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| Reluctant Hero |
Scots are happier than rest of UKScots 'higher' on happiness scalePeople living in Scotland may be happier than those living in the rest of the UK, a government-published study has suggested. On a ten-point scale, they gave a life satisfaction score of 8.1 compared to 7.2 for the rest of the country. The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey contradicted a similar study in 2007, which said Scots were less satisfied than their UK counterparts. The latest study involved interviews with 1,500 people from across Scotland. People were asked to rate questions on how happy and satisfied they were with their lives, jobs, personal situation and standard of living. A person may be relatively wealthy or healthy but, if they don't feel that this is the case, it is likely to impact upon their assessment of how happy and satisfied they are Scottish Social Attitudes Survey The study said it was too early to conclude people in Scotland were happier than those elsewhere in Europe, but added: "The evidence suggests subjective well-being in Scotland is at least on a par with many other Western European countries." The survey also pointed out its results did not back-up the conclusions by researcher Bell and Blanchflower, which previously said levels of happiness and life satisfaction were "lower in Scotland than elsewhere in the UK". The latest research put Scotland towards the top end of the happiness scale, ahead of Sweden and Finland, and behind Switzerland and Denmark. The former eastern bloc countries of Ukraine, Bulgaria were at the bottom of the scale. According to the study, people who were married, or living as married, were happier than single, separated and divorced people. It went on to say job satisfaction was lower among men than women, and the unemployed were less satisfied with their lives than those in work. There was no difference in happiness between those living in the city and the countryside, the study suggested. The researchers also said a person's own assessment of their health and wealth was strongly linked to their happiness. "A person may be relatively wealthy or healthy but, if they don't feel this is the case, it is likely to impact upon their assessment of how happy and satisfied they are with their life," said the study. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7560947.stm |
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| Rinty |
Not me, I'm a miserable b****rd! 
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| Red Justice |
It's interesting in this study that Scotland shoud appear ahead of Scandinavian countries who although capitalist are somewhat less authoritarian than British society. While wealth seems to impact on the selfishness of society a sense of feeling in control in life eg: collective decision making such as trade union rights is very relevant. Scandinavian countries traditionally are a bit more less controlling and less aspects of bureaucracy than Scotland is particualry since Thatcherism onwards. | ||||||||
| mairead |
Wonder how many of the folk who live on the streets were spoken too, or those who are forced to live in slums, the unemployed, the elderly who scrape by on only state pensions, the single parent familes etc etc.
Speak to the right folk and you get the right answers, the answers you want.. |
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| Dave Coull |
Well of course there is always a question over exactly who got asked in any such survey, but there are folk on the streets in England and other places too, etc. One possible reason for Scots feeling relatively happier could be that we may feel we have more reason to be positive about the future than we have had in the past. " 'A person may be relatively wealthy or healthy but, if they don't feel this is the case, it is likely to impact upon their assessment of how happy and satisfied they are with their life', said the study." I am neither wealthy nor in perfect health, but I feel reasonably happy for reasons which have little to do with material circumstances. I have a basically optimistic attitude which I suppose I got from my father and mother, many years ago. |
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| Alasdair |
Having carefully considered this post I'd say that I agree with Rinty.
I'll be happy (-ier) when we have independence ... |
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| mairead |
I am a reasonably happy person too, and not at all wealthy, Just like you Rinty I am a bit of an optimist, but I will be also be much happier when we are free of the Union. | ||||||||
| Blackleaf |
If Scots are happier than the English, then why is the suicide rate so much higher in Scotland than in England? | ||||||||
| Jimbo |
Reluctant Hero wrote:
Blackleaf wrote:
You'll notice Blackleaf, that all this happiness only broke out after the SNP came into power. |
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| Dave Coull |
I have never in my life considered suicide. Apparently this is slightly unusual, from things I have read and heard it appears that most folk do have "what's the use going on?" episodes at some time or another. I don't think my basically positive attitude has anything to do with whoever happens to be in government. My guess is, I think it might have more to do with a relatively happy family upbringing.
Blackleaf, you have got so much into the habit of automatically opposing everything and anything positive that anybody says about Scotland, you even oppose things that you could have used to support your own ideology. Surely, if the Scots get such a wonderful deal from the UK (as you have often suggested), and if the poor downtrodden English are having to bear the grevious burden of subsidizing the Scots (as you have also implied), then you would expect the Scots to be happier?????!!!!!
You mean this outbreak of happiness has only happened since May 2007?????!!!!! I await the figures showing the reduced suicide rate since then with great interest. |
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| Jimbo |
Hi Dave,
I honestly wouldn't know Dave. I was only pointing out to Mr. Blackleaf that this years report contradicts a similar study carried out last year, which said Scots were less satisfied than their UK counterparts. |
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| Blackleaf |
Even though only a third of those who voted in the last Scottish Parliament Election voted SNP? If the SNP is any measure of Scottish happiness, two-thirds of Scots musn't be very happy at the moment. |
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| Dave Coull |
Maybe we shouldn't read too much into these "studies". Maybe, as with opinion polls, if you don't like one, just wait, there will be a different one along soon enough.
Maybe it is possible to be both "less satisfied"and "happier" at the same time. Personally, I am very far from "satisfied" with the present state of affairs politically, and yet, as an individual, I'm reasonably happy, for reasons not directly connected with political matters. Being fairly optimistic about the future may have something to do with it. On the other hand, somebody who is quite well off, and who therefore ought to be quite "satisfied", might nevertheless feel less positive about both their personal life and the future. |
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| Holebender |
This presupposes that those who didn't vote SNP are unhappy with the SNP's performance. I have met many people who did not vote SNP who have been pleasantly surprised and who have come round to supporting the SNP since the election. This is also borne out by the opinion polls which show SNP support increasing. |
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