Band 6+: Economic growth in recent years made some people in both developed countries and developing countries richer. However, research shows that while people in developing countries are happier, people in developed countries seem not happier than before. Why does this happen? What can we learn from it?

It is common these days to witness the growing trend of both developed countries and developing countries becoming richer, but citizens in developing countries are happier than those in developed countries. There are some reasons for this phenomenon, and some factors we learn from the issue.

To begin with, people in developing countries enjoy their lives for various reasons. One point is that they have been escaped from poverty, and they are satisfied with their materials because they had low expectations of their standards, so they feel grateful what they possess at the moment. For instance, when residents experience food deprivation before, they will feel happy if they currently have sufficient food resources every day. In addition, individuals in developing countries are close together, and they do not feel isolation or loneliness. Since they have emotional support from families and society, they can be confident to work and study.

Conversely, people in developed countries do not feel happy, even though the quality of life is enhanced. The first aspect is that they cope with pressure on lives because of fast-paced lifestyles and job competition that makes them stressed and depressed. They have to make an effort to follow and meet standards of society. Additively, they have less social connection because their families have a few members, resulting in boring and loneliness. If people are not spiritually support, they are difficult to achieve success in their goals. Furthermore, citizens in developed countries face with high costs of services such as health care, education, community services or taxes that cause financial burden on their lives, which makes them feel unhappy.

Through this problem, I can learn many elements from the situation is that economic growth does not equate to happiness. Countries should focus on spirit and work-life balance that directly affect humans’ health. Besides, social relationships are also important for people’s success.

In conclusion, citizens in developing countries feel happier than people in developed countries because of some factors, and I can broaden my horizon through the issue mentioned.