Denmark has been rated the "happiest country in the world".
You may wonder why (especially if you are an American, and feel a sense of entitlement with an "America first" mindset that is rather commonplace within the nation). After all, Denmark is a tiny country, and you don't exactly hear tons about it, unless you live, are from there and living abroad, or specifically make a point of learning more about it. Also, it's damn cold there, isn't it?
All true. But, the fact of the matter is that the Scandinavian nations have generally reached a higher standard of living than Americans, and other people around the world, generally. And Denmark is no exception.
Many Americans are skeptical about what government can do to improve people's lives.
Well, some of the reasons why the Danish are generally happier than the rest of us touch upon this argument. Parents receive more support, healthcare is considered a human right (and not just in Denmark, but pretty much in every industrialized nation outside of these United States), and gender equality is prioritized more than in many other places.
Those are not the only reasons, of course. There are others, and I think we can learn from these, too.
Unfortunately, the climate in many other countries, and especially in the Americentrist mindset of the world's biggest superpower, where the general feeling is that we are so rich and powerful, that everyone should follow our example, and we have thus become too stubborn and arrogant to learn from the examples of anyone else, that is not likely to happen.
Still, it does not hurt to talk about it. So, here is a link to this article, to examine why it is, specifically, that Danes are so happy about:
"Denmark Is Considered The Happiest Country. You'll Never Guess Why." Originally posted: 10/22/2013, Updated: 11/06/2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/22/denmark-happiest-country_n_4070761.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false
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