Letters

摘要

sir - "Bleak chic" (December 21st) contended that many countries rank far above France in happiness. Yet happiness is intrinsically hard to gauge, and these "global barometers" rely on a naive, capitalistic scale to measure it. Nor am I surprised that austerity-battered countries are happier, for in their world of instant gratification a mere trifle is enough instantly, albeit briefly, to satisfy them. Your article almost stumbled on the truth-but instead faltered at the doorstep-when it said that people everywhere are more than likely to say they are happy. It is people who don't know any better who are likely to say they are happy.