Different Cultures Define Happiness Differently不同的文化对幸福的定义不同

Well-being is far from universal. Here are four models to help you understand the world—and your own mind.幸福远非普遍。 这里有四个模型可以帮助您了解世界和您自己的思想。

Everyone knows where the happiest people in the world live—the United Nations tells us every single year. For the past several years, Finland has been ranked No. 1, sitting atop the pack of Nordic countries, which are all considered very happy. And since they’ve cracked the happiness code, as my colleague Joe Pinsker wrote recently, many of the rest of us are tempted to mimic Nordic habits. Live like a Finn—take a short walk in the forest, go ice swimming—and all will be well, right?每个人都知道世界上最幸福的人住在哪里——联合国每年都会告诉我们。 在过去的几年里，芬兰一直排名第一，在北欧国家中名列前茅，这些国家都被认为是非常幸福的。 正如我的同事乔·平斯克 (Joe Pinsker) 最近所写的那样，由于他们破解了幸福密码，我们中的许多人都想模仿北欧的习惯。 像芬兰人一样生活——在森林里散散步，去冰上游泳——一切都会好起来的，对吧？

Not so fast. In order for the World Happiness Report and other international happiness indexes to compare self-reports of happiness, they have to assume that people around the world define happiness and answer happiness surveys in roughly the same way. If this assumption does not hold, then happiness indexes are about as reliable as a ranking of music quality based on how much residents of each country say they like their local songs. This would indicate something about each country’s enthusiasm for their musical styles, but would provide little information about what music is objectively “best,” given differences in people’s traditions and tastes.没那么快。 为了让世界幸福报告和其他国际幸福指数比较幸福的自我报告，他们必须假设世界各地的人们以大致相同的方式定义幸福并回答幸福调查。 如果这个假设不成立，那么幸福指数就与根据每个国家的居民说他们喜欢当地歌曲的程度对音乐质量进行排名一样可靠。 这将表明每个国家对其音乐风格的热情，但鉴于人们传统和品味的差异，几乎无法提供客观上“最佳”音乐的信息。

The research on how people around the world conceive of well-being, in fact, reveals some major differences among nations. Understanding these differences gives us a much richer picture of global happiness than any index can depict. But more important, it provides a suite of models for well-being that each of us can follow.事实上，关于世界各地人们如何看待幸福的研究揭示了国家之间的一些主要差异。 了解这些差异可以让我们对全球幸福感有更丰富的了解，这比任何指数都可以描绘的更丰富。 但更重要的是，它提供了一套我们每个人都可以遵循的幸福模型。

n first pass, the ways people around the world say they experience happiness have some obvious commonalities. One 2016 study of 2,799 adults in 12 countries found that in all the nations studied, psychological definitions of happiness—“an inner state, feeling or attitude”—dominated all others. In particular, people worldwide said they found happiness in achieving “inner harmony.”首先，世界各地的人们说他们体验幸福的方式有一些明显的共性。 2016 年对 12 个国家的 2,799 名成年人进行的一项研究发现，在所有研究的国家中，幸福的心理定义——“内在状态、感觉或态度”——主导了所有其他国家。 特别是，世界各地的人们表示，他们在实现“内在和谐”中找到了幸福。

Inner harmony might sound universal, but it can mean very different things in different places. For example, while shooting a documentary film in Denmark on the pursuit of happiness two years ago, I found that the Danes often described inner harmony in terms of hygge, which is something like coziness and comfortable conviviality. Meanwhile, I have found that Americans tend to define it in terms of their skills meeting their passions, usually in the context of work.内在和谐听起来可能很普遍，但在不同的地方可能意味着非常不同的事情。 比如两年前在丹麦拍摄一部关于追求幸福的纪录片时，我发现丹麦人经常用hygge来形容内心的和谐，比如舒适和惬意的欢乐。 同时，我发现美国人倾向于根据他们的技能满足他们的热情来定义它，通常是在工作的背景下。

So psychological definitions don’t nail down happiness much. And from there, the differences among countries only widen. The same 2016 study cited above found, for example, that 49 percent of Americans referred explicitly to family relationships in their definition of happiness, while Southern Europeans and Latin Americans generally conceived of it in terms of oneself: Just 22 percent of Portuguese, 18 percent of Mexicans, and 10 percent of Argentines talked about their families in their happiness definitions.因此，心理定义并没有太多地确定幸福。 从那时起，国家之间的差异只会扩大。 例如，上面引用的 2016 年研究发现，49% 的美国人在他们对幸福的定义中明确提到了家庭关系，而南欧和拉丁美洲人通常从自己的角度来看待它：只有 22% 的葡萄牙人，18% 的墨西哥人和 10% 的阿根廷人在他们的幸福定义中谈到了他们的家庭。

Writing in the International Journal of Wellbeing in 2012, two Japanese scholars surfaced an important cultural difference in the definition of happiness between Western and Asian cultures. In the West, they found happiness to be defined as “a high arousal state such as excitement and a sense of personal achievement.” Meanwhile, in Asia, “happiness is defined in terms of experiencing a low arousal stchiate such as calmness.” 2012 年，两位日本学者在《国际幸福杂志》上撰文，揭示了西方和亚洲文化之间在幸福定义方面的重要文化差异。 在西方，他们发现幸福被定义为“一种高度唤醒状态，例如兴奋和个人成就感”。 与此同时，在亚洲，“幸福的定义是经历平静等低唤醒状态。

In large countries, even comparing people within the same borders can be difficult to accomplish accurately. Happiness is defined very differently in northern versus southern India, for example. And researchshows that the United States is home to significant regional differences in personality characteristics. For example, people in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions tend to display more attachment anxiety (“When will you call?”), while the western states breed more attachment avoidance (“See you when I see you”).在大国，即使比较同一边界内的人也很难准确完成。 例如，印度北部和南部对幸福的定义大不相同。 研究表明，美国在个性特征方面存在显着的地区差异。 例如，大西洋中部和东北地区的人们倾向于表现出更多的依恋焦虑（“你什么时候打电话？”），而西部各州则表现出更多的依恋回避（“当我看到你时再见”）。

Even the words we use to talk about happiness have different connotations in different tongues. In Germanic languages, happiness is rooted in words related to fortune or positive fate. In fact, happinesscomes from the Middle English hap, which means “luck.” Meanwhile, in Latin-based languages, the term comes from felicitas, which referred in ancient Rome not just to good luck, but also to growth, fertility, and prosperity.甚至我们用来谈论幸福的词在不同的语言中也有不同的内涵。 在日耳曼语言中，幸福植根于与财富或积极命运相关的词中。 事实上，幸福来自中古英语 hap，意思是“运气”。 同时，在基于拉丁语的语言中，该术语来自 felicitas，它在古罗马不仅指好运，还指成长、生育和繁荣。

n sum, cultures vary widely in their definitions of happiness. Therefore, it is impossible to say that one country is happier than another in some absolute sense, and a single index of “the happiest countries in the world” is not instructive. Happiness can be defined and measured in a lot of different ways. Maybe Finland is the happiest country by one definition; it is almost certainly not by another. Countries should be classifiedmore than compared.总而言之，不同文化对幸福的定义千差万别。 因此，不可能在绝对意义上说一个国家比另一个国家更幸福，“世界上最幸福的国家”的单一指数没有指导意义。 幸福可以用很多不同的方式来定义和衡量。 从某种定义上来说，芬兰也许是最幸福的国家； 几乎可以肯定不是另一个人。 国家的分类应该多于比较。

A handy way to get started on that task is to distinguish between two ways of focusing on happiness. The first is an “inner” or “outer” focus on happiness—that is, on introspection versus interaction with others. The second is a “relation” or “task” focus—people-oriented versus doing-oriented. This gives us four major models for well-being, based on survey research from around the world.开始这项任务的一个方便的方法是区分两种专注于幸福的方式。 第一个是对幸福的“内在”或“外在”关注——即内省与与他人的互动。 第二个是“关系”或“任务”焦点——以人为本与以做为导向。 根据来自世界各地的调查研究，这为我们提供了四种主要的幸福模型。

1. HAPPINESS COMES FROM GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE.1. 幸福来自与你爱的人的良好关系。

This is a combination of the “outer” and “relation” foci. In this model, friends and family are who deliver the most happiness. A good example of a country that fits this model based on how the population tends to define happiness is the United States.这是“外部”和“关系”焦点的组合。 在这个模型中，朋友和家人是最幸福的人。 根据人口如何定义幸福，符合这种模型的国家的一个很好的例子是美国。

2. HAPPINESS COMES FROM A HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS.幸福来自更高的意识

This is a combination of the "inner" and "relation" foci, and is the model for highly spiritual, philosophical, or religious people, especially those who place a special importance on coming together in community. Southern India has been found to be home to a lot of people who follow this model.这是“内在”和“关系”焦点的结合，是高度精神、哲学或宗教人士的典范，尤其是那些特别重视在社区中聚在一起的人。 印度南部被发现是许多遵循这种模式的人的家园。

3. HAPPINESS COMES FROM DOING WHAT YOU LOVE, USUALLY WITH OTHERS.幸福来自做你喜欢做的事，通常是和别人一起做。

This is a combination of the “outer” and “task” foci—that is, a dedication to work or leisure activities that are deeply fulfilling. This is your model if you tend to say “My work is my life” or “I love golfing with my friends.” Look for it in the Nordic countries and Central Europe.这是“外在”和“任务”焦点的结合——也就是说，对工作或休闲活动的奉献是非常有成就感的。 如果您倾向于说“我的工作就是我的生活”或“我喜欢和朋友一起打高尔夫球”，那么这就是您的榜样。 在北欧国家和中欧寻找它。

4. HAPPINESS COMES FROM SIMPLY FEELING GOOD.幸福来自简单的感觉良好。

This is a combination of the “inner” and “task” foci. It is the model for people who prioritize experiences that give them positive feelings, whether alone or with others. It’s a good way to assess your well-being if, when you imagine being happy, you think of watching Netflix or drinking wine. This model is most common in Latin America, the Mediterranean, and South Africa.这是“内在”和“任务”焦点的结合。 它是那些优先考虑能给他们带来积极感受的体验的人的榜样，无论是独自一人还是与他人在一起。 如果当您想象快乐时，会想到看 Netflix 或喝酒，那么这是评估您的幸福感的好方法。 这种模式在拉丁美洲、地中海和南非最为常见。

This classification is not exhaustive, of course; plenty of people and countries cannot be neatly placed along these axes. Indeed, your conception of happiness might be a mix of these models. However, they provide a starting point to understanding the numerous concepts of well-being around the world—and the ones inside your own head and heart.当然，他的分类并不详尽； 沿着这些轴线不能整齐地放置大量的人和国家。 事实上，你对幸福的概念可能是这些模型的混合体。 然而，它们为理解世界各地的众多幸福概念以及您自己头脑和内心的幸福提供了一个起点。

Just as different places have different definitions of happiness, so do different people. Understanding that persity can help you understand yourself—to see whether and why you are a misfit in your home, and what you might do about it, whether that’s moving, joining a new community, or simply making peace with your surroundings.正如不同的地方对幸福有不同的定义一样，不同的人也是如此。 了解这种多样性可以帮助您了解自己——看看您是否以及为什么不适合自己的家，以及您可能会怎么做，无论是搬家、加入新社区，还是只是与周围的环境和平相处。

I am putting the finishing touches on this article from Barcelona, where I am spending the summer. For 30 years, I have been haunting this city like a displaced ghost for weeks or months at a time (one visit stretched into three years). It’s not the happiest place in any index (Spain languishes at No. 27 in the latest UN report). So why do I love it so much?我正在对这篇来自巴塞罗那的文章进行最后润色，我正在那里度过夏天。 30 年来，我一直像一个流离失所的幽灵一样在这座城市中徘徊数周或数月（一次访问长达三年）。 它不是任何指数中最幸福的地方（西班牙在最新的联合国报告中排名第 27 位）。 那我为什么这么爱它？

The Catalan capital is a hybrid city: Spanish in its emphasis on leisure and friendship, yet more Northern European in work habits. (Between the two, this leaves little time for sleep, which is a bit of a problem.) It is a hardworking, entrepreneurial place, but one with a lot of laughter and bonhomie. It is also where I got married many years ago, and thus where I have most of my loving relationships. As such, it matches my own hybrid concept of happiness: a deep absorption in and enjoyment of my research and teaching, and a strong commitment to the people in my life. Barcelona is the happiest place in the world—for me.加泰罗尼亚首府是一座混合城市：西班牙式强调休闲和友谊，但工作习惯上更偏向北欧。 （这两者之间，几乎没有时间睡觉，这有点问题。）这是一个勤奋、创业的地方，但也有很多欢笑和温馨的地方。 这也是我多年前结婚的地方，因此我拥有大部分爱的关系。 因此，它符合我自己的混合幸福概念：对我的研究和教学的深入吸收和享受，以及对我生活中的人的坚定承诺。 巴塞罗那是世界上最幸福的地方——对我来说。

You have your own Barcelona someplace. Go find it.您在某个地方拥有自己的巴塞罗那。 去找吧。