The positive power of low expectations
According to a report on life satisfaction in the developed world, Denmark was the happiest country on earth. The reason? Denmark has low expectations. They don’t expect a whole lot to be positive so anything that hints of something good elevates their mood.
The United States came in 11th. Our happiness is very much tied to good news. We generally have high expectations and are often disappointed by the negative news that inevitably comes. So, we become bummed. Given the day and age we live in and the pervasive malaise that hangs over our lives, life satisfaction for us has to rise, right? We’ll see. It’s getting easier and easier to lower our expectations. That might be good news.