What's behind the smile? (ferhanin)
4 Comments accused by Jacques René Zammit on mardi, janvier 10, 2006 at 1/10/2006 12:47:00 PM.
From the Guardian (G2): "According to the World Database of Happiness, compiled by Professor Ruut Veenhoven, of Rotterdam's Erasmus University, the 400,000 residents of this rocky Mediterranean archipelago are the most likely to describe themselves as happy - 74% did so - with Denmark, Switzerland and Colombia close behind. (The US is at 16, the UK at 21; Zimbabwe, Moldova and Ukraine came last.) "
Like other English dailies today, the Guardian reported the results of Professor Veenhoven's study about the Happy People of Europe. It turn's out that over 74% of the Maltese people are likely to describe themselves as happy. Wow!
The Gonzi government will shortly produce a spin based on this incredible statistic (surely) while Alfred Sant will probably claim that the Dutch Professor is probably receiving a backhander for this wonderful info. Tony Zarb is probably planning something militant against the offensive academic.
But the question remains... Happy about what? I mean - if I asked you if you were happy now would you say yes? Isn't it in our culture to shrug off adversity and say yes? Does that make us really happy? Or would it be more a question of satisfaction. In Maltese the questions would be different: "Int Ferhan?" as against "Int Kuntent?". Somehow I believe something got lost in translation. Not that we have no reason to be happy as a people but rather because the reporting of these results seems to be describing Malta as some kind of sunny paradise where all and sundry are happy happy people.
And I have my doubts. About being content and not about their being happy. Because at some point everyone can be ferhan about something (happy as in joy) but reaching the form of happiness that is contentment is another thing. And as far as I can tell as a people we stopped being kuntenti ages ago. Sometime after Il-Bidla tkompli.... (the Change Continues - a government slogan of the early nineties).
But then again I may be wrong.... and it is not an ignorant bliss that has hit our island but a veritable happiness. A happiness that us expats who rushed off to Brussels, Luxembourg and other lesser known bases will regret losing.
Whichever way we have a new smile after the Mona Lisa's to decipher. So tell me....
... what is everybody so bloody happy about?
we're Europe's most overfed, undereducated nation... of course we're happy - why wouldn't we be?
i don't think it's that difficult to be happy if your expectations are low (and I'm not saying this in a nasty way).
Isn't it in our culture to shrug off adversity and say yes? Does that make us really happy? Or would it be more a question of satisfaction. In Maltese the questions would be different: "Int Ferhan?" as against "Int Kuntent?". Somehow I believe something got lost in translation.
Eżatt dak li ħsibt jien il-bieraħ, xbin; imma huwa biss suspett.
Min-naħa l-oħra, jkolli ngħid li -politika u reliġjon apparti- isbaħ mill-ħajja Mediterranea diffiċli ssib.
Iż-żewġ marelli tiegħi.
What kind of people are Luxumbourgers? According to my cousin working there, they are a miserable lot, even more miserable then us Maltese. So maybe the dutch researcher was right after all.
According to the latest post on Wired Temples, Malta is also the most connected country in the world. This seems to suggest that Internet connectivity equals happiness. Maybe someone should buy Tony Zarb a modem.