CAIRO: Experts differed on whether Egyptians’ happiness depends on the country’s economic and social conditions as they weighed in on a recent study measuring people’s wellbeing around the world.
While some argue that Egyptians’ wellbeing is directly related to Egypt’s conditions, others argued that happiness is relative from one culture to another, and cannot be measured by a poll.
Last month, the Gallup World Poll measuring wellbeing placed Egypt at 115 out of 155 countries around the world. Egypt ranked 15 among Arab countries.
The survey also showed that only 10 percent of Egyptians said they were content to face the pressures of life.
Economic expert Hamdi Abdel-Azim attributed the general discontent among Egyptians to mere economic factors.
“Three main variables; health, wealth and education, are closely associated with happiness, and unfortunately Egypt has a serious problem with all of them,” he said.
He added that living standards in Egypt are low by international standards. According to United Nations figures, some 20 to 30 percent of the Egyptian population lives below the poverty line, about 13.6 million Egyptians (one out of every five) can’t meet their basic needs.
Bassiouny Gad, dean of the psychology department at Ain Shams University, related the general feeling of discontent with more social factors.
“Frankly, I wasn’t shocked with the results of the poll,” Gad said, "There are so many warning signs in our society that indicate the general negative feeling that has been looming over Egyptians over the last decade.”
“Egypt has long been known with sarcasm and cheerfulness across the Arab world, we always managed to find a good laugh even in the hardest times; however these qualities were replaced by increasing hostility towards each other and fatal crimes that sweep streets everywhere,” he explained.
The report asked subjects to reflect on their overall satisfaction with their lives, and ranked their answers to questions about how each subject rated the previous day. Those answers allowed researchers to assess their "daily experiences."
The study found a direct correlation between wealth and happiness. Countries with high GDP ranked higher than others. The study also found a link between life satisfaction and income.
“Money is an object that many or most people desire, and pursue during the majority of their waking hours,” the report read. “It would be surprising if success at this pursuit had no influence whatsoever when people were asked to evaluate their lives.”
However, Mohamed Abou Hashem, professor of psychology at Zagazig University, questioned the poll’s criteria, explaining that foreign researchers are not familiar with the Egyptian culture.
He told Daily News Egypt that satisfaction varies dramatically from one culture to another as well as from one person to another.
“Men, for instance, often associate financial security with wellbeing because in the Egyptian culture they see themselves as the ‘breadwinners.’ Similarly, women are more likely to mention the family itself [as the criteria measuring happiness], because they still perceive themselves as the principal caretakers of children,” he explained.
Abou Hashem also explained that happiness is not only relative to the culture but also differs from one generation to the other.
“Modern life created new [definitions] of happiness that didn’t exist before, wellbeing also appears to become more profound over time as people take on new responsibilities,” Abou Hashem said, “Now, for example, you have to have new electronic gadgets to feel satisfied, but three or four generations ago, having a roof over your head would mean the world.”
On the other hand, Ahmed Shaheen, professor at Al-Azhar University, dismissed all arguments, saying that satisfaction with one’s life does not depend on any factors.
“Happiness always comes from within, it is never about what you have in your bank account, because at the end of the day, money can’t guarantee happiness,” he told Daily News Egypt.
In his opinion, compassion and gratitude are powerful ways to bring happiness into one’s life.
“Religion and unity among community members also play a big role in this, and religion can help you create your own formula of satisfaction,” he said, “Having faith in God will reduce stress, worries and anxiety.”
The Gallup poll ranked the United Arab Emirates at 20, the highest of all the countries in the region, followed by Kuwait (23), Qatar (35), Bahrain (48), Jordan (52), Saudi Arabia (58), Libya (67), Lebanon (73), Algeria (85), Tunisia (96), Yemen (98), and Iraq (110).
Scandinavian nations topped the list with Denmark ranked as the happiest country in the world, reporting 82 percent of its population as content in their lives, followed by Finland, Norway and Sweden. The US came at 14.
The survey, conducted between 2005 and 2009, catalogued respondents’ daily feelings to assess the percentage of people “thriving, struggling or suffering.”
