Democratic equality - key to happiness?
The new book by Professor Richard Wilkinson, The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better, studies an interesting relationship between the happiness of a society and the equality of the nation. Can the research help create an ideal society?
The report discusses how people's natural efforts for self-improvement and the accumulation of wealth can reduce their happiness. We work to gain more respect within the society, and when we feel that our status is threatened, the panic makes us work harder. The more unequal the society is, the more common is this status panic.
Sweden tops in all the charts of social success, with low violence, low obesity, high life expectancy, happiness and social equality. However, the citizens of US feel unsafe; have low life expectancy, and high levels of crime. The social success indicators drop with a rise in inequality.
What should Britain do to become more equal and thus happier? Experts say that steps towards a democratic equality would not only improve the social atmosphere, but also help society through the current economic climate.
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