Singapore’s position as the happiest Asian country for the second year running has gotten everyone buzzing and created a flurry of opinions on social media. I have always thought of Singapore as an Enneagram Type 3 (“The Achiever”) country, i.e. successful, goal-oriented, efficient and punching above its class weight. It also got me thinking about how a country’s cultural overlay influences our understanding of what happiness means.

If you think about collectivist cultures such as Japan or China, where familial harmony and communal well-being are prioritised over individual desires, the pursuit of “selfish” desires are less overt, with happiness related to fulfilling the expectations of social roles. In comparison, Germany values diligence, loyalty and responsibility. Their idea of happiness is a blend of pragmatism, resilience, and desire for stability while maintaining the status quo.

In individualistic cultures like the United States, people might equate happiness with political freedom and the pursuit of personal achievement and success. On the other hand, its northern neighbour, Canada, embodies harmony, inclusivity, and peace. Known for its polite and cooperative demeanour, Canada’s mentality is “live and let live”, with happiness manifesting in social cohesion, multiculturalism, and a commitment to consensus-building

In India, where spirituality is deeply entrenched in the country’s history and consciousness, the attainment of happiness is often connected to spiritual growth and self-realisation. In contrast, in Brazil, happiness is closely tied to celebrating life and community; found in simplicity, a sense of belonging and enjoyment of life’s pleasures.

Based on the 6 key factors that were measured by experts (GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, generosity and perception of corruption), Singapore checks all the boxes. It is safe, affluent and has one of the highest home ownerships in the world. For many countries at strife, our little island might as well be heaven on earth. Yet, I find myself scrutinising faces everywhere for signs of happiness…smiles, friendly small talk, curiosity, warmth…some tangible proof for our 30 out of 143 ranking in the 2024 Happiness Index. Who am I to say, but when you speak to the average Singaporean, you will find it difficult to get a whiff of these traits.

On paper, we have every reason to be supremely happy, but in reality, I meet plenty of people who are successful but deeply stressed or troubled on the inside. Many have “made it” but lack passion, purpose and have little idea about who they are – only what they do, and minus work / money and status, what remains? According to Maslow’s theory, Singaporeans should be in the top tier of “self-actualisation” but dig a little deeper, and you will see that measuring happiness is problematic because culture, its values of cooperation or competition, spirituality or materialism, all contribute to how we view and pursue happiness. Nevertheless, I am hopeful that a shift is happening and we are slowly awakening to the idea of intrinsic happiness and the worthwhile value of being happy for its own sake.