United Kingdom
The dour British are famously allergic to the cheerier side of life and squirm at the thought of the very American self-help industrial complex. Yet Britain is home to the utilitarian school of philosophy, one that famously espouses ‘‘the greatest happiness of the greatest number.’’ This emphasis on the common good continues to this day, as evidenced by the nation’s experiments with traffic restrictions in central London and the several hundred dollars in license fees the Britons shell out each year to support the BBC, a great source of happiness for many. Don’t be fooled by that stiff upper lip and reticent manner. The Brits are happier than they appear.
(Shaun Curry/AFP/Gett Images, Text by Eric Weiner/Globe Correspondent)