What do the people of the world value most?

 NATCHITOCHES, LOUISIANA -  Carol Forsloff - - These days many
people out of work would answer money would make them happy, and that
would likely be true; but science tells us  that the key is
really the mix of values in our culture.

The Recent

World Values Survey takes place every four years.  It surveys how people
feel about their values and what influences them the most or makes them
the most or least happy.

A new survey is now being scheduled for 2010 - 2011.  Folks may wonder as the recession continues whether value scripts have changed.

In the last
survey, the Nigerians won on the happy scale.  Why scientists wonder?
They say it's because of the difference in values they place on money vs
other factors.  It is achieving what people in a certain culture value
that is the measurement of attainment and therefore fulfillment and
happiness feelings.

Each cultural group or nation has been found by the World Values Survey to have a different group of factors for success.

Japanese
factors for happiness include family and fulfilling obligations to the
family as well as having self-discipline and a sense of social
responsibility and a readiness to cooperate with others.

Americans look at feelings of independence, having respect, personal
success and pride as the road to achievement, fulfillment and happiness.

The “Measurement of Happiness” is carried out every four years.

Despite the
growth in the per capita income of the developed nations, the happiness
levels are not as high as some of the poorer countries.  Denmark is an
exception as there is a trend at viewing life quality that enters into
what they consider to be of value.

The reason for the
drop off in happiness of the industrialized nations is seen by
scientists as people in those nations don't achieve the material wealth
or lose it, and that is their measure of happiness.

In small towns across the world, however, there are essential core values places on relationships because those relationships form the basis of how business is conducted, who becomes a leader in the community and how decisions are made.  Relationships, therefore, become an essential measure of happiness, as they are in the town of Natchitoches, Louisiana where some of these relationships have extended through families for many decades.


Scientists say, in short, if you choose material success as the motivation
for your life script and don't achieve it, you are likely not to be as
happy as others who focus on the love of family and non-material things.