Dan Buettner, the author of Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zone Way, set out to find the happiest places on earth, and he thinks he’s discovered four contenders on four different continents. What makes residents in these places so glad to be living the lives they do? Here’s a hint: It has nothing to do with their material wealth, intelligence, or attractiveness. Instead, Buettner found that members of these communities, which span the globe from Denmark to Mexico, give priority to social networks and health and well-being above all—and they make choices that reflect those values. So if you’re looking for a cheery destination for your next vacation, consider these four spots—and get ready to take notes on how to really live the good life:
《兴旺:以蓝宝地的方式寻找快乐》的作者丹·比特纳,出发去寻找地球上最幸福的地方,他认为他在四大洲发现了四个城市。是什么使得这些地方的市民开心的过着自己的生活呢?答案是:这和物质财富、智力和魅力都没有关系。相反,比特纳发现,从丹麦到墨西哥这些地方的人们,都重视社交生活、健康,当然最重视幸福感---并且他们做出的选择反映了他们的价值观。因此,如果你正在寻找下一次度假的目的地,考虑一下这四个地方---准备好,记下如何才能过上幸福的日子。
Singapore
新加坡
With one of the highest population densities in the world and denizens known for being workaholics, it’s hard to imagine the city-state of Singapore having one of the happiest populations on earth. And yet in a recent survey, 95% of them said they were either very happy or quite happy. They give their city high marks for cleanliness and safety—subways are pristine and unfailingly arrive on time, and police are seen as helpful and good at their jobs. What’s more, they feel they can count on their neighbors—all 5.1 million of them. As Ahmad Nizan Abbas, a lawyer from Singapore, explained, “We used to live in fishing villages where we pulled together to help each other…. If something happens to a Malay household, the whole Malay community will be there to lend support.”
新加坡是世界上人口密度最高的国家之一,并且那里的居民以工作狂而知名,但却很难想象这个国家首都的人民是地球上最幸福的人之一。最近的一项调查中95%的市民称他们要么非常幸福要么就相当幸福。他们高度评价城市的整洁和安全---地铁仍是早期建成的那样,并且永远按时到达,警察的工作是有益并且优秀的。而且,他们认为他们可以信赖他们的邻居---所有5100000市民。正如来自新加坡的一名律师艾哈迈德·尼瓒·阿巴斯解释道,“我们过去住在小渔村,我们在那里团结,相互帮助……如果某个马来家庭发生什么事,整个马来社区都会给予帮助。”