Tag: Economics

How to Spend Your Money for Optimal Happiness

Not all the best things in life are free.

I was on holiday in Queenstown, New Zealand, back in 2016 and was amazed at how beautiful the scenery was. I was also amazed by how many experiences were on offer for people visiting or living there.

On my first day in Queenstown, I walked into the town. I immediately saw brochures for the speedboats, canyon swings, skydiving, mountain biking, snowboarding and heli-skiing in several shop windows.

I began hiking up a mountain, and suddenly someone whirred by me through the trees on a zip line travelling at 70km/h. It looked scary but also exhilarating.

Further up the hill, I came across a luge track where families and friends were roaring down the mountain in their carts, smiling and laughing and generally having a great time while taking in the breathtaking views. I saw people bungee jumping from a platform off the side of the mountain, and just above that were people paragliding down to the valley floor.

I don’t recall seeing many unhappy faces that day. On the contrary, most people were fully engaged by others or what they were doing. Engagement is crucial for optimal well-being.

However, apart from hiking and taking in the scenery, these activities did come at a considerable cost. The several days of skiing that I did afterwards at the surrounding Alpine Resorts were no exception.

If I had taken more money with me on that trip to New Zealand, I would have been able to experience a more extensive array of potentially fun activities. Furthermore, as long as I enjoyed these activities, I believe they would have contributed to a higher level of happiness.

Can money ever buy us happiness?

Anyone who says that money can’t buy us happiness is looking at it too simplistically. I’ve seen too many financially stressed clients know that a significant gift of money would be a massive assistance in their time of need. It would reduce their stress and hopefully increase their level of financial security, happiness and overall well-being. Right?

Looking at past lottery winners, we can see that winning a large sum of money does increase short-term happiness. However, 12 months later, the lottery winner has typically returned to their pre-win levels of joy and sometimes feels even worse.

Furthermore, even people who have up to 10 million dollars of net worth often don’t feel financially secure and still believe that if they had more money, they would feel more confident, happier, and more able to buy everything they wanted.

It seems that it almost doesn’t matter how much money we have. As a result, most people will continue to feel financially insecure and typically strive to make more money than they have currently. But is this the best way?

Another fascinating study found that beyond a certain amount of money (approximately $70,000 annually), an increase in salary does not typically lead to greater overall emotional or physical well-being. On the other hand, it seems that we do need to have enough money to look after our fundamental needs (food, shelter, water, safety etc.) and have a little bit of leisure or fun. However, making more money doesn’t seem to hold the answer to happiness, especially if we spend it in the ways that most people do.

Why does more money not equal more happiness?

I believe that the traps of Materialism and Capitalism are to blame, especially in Western culture. We think that working hard, making lots of money, and buying lots of stuff is the secret to happiness and success. This equation is just a myth, however, and it is required for consumerism to flourish. Consumerism prioritises short-term and societal growth above individual functioning or what is best over a long-term basis. It drives us to believe that we need the stuff to be happy, and this is often at the expense of things we need in our lives to flourish.

So what can we do about it?

In the excellent book “Stuffocation” by James Wallman, he makes the case that most people in Western society have too much stuff due to their consumer lifestyle. It is complicating our lives and stressing us out. This stress is now offsetting any of the benefits that come from the stuff that we buy. So should we throw everything out?

Wallman does explore Minimalism as a possible solution to our Stuffocation. However, he doesn’t believe that Minimalism is the antidote because it is purely defined by what materialism isn’t. True freedom can only come from doing what is suitable for us, not doing the opposite of what is wrong. Minimalism is too confining.

We could all just quit our jobs too, and stop making money, but the financial debt would catch up to us pretty quickly unless we somehow learned to become entirely self-sufficient and live off the land. Some people and communities can do this, but it’s not for everyone.

Working less may help. Sweden has recently led the way with this by shortening their workdays down to 6 hours. Many people complain about being time-poor, and reducing how much time we spend at work would increase the amount of time available for people to use in whichever way they find most meaningful. It could be time with family, friends, engaging in exercise or hobbies, or taking some time to reflect and relax. We could cut down through improving productivity or efficiency (books like the ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ by Stephen Covey or ‘Getting Things Done’ by David Allen could help) or cut down our commitments. Our productivity declines if we work more than 9 hours per day or more than 48 hours per week, so this should be a helpful guide for the maximum hours to work for optimal happiness.

Once you have the extra time, it’s still about making sure that you spend your money in ways that will give you the biggest bang for your buck.

How to spend money in ways that can increase happiness

(1) buy more experiences rather than material objects — Wallman believes that Experientialism is the antidote to Materialism and Consumerism. We need to invest money in experiences and not in stuff. We need to be able to engage in these experiences. They also need to be accessible and affordable to have a significant impact on our overall well-being. If you have to invest in stuff, buy stuff that will make life easier for you to have more of the experiences you would like and less of the experiences that you don’t.

(2) make sure that you are buying things for the right reason — A car or even a ride-on lawnmower can be a way to make things easier or to have an enjoyable experience, or it can just be more stuff. We need to determine why we want to buy something, and if it is about impressing others (showing our status) rather than for our enjoyment, it probably won’t lead to long-lasting happiness.

(3) buy more frequent and smaller pleasures, rather than less frequent and larger ones — People are relatively insensitive to the price of an object. If we buy less expensive things, we get a similar pay-off or reward (in happiness terms) for a much smaller cost. The less expensive stuff we buy, the less we need to work and save, and the less credit card debt we’ll have. With the Australian Securities and Investment Commission stating that Australians owe nearly $32 billion in credit card debt, or over $4,300 each, this is advice that a lot of us could take on.

(4) avoid credit card debt and overpriced insurance — Have you ever noticed that all of the tall buildings in cities tend to belong to either banks or insurance companies. There is a reason for this. They prey on our cognitive biases and utilise effective marketing strategies to get us to buy things now and pay them later. The average Australian pays over $725 of interest annually on the $4,300 they owe on their credit card at an interest rate between 15 and 20%. Suppose we pay only the minimum repayments, whether a credit card or a home loan. It will take a long time to pay it off and cost you a lot more money in interest. So spending more to reduce our interest or getting a debit card rather than a credit card will help us to not waste money for nothing in return except for immediate gratification. With extended warranties and no excess insurance, we will have to pay a premium for “peace of mind”, so it’s essential to work out if that peace is worth the extra cost for you. Insurance works like the lottery — we always think, “what if it happened to me?” and forget about the actual probability of these events occurring.

(5) delay gratification by booking ahead — With more expensive experiences, the longer we can plan these, the better it is for us. Not only do we get the experience, but also the anticipation and excitement leading up to it. So the next time you want to be spontaneous and book a concert ticket or holiday, book it for six months in advance and thank me for the increased happiness later.

(6) use your money to give to or help others — There was a study where they gave individuals $20. Half of them spent it on themselves, and the other half gave it away to someone else. They then tracked the happiness of these groups over some time. Whilst the happiness levels were similar between the two groups immediately after the event, the group who gave the money away were significantly higher only two weeks later. So giving to others does make a difference, both to them as well as to you. It is a lovely message to keep in mind with Christmas around the corner.

If you are interested in other ways to increase happiness through spending, please check out the fascinating article titled ‘If Money Doesn’t Make You Happy Then You Probably Aren’t Spending It Right’ by Elizabeth Dunn, Daniel Gilbert and Timothy Wilson.

Dr Damon Ashworth

Clinical Psychologist

January 31, 2024
10 Things You Need to Know About Adverse Childhood Experiences
1. There are 10 categories of experience that are considered to have adverse consequences on the later development of children

These include:
- Abuse:
- Emotional
- Physical
- Sexual
- Neglect:
- Emotional
- Physical
- Household Dysfunction:
- Domestic Violence
- Substance Abuse
- Mental Illness
- Parental Separation/Divorce
- Crime
2. It is possible to determine your own Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) score

The ACE score is a measure that has been designed to measure the cumulative nature of childhood distress.

If you are interested in finding out your ACE score, please answer the following questionnaire from acestudy.org:

While you were growing up, during your first 18 years of life:

1. Did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often…
- Swear at you, insult you, put you down, or humiliate you? or
- Act in a way that made you afraid that you might be physically hurt?
Yes? No? If yes, enter 1 _____________

2. Did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often…
- Push, grab, slap, or throw something at you? or
- Ever strike you that you had marks or were injured?
Yes? No? If yes, enter 1 _____________

3. Did an adult or person at least 5 years older than you ever…
- Touch or fondle you, or have you sexually touch their body? or
- Attempt or actually have oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse with you?
Yes? No? If yes, enter 1 ____________

4. Did you often or very often feel that…
- No one in your family loved you or thought you were important or special? or
- Your family didn’t look out for each other, feel close to each other, or support each other?
Yes? No? If yes, enter 1 ___________

5. Did you often or very often feel that…
- You didn’t have enough to eat, had to wear dirty clothes, and had no one to protect you? or
- Your parents were too drunk or high to take care of you or take you to the doctor if you needed it?
Yes? No? If yes, enter 1 ___________

6. Were your parents ever separated or divorced?

Yes? No? If yes, enter 1 ___________

7. Was your mother or stepmother:
- Often or very often pushed, grabbed, slapped, or had something thrown at her? or
- Sometimes, often, or very often kicked, bitten, hit with a fist, or hit with something hard? or
- Ever repeatedly hit at least a few minutes or threatened with a gun or knife
Yes? No? If yes, enter 1 ___________

8. Did you live with anyone who was a problem drinker or alcoholic or who used street drugs?

Yes? No? If yes, enter 1 ___________

9. Was a household member depressed or mentally ill, or did a household member attempt suicide?

Yes? No? If yes enter 1 ___________

10. Did a household member go to prison?

Yes? No? If yes enter 1 __________

Now add up your “Yes” answers: __________ This is your ACE Score.

3. Adverse childhood experiences are common

Of the 17,337 individuals surveyed, here is the prevalence of each possible adverse experience, from most to least, represented as a percentage:
- Physical abuse towards the child — 28.3%
- Substance abuse in the household — 26.9%
- Parental separation/divorce — 23.3%
- Sexual abuse toward the child — 20.7%
- Mental Illness in the household — 19.4%
- Emotional neglect towards the child — 14.8%
- Domestic violence in the household — 12.7%
- Emotional abuse towards the child — 10.6%
- Physical neglect towards the child — 9.9%
- Imprisoned household member — 4.7%
This graph from acestoohigh.com presents these percentages visually:

4. It is more common to have an adverse childhood experience than not to have any

As shown in the graph from cdc.gov, 64% of the population surveyed experienced at least one adverse childhood experience(ACE), with the majority of those reporting at least one ACE reporting multiple ACEs.

Beyond the ACEs study, at least one in four children will suffer from physical, emotional or sexual abuse at some point during their childhoods, with one-in-seven children experiencing abuse or neglect in the past 12 months (Finklehor, Turner, Shattuck & Hamby, 2015).

5. Adverse childhood experiences are linked with a higher risk of many things in later life

This includes:
- Alcohol abuse and dependence
- Early smoking initiation and current smoking status
- Illicit drug use
- IV drug abuse
- Obesity
- Suicide attempts
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Hyperactivity
- Sleep Disturbances
- Hallucinations
- Eating disorders
- Suicide attempts
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Conduct disorder
- Teen or unintended pregnancies
- Intimate partner violence
- Improper brain development
- Impaired learning ability and general cognitive difficulties
- Attention and memory difficulties
- Visual and/or motor impairment
- Lower language development
- Impaired social and emotional skills
- Poorer quality of life
Another long-term study indicated that approximately 80% of young adults who had previously been abused qualified for at least one psychiatric diagnosis at 21 (Silverman, Reinherz & Gianconia, 1996). Neglected or abused children are also 59% more likely to be arrested during childhood, 28% more likely to engage in criminal behaviour as adults, and 30% more likely to engage in violent crime as an adult (Widom & Maxfield, 2001).

The graph below from vetoviolence.cdc.gov shows the increased risk of many conditions in individuals who have previously had adverse childhood experiences:

As you can see, there is a higher risk of experiencing these difficulties for individuals with ACEs. However, the prevalence rate is NOT 100% for any of the factors. The importance of this should not be understated…

Individuals who have had negative experiences during their childhood can still grow and flourish as adults and can also be more resilient due to learning how to overcome significant challenges when they are younger.

A major longitudinal study even found that what goes right during childhood is often more important than what goes wrong. Having even one safe, stable and nurturing figure in a child’s life can reduce the later risk of psychological and physical health problems (Vaillant, 2015).

6. Adverse childhood experiences are linked with a higher risk of later disease and early mortality

This includes:
- High Blood Pressure
- High Cholesterol
- Obesity
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD)
- Liver Disease
- Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
- Lung Cancer
- Death Before Age 65
As you can see in the table below from acestoohigh.com, individuals with an ACE score of 4 or more are at a significantly higher risk of developing later physical health conditions:

Abuse and neglect during childhood can also negatively impact the ability of individuals to efficiently establish and maintain healthy romantic adult relationships (Colman & Widom, 2004). As relationship warmth and social connection are vital protective factors for long-term health and happiness, many of these more significant risks could at least be partially explained by the higher risk of interpersonal conflict, disconnection and isolation.

7. The more adverse childhood experiences one has, the more significant likelihood they have of experiencing difficulties with their mental and physical health and overall well-being later in life

A “dose-response reaction” exists with most risk factors and following conditions, in that the more adverse childhood experiences one has, the higher their risk is for adverse outcomes later in life, as shown in the above graphic from cdc.gov.

8. It is possible to conceptualise how these adverse childhood experiences lead to an early death

The ACE Pyramid from cdc.gov suggests that adverse childhood experiences contribute to premature death via four intermediate processes that develop in a sequential nature:

9. Reducing adverse experiences of childhood will significantly improve public health and reduce the burden that these issues have on individuals and the society

Childhood abuse and neglect are not just damaging to the individual. They also place a substantial financial strain on society, with an estimated total lifetime economic burden of approximately $124 billion (2010 dollars) in the US in 2008 (Fang, Brown, Florence & Mercy, 2012). This is similar to the financial burden of other public health issues, such as diabetes and stroke.

The main reasons for the increased economic burden are lost productivity, followed by increased medical costs, special education, child welfare and criminal justice costs (Fang, Brown, Florence & Mercy, 2012).

Even though it may be expensive to develop and implement programs that aim to prevent child neglect and abuse, the benefits of these programs, if valid, are very likely to outweigh the costs in the long run.

10. We need to do something to address and lower the prevalence of ACEs in future generations

Creating safe, stable and nurturing environments (SSNREs) is the key to positively impacting reducing ACEs from now on.

The five best practices to do this is shown in the graph below:

The US Centers For Disease Control (CDC) also suggests:
- Greater treatment for mental illness and substance abuse
- More high-quality child care, and
- More financial support for low-income families.
Conclusion

Please help to get this information out there to as many people as possible. Also, if you found something of value in this article, please share it or pass it onto whoever else may benefit too!

Dr Damon Ashworth

Clinical Psychologist
September 14, 2017

How Should We Define Success As A Nation?

The Olympic Slide

Following the completion of the Rio Olympic Games, a theme of concern became evident across the various media platforms in Australia. Our overall medal tally at the Olympic Games has declined since its peak of 58 in Sydney in 2000, with 49 in Athens in 2004, 46 in Beijing in 2008, 35 in London in 2012, and now 29 in Rio.

The final medal tally in Rio puts Australia in 10th place with eight gold medals, 11 silver and ten bronze, well behind the Australian Olympic Committee’s predictions of 13 gold and 37 medals. Australia’s performance wasn’t too bad considering our population size, but we were miles behind the two countries with the most gold medals. First place was the usual victors, the U.S.A, with 46 gold and 121 medals overall. Second place was the U.K., with 27 gold and 67 medals overall.

Australia is a proud sporting nation, and part of our national identity has taken a hit seeing the sharp decline in Olympic glory this century compared to the ongoing ascension of the U.S. and the U.K.

The U.S. has increased their tally from 37 gold and 93 medals in 2000, while the U.K. has dramatically improved from 11 gold and 28 medals overall back in Sydney. We used to be better than the U.K., not even that long ago, and now we are not even close. Let’s not even get started on ‘The Ashes’, where we have now lost five of the last seven test cricket series to England dating back to July 2005.

If we were to look at these statistics alone as a measure of a country’s overall success, then it is a worrying trend for Australia and a very positive sign for the U.S. and the U.K.

If we wanted to reverse this trend, it would be essential to figure out precisely what the U.S. and the U.K. are doing right and try to emulate what they are doing to get closer to their levels of success in the future. It would come down to spending more taxpayer’s money on:

improved programs to get people to participate more in a sport at a young age,
enhanced facilities to increase opportunities to excel,
improved coaching to help bring out the best in athletes, and
more focused investment towards the sports and top athletes with the highest potential of producing multiple gold medals at the Olympic Games.

The problem is that we have already tried to do this, with the Australian Sporting Commission following the lead of the U.K.’s recent success with their own ‘Winning Edge’ program. But, unfortunately, in the four years leading up to Rio, this program unevenly distributed $340m towards summer Olympic sports. These events were the ones that Australia had a better chance to win in, such as Hockey, which cost us $28million for zero medals.

At over $11million of taxpayers money per medal won in Rio, it becomes crucial to wonder if the extra cost is worth it or if there are better ways that Australia can measure ourselves or improve on the world stage?

What if there was a medal tally for non-Sporting indicators of success?

1. Gross Direct Product

Traditionally, apart from Olympic Glory, Nations have utilised their Gross Direct Product (GDP) to compare themselves to other countries and show the world how successful they are. Considering the nominal GDP of all nations in 2016, the U.S. once again smashes the field and collects the gold medal with $18,558,130,000,000. China collects the silver with $11,383,030,000,000. Japan picks up the bronze with $4,412,600,000,000. The U.K. comes in fifth place with $2,760,960,000,000, and Australia is lagging again in 13th place with $1,200,780,000,000.

Per capita, the country with the highest GDP is Luxembourg with $101,994, Switzerland is second with $80,675, and Qatar is third with $76,576, based on the 2015 International Monetary Fund 2015 estimates.

Let’s look at GDP calculations that consider purchasing power parity (PPP) relative to inflation rates and local costs of goods and services. China picks up the gold, the U.S. is relegated to silver, and India comes from nowhere into the bronze medal position. The U.K. drop to ninth, and Australia drop down to 19th.

Per capita adjusted for PPP, Qatar wins the gold, Luxembourg pick up the silver, and Singapore takes home the bronze, based on the 2015 estimates provided by the International Monetary fund.

2. The Human Development Index

The United Nations no longer believe that GDP should be the sole factor when determining which countries are best at helping their citizens develop. Instead, the Human Development Index considers GDP at purchasing power parity alongside life expectancy, education and adult literacy levels. As a result, based on the 2015 results, Norway picks up the gold, Australia claims the silver, and Switzerland the bronze.

Notably, Australia’s score has slightly improved each year from 2013 to 2015, a good indication that we are not in an overall decline as a nation. Our ranking has also improved from 4th in 2008 to 2nd from 2009 onward. Meanwhile, the U.S. rank 8th in the world, a significant drop from their bronze rank in 2013. The U.K. is 14th, a massive jump from 27th in 2013.

Once inequality is taken into account, the average level of human development in Australia is 2nd in the world. Norway wins the gold again, and the Netherlands step up to claim bronze. The U.K. drop down to 16th in the world, and the U.S. slide down to 28th.

What other factors could we also compare nations on to see how Australia stacks up?

3. The World Happiness Report

The first World Happiness Report was released in April 2012 after a resolution in July 2011 invited member countries to measure their citizens’ happiness levels and use these findings to guide their public policies. Reports are now issued each year, with the 2016 release considering six main elements as crucial to how successful we can perceive a Nation. These elements are:

GDP per capita
Level of social support
Healthy life expectancy
Freedom to make life choices
Level of generosity
Trust, or perceived absence of corruption in government and business

Based on the results of this report, Denmark wins the gold medal, Switzerland get the silver, and Iceland the bronze. Australia is currently in 9th place, with the U.S. 13th and the U.K. 23rd.

Once again, Australia has improved slightly since the last report, a good indicator that we are not rapidly declining as a country. The U.S. and the U.K. are both on the decline. No nation has taken a more prominent hit recently than Greece. Their significant financial difficulties are beginning to influence the social fabric of the country.

Surely overall Happiness, as measured by these factors, is more important than sporting or Olympic success. Assuming this is true, shouldn’t we be emulating Denmark or the other seven countries ahead of us on this instead of trying to look up to the U.S. or the U.K.?

4. The Happy Planet Index

The Happy Planet Index has a slightly different take on what matters most, and to them, this is sustainable well-being for all. They combine life expectancy with individual levels of well-being adjusted for inequality of outcomes within a country and divide this by their ecological footprint to obtain the overall result on the Happy Planet Index. Most Western Countries fare poorly on this scale, with Costa Rica winning the gold, Mexico the silver, and Colombia the bronze. The U.K. is 34th, with Australia and the U.S. far behind in 105th and 108th place.

Australia does okay in three out of the four items that make up this scale, coming in 7th place at 82.1 years for life expectancy, 11th place at 8% for inequality, and 12th place at 7.2/10 for subjective well-being. However, our ecological footprint, 139th out of the 140 countries included in the data, really lets us down. Only Luxembourg is worse. The U.S. isn’t much better with its ecological footprint, coming in 137th place, while the U.K. is slightly better, currently in 107th place. More needs to be done by these Western countries to reduce the ecological footprint that they are having on our planet. Haiti wins gold for the most negligible environmental footprint, with Bangladesh the silver and Pakistan the bronze.

For subjective well-being, Switzerland wins the gold with a score of 7.8/10, Norway gets the silver with 7.7/10, and Iceland claims the bronze with 7.6/10, well ahead of the U.S. (7.0/10) and the U.K. (6.9/10).

For the least inequality, the Netherlands claimed the gold with 4%, Iceland the silver with 5%, and Sweden the bronze with 6%. The U.K. is 19th with 9% inequality, and the U.S. is 34th with 13%.

Lastly, Hong Kong claims the gold with 83.6 years for life expectancy, Japan the silver with 83.2 years, and Italy the bronze with 82.7 years. The U.K. is 24th with an average life expectancy of 80.4 years, slightly ahead of the 31st ranking for the U.S. with 78.8 years.

5. Health System

If we were to think of ways to improve our quality of life further, having a sound health system should be a top priority, yet none of the U.K. (18th), Australia (32nd), or the U.S. (37th) can claim a medal based on the World Health Organisation’s 2000 ratings. So instead, France gets the gold, Italy the silver, and San Marino the bronze.

6. Academic Performance

Equally critical to the future of a country should be a good quality of education at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. When it comes to the 2014 OECD global education rankings, the U.K. is 20th for maths and science, and 23rd for reading, while the U.S. is 28th for maths and science, and 24th for reading. Australia doesn’t fare much better, coming in at 14th in maths and science and 13th in reading.

More worryingly, Australia has dropped from 6th in maths, 8th in science and 4th in reading in the year 2000. When it comes to schooling, we seem to be declining as a nation and are now 17th for the percentage of students acquiring at least the necessary skills in these areas. We are also 19th in secondary school enrollment rates, behind both the U.S. and the U.K.

For reading, China claims the gold medal, Singapore collects the silver, and Japan the bronze. Singapore claims the gold, Hong Kong the silver, and South Korea the bronze for maths and science. South Korea was very similar in their academic performance to Australia back in 2000. Although their increase and our decrease may not seem like such a big deal, a 25 point improvement on what is known as the PISA tests would lead to an approximate expansion of $4.8 trillion to Australia’s GDP by the year 2095. Education matters.

7. Global Gender Gap Index

Based on the 2015 data, Iceland wins the gold with the slightest gender gap between males and females of 88.1%. Norway the silver with 85%, and Finland the bronze, with 85% also. The U.K. rank 18th with 75.8%, the U.S. 28th with 74%, and Australia 36th with 73.33%.

Regarding the gender gap, Australia has improved in their score from 72.41% in 2008 but have dropped 15 places over those seven years. We are closing the gender gap at a much slower rate than many other countries. We’re now 32nd in economic participation and opportunity, 1st in educational attainment, 74th in health and survival, and 61st regarding political empowerment.

8. LGBTIQ Rights

Based on the first countries to legally recognise same sex-unions, Denmark gets the gold, Norway the silver, and Sweden the bronze.

These countries also had to have legalised same-sex marriage and allow same-sex couples to adopt a child to qualify for a medal. In addition, they must have LGB individuals who can serve in the military and ban all anti-gay discrimination. They must also have legal documents be amended based on an individual’s recognised gender without the need for surgery or hormone therapy.

The U.K. nearly ticks all of these items, except same-sex marriage is still illegal in Northern Ireland. Same-sex marriage is now legalised in Australia, finally. Apart from some tribal jurisdictions, the U.S. now has legalised marriage but still has some laws that discriminate based on gender identity and expression, as does Australia.

9. Refugee Resettlement Actions

By the end of 2014, one out of every 122 people were internally displaced, a refugee, or seeking asylum, with half of these refugees being children. Wars, persecution and ongoing conflict now mean that we have more people than ever trying to reach safety and begin their new lives in a foreign land, with 59.5 million forcibly displaced in 2014 alone. In addition, due to their proximity to Syria, both Lebanon and Turkey are taking in vast amounts of refugees annually, with 1.59 million Syrian refugees in Turkey at the end of 2014, and more than 25% of Lebanon’s overall population is Syrian as of the 24th of September 2015.

Based on this article, Germany should win gold, Sweden silver and the U.S. bronze. Meanwhile, the recent Brexit scandal was related to the U.K. not wanting to take on as many refugees and immigrants. Australia’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, especially the children, is so notoriously bad that China (not always the best for human rights issues) and the United Nations have publicly spoken out against it.

10. Freedom of Press

Based on the 2008 results, Finland and Iceland both get the gold medal, with Denmark and Norway taking home the bronze. The U.S. was 9th best, the U.K.10th, and Australia 13th.

11. Lowest Infant Mortality Rates

According to the 2015 estimates provided by the CIA World Factbook, Monaco wins the gold with 1.81 deaths per 1000 live births, Iceland wins the silver with 2.06, and Norway and Singapore both claim the bronze with 2.48 per 1000 live births. Australia is 31st, with 4.43, the U.K. is 32nd with 4.44, and the U.S. is 50th with 6.17 deaths per 1000 live births.

12. Soundness of Banks

Based on the 2009 World Economic Forum rankings on a scale from 1 (banks need more money) to 7 (banks are generally sound), Canada picks up the gold with a 6.7/7, New Zealand the silver (6.6/7), and Australia the bronze with 6.6/7. The U.S. comes in at 108th with a rating of 4.7/7, and the U.K. is 126th with a score of 3.8/7. Resilient financial systems are crucial for economic stability, and unstable or unregulated systems were the main culprits in the 2008 financial crisis.

13. Unemployment Levels

Based on 2015 figures, Qatar gets gold with 0.4%, Cambodia the silver with 0.5%, and Belarus, according to their 2014 data, get the bronze with 0.7%. By March 2016, Australia’s unemployment rate is 5.8%, slightly worse than its 31st ranking in 2013 with 5.7%. In 2013, the U.K. and U.S. were 44th and 45th with 7.3% each. However, as of July 2016, the U.K. has improved their rate to 4.9%. The U.S. has improved theirs to 5.0% by April 2016.

And the overall winner is Norway!

Final medal tally:

Country

Gold (3 pts)

Silver (2 pts)

Bronze (1 pt)

Total points

Norway

III

Iceland

Switzerland

China (excl. Hong Kong)

Denmark

Qatar

Singapore

U.S.A

Australia

Hong Kong

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Finland

Japan

Sweden

Italy

U.K.

Conclusion:

Australia is doing alright. We aren’t the best country in the world in any of the critical issues that I’ve analysed. Depending on what it is, we could learn a lot from whoever is ahead of us in the rankings, especially Norway and Iceland. This would be much better than always just trying to emulate the U.S. or the U.K. or overreacting to the media every time they catastrophise and tell us that the apocalypse is near.

Worldwide murder rates (per capita) have declined since the fourteenth century, especially since the 1970s. In addition, higher levels of equality and rights have been achieved across the globe for different races, ethnic groups, females, spouses, children, people with disabilities, and animals, with some countries being more progressive than others.

Australia still has a long way to go as a Nation. We could be healthier, including have better mental health, indigenous health and well-being. We could have improved climate change policies, LGBTIQ rights, gender equality, refugee and immigration policies, and other areas where people are mistreated.

At least with the National Broadband System, a higher percentage of the population will have access to a reliable internet connection. It could help more people become better informed, talk about the critical issues through social media, put more pressure on the politicians, and bring about more rapid social change.

I invite you all to speak up, take action, and follow in Mahatma Gandhi’s footsteps in being the change that you wish to see in the world.

Dr Damon Ashworth

Clinical Psychologist

December 19, 2016