then there is Botswana; then Zimbabwe; then Malawi; then Lebanon; followed by Sierra Leone; and finally at the very bottom of the report for life evaluation there is Afghanistan.
It is perhaps, sadly, more obvious why people from certain countries would struggle to stay as happy. The reasons are different, but they often share some common problems. Many of them have serious economic difficulties, so people struggle to earn enough money to live well. Some of them have political problems or conflict, which makes daily life unsafe or uncertain. In some, there is also corruption, so people donât trust the government or the system around them. And in several of these countries, basic things like health care, education, and social support are very weak. When people donât feel safe, donât feel supported, and donât have their basic needs met, it is very hard to say they feel happy.
[19:53] Where do you think your country came on the Report? I can’t go through them all of course, but to give a few of the popular ones. My two, the United Kingdom and USA came 23 and 24. It’s funny the two are right next to each other on the list. Gives me less FOMO, at least. Fear Of Missing Out. Some other countries: France â 33; Italy â 40; Japan â 55; Spain â 38; Germany â 22; China â 68. Anyway, I won’t do the whole list, get the link off of ShiftEnglish.com if you want to check your country out.
[20:43] There are some unexpected results. Some surprising findings, that came from the report. Including, as I mentioned, why certain countries like Costa Rica and Mexico entered the top 10 for the first time. There was also a generational divide, which is to say many young people are reporting to be unhappier than older adults. In the next and final section, we’ll have a closer look at a few of these surprising findings.
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[21:27] So, why is Costa Rica and Mexico entering the top 10 interesting, and why did it happen? What can it show us about happiness? Costa Rica and Mexico are not the richest countries. Not at all on the same level of wealth as Finland or Norway for example. Life there can be difficult. Still, people report very high levels of happiness.
So, how is this possible? Researchers say it has a lot to do with strong social connections â family, friends, and community life are very important in both countries. People spend a lot of time together, eating meals, celebrating, or helping each other. It highlights how related being happy is to feeling connected, supported, and part of a community.
[22:24] Making this point even more obvious, more evident, is by comparing the results to the USA. The United States has fallen to its lowest place ever in the happiness rankings. This is perhaps surprising, because the USA is one of the richest countries in the world. But more and more people in the USA are living alone, eating alone, and feeling less connected to their communities. When we compare this with Mexico or Costa Rica, where social life is very strong, it becomes clear: sure, money and comfort can be important, but real happiness often comes from relationships and community.
[23:19] In fact, the very specific point about how important it is to eat with others for our emotional wellbeing was something really present, really evident in the results. Sharing meals, sharing food is more than just about eating. People that eat together feel happier.
[23:47] This is something that feels more personal, more relatable. In my current lifestyle I will often have times, if I am travelling or working where I will eat alone. And it is true, that in that moment precisely I feel the absence of people most strongly. It is a moment that can feel lonely, and even heavy. I think as a child I never ate alone. There were always my brothers, my family, or my school colleagues. It was a moment to be together, to relax, to joke, and to catchup. So, to eat alone as an adult can feel, for me, strange, almost unnatural. I would be interested to know what you think about this? Do you often eat alone in your culture? How do you feel when you do eat alone? Leave a message in the comments or feel free to email me.
[25:03] And what about the generational divide that I mentioned? In many countries, young people under 30 report feeling much less happy than older people. This is surprising, because we often think of young people as full of energy and optimism, with their whole lives ahead of them. But the report shows that many young people today feel more anxious and less secure about their future â things like jobs, housing, climate change, and political instability are creating a future they feel less excited about. Older people, on the other hand, report higher life satisfaction, maybe because they feel more stable, or they have already built strong relationships. Or perhaps, and this is me being a little cynical, a little distrustful. But perhaps older people are happier because they know they won’t have to live as long with a future world that is arguably getting worse.
[26:27] But, hey, it doesn’t say that in the results, so you can ignore this possibility. But anyway, what this shows us objectively, factually is that happiness can change across generations, and that the challenges facing young people today are very real. It also reminds us that happiness is not only about age, but about the world and the society we grow up in.
[27:02] One final point somewhat connected to the generational divide is the role of technology in happiness. On one hand, technology connects us â I can talk to people across the world instantly. That is very handy, very useful when I live in America and my family is in the UK. On the other hand, too much screen time can replace face-to-face contact. For younger people especially, social media creates pressure. They compare their life to the âperfect livesâ they see online. This comparison often makes people feel worse, not better. Older generations didnât grow up with this same pressure, which might be one reason they report higher happiness today. Again, it shows that happiness is not only about money or freedom, but also about how our modern lifestyle affects us. Technology is a tool: it can help us connect, but only if we use it in a healthy way.
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[28:29] Thatâs all for today’s episode! I hope you found this episode interesting. For me personally it makes me want to go to Finland! They have came top of the Happiness Report eight times in a row. Yes, eight times. That doesn’t happen by chance, they must be doing something right. I was going to say, if you are from Finland please share with us what you like about your country. But, every time I meet someone from Finland, a Finn, I have the impression they talk better English than me. So, I’m not sure if they would be listening to this podcast.
[29:13] But hey, regardless of where you are from, I would be very curious to know – What do you think makes people happy in your country? And what makes you happy in your daily life? Leave a comment or send me an email over at ShiftEnglish.com. There you can also get the full, accurate transcript for free to this episode, plus a list of the trickier vocab and their definitions. Because yeah, I was definitely throwing some bigger words at you today. But I think when learning a language, it is important to be challenged too, not to just stay with the words we are comfortable with. But if you have any feedback about that or anything else, I am very open to hearing about it, send me an email. Next week’s episode we will be talking about healthcare in the USA, and I’ll share my personal experience of that system. Until then, have a wonderful week, even better, have a happy week!
— Vocabulary List —
- Indications: signs or clues that show something might happen or is true. Example: Dark clouds are an indication that it might rain soon.
- Measure: a way to find out the size, amount, or level of something. Example: We use a thermometer to measure temperature.
- Privilege: a special advantage or benefit that some people have but others do not. Example: It is a privilege to get a good education.
- Individualistic: focused on being independent and doing things your own way, not following the group. Example: He is very individualistic and prefers working alone.
- Snowflakes: frozen drops of water from the sky; used metaphorically to describe people as very unique or special. Example: Every snowflake is different, just like every person.
- Culmination: the result of many things coming together over time; the high point or ending of a process. Example: The concert was the culmination of months of practice.
- Transformation: a big change that makes something look or become very different. Example: The old factory went through a transformation and became a museum.
- Encouraging: giving hope, confidence, or support to someone. Example: My teacher was encouraging when I made a mistake.
- Convincing: strong and clear enough to make people believe or agree with something. Example: She gave a convincing argument for why we should recycle.
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