What is happiness? It’s a question that has vexed humankind for millennia. Marketers would have us believe it’s the latest phone, watch or handbag. Self-help books prescribe everything from stoicism to nihilism.
One country that appears to have figured it out is Finland, which has topped the World Happiness Report rankings for the past eight years. On paper, it’s an unlikely frontrunner. High taxes, brutal winters and a 1300-kilometre border with one of the world’s most volatile regimes don’t sound like a recipe for wellbeing.
But clearly, they’re doing something right. So what is it? And can it be recreated? On a 10-day trip from Helsinki to Oulu organised by Nordic specialist 50 Degrees North, I hope to find out.
Rob McFarland 