War Day #166. Israeli Happiness Ranking

Wednesday, March 20

Happy UN World Happiness Day.

I’ve written before about how resiliently up-beat Israelis are. Part of this is personality, and part is a calculated, determined resolution of character. Here in Israel we call it b’dafka.

B’dafka has no good translation, but is best understood as: contrary.

Israelis are both an incredibly good-natured and happy-go-lucky ethnicity, combined with a strong, up-yours, instinct that keeps them nimble and stiff upper lip in the face of all odds, defiant.

(This is both good and bad, depending on whether you’re going through a hard time nationally and would welcome the optimism, or you’re an American frustrated that all your Israeli counterparts keep insisting yihyeh b’seder, it will be fine, in the face of circumstances that clearly won’t!)

But one of the consequences is that Israelis bounce back quicker than any population I’ve ever encountered. Whereas most ethnicities tend to become mired in their emotions and status quo, Israelis are always jumping out unexpectedly saying, “Well let’s try this instead!” (It’s probably what makes for a good start-up nation: They’re not afraid to try things, and they’re not afraid to fail.) As a country, we’re just plain plucky.

But even I was surprised when today, defying all expectations, after the October 7th and the five months we have had, Israelis still stubbornly placed high in the world’s happiness ranking. This is according to the UN World Happiness Report, using data from the Gallup World Poll, measuring a combination of business & economics, citizen engagement, communications & technology, diversity (social issues), education & families, emotions (well-being), environment & energy, food & shelter, government and politics, law & order (safety), health, religion & ethics, transportation, and work.

Israel, they say, is the fifth happiest country in the world.

Despite everything.

Out of 143 countries. We went down from position four just one spot since last year. (Or Sweden got happier.)

Israel is way out ahead of the pack. Iran is at 100 of 143, Palestine at 103, Jordan at 125, Egypt at 127, Yemen at 133, Lebanon next to last at 142 (Afghanistan ranked last.) Even the US is 23. Only Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden outranked Israel. And those places are all too cold to actually consider residency.

How is it possible that we are number five? We had a massacre. We have soldiers on the front lines being killed. We have missiles and terrorism and hostages. (Here in Israel, we really won’t be happy until all of our hostages are home.)

And yet…

There are all kinds of speculations of experts about why we are, despite everything, ranking so high. And the rankings are to some extent a three-year average, so we’re getting some of the residual benefits of previous years, and will relay some of the negative points to the next two years’ rankings.

But still.

It still doesn’t explain us being number five.

We should be crushed by circumstances. Burdened by angst and horror.

And to some extent, we are.

But take it from someone who lives here.

This is Israelis demonstrating b’dafka, that contrary behavior that can be annoying, but stands them in such good stead.

It is Israelis saying, you think you’ve defeated us? You’ve got another think coming.

It is Israelis giving the world the finger, and continuing to march to their own drummer.

We will prevail, we will be happy, no matter what you throw at us.

B’dafka.

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https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2024/happiness-of-the-younger-the-older-and-those-in-between/#ranking-of-happiness-2021-2023