Europeans are a happy bunch.
According to the World Happiness Map, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, and Iceland are the top four happiest countries in the world. Eleven of the top 20 countries most pleased with 
themselves in the world are in Europe.
The US. is at #23.
But why are Europeans so darn happy? Where is this giddiness coming from? The answer is not necessarily greater wealth, the survey shows. Bhutan, one of the least developed countries in the world, clocks in at #8.
The U.S. has Double the Ecological Footprint of Europe.
According to the Global Footprint Calculator, North American's ecological footprint is nearly twice as big as Europe's. Whew. That means we use almost double the amount of land and water area to produce the resources we consume and to meet the demands of our waste.
Yet you probably don't hear people sympathizing with 'those poor Europeans and their lack of quality of life.' It seems that they can live with smaller homes, less space, fewer and smaller cars, and less waste, yet still face the world grinning.
Left: Two happy Danes.
Half the footprint yet more smiles...What gives? Comment below.
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::Three Things I Could Live Without: The Bath Mat, the Paper Towel, and the Cocktail Napkin
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More on Happiness from TreeHugger
::Does Energy Make You Happy?
::From the Forums: Will More Money Make You Happier?
Photos from top: MentalJokes.com; BBC News.
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Americans have a proud disregard for each other and see any kindness extended to someone else as a net loss to themselves. We tend to be greedy and immoral, allowing injustices and social problems to go unanswered fearing that we would lose something by helping others. We fail to see that a divided population is easily abused and that abuse of one is an abuse to all.
The best slogan to define how Americans see their society and associated responsibilities is: "Every Man for Himself." This is why we have to work harder and have less vacation time, education, benefits, medical care and public transportation.
Europeans are insulted and bewildered at how hard we force ourselves to work without vacations, maternity leave and holidays. When you explain to them the working environment here, they are in disbelief and would never accept such conditions for themselves or their families.
Divided we are easily conquered. Every man for himself.
They are not afraid and distrustful of their own governments as much as we are. And as people point out, there are much lower crime rates, especially violent crime. Families are also much closer knit than they are here, and maintain closer relationships once their children are grown, due to the fact their countries are much smaller and have amazing public transportation.
I think a very great example is the national slogan of Luxebourg. This is the tiniest of nations, with literally no power in the world. Yet they don't want anything more. Their motto is simply : "We wish to remain what we are!"
But seriously, the people in those countries you mentioned are safer than us. Safety is a big factor.