Freedom...

Happiness is feeling free.

Yes, that sense of having control over your own life is probably the single biggest feature that differentiates happiness levels between nations. That does not mean that everyone living in dictatorships is unhappy; in fact, many of them might feel very free in many aspects of their daily lives. Nor does it mean that everybody living in the “free world” feels particularly free all the time; many people might feel constrained by debt, workplace commitments and red tape.

But real freedom from fear and control are two big factors that do raise the happiness bar wherever they take root. Just another reason to work for peace and freedom everywhere.