Don’t worry, be happy now
When it comes to happiness, many Koreans may call to mind the famous ad copy: “Happiness does not come from grades.”
The well-known saying might be a consolation for people who did poorly at school and did not show a good work performance.
But the reality is not that simple. Many of them still think they are unhappy, saying grades do work.
The latest survey by a state-run institute found that one in five Koreans is unhappy. They believe they are less happy than the national average, their present situation is not any better than the past and it won’t improve in the future, either.
The United Nations World Happiness Report 2018 unfortunately supports the survey result: South Korea ranked 57th among 156 countries, and 32nd among the 34 OECD member nations.
Finland is top of the world for happiness, according to the U.N. report, followed by Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Nordic countries take four out of the five top spots and are well known to be stable, safe and socially progressive with very little corruption. The police and politicians are trusted, clearly proving why South Korea is placed almost at the bottom.
Our police have already lost the public’s confidence and politicians are even blamed as “necessary evils” for their signature pursuit of personal interests and never-ending partisan struggles.
Why we have to pay attention to the U.N. report is because all the Nordic countries scored highly on income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust and generosity.
In comparison, Koreans cited family harmony as the top condition for happiness, followed by health, positive thought, personal relations, wealth and social success. To meet a good wife or husband and to have a peaceful family is the foremost goal the people are pursuing.
Unfortunately, however, there is a social trend of increasing divorces and a decreasing number of newlyweds resulting in a sharp decline in the birthrate.
Smartphone deprives fathers, mothers, sons and daughters of their time to talk with each other, even at the dinner table and as a result there can be little harmony at home. The ever worsening national economy is adding fuel to the public feeling of unhappiness, despite the government’s disagreement.
The survey by the state-run Korean Institute for Health and Social Affairs might have made many think again about the meaning of happiness.
Am I happy? What is happiness? No other questions are more abstract and subjective than these.
The Greek philosopher Democritus said: “Happiness resides not in possessions and not in gold. Happiness dwells in the soul.”
An English proverb also puts: “He is happy when he thinks himself so.” This could prove that one’s happiness depends on how he or she thinks of it.
Indeed, money can’t buy happiness as shown by the U.N. report that some of the world’s richest nations, such as the United States (18th) and Japan (54th), are much further down the list. South Korea’s economy also ranks as the 12th largest in the world as a “rich country.”
A “confession” by one of my friends, who retired five years ago, impressed me. He said, “I am happy because I am alive. What I need only is composure and time to look back on the day and to enjoy a cup of coffee and soju.”
What’s going on in this society of late, particularly amid the deteriorating economic conditions, makes many people unhappy, whether they are conservatives or progressives.
India and Bhutan are not rich countries by international criteria. But many of their people living in poverty think they are happy. This means wealth has little to do with their happiness.
Feeling happiness depends on our outlook. If North Korea’s Kim Jong-un did give up his nuclear weapons for global peace as well as South Korea’s, we could feel happiness, expecting a genuine reconciliation between the two Koreas, which have been technically at war since the 1950-53 Korea War ended not with a peace treaty but with an armistice.
The remarks of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), sixth president of the U.S., could be a good lesson for those who think they are unhappy: “Do not worry; eat three square meals a day; say your prayers; be courteous to your creditors; keep your digestion good; exercise; go slow and easy. Maybe there are other things your special case requires to make you happy ...”
“Happiness doesn’t care how hard you work, how big your house is, how much you pay for your clothes, or how fancy your car is,” advises Ernie J. Zelinski in his 1999 book, “Don’t Hurry, Be Happy!”
When I think I am unhappy for something, I used to recall the 1988 a cappella song by Bob McFerrin, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” which became a worldwide hit through the film, “Cocktail” starring Tom Cruise and Elizabeth Shue.
“Ain’t got no cash, ain’t got no style. Ain’t got no gal to make you smile. But don’t worry, be happy. ‘Cause when you worry, your face will frown. And that will bring everybody down. So don’t worry, be happy ... When you worry, you make it double. Don’t worry, be happy, be happy now.”