The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


The secret of happiness

Posted on July 25, 2012 by

Much of the media today reports a survey showing Scots are the happiest people in Britain. Naturally that seems to us a truth as self-evident as the sun being warm and the sea being wet, but we couldn’t help noticing a particular quirk. According to the Scotsman’s piece, with our emphasis added:

“four out of the top ten local authorities in Britain were in Scotland, with the Outer Hebrides, Orkney, Shetland and Aberdeenshire rated highly for life satisfaction, the number of residents who felt happy and worthwhile. Aberdeen was rated the highest-ranking city in Britain for life satisfaction, while London and Birmingham were ranked at the bottom for wellbeing”

In other words, the further away you are from London, the happier you tend to be. We trust that in the autumn of 2014, the people of Scotland will take that maxim to its logical political conclusion.

4 to “The secret of happiness”

  1. Doug Daniel says:

    Surly, moany Aberdonians being the happiest city dwellers in the UK – who’d have thought it?
     
    It probably helps that the oil industry has almost completely sheltered Aberdeen from the economic problems suffered elsewhere, of course. It also feels a bit like we’re not completely stuck in the rat race, whereas cities such as Birmginham and London must be horrendously busy and overpopulated places to live. I wouldn’t even dream of moving to such a place, where I’d likely have to commute for an hour and a half to get to work in the morning and back again at night. I could get a job in Dundee and still get to work quicker than many people in London do.
     
    Perhaps there’s also a lot of satisfaction still floating about at being the club to hammer the decisive 5th nail into the coffin of Sevco’s SPL bid…

    Reply
  2. Tim says:

    Orcadians are such a miserable bunch in person. To read the press over the last few days, you’d think the islands were like something out of an episode of Tellytubbies.

    They ain’t. Cold, windy and no-one ever smiles or makes eye contact. Perhaps people are confusing alcoholism with happyness?

    Yours,

    A miserable Orcadian. 

    Reply
  3. Cuphook says:

    Who’d have thought that The Deen would be the happiest city (it’s a toon) in the UK?

    The key aspects of happiness: oil, gulls, rowies, junkies, annoying drunks, violent drunks, dour drunks, Aberdeen Journals and their ongoing persecution of Travellers, the Torry doorbell, the most expensive buses in the country, the Haudagain roundabout, a main street with charity shops and loan shops, wee manies and wifies who clearly disapprove, yon American who shouts about sin outside M&S and the orra navy captain trumpeter who sometimes accompanies him, the inordinate number of American and African missionaries who try to sell you God, the smell of drains in George Street when it’s sunny, the haar that covers it all up on sunny days…  Welcome to the Big Shitty. 

    Reply
  4. John Lyons says:

    I had spotted that get away from London thing too. I do think it’s probably a population density thing linked in with being financially better off. (Which is ironic since this is suposed to be a method of getting away from measuring the counrties success in financial terms!)

    Interesting that 70% happy is the same as happy. They survey reports people who were 7, 8, 9 or 10 out of ten happy, and even at that it’s only a percentage of people in that area who were happy. Shetland has 82.88% of people score 70% or above which to my mind means the happiest place in Brittain has a happiness rating of 58.016% That’s significantly different to what is being reported and probably more in line with the comments here about Miserable Orcadians (Although the two I know are always very smiley, but maybe it’s just my presence that has that effect on people!)

    It’s also possible that a single person living in a bedsit by themself and on the dole could be very happy. Doesn’t sound right does it? But if they were previously in an abusive relationship and homeless then they could be much much happier than they were before. If I was working in a job where I earned the national average wage of 26,000 you might think I’d be happy, but if I’d just been sacked from my 400,000 a year job as a corrupt MP (LOL) I probably wouldn’t be happy with a measly 26 grand… so I suppose I’m saying it’s relative to past exerience. People on thier way up to better things will be happier than people on thier way down. For example, lets ask Aberdeen again in 2050 when the oil has run out…

    Oh, and then here’s independence. If we vote no I doubt any of the top ten places for happiness would be in Scotland if a similar survey was conducted just after that result. On the other hnd, vote YES and all ten might be in Scotland!

    Reply


Comment - please read this page for comment rules. HTML tags like <i> and <b> are permitted. Use paragraph breaks in long comments. DO NOT SIGN YOUR COMMENTS, either with a name or a slogan. If your comment does not appear immediately, DO NOT REPOST IT. Ignore these rules and I WILL KILL YOU WITH HAMMERS.


  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a thing that exists.

    Stats: 6,789 Posts, 1,222,408 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Cynicus on The Pillars Of Sanity: “Lorn says: “….. the exposure to the light that this ideology has never wanted, is complete. “ ========== The exposure…Jul 22, 02:30
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Pillars Of Sanity: “GENDER-CRITICAL ACADEMICS EXPERIENCING ‘BULLYING AND HARASSMENT’ « University staff and students across the UK have suffered “extreme personal consequences” for…Jul 22, 00:17
    • Jay on The Pillars Of Sanity: “To Rev Stu, the french expression ‘tour de force’ seems appropriate for ‘Pillars of Sanity’. Thank you for your work.Jul 21, 23:37
    • William G Walker on The Pillars Of Sanity: “Excellent idea from agent x to tranfer employment to Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline!Jul 21, 22:44
    • Young Lochinvar on The Pillars Of Sanity: “And why doesn’t SEPA respond?? I’ll tell you why; To the English, Paddy is a figure of fun, Taff is…Jul 21, 22:15
    • Mark Beggan on The Pillars Of Sanity: “They missed the oil tankers first time round. A fateful error.Jul 21, 20:18
    • agent x on The Pillars Of Sanity: ““This model accomplishes two things simultaneously. First, it creates a tight-knit ideological echo chamber, giving members a sense of belonging…Jul 21, 20:01
    • Aidan on The Pillars Of Sanity: “@Xaracen – I don’t know if you get this, but large organisations like the UN make announcements about the issues…Jul 21, 20:01
    • agent x on The Pillars Of Sanity: ““A number of options were put in front of Ms Peggie to help her return to work and avoid Dr…Jul 21, 19:51
    • Mark Beggan on The Pillars Of Sanity: “Trans ideology is like an IRA thesis on Law and Order.Jul 21, 19:33
    • MaryB on The Pillars Of Sanity: “C4 news interviewer Krishnan talking to Steve Reed, Sec of State for Environment etc. Steve R, saying that Scotland’s publicly…Jul 21, 19:31
    • Mark Beggan on The Pillars Of Sanity: “I knew it! They’re going to bomb Pearl Harbour again.Jul 21, 19:22
    • Alf Baird on The Pillars Of Sanity: ““What then is Swinney?” The stark reality in any colonial society, based on extensive international evidence, is that the leaders…Jul 21, 19:20
    • Young Lochinvar on The Pillars Of Sanity: “Boom boom George Ffoulkes staggers into the pub holding part of the House of Lords £9m £6m unworking door under…Jul 21, 18:33
    • Bilbo on The Pillars Of Sanity: “O/T There was an election in Japan yesterday where a far right party called Sanseito has become the 4th largest…Jul 21, 18:33
    • twathater on The Pillars Of Sanity: “For those who CLAIM to be independence supporters you seem tae get yir panties in a twist when Professor Baird…Jul 21, 18:26
    • Bilbo on The Pillars Of Sanity: “I’ve taken a break from politics and noticed the other day that the SNP has made holding a referendum part…Jul 21, 18:18
    • Chas on The Pillars Of Sanity: “Hopefully your PC will ‘pack in’ completely very soon.Jul 21, 18:09
    • Aidan on The Pillars Of Sanity: “What response was received to this submission to the UN? Why are you hiding it?Jul 21, 18:08
    • Xaracen on The Pillars Of Sanity: “@Stuart; This is the same drivel that Aidan has been spouting ad nauseam for many weeks, now. If it was…Jul 21, 18:06
    • twathater on The Pillars Of Sanity: “Ah but I’m an independence supporter, AYE RIGHT sonJul 21, 18:03
    • Young Lochinvar on The Pillars Of Sanity: “As an example; Much of Birminghams water supply is piped from reservoirs in Wales.Jul 21, 17:44
    • GM on The Pillars Of Sanity: “Aye, Ronnie.Jul 21, 17:20
    • Andrew scott on The Pillars Of Sanity: “Chapman knocked off top spot in aberdeen-replacement however is of the same ilc Madrugha thing 7th on the listJul 21, 17:07
    • GM on The Pillars Of Sanity: “I note that he wasn’t separated from the public purse for long. The Sturgeon gravy train chugs contemptuously on its…Jul 21, 16:30
    • Insider on The Pillars Of Sanity: ““Ronnie” Your comment makes no sense ! The simple fact is that Alf Baird’s continual swamping of every discussion with…Jul 21, 16:18
    • agent x on The Pillars Of Sanity: “Scottish Greens Holyrood 2026 election candidates: Edinburgh & Lothians East Mridul WadhwaJul 21, 16:13
    • Lorn on The Pillars Of Sanity: “I think that Nurse Peggie’s side want this to go to the wire so that every other NHS board and…Jul 21, 15:12
    • Robert Mellish on The Pillars Of Sanity: “Thanks your kindness. As I’m retired and alarmed by all the gender nonsense in Scotland, I plan to monitor all…Jul 21, 14:50
    • Jon Drummond on The Pillars Of Sanity: “Yup, you keep supporting the Nonce Party and all their deviant ideology. Way to go Andrew… Leave the kids alone.Jul 21, 14:49
  • A tall tale



↑ Top