Singapore's
unremarkable happiness index
Pursuing perfection to our perennial peril
Radha
Basu, Straits
Times 5 Aug 09;
A RECENT article in this newspaper on how Singapore was placed an
unremarkable 49th out of 140 countries in a 'happiness index' has
unleashed much soul-searching.
One reader wrote to The Straits Times' Forum Online to dub
the results 'disturbing'.
'By all counts, we are a materially
wealthy nation, so why are Singaporeans not happy with their lot,'
he asked.
Nearly 20 people weighed in with answers. One said Singaporeans
aren't happy because 'we are slaves to $$$'.
Another cited the complaints that
appear regularly in ST Forum - 'noisy neighbours, cats pooing, MRT
eating, queuing, noise, ticketing, waiting...even Ms Singapore also
not spared' (sic) - before philosophising: 'Like that how to be
happy? Live and let live la!'
A third blamed the lack of
'social safety nets' like a national pension scheme for our high
stress levels.
http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2009/08/singapores-unremarkable-happiness-index.html