Denmark: "The Pursuit of Happiness" | 60 Minutes Archive

By paying high taxes the Danes provide a social safety net for themselves that eliminates the typical American stressors. No wonder they’re happy (or content). They don’t have to worry about having a roof over their heads, or hospital bills that drive them to bankruptcy, or having to scrape by on fast-food jobs because they have a good, free education. Frankly, their investment in their lives makes a lot more sense than ours.

These young Danes carry on a sophisticated conversation in excellent English. Impressive.

I lived in Denmark for a few years in the mid 1980s. Paying the taxes is definitely better. It is the "have more by having less" reality. The return on those taxes is vast over a lifetime. Scraping around for nickels and dimes in the current moment is ruinous. Having a well laid out vision for a lifetime is nice, quite nice. By the way, the idea of "workaholic" is about working to excess without compensation and without better alternatives in one's life for a meaningful life. With a meaningful life in play, why work to excess? There are plenty of people and plenty of jobs. On the other hand, more important than "workaholic" is the idea of work ethic. The preference to have a job, to be gainfully employed, to contribute to the larger whole, is to have a work ethic. It is far more important to have a work ethic than to spend excessive amounts of time at one's job; instead of with family, friends and other ways to participate in civil society. That is the challenge for Americans in the US. How to we find a more healthy way of having jobs and lives with our family, friends and community.

1. in Happiness: TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE for a job/income, 2. Friends and family, 3. Good economy and 4. Good health

In Denmark you aren't taught to be ambitious, you are taught to be a good citizen

Remarkably the best hotdogs in the world

Nothing is "rotten" in the state of Denmark!

When your happy, you are healthier.

Urgency and gratitude are the main ingredients to be happy. Urgency is to in control of one's life and gratitude is to be thankful for what you achieve and have.

As someone who lived in the 3rd world country Philippines, I admire Denmark as a whole country its a sort of paradise for me. ❤😊