Is T&T The 5th Most Positive Country In The World?

Proof;  If You Accept Gallup Polls Results

I just read an article that you would like because it is so counter intuitive its an attractive idea. 
 

The article use as it's basis a Gallup Poll Inc survey as proof that people in less developed countries are happier than countries where there are more material wealth.   The article was printed in the Trinidad Guardian with the title “ T&T ranked No 5 in world for people with positive attitudes”

 

Well, I can assure you that I’m happy, living in T&T but I still questioned the validly of this survey.  According to the article the top ten happiest countries are Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, El Salvador, Venezuela, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Thailand and the Philippines.

 

Each one of these countries have their own problems mostly in terms of crime and government and political corruption.  Is the survey actually saying that these are not variables that affect the happiness of a population?

                  

First, in my humble opinion the sample size was too small.  Polling 1000 people in countries with populations in the hundreds of millions cannot yield an meaningful information.   And: who were polled?  Were they employed or unemployed? Educated?  There are too many unanswered questions to blindly accept the results of this poll. 

                                     

In addition, the good doctor in Trinidad referenced in the Guardian's article, Dr Varma Deyalsingh, Secretary of the Psychiatric Association of  T&T justified the results of the poll by citing the obvious such as the closeness of relational facilities i.e. beaches and the tropical climate. The climate here is great but I have lived in cold climates and was no less happy.  Point is there are some people in cold climates who just love it and are the happiest when it snows and everything is icy.

My question is what similarities does T&T have with all the other “developing” countries.  How do we compare to countries like the Philippines? Costa Rica and El Salvador?

That Gallup Poll really did not amount to much in terms of reality.  We must accept their results  because no other organization has assumed the responsibility to do a proper poll but it really is too flawed to accept as proof of any country’s happiness.

By the way the countries with the least happiest were not surprising, like Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan  and  Haiti. Read More Here.

Now you go figure.  Are you happy knowing this?

Here is more published in the Trinidad Express

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