Rheopipo
03-30-2005, 08:40 AM
This is a story from the Orlando Sentinel... read it and learn about my Island! BTW Puerto Rico is a great vacation spot!
> > Where's happiest place on Earth? Puerto Rico, poll says
> > --------------------
> >
> > By Matthew Hay Brown
> > Orlando Sentinel
> >
> > March 28, 2005, 4:51 PM EST
> >
> > SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Island of Enchantment, indeed: This U.S.
>territory of sandy beaches and lush rain forest, close-knit families
and
>endless celebrations is home to the happiest people in the world,
according
>to a new study.
> >
> > Never mind the low income or the high murder rate, the
double-digit
>unemployment or the troubled public schools. Puerto Ricans say
emphasis
on
>extended family, an easy warmth among even strangers and a readiness
to
>celebrate anything, anywhere, at any time, all contribute to a high
quality
>of life here.
> >
> > "There are over 500 festivals in Puerto Rico, and there are
only 365 days
>in a year," says Francisco Cavo, a U.S. Army medic at Fort
Buchanan, near
>San Juan. "That's a lot of fun on the schedule."
> >
> > The United States ranked 15th among the 82 societies in the study
by the
>Stockholm, Sweden-based World Values Survey, which was based on
interviews
>with 120,000 people representing 85 percent of the global population.
That
>put the United States ahead of Britain, Germany and France, Japan,
China
and
>Russia, but behind Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela, Ireland, the
Netherlands
>and Canada.
> >
> > The subjective well-being rankings are one part of the largest
>social-science study ever. The World Values Survey, an ongoing
investigation
>by a global network of social scientists, measures social, cultural
and
>political change on all six populated continents.
> >
> > Among its findings: As societies grow wealthier, they shift
priorities
>from maximizing income to maximizing well-being.
> >
> > That means individuals become likelier to choose jobs based on how
>interesting the work is, not simply how much it pays, said University
of
>Michigan political scientist Ronald Inglehart, chairman of the survey.
>Communities, meanwhile, grow more likely to seek ways to protect the
>environment, even if the measures they choose may slow economic
expansion.
> >
> > Another key finding: As they grow wealthier, societies become more
>tolerant of differences among members -- and they become more
insistent
on
>personal freedom.
> >
> > "From a political scientist's viewpoint, one of the most
important
>consequences is that demands for self-expression rise to the point
where
>democracy becomes increasingly probable, and even hard to avoid,"
said
>Inglehart, program director of the Center for Political Study at
Michigan's
>Institute for Social Research.
> >
> > The subjective well-being rankings are based on responses to
questions
>about happiness and life satisfaction. Generally, the wealthiest
nations
>tend to be the happiest. But Latin American societies, particularly
those
>around the Caribbean -- Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela and the
Dominican
>Republic -- prove an exception. Inglehart calls it "the Latino
bonus."
> >
> > "They're not the richest people in the world," Inglehart
said. "You seem
>to get a plus for being Latino."
> >
> > He says determining the reasons requires more study. But in Puerto
Rico,
>at least, Enrique Rodriguez said he already knows.
> >
> > "We are a small island, and people are nice to each
other," said
>Rodriguez, a retired government worker who lives in Old San Juan.
"Everybody
>gets along. When we pass in the street, we say hello to each other.
> >
> > "We have our problems like everyone, but they're nothing like
in Cuba or
>the Middle East. Even those without jobs have something to eat."
> >
> > Cavo, 22, a married father of two, stresses the importance of
family.
> >
> > "We value friends and family a lot," he said. "I
don't know other
>countries. But the meaning of what a family is seems to be a little
bit
>different here. It's not just your wife and kids. It's your mom and
dad,
>uncles, aunts, all the cousins, everybody who's got your last
name."
> >
> > At the other end of the rankings, the former Soviet republics --
Ukraine,
>Russia and Georgia among them -- and the formerly communist nations of
>eastern Europe, such as Romania, Bulgaria and Albania, are
>disproportionately unhappy.
> >
> > "That is not surprising," Inglehart said. "It's not
that they're the
>poorest in the world, but they are societies that have gone from being
>fairly well-off and fairly secure to being very disoriented -- poor,
and
>life expectancy has fallen, and their standard of living has fallen,
and
>their position in the world has fallen."
> >
> > Inglehart acknowledges the challenges of measuring happiness
across widely
>varying cultures. He calls the possible impact on the rankings of
>interviewing different peoples in different languages, for example,
"a major
>concern." But he says language alone doesn't explain the findings.
> >
> > The Spanish-speaking societies of Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia,
El
>Salvador and Venezuela for instance, all rated happier than most of
Western
>Europe, while Spain itself trailed most of the region. Similarly, the
>French-, German- and Italian-speaking peoples of Switzerland all rated
>significantly happier than the peoples of France, Germany and Italy.
> >
> > Culture also may color responses. In Japan, for example, which is
noted
>for valuing conformity -- one maxim holds that the nail that sticks
out
will
>get pounded down -- respondents may be less likely to identify
themselves as
>very happy or very unhappy, Inglehart said.
> >
> > Consequently, despite its wealth, Japan ranks 42nd of the 82
societies,
>last among the industrialized nations.
> >
> > Puerto Rico seems less reserved about proclaiming its happiness.
The
>per-capita gross domestic product here is less than half that of the
U.S.
>mainland, while the homicide rate is more than three times as high --
>factors that have helped to fuel the mass migration of islanders to
the
U.S.
>mainland.
> >
> > Still, to locals, this land of endless summer is la Isla del
Encanto --
>it's on the license plate.
> >
> > "The Latin temperament is to be very optimistic in many
ways," said Lily
>Garcia, a radio and television-show host, newspaper columnist and
>motivational speaker here. "You give Latin Americans open space and
music
>and a drink in our hands, and we're happy.
> >
> > "We just kind of make the best out of it, out of everything.
It's like
>this laissez-faire attitude. People are like, 'Yeah, whatever.' That's
an
>important part of being happy."
> >
> > Matthew Hay Brown can be reached at mhbrown@tribune.com or
787-729-7029.
> >
> >
> >
> > Copyright (c) 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
> >
> > Visit Sun-Sentinel.com
> > Where's happiest place on Earth? Puerto Rico, poll says
> > --------------------
> >
> > By Matthew Hay Brown
> > Orlando Sentinel
> >
> > March 28, 2005, 4:51 PM EST
> >
> > SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Island of Enchantment, indeed: This U.S.
>territory of sandy beaches and lush rain forest, close-knit families
and
>endless celebrations is home to the happiest people in the world,
according
>to a new study.
> >
> > Never mind the low income or the high murder rate, the
double-digit
>unemployment or the troubled public schools. Puerto Ricans say
emphasis
on
>extended family, an easy warmth among even strangers and a readiness
to
>celebrate anything, anywhere, at any time, all contribute to a high
quality
>of life here.
> >
> > "There are over 500 festivals in Puerto Rico, and there are
only 365 days
>in a year," says Francisco Cavo, a U.S. Army medic at Fort
Buchanan, near
>San Juan. "That's a lot of fun on the schedule."
> >
> > The United States ranked 15th among the 82 societies in the study
by the
>Stockholm, Sweden-based World Values Survey, which was based on
interviews
>with 120,000 people representing 85 percent of the global population.
That
>put the United States ahead of Britain, Germany and France, Japan,
China
and
>Russia, but behind Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela, Ireland, the
Netherlands
>and Canada.
> >
> > The subjective well-being rankings are one part of the largest
>social-science study ever. The World Values Survey, an ongoing
investigation
>by a global network of social scientists, measures social, cultural
and
>political change on all six populated continents.
> >
> > Among its findings: As societies grow wealthier, they shift
priorities
>from maximizing income to maximizing well-being.
> >
> > That means individuals become likelier to choose jobs based on how
>interesting the work is, not simply how much it pays, said University
of
>Michigan political scientist Ronald Inglehart, chairman of the survey.
>Communities, meanwhile, grow more likely to seek ways to protect the
>environment, even if the measures they choose may slow economic
expansion.
> >
> > Another key finding: As they grow wealthier, societies become more
>tolerant of differences among members -- and they become more
insistent
on
>personal freedom.
> >
> > "From a political scientist's viewpoint, one of the most
important
>consequences is that demands for self-expression rise to the point
where
>democracy becomes increasingly probable, and even hard to avoid,"
said
>Inglehart, program director of the Center for Political Study at
Michigan's
>Institute for Social Research.
> >
> > The subjective well-being rankings are based on responses to
questions
>about happiness and life satisfaction. Generally, the wealthiest
nations
>tend to be the happiest. But Latin American societies, particularly
those
>around the Caribbean -- Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela and the
Dominican
>Republic -- prove an exception. Inglehart calls it "the Latino
bonus."
> >
> > "They're not the richest people in the world," Inglehart
said. "You seem
>to get a plus for being Latino."
> >
> > He says determining the reasons requires more study. But in Puerto
Rico,
>at least, Enrique Rodriguez said he already knows.
> >
> > "We are a small island, and people are nice to each
other," said
>Rodriguez, a retired government worker who lives in Old San Juan.
"Everybody
>gets along. When we pass in the street, we say hello to each other.
> >
> > "We have our problems like everyone, but they're nothing like
in Cuba or
>the Middle East. Even those without jobs have something to eat."
> >
> > Cavo, 22, a married father of two, stresses the importance of
family.
> >
> > "We value friends and family a lot," he said. "I
don't know other
>countries. But the meaning of what a family is seems to be a little
bit
>different here. It's not just your wife and kids. It's your mom and
dad,
>uncles, aunts, all the cousins, everybody who's got your last
name."
> >
> > At the other end of the rankings, the former Soviet republics --
Ukraine,
>Russia and Georgia among them -- and the formerly communist nations of
>eastern Europe, such as Romania, Bulgaria and Albania, are
>disproportionately unhappy.
> >
> > "That is not surprising," Inglehart said. "It's not
that they're the
>poorest in the world, but they are societies that have gone from being
>fairly well-off and fairly secure to being very disoriented -- poor,
and
>life expectancy has fallen, and their standard of living has fallen,
and
>their position in the world has fallen."
> >
> > Inglehart acknowledges the challenges of measuring happiness
across widely
>varying cultures. He calls the possible impact on the rankings of
>interviewing different peoples in different languages, for example,
"a major
>concern." But he says language alone doesn't explain the findings.
> >
> > The Spanish-speaking societies of Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia,
El
>Salvador and Venezuela for instance, all rated happier than most of
Western
>Europe, while Spain itself trailed most of the region. Similarly, the
>French-, German- and Italian-speaking peoples of Switzerland all rated
>significantly happier than the peoples of France, Germany and Italy.
> >
> > Culture also may color responses. In Japan, for example, which is
noted
>for valuing conformity -- one maxim holds that the nail that sticks
out
will
>get pounded down -- respondents may be less likely to identify
themselves as
>very happy or very unhappy, Inglehart said.
> >
> > Consequently, despite its wealth, Japan ranks 42nd of the 82
societies,
>last among the industrialized nations.
> >
> > Puerto Rico seems less reserved about proclaiming its happiness.
The
>per-capita gross domestic product here is less than half that of the
U.S.
>mainland, while the homicide rate is more than three times as high --
>factors that have helped to fuel the mass migration of islanders to
the
U.S.
>mainland.
> >
> > Still, to locals, this land of endless summer is la Isla del
Encanto --
>it's on the license plate.
> >
> > "The Latin temperament is to be very optimistic in many
ways," said Lily
>Garcia, a radio and television-show host, newspaper columnist and
>motivational speaker here. "You give Latin Americans open space and
music
>and a drink in our hands, and we're happy.
> >
> > "We just kind of make the best out of it, out of everything.
It's like
>this laissez-faire attitude. People are like, 'Yeah, whatever.' That's
an
>important part of being happy."
> >
> > Matthew Hay Brown can be reached at mhbrown@tribune.com or
787-729-7029.
> >
> >
> >
> > Copyright (c) 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
> >
> > Visit Sun-Sentinel.com