Since we’re talking about happiness (on this blog and in the Happiness 101 course this Fall) I wanted to share a snippet from Jurriaan Kamp of Ode Magazine: There is much that the West can learn from the rest (of the world). … For one thing: People in challenging circumstances in developing countries are focused on solutions. They are creative and constantly find new ways to improve their lives. As a reader recently wrote on odemagazine.com: “Too many people in industrialized countries are losing hope. Conditioned by consumer culture to expect quick fixes and packaged solutions, they ignore their greatest personal resource: their strengths. Research has shown that using our strengths makes us healthier, happier, and more successful. Yet Gallup polls have revealed that most people in the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Japan, and China spend more time focusing on their weaknesses.”
Another of the many reasons why the US, one of the wealthiest nations, isn’t proportionally happy. There are more, but I’m just back from 3 days in Seattle and need to go to bed!