Jay Kuten: Northern lights show way to happiness

Jay Kuten

CHINESE friends characterised their culture thus: "If it moves, bet on it; if it stops moving, eat it." A more local application would be, if it moves, sits still, or just plain exists, compete with it. I'm not that keen on Kiwi competitiveness simply because it's overdone, and it quickly devolves to characterisations of winners and losers -- territory of Donald Trump. That said, we might all take a moment to give ourselves a back pat over our comparative rankings in the world happiness scale. Frank Greenall's recent column on the social and economic successes of the Scandinavian countries deserves a second and third look, especially by our aspiring MPs. It turns out that the Scandinavians, starting with Norway, are in the top ranks when it comes to the happiness of their citizens. New Zealand ranked eighth just behind Canada and, significantly, six places ahead of the US, which ranked 14th.

That comparative ranking is important because of its cautionary qualities. Columbia University economist Jeffrey Sachs spoke about the relative decline of the US in its rankings on Bloomberg News. The US was third just a decade ago. Sachs pointed to the growing distrust of government and of civic institutions, the increasing economic and social inequality and a form of social Darwinism that sees the poor as morally deficient and giving help to fellow-man as weakness, as supporting dependency. Sachs summarises the American situation as "We're becoming a nasty nation". That's a far cry from the inspirational founding document that invokes inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The World Happiness Scale is compiled from questionnaires of citizens by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, under the auspices of the UN. While living standards and GDP have their influence, human factors count more. Money's necessary but it alone can't buy happiness. For example, the Chinese, whose personal income has risen sharply in 25 years, are nonetheless ranked 83rd.

Beacons: Norway and its neighbours are shining lights when it comes to being content.

The criteria used in the rankings are income, healthy life expectancy, having someone to count on in times of trouble, generosity, freedom and trust (the latter measured by the absence of corruption in business and government).

Norway came to the top rank despite falling oil prices for its North Sea assets. By choosing to produce its oil slowly, and investing the proceeds for the future rather than spending them in the present, Norway has insulated itself from the boom-and-bust cycle of many other resource-rich economies. Doing so successfully required high levels of mutual trust, shared purpose, and good governance.

Our high ranking reflects on having many of these same attributes. In times of trouble Kiwis can be counted on to pitch in and help. There exists a generosity of spirit and a level of mutual trust. We may not be money-rich, but we have a lot of social capital.

Our vulnerabilities are reflected in governmental behaviours that have made a virtue out of business to the exclusion of social value. The current willing blind eye turned to extraction of water for the profit of foreign investors reflects a philosophy of neglect both of sovereignty and humanity. That is the way of the worm of corruption into our shiny apple of government.

The recent OECD environment report should be a wake-up call for all our citizens, even if the current government of Mr English would prefer to lull us to sleep. We can look up to those countries whose prosperity takes everyone and the environment into account and enlarge our pursuit of happiness. Or we can follow the false money trail, the corporatist profit trail that has brought the US to the level of distrust and divisiveness reflected in the survey.

Jay Kuten is an American-trained forensic psychiatrist who emigrated to New Zealand for the fly fishing. He spent 40 years comforting the afflicted and intends to spend the rest afflicting the comfortable.