Do you agree that people from developed countries enjoy their life the most?

August 4, 2010 8:18pm CST
Hi all, Just want to get your opinion about what I've been thinking lately. Well, I know that in most developed countries people earn more than those who live in less-developed countries. It's up to you when interpreting 'less-developed' countries. The more money someone has, the more things can be done such as shopping, traveling, going around, and so on. Do you agree when someone says that people from developed countries enjoy their life more than people from less-developed countries do? Any ideas? Please share.
10 responses
@m_perez (506)
• United States
5 Aug 10
I really don't agree. People in developed countries are always moving forward and never stop to enjoy they're surrounding. I Think that in developed countries money is really appreciated where as in a non-developed country they appreciate their family and friends more. There was even a statistic that said that americans are less happier than people in a non-developed country.
5 Aug 10
Definitely agree with m_perez as well. I think it's all about money. Many people believe that money is THE key for happiness. Honestly, I do the same think a lot of times. It's very hard to delay it, isn't it? It's a bit surprising for me to know that American is less happier than those who are from less-developed countries. In fact: money can't buy anything, yet.
@puccagirl (7294)
• Israel
5 Aug 10
That is also a good point, I agree with this, m_perez!
@greenline (14838)
• Canada
13 Aug 10
It all depends on how one defines happiness and enjoyment. Wealth does not bring happiness in all cases. During my travels to different countries, I have seen people so happy and satisfied living in a small hut on the bank of a stream in the forest. All smiles and thoroughly relaxed !
17 Aug 10
Hi there, thanks for the comment. As for my experience, it is the other way around. On my trip to such a remote area, I witnessed so many people without enough money yet without enough happiness keep living their life in the way we call as 'pity'. I agree with you that wealth does NOT ALWAYS bring happiness, but absolutely it does. For me, I've been trying so hard to stop thinking that people in developed countries enjoy their life the most.
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
5 Aug 10
Most people in first world countries enjoy the perks of the well advanced and systematic facilities available in their countries compared to third world countries where they are just starting to build their nations. Comparatively, people in these developed countries have less struggle as their welfare are well taken care of by their Government. While some of those in less developed countries are still living below poverty line. But it doesn't necessary mean that they enjoy life as their problems are more gigantic than those who have not reached their level of advancement.
17 Aug 10
Hi there, thanks for the comment. I understand what you meant by their (people in developed countries) problems are more gigantic than those who are in less-developed countries. The higher the earning, the higher the responsibility. I know that earning is not a hard thing, but keep it stable is. I just should stop thinking that people in developed countries enjoy their life the most, simply cause I know that they earn much more. Too bad, isn't it ?
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
6 Aug 10
hi charlies well here in t he US where I am we are still in a recession and while we may be a developed country still when you have been without work and just barely making it you can be just as unhappy as an unemployed person from a less developed country. we are all human beings no matter where we live and we hurt when we lose jobs, and we undergo hardships no matter which country we are in.And just having a lot of money alone is not guarantee you will be happy as love and family and friends must also count in there for happiness. I have seen happy families who just have enough to pay their bills and thats about all but they loe each other and la ugh and have fun and are indeed happy/
17 Aug 10
Hi there, thank you for your comment. I also heard that US is currently in recession but I just never thought that it would bring such an impact towards the people. I just want to start thinking that wherever we are, we CAN be happy only if we WANT. I know it's not just the money, as you wrote that family and friend should be taken into consideration.
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
5 Aug 10
Personally I feel that when you are in a developed nation, you have a different and too busy a lifestyle. You might have comforts but you end up becoming a machine sort of a person doing the routine things - get up early, catch the medium to office, work at office and return back home at night. Only times you get free from all this is Sundays or Holidays and if they are just a day long then you have other chores to attend to. People at less developed countries spend most of their time struggling to get to the comforts and their lifestyles are not much different either. It is possible to enjoy things only when you are clear from stress and workload. This can be achieved at both the two different types of places. It depends on your personal outlook and what does enjoyment mean to you.
17 Aug 10
Hi there, thank you for your comment. I definitely agree with what you mentioned about 'becoming such a machine'. I definitely have witnessed that. I could see some people in less-developed countries although they do not earn so much but they still enjoy their life. But doing enjoyable things such as traveling abroad is not a thing that they can do. I think that's just the difference, isn't that ???
• India
6 Aug 10
Different people derive pleasure doing different things. I might relish something, while other person might say he did not. I might find one movie delightful, but the other person who had watched the same movie with me, might say he did not enjoy it. I might enjoy reading a novel and other person might not enjoy it. If people in developed country were happy, then why do they come to underdeveloped countries to spend their holidays? I have seen naked and dirty children, happy even in extreme cold conditions. Whereas, a child of an affluent person, tucked up in warm clothes, with lots of toys to play with is not happy. Happiness is a state of mind. In India people in hot weather go without fan for hours due to power cut and they do not complain. A sudden whiff of cold air brings a smile on their faces. Whereas in America the person sitting in air conditioned room would be wearing a scowl on his face. Therefore, it is wrong to thing if people in developed countries, just because they are earning more than the people living in less developed countries are happier. One can enjoy only if he or she is satisfied with whatever they have, and not otherwise.
17 Aug 10
Hi, thanks so much for your delightful comment. About your question 'Why people from developed countries go to less-developed countries to spend their holidays', I think it's simply because they think that they will spend less money there rather than in some other developed countries. Yet, they want to see something else which is totally different than what they've been living on. I don't think it is enough to say that people from developed countries confess that people in less-developed countries enjoy their life much cause they spend holiday there. I agree with you that happiness is just a matter of state of mind. Unfortunately too many people at the moment do still think that happiness is produced by MONEY.
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
5 Aug 10
I am not very sure about that cause there are a lot of people in developed countries who are not really very happy about their lives and they end up killing themselves. There are other people who are not in developed countries and they have so many reasons to smile.
5 Aug 10
Hi there, thank you for your delighting comment. Yes, I have been hearing that many people (in developed countries) started to kill themselves for reason which sometimes doesn't make any sense for me. I think it depends on what we think a happiness is, doesn't it?
@puccagirl (7294)
• Israel
5 Aug 10
No, I am not sure it is true. It is true in the way that life is probably easier for people in developed countries, because they do not have many worries in the same way people in less developed countries do. But on the other hand, many people in the western world battle different issues, such as low selfesteem, depression, loneliness and so on, because the way of life in developed countries is different. So we all have our own issues, they are just not the same everywhere! (I am from a developed country by the way)
5 Aug 10
I can't doubt everything you write as you mentioned that you are from developed country. Really appreciate your delightful comment! Thank you for that. Yes, I know a lot of citizens of less-developed country worry about so may aspects of life, such as education, health, mortgage, and so on. I personally know in some developed countries that education is not something we have to worry about, yet the same with health care system. Surprisingly, people in developed countries HAVE TO pay for everything they actually deserve, such as education and health care service. They earn less but the fact says they spend more.
@JayJay45 (157)
• United States
5 Aug 10
I disagree. I don't think you have to live in a developed country to enjoy life. In fact I think it's just the opposite... Look at people in the US, they are constantly under stress wondering how long they'll be employed, will they have enough money to retire, etc. etc. They are always pursuing the dollar! Do you see smiles on their faces? Do they sing all the time? Now look at people in third world countries... they are not chasing their next dollar.. they are not worried about retirement, they get up in the morning to hear birds singing, see an unpolluted sunrise, they work in their gardens to get the food they need to feed their families, they do not punch a timeclock, they do not worry about what the boss will think, they are their own boss... I've been to some of these countries, their life is simple, they smile a lot and are always singing. We should take a few lessons from them.
5 Aug 10
Your comment is really meaningful! Much appreciate that! Unfortunately, all I heard about people from 'third world countries' is that they couldn't enjoy their life since money is the first issue. Maybe I see it from different spot from yours. I agree that money sometimes can't buy anything, or maybe it can never buy anything. I know a lot who do the exactly things you mention above in third world countries. I think it just depends on what you see a happiness is.
• India
5 Aug 10
yes i am agree with you that developed countries enjoy their life. because there having jobs, they can utilize latest technologies. etc
5 Aug 10
Hi there, thanks for the comment. After reading it, did you mean that people from less-developed countries couldn't have fantastic jobs nor utilizing latest technologies and so on?