Garth Rattray | Will it be an unhappy new year?

Many years ago, when I wrote a piece posing the rhetorical question, “… who will be the first to die this year?” a few readers expressed that they thought that I was being pessimistic, or ‘goat mouthing’ the nation.

Nonetheless, as expected, the violent bloodletting began on New Year’s Day of that year. In fact, not long after that, one of our office staff was murdered on New Year’s Day and her body dumped near the HEART Academy in Portmore, St Catherine. She was killed because she knew too much about a certain criminal.

There are people who believe that the success or failures of countries/nations should be assessed by their happiness index. I wholeheartedly agree that whatever happens to countries boils down to how happy their citizens are. Happiness is defined as “a state of well-being and contentment”. And unhappy is obviously the opposite of happiness.

In disseminating the happiness index of various countries, the World Happiness Report is generated annually, around March 20. It is produced by a partnership between Gallup (which provides the data for the report through its World Poll), Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre (that publishes the report), the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (which is a partner in the report), and the World Happiness Report’s editorial board (which controls the report editorially).

The World Happiness Index (WHI) obtains more than 100,000 respondents annually. Their self-assessment questions are based on asking respondents to imagine a ladder where the top represents the best possible life and the bottom, the worst. They are asked where they think they belong on the ladder.

The concept is based on single-item Cantril ladder life-evaluation questions. In turn, the Cantril ladder is based on the work done by an American psychologist from Princeton, Hadley Cantril (1906 – 1969), who developed the Cantril Self-Anchoring Scale. The WHI uses 6 questions to probe the explanatory factors for happiness.

• Social support – people need to feel secure by knowing that at least one person will care for them when they are in need. This remains the primary predictor of happiness and wellbeing.

• GDP per capita – that is calculated by dividing how much the country produces by the number of people in the country.

• Healthy life expectancy – as determined by physical and mental health.

• Freedom to make life choices.

• Generosity – looks at how charitable (sympathetic, helpful, altruistic) people are.

• Absence of corruption – in governments and in businesses.

According to their website, “The World Happiness Report reflects a worldwide demand for more attention to happiness and well-being as criteria for government policy. It reviews the state of happiness in the world today and shows how the science of happiness explains personal and national variations in happiness”.

WELLBEING SCIENCE

It is believed that wellbeing science is the best measure of a country’s progress, and that individuals, families, communities, businesses, and policy makers can use this information to guide them to create happiness among their citizens.

This year, the World Happiness Index ranked Jamaica 67th, out of 143 countries. Finland was ranked the highest for the 10th year in a row. Finland’s consistently high ranking was credited to their social support system, high standard of living, sense of community and mutual trust among its citizens. Finland was followed closely by Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden (in that order).

Because of its proximity, social influence, and opportunities for self-development, many Jamaicans gravitate towards the United States (US). However, the great US ranked 23rd this year (dropping out of the top 20 spot for the first time), Canada ranked 15th, and the UK ranked 20th. I was curious about China and Japan, both countries are known for their disciplined societies. Surprisingly, Japan ranked 51st and China ranked 60th. China’s ranking was predicted, given its severely restrictive society. As anticipated, Afghanistan ranked the lowest.

Jamaica’s WHI ranking s 68 last year. Perhaps our slight improvement can be attributed to our GDP per capita increase of 13.6 per cent since 2022. But still, for a much-vaunted ‘paradise’, we are ranking pretty low on the happiness index.

No doubt, Jamaica is indeed a paradise, but only for a few. The World Bank rates us as an upper middle economy. However, our wealth distribution is appalling. Added to that is the incompetence, inefficiency, and corruption, especially within our public sector. They leach away critical funds that would have otherwise served to provide many social safety nets for our people.

In their survey, the WHI asks about social support. Will anybody have your back in your time of need? Does Jamaica have to resources and ability to take care of you if you become infirmed or very old and helpless? People do not think so; this contributes to the scamming, fraud, thefts, and violent crimes. This fear of helplessness and suffering often leads to people producing a surplus of progeny… as insurance against their greatest fears.

With all the aggression, acrimony, disrespect, and cut-throat competitiveness for scares resources, Jamaicans do not trust one another. There is an obvious inverse relationship between happiness on the one hand, and the prevalence of violence on the other. Daily murders, and more recently, multiple murders, make us unhappy people. Additionally, for many, the freedom to make life choices is severely restricted, depending on their particular social situation.

As individuals, we can and must do better. As citizens, we must demand better from our politicians. Our happiness is ultimately in our own hands.

Garth Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice, and author of ‘The Long and Short of Thick and Thin’. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com