A recent study highlighted in the World Happiness Report suggests that strangers exhibit kindness at levels twice what people typically assume. The report, released to coincide with the UN's International Day of Happiness, involved an intriguing experiment where wallets were deliberately lost and their return rates measured. Surprisingly, the study found that almost double the expected number of wallets were handed back, pointing to higher global trust in strangers than anticipated.
John F. Helliwell, an economist from the University of British Columbia and co-editor of the report, emphasized the correlation between perceived kindness and happiness, stating that individuals are happier in communities where they believe others care. The thirteenth edition of the report has ranked Finland as the happiest nation for the eighth consecutive year, while countries like the USA and the UK have seen a drop in their rankings.
The report gathered data from respondents who rated their life satisfaction on a scale from 0 to 10, with Finland achieving an average score of 7.736. The top ten rankings include Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and others, marking the debut of Costa Rica and Mexico in this elite list. The US and UK have ranked 23rd and 24th, respectively, marking a historic low for the US.
Additionally, the findings revealed that declining happiness and social trust, especially in the US and parts of Europe, contribute significantly to political polarization. Hearteningly, communal activities, like sharing meals, lead to improved wellbeing, and the report indicates that households with four to five members tend to report higher happiness.
Jeffrey D. Sachs, president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, underscored that happiness relies on social connections and trust. He urged individuals to convert this understanding into actions that promote peace and well-being in their communities. Meanwhile, Jan-Emmanuel De Neve from Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre stressed the importance of bringing people together, especially during times of isolation and division that characterize contemporary society.
