6 Conditions for Happiness Even Being Poor

Happiness is a state of mind. So, can we measure happiness? Then how is happiness measured? The World Happiness Report 2020 defines the happiness index. There are 15 top countries which have the highest happiness index. So if you live in a poor country with a low happiness index, can you still be happy? Could you be happy being poor? We might not have a straight answer, but we will try to answer this question. In this post, I will share 6 conditions for happiness, even being poor.

The chart below shows the top 15 happiest countries. It also shows Nordic countries against the richest countries and the world. They measured the overall happiness index by a metric named Life evaluation. They derived it from the 6 factors: GDP per capita, Social Support, Health life expectancy, Freedom, Generosity, and Corruption.

“No man can worship God or love his neighbor on an empty stomach.”

– Woodrow Wilson

So let’s ask this question to ourselves? Can we be happy with an empty stomach? The answer is clearly no. According to the World poverty clock, as of April 4, 2021, there are about 661 million people living in extreme poverty. They live on less than $1.9 per day. But does that mean the poor cannot experience happiness? The answer to that question will most likely be it depends. Happiness is a state of mind and is more dynamic than a static condition.

6 Conditions for Happiness Even Being Poor

It is sometimes unfathomable how poor people find happiness in their lives. Finding happiness might be tough if one is living in extreme poverty, that is living on less than $1.9 per day. But if they can meet their basic needs with reasonable public support, then they try to find happiness in small things. When people live in poor conditions, say in slums, unless the status quo changes, there can always be reasons to find happiness.

For those who live on menial jobs and limited means, happiness comes from small things. It could be as small as being able to have some nutritious food one day. Or it could be also getting a sumptuous meal when not able to get food twice a day. And it could be even getting a cab ride one day when one is used to taking crowded public transport or even walking every day with no transport.

For many people, life can be very tough, especially when they try to live every day at a time. In most western countries, it might be difficult to fathom, but in poorer countries, it is how life is. So in these situations, even hope can be a source of happiness. Let’s try to understand more of these conditions wherein one can find happiness, even being poor.

Basic Needs Met

Basic needs are our necessities, like food, clothing, shelter, sex and love. Once we can meet our basic needs, any positive change can be a source of happiness. Let’s imagine in Asia’s largest slums Dharavi in the heart of Mumbai, India 1 million people live within 0.8 square mile. Most of the people living in Dharavi live in a single room or double room, some of them are two-storied with the average size of the room being about 120 square feet, which houses 4-10 people. So do residents of Dharavi find happiness and moments of joy? To meet our basic needs, we need a livelihood and/or social security support from the government. So employment opportunities are key. Learn more about the top 5 countries in the world for best job opportunities. Also, learn more about the top 5 reasons for unemployment.

People accept life and many times in some cultures like in India, they accept it as their fate. Then once they can meet their basic needs, they try to live contently with they have. They thank god for what they have because there are others who can be even less fortunate.

Access to Public Primary Education

Once we can meet our basic needs, we need to make sure our next generation gets a better life than us. Even if it means we could not get primary education. According to UNESCO, we have about 773 million people in the world who are illiterate, most of whom are women. It doesn’t mean that if we are illiterate, we cannot experience bouts of happiness. But if we can have access to public primary education for our children, it will be a source of happiness, at least since we are trying to get our next generation a better quality of life.

Access to Public Healthcare

The next condition to drive happiness, even if poor, is access to reasonably good public healthcare. Not all countries have good public healthcare, which is subsidized or free. The countries with the best quality of life provide excellent public healthcare for almost free. For example, Canada, which ranks as the best quality of life country in the world, provides free public funded healthcare.

Access to Public Higher Education

Following sequel to primary education is higher education. Countries which provide free public higher education like Germany and others in Europe can be a relief for the poor. See post on study for free in Germany.

Have Security and Social Justice

If we try to analyze the top 15 countries scoring highest on happiness index, one thing to notice is they have powerful institutions that can provide security and social justice with minimum or no corruption. Our social systems are like our protectors of injustice. And if we have robust systems that can protect us when we need most, it is an immense source of satisfaction and happiness.

Hope for Better Future for Children

Last but not the least is hope. Hope is probably the most powerful pillar for happiness. We all live in hope. And if we have it, it can stand as a sound foundation to look forward to a better future for us and our next generation. And no matter how we lived our lives, if we can give our children a better future or at least can hope for it, we can probably be happier and can die in peace.

Conclusion

So concluding, can we find happiness even being poor? The answer is yes and no, because it depends. Happiness is a state of mind, and it depends on several conditions. So what are the 6 conditions for happiness, even being poor, that we discussed in this post? They being meeting basic needs, access to public primary and higher education, public healthcare, sound security and social systems and lastly hope. Let me know what you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments.