Dear All,
Is happiness a nature or nurture classification?
Thank you and best regards.
Mariam Ahmad
Dear Mariam,
There are several weeks ago, I read an interesting article which says roughly what follows :
Why in some countries they are people so happy? In Denmark, it would seem that happiness is printed in the DNA of people. "Happiness flees those who seek it." That is a saying that makes no sense in Denmark because, precisely, the Danes have no reason to run after happiness: It would be part of their DNA. Yes, this is the science that says this fact. It is that Denmark is regularly at the highest levels of the national rankings on happiness, including one developed between 2010 and 2012 by the United Nations. The evidence is provided by the graphics that I join you. "Generosity", "freedom to make choices," GDP "welfare" are major strengths of Denmark, a country already rich, progressive and with good social protections. In short, a country that has almost everything. That what underlines a study done by two economics researchers, Eugenio Proto and Andrew Oswald. Regardless of the quality of life of the country, their finding reveals that there is another factor conducive to happiness: the genes. According to the study, Danes therefore have a favorable genetic panel to rejoice.
Initially, the two economists examine international study data from 131 countries, through variables such as GDP, geography, religion, etc., they discover that the more a country is far from Denmark, the less it is happy. They then seek to determine if this relationship is seen across generations and migration by examining, among others, the data reported on the welfare of the American people. Result: happiness of Americans is linked to that estimated in the country from which their ancestors came. This is how they came to be interested in the genes. A research topic that is not new since science has already shown that there is a link between genetics and the feeling of being happy. A history of serotonin and neurotransmitters that would influence our well-being ... A variant of this gene is linked to depression. But the two economists found that the population of Denmark (but also the Netherlands) has a very small percentage of people having this rather unseemly gene.
It has identified that people who have more serotonin - a neurotransmitter involved in particular in the ability to respond positively - more easily confront difficult situations and are less likely to become depressed than others. Serotonin is therefore a protection against depression.
Scientific studies show that our ability to see the life of the good or the bad side is linked to a gene, 5HTT. (See the following link).
http://personal.lse.ac.uk/deneve/DeNeveChristakisFowlerFrey_Happiness_JNPE2012.pdf
With my best regards
Prof. Bachir ACHOUR
Dear Prof Bachir,
Thank you for your comprehensive and interesting insight.
Like Prof Sonja Lyubomirsky too, she believes 50% of happiness lies in the genes. I have yet to meet the Danes but I have met the Dutch before. Unfortunately most I met at the city centre were all so uptight.
Thus, I am unsure if the Dutch are happy people. Perhaps their way of showing it is through uptight cosmetic. If it is so, then it is still from the genes then.
Thank you once again Prof for your prompt and kind reply.
Best regards - Mariam
I don't bye the DNA nor the cosmetic theory. It seems clear for me and it is supported in the graph supplied by Dr Achour that the Danish advantage comes from being the least corrupt society.
Hi Henrik,
I do not sell the DNA and cosmetic theory either.
I am researching the balance between nature and nurture of happiness
As confirmed by Prof Bachir, the Danes have a favorable genetic panel to rejoice.
If the Danish advantage comes from being the least corrupt society, I believe presumably you would not even get to see your own generation being one, have you not benefit the gene factor you are enjoying now, thanks to your great ancestors DNA or genes, for that matter.
Coming from least corrupt country does not necessarily make you happy, it makes your genes or DNA appreciate that there is nothing wrong with it.
Yet somehow you know the respect of coming from Denmark least corrupt country makes you proud and 'happy' is a natural feeling indeed. And those are coming from the DNA or gene theory that I could never sell or buy, even if I wish to.
I do appreciate your honest input in these matters.
Thank you and best regards - Mariam
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