Context: Every year, on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO), a list is compiled ranking the happiest and least happy countries in the world – “The World Happiness Index.” A plethora of questions, economic characteristics, and social indicators aim to determine the level of happiness in each country. While cultural differences are acknowledged, they are largely left in the middle.

For instance: When you are interviewed for the World Happiness Index, you are asked whether you have laughed or smiled in the last 24 hours. If you answer ‘yes,’ you get a happiness point; if you answer ‘no,’ you get an unhappiness point. If you have seen something of the world, you know that, generally, someone from the United States smiles more than a Russian. However, this alone doesn’t make them happier.

It’s also noteworthy that Finland, the happiest country in the world, has had the highest suicide rate and antidepressant usage in the EU for several years. Bulgaria, along with many other ‘unhappy countries,’ has one of the lowest rates for both.

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