The 2019 World Happiness Report (WHR)
from the UN is out. It is huge. Its multiple charts are a statistician’s
delight, while the accompanying explanations and commentary help to understand
the methodology and interpret the findings. The report ranks the overall
happiness of 156 countries, based on six categories: GDP per capita, Health
(life expectancy), Social Support, Freedom, Generosity, and Corruption. The
first two rely on available statistics, while the rest are the result of
surveys that asked questions such as: “Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with
your freedom to choose what you do with your life?” and “Is corruption
widespread throughout the government (or business) or not?” One could spend
days immersed in this report, but for the less wonkish among us, it is best to
focus on specific points. One is life expectancy, because it has gone DOWN in
this country.
Why should life expectancy go down
when we have the best doctors and the best hospitals in the world, as well as
the most advanced treatments for killer diseases? The paradox is that old
people are living longer, but young people are dying much too soon. Why? The
answer appears to be in lifestyles chosen by teens and young adults. Too many
of them are self-indulgent hedonists who seek joy and fulfillment in self-destructive
behavior. We have an epidemic of addiction in this country: to drugs, sex,
gambling, violence, over-eating, money, and more. Substance abusers die young;
so do the obese, the drunken drivers, and the murderous gang members; so do the
homeless and the mentally ill driven to depression and suicide.
The WHR ranks the United States 19th
out of 156 countries. Why should that be when we are the richest, most generous
country in the world, the beacon of freedom, the model of democracy? Why is
there so much hate, divisiveness, and greed where there should be friendship, unity,
and care for our families, communities, and the less fortunate among us? Why
are so many young people so unhappy? The WHR may not have all the answers. But
it’s a good place to start looking. If we care.
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