The 2024 World Happiness Report is out, and Finland is on top (the UK is number 20).
I have recently been listening to the marvellous Moomin books by the Finnish author Tove Jannson (on Audible, read by Hugh Dennis). They reveal a quirky sense of humour and a penetrating understanding of human nature that, if typical of Finnish people, might contribute to a happy experience of life. On the other hand, understanding human nature well could equally lead to despair. (There is, indeed, a dark undercurrent in the stories, which may be why not everyone likes them.)
So why are the Finnish people on top? How is this decided? While the researchers suggest various social conditions that may contribute to life satisfaction, such as social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, perception of corruption, and so on, the country ranking is actually based on self-assessment. People are asked to rank themselves on a ladder that stretches from worst possible life (0) to best possible life (10).
On prayer, mindfulness and contemplation
A lot of people seem to mean a lot of different things by ‘prayer’. I once went to what was …