To Be or Not To Be Happy: Analysis of the 2022 and 2020 World Happiness Score

How to be happy? This is an age-old question that many have tried to uncover the answer to. From the great philosophers such as Aristotle to great religious teachers such as Buddha, the secret to happiness consists of different forms. Many believe it is in the form of a pyramid: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The pyramid of happiness starts with physiological needs at the base and with self actualization at the top. However, many argue that the 1943 theory no longer applies to the modern age of technology. Whether it is a 10 step how-to self help book or taking vitamin D sunshine pills every day, we all strive to reach the same fulfillment: to be happy. The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network seeks to create a happy world. Every year they publish the World Happiness Report through the Gallup World Poll data which consists of 160 countries and more than 100 questions. With this resource, they strive to help governments and companies to create policies that will improve the quality of life. For example, the Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern declared that from the world report she will focus on the well-being of the people as a measure of the country’s economic success. As more leaders evaluate the report and integrate their discoveries into their policy-making decisions, more people would thrive, succeed, and be happy. Every year teams of economists, psychologists, survey analysts, national staticians and many more examine the report, deep dive into every country, and convert the numbers to stories. These stories can explain a country’s political unrest, economic instability, or a global pandemic. Although happiness is an intangible abstract concept, it is measured by our environment and surroundings. We are greatly influenced by where we live, who we surround ourselves with, and what the state of society is in. There is no tool or instrument that exists to measure one’s happiness, but as investigators we create software programs that analyze variables that bring us closer to the great mystery