Do You Want to Live in the Happiest Country in the Whole World?
Who wouldn’t want to live in the happiest country? Many of us believe that the ancient Greeks were right that utopia literally means Nowhere. Maybe we should defer to Aristotle, the Pioneer of Happiness, about achieving eudaimonia?
Since 2017, the World Happiness Report (WHR) has ranked Finland as the #1 happiest country in the world, an honor Finland has won seven times in a row. Following close behind in the Top 5 are Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Israel [Israel?].
Launched in 2012, the World Happiness Report is a partnership of Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and an editorial board to “promote the sustainable development goals of the United Nations.” [Anything coming from the UN should raise our BS meter.]
WHR ranked the USA at # 15 in 2023 and watched it plunge down to #23 in 2024. When looking at the polling for those under 30 years old, the USA ranked #60. That is not shocking considering the poor state of American education and the uncontrolled corruption that is rampant in American politics. Shiny, happy people in America are not dancing in the streets.
Why is Finland #1? What criteria makes for the happiest country in the world? Small country? Not part of the criteria. Homogenous? Not part of the criteria.
Helsinki, Finland did rank the most honest in the Reader's Digest "lost wallet test."
Lasse Luomakoski said that “Finns are naturally honest. We are a small, quiet, closely-knit community. We have little corruption, and we don’t even run red lights.”
Although not stated in the criteria of the UN report, all top five countries are all small countries (approximately 5 - 10 million people) and, except for Israel, comprised of mostly homogenous people of the same culture, although that is changing each year with increased immigration.
Finns generally aren’t “the most cheerful,” former Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in a recent interview. But, she added, "we have a good society," fueled in part by a welfare model that “enables everyone to have a good life.”
There are only 5,545 million citizens in Finland. According to the UN data, dependency on the government is projected to be 67.3% in 2025. That is a good thing?
When it comes to maternity/paternity leave, maybe the Finns are on to something. While most new parents in the U.S. struggle to balance their parental leave from work based on their finances, Finland has one of the most generous parental leave allowances in the world. Finland’s family leave program includes both pregnancy leave – 40 working days of allowance for mothers during pregnancy – as well as 160 days of parental leave for those who are guardians to a child – regardless of whether adults are biological or adoptive parents. That takes the stress off as long as everyone contributes their fair share. In a small, homogenous country, that might not be a problem, but in a large and diverse country, it surely is a problem as America’s welfare state proves.
As of 2021, Finnish people made up 86.5 % of the population. That’s homogenous from an American perspective. America’s original motto was “E Pluribus Unum” – out of many, one. One culture, one language, one people. It is not a far cry to say that small, homogenous cultures tend to get along better with each other. At least they understand each other speaking the same language!
According to World Population Review, “To determine the world's happiest country, researchers analyzed comprehensive Gallup polling data from 149 countries for the past three years, specifically monitoring performance in six particular categories: gross domestic product per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make your own life choices, generosity of the general population, and perceptions of internal and external corruption levels.” Perceptions? So as long as no one questions the media telling them ‘Nothing to see here, folks,’ there is no government/corporate corruption?
The typical annual sample for each country was 1,000 people, regardless of population size, so 1,000 people in Finland with 5,545 million citizens is compared to 1,000 people in the USA with a population size of over 330 million. For three years’ average, that’s 3,000 people per 5,545 million v. 3,000 people with over 330 million people.
The World Happiness Report data does not give any demographic information such as the size or race/demographics of the population since that information is not important in measuring the criteria of the happiest places to live.
Back in unhappy America, walk into your local urbanized, blue state Walmart and you may feel like a Roman did in Juvenal’s day, with many different languages spoken within hearing range. Years back, legal immigrants were so grateful to be able to try to partake in the American dream, America’s version of the pursuit of happiness. E Pluribus Unum was a cherished idea to achieve and not subvert. Learning English in America was a cherished achievement so the next generation could live better. Of course, those immigrants came here legally, which is not an easy or inexpensive process. How do legal immigrants feel about illegal immigrants coming in without getting in line and waiting patiently like they did?
Western Civilization continues to have the happiest people, especially compared to South America, Russia, China, with Africa being the least happy. That is not shocking, since most western countries live in 1st world status with a decent standard of living.
Although not stated in the WHR, the commonality of the happiest countries appears to be that they are small and homogeneous.
There are a variety of websites explaining this theory here, here and here, but the most extensive website explaining the theory is called the Michael Teachings[1]. According to the "channel" made up of the essence of thousands of spiritual guides collectively named Michael, the question is:
“Have you ever wondered why people and the countries they live in are so diverse in their perspective about life, relationships, and personal growth? And why is there so much conflict?” Michael asks.
“In the Michael teachings, a concept known as soul age answers those questions. Over a course of hundreds, if not thousands, of lifetimes, the soul advances through five stages during a reincarnation cycle that defines behaviors, values, and overall spiritual development. Not a quick jaunt, soul age is an evolutionary process that occurs over thousands of years.”
So, the theory is that to continue to grow as a soul, humans come to “boot camp earth” where we first experience life as an Infant Soul, which is learning to survive in the world, and usually placed in 3rd world countries.
“To our eyes, the Infant Soul lifetimes look pretty rough. They are often short. Famine, plagues, drought, flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes, tigers, bears, poisonous snakes and combat are experienced along with every other survival threat imaginable.”
After about 20 lifetimes, the soul emerges into a baby soul. Baby souls tend to be fundamentalist in thinking with a know-it-all attitude.
“Traditions, rituals, and law and order provide a welcome sense of security. "That's the rule and that's what we'll do," is typical thinking. They make sure your car is not parked in front of their house and that their lawn is mowed and sprinkled. In a dogmatic, black-and-white way, they know right from wrong. Usually conscientiously good citizens who can be counted on to do the "right" thing. This is also the soul age with the greatest propensity to long-term grudge holding.”
Michael continues, explaining, “Preferring to be big fish in small ponds, Baby Souls are often found in small communities. Though the United States is primarily a late-Young early-Mature Soul country, middle America between the two coasts is packed with Baby Souls who prefer life when it is a little simpler. They often emerge as pillars of the community, staunch, upright and unshakable in their beliefs. They become mayor or sheriff, president of the town council or PTA. Because they are interested in organizing and developing the fabric of society with laws, regulations and lines of authority, they are often found in governmental bureaucracies such as schools, hospitals, regulating agencies and so on. When their beliefs are opposed, Baby Souls may become inwardly bewildered. Baby Souls are so sure they are right that they have difficulty comprehending opposition. This is not a self-reflective phase.”
After mastering the infant and baby soul stage, the soul transforms into a Young Soul. Michael says:
“Independence and the ability to get what one wants out of life are the driving force of the Young Soul stage. Seizing what the physical plane has to offer, vying to gain positions of prominence, power and great wealth, causes this to become the most competitive period in the whole cycle of lifetimes. Those who are expressing themselves from a Young Soul perceptivity will tend towards a sort of tape measure mentality that makes them monitor who among them has the hottest investments, the most lavish parties, the most important friends, the greatest weekly aerobic output, the tallest building, fastest motorcycle, broadest shoulders, thinnest hips or heaviest diamonds. The most powerful places in the world--Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Israel, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Canada and the United States--all express a strong Young Soul perceptivity. Everybody growing up in these places, regardless of soul age, will receive Young Soul imprinting or conditioning about how to act, think, look, and feel in order to be a success. Japan is now the example par excellence of this: an extremely competitive, focused society where even having fun looks competitive. Often, there's no time off on the way up!”
As the soul transforms out of the Young Soul stage towards the Mature Soul, no longer is wealth, power and acclaim enough. Questions arise: Why am I here and what is my purpose? Mature souls love philosophy and allow creativity to flow but are challenged with neurotic tendencies too. Mature souls brought us unrealistic ideals like socialism.
“Countries with Mature Soul attributes may tend to put more attention on social relationships than on material goods or efficiency. In Mature [soul] nations the question comes up, does a country really need a smoothly functioning government, or is it more interesting to keep juggling? Sometimes "little" things like a crumbling infrastructure won't receive attention until disaster is clearly imminent.” So says Michael.
Finally, Old Souls are those who grasp the Universal Law of Divine Oneness.
For Old Souls, “There is a strong urge to be impeccable and to maintain personal integrity in all transactions. They detach from the emotional intensities of the Mature Soul period and get more objective about the ups and downs of life.”
The mottos of the soul levels:
Infant: Let’s not do it.
Baby: Do it right or don't do it at all.
Young: Do it my way.
Mature: Do it anyplace but here.
Old: You do what you want, and I'll do what I want.
Supposedly, the world has more young souls, with mature and baby souls being about equal in representation with less representation from old souls and baby souls in the world.
So, if this soul theory is correct, and the happiest societies are small and homogenous, then it would make perfect sense for America to operate according to the original Constitution, the Articles of the Confederation, as 50 sovereign states with a unified Congress for the few national affairs needed and discussed in previous posts: A Modest Proposal When the War Drums Start Banging, A Modest Proposal, Part II: Articles of the Confederation and Article V: The Convention of the States.
Let all the various souls migrate to where they feel they can live their best and happiest life. Old souls may have a try at self-governance, but the baby and young souls will inevitably mess it up. Young souls are those who are attracted to wealth and power, and cannot be trusted running any type of government, no matter how limited, so at a minimum, there should be no central government to corrupt. Yet, it is the young soul who most likely has the ambition to pursue a career in politics. What a conundrum!
At a minimum, the soul level idea adds a new spin towards our thought process. Take “the stories” like Judas and Jesus. Of course, Jesus could live like a real communist, complete with community garden, because he was a transcendental soul, duh. Judas, selling out for 30 pieces of silver, was a young soul increasing his karma.
Who knows? But, at a minimum, it does explain the horrors of what Angel Families have endured by what might be considered “infant” souls pouring over America’s uncontrolled border. According to Michael, the [illegal] immigrants coming from central America are mostly infant souls.
What souls represent Finland? Late mature and old souls. No wonder Finns are happy!
[1] There is political bias on this website, because while Donald Trump would represent a young soul, the writers say that Barack Obama is a mature soul. How could any grifter politician like Obama or Biden be a mature soul when they lived the high life off the taxpayers? Their rhetoric was clearly BS.
The other thing to note about these happy Scandinavian countries is the people feel responsibility. In America far too many people are about “getting mine” and wanting rights without responsibilities. The Finn will take her parental leave, and then work hard on her return so her fellow Finns can take theirs. Many Americans would take the leave and then try to get on some other free time off scheme even if it requires them to lie. Living in a society that is not only not ethnically homogeneous, but one that actively seeks to divide by emphasizing differences via DEI, there is far less of a sense that “we’re all in this together.”
Very interesting article! Loved the stages of the soul info. Thought provoking.