Russians' happiness index fell to a ten-year low | News from Germany about Russia

The Russians’ happiness index is at its lowest value since 2011. This follows from the results of a survey conducted by the association of sociological organizations Gallup International. Thus, 41 percent of respondents consider themselves happy, and 23 percent say that they are unhappy, said on Tuesday, December 28, the research holding “Romir”, which is a partner of Gallup International in Russia.

The difference between these indicators – the number of those who feel happy and unhappy – is the value of the index of happiness. In the Russian Federation in 2021 it was +18 percentage points, a year earlier – +19. The value of the indicator for Russia has been decreasing since 2014 (59 percentage points). Only Ghana (+2), Afghanistan (+9), Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China (+11) and Iraq (+17) received even lower values of the happiness index.

At the same time, the maximum value of the happiness index was recorded in Colombia (+79 percentage points), Kazakhstan (+76) and Albania (+74).

The world is worried about the future of the economy

The concept of happiness includes many cultural, psychological and national prejudices, President of Gallup International Kancho Stoychev pointed out in an interview with DW. Richer societies are also less happy, he said.

Global public opinion is worried about the economic outlook and tired of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. And the disruption of global production chains, growing inflation, a surge in energy prices will most strongly affect the less developed countries, added Kancho Stoychev. At the same time, the world’s average happiness index rose to +43 percentage points.

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German proverbs and sayings about happiness
The people are shorter
“Wenn man glücklich ist, soll man nicht noch glücklicher sein wollen (” If a person is happy, one should not want to be happier “) – this expression is attributed to the famous German writer of the XIX century Theodore Fontane. Russian folk wisdom sounds more laconic:” From goodness are not looking. “

German proverbs and sayings about happiness
Division and multiplication
The Russian language also has an analogue of the proverb “Geteilte Freude ist doppelte Freude” – “Joy for two – two joys”. Only in Russian, in contrast to German, it also has a first half – no less important: “Grief for two is half a sorrow, joy for two is two joys.”

German proverbs and sayings about happiness
Fragile wolf
The rhymed saying “Glück und Glas, wie leicht bricht das” literally means: “Happiness and glass break easily” – and speaks of how short-lived, fragile, fragile happiness. In Russian, this proverb has several analogues. For example, this: “Happiness is that the wolf will deceive and run away into the forest.”

German proverbs and sayings about happiness
Schiller and Griboyedov
“Dem Glücklichen schlägt keine Stunde” – this catch phrase is known to almost every schoolchild. It literally means, “Happy hours are not observed.” We know him from Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit”, the Germans – from the drama “Piccolomini” by Friedrich Schiller, written a quarter of a century earlier.

German proverbs and sayings about happiness
Coltsfoot
“For someone – joy, and for others – suffering” – this is how the German proverb “Das einen Freud, des anderen Leid” is translated. Most often it is used when the same situation brings luck to someone, but for another it means failure. “To whom happiness is a mother, and to whom – a stepmother,” says the Russian analogue.

German proverbs and sayings about happiness
April weather
“Das Glück ist wie Aprilwetter” – literally: “Happiness is like the weather in April.” That is, it is also changeable.

German proverbs and sayings about happiness
Fools are lucky
This is how the German expression “Mehr Glück als Verstand” (literally: “More happiness than considerations”) is translated. Pronounced, like Russian, with a touch of some envy. Indeed, for happiness, the mind is not required.

German proverbs and sayings about happiness
Blacksmith and happiness
“Jeder ist seines Glückes Schmied” – this expression was known even by the ancient Romans. From Latin it passed into many languages, including Russian: “Everyone is the smith of his own happiness.” By the way, the horseshoe for the Germans is also a talisman that brings good luck.

German proverbs and sayings about happiness
Home is best
Literally translated, the German proverb “Trautes Heim, Glück allein” means the following: “Home is happiness in itself.” That is, roughly the same as the Russian expression: “Away is good, but it is better at home.” Or English: “My home is my castle.”

German proverbs and sayings about happiness
Happy mushroom
“Glückspilz” is how the Germans call the lucky ones. Glück is German for “happiness”, but where does “Pilz” mean “mushroom”? Happy mushroom? Nonsense. It turns out that it comes from the English “mushroom”, which used to mean both “mushroom” and “upstart”. In the German language, too, it initially had a negative meaning, but it has long been forgotten, so today its Russian counterpart is “Was born in a shirt.”
Author: Louise Schaefer, Efim Schumann