Gallup releases first survey of well-being worldwide

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20071004/wl_mcclatchy/20071004bcwellbeingpoll_attn_national_foreign_business_editors_ytop;_ylt=AhjThD9_XHXKolKf6NfvRbCs0NUE

Gallup releases first survey of well-being worldwide

By Frank Greve, McClatchy Newspapers Thu Oct 4, 5:29 PM ET

WASHINGTON — The United States fares well but hardly stars in a new kind of Gallup global survey released Thursday that measured personal well-being in 131 countries using questions such as, "Did you learn or do something interesting yesterday?" and "Do you have confidence in your local police?"


Scandinavians, Canadians, the Irish and New Zealanders came out marginally higher than Americans did in the survey, largely because more of them said they were healthy and fewer said they'd struggled to pay for food or shelter.

On a more upbeat note, though, 77 percent of Americans told the pollsters that they'd smiled or laughed a lot on the day before the survey. Two-thirds said they'd like to have more days like that. Also high was the number of Americans— 84 percent— who said their jobs let them do what they do best every day.

While such indicators sound touchy-feely and subjective, Gallup argues that measures of personal well-being and outlook often reveal more than balance-of-trade figures or the popularity of national leaders does.

Among the survey's surprising findings:

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1. I find this response very hard to believe:

"Also high was the number of Americans— 84 percent— who said their jobs let them do what they do best every day."

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That's just not what I'd expect most of the people around me to say.