"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." More money doesn't exactly make us miserable. The wealthy enjoy an intangible benefit that often eludes the paycheque-to-paycheque worker: a sense of control over their lives. They feel secure in their jobs and less stressed about their futures. They can order room service instead of trying to make three meals out of a Subway sandwich. But are they much happier than the rest of us eking out a living? Not really. we know that money doesn't buy happiness. And that is exactly what a survey in 25 countries has confirmed. Paradoxically, citizens deemed to live in poverty are more optimistic while those from rich nations are pessimistic. Come to think of the shame of it that the once-mighty Europe has become China's supplicant or willing servant.South Korea has developed into 12th world's most affluent country since partition in 1948 but suicide rate among the younger generation is five times than the 1948 war ravaged generation.
Well, is it any wonder? I don't certainly think so. After all, he who is down needs not fear falling down.
Well, is it any wonder? I don't certainly think so. After all, he who is down needs not fear falling down.
A BBC World Service survey in 25 countries has found strikingly different attitudes to the economic outlook between rich and developing countries.
In the developing world, optimists outnumbered pessimists in nearly every country surveyed. In Nigeria more than seventy per cent expected good times. The results were strongly upbeat in Kenya, Ghana and Egypt as well.
There was one exception, Pakistan, where pessimists were slightly more numerous. In Russia, Chile and Ecuador, the optimists were only just ahead.
In the rich world, consumers were pessimistic, while in emerging economies people were more upbeat.
It is a pattern that reflects the very uneven recovery from the recent global recession.
More than 25,000 people were surveyed by the polling firm Globescan.
Japan, France and Britain emerged as particularly gloomy. The percentage expecting good times in all three countries was in single figures. More than half expected bad times.
Recession danger
The picture across the rich world was one of pessimists outnumbering the optimists, though by smaller margins.
The one exception to this pattern was Germany, where 36% expected good or mostly good times, well ahead of those who were downbeat. Even there, the optimists were outnumbered by those expecting a mix of good and bad times ahead.
The difference in attitudes does broadly reflect recent economic performance: strong growth in many emerging economies, sluggishness in the rich world.
It is also consistent with most forecasts, which suggest an increasing danger of at least some developed economies sliding back into recession.
The research was done between July and September this year.
Since then the situation in the world's biggest economic trouble spot - the eurozone - has moved on and in some respects the uncertainty there has deepened.
In developing countries, three things may give them the hope that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Cultural and social psychological make up, strong economic growth in many of these countries due to hike in prices of their export commodities and being less integrated in the world financial system.
In Ghana for instance, I took part in a help and health-seeking behaviour among residents of a slum called Nima in the heart of the capital in 2006. One of the questions was to find out how they felt about their future health. The response was universal, positive. It stunned my European colleagues. I explained that Ghanaians are trained to think positively that no matter their present conditions, the only permanent condition in life is change. Thus if you walk to any hospital and ask a very seriously sick patient 'how are you? His immediate response is likely to be 'I am fine, thank you'.
Secondly, if a society where over 60% of the citizens are unabnked or there is no mortgage or investment products, what does the imminent collapse of a financial institution like a bank mean to them? It is therefore not surprising that people in the so-called developing or better put 'poor' countries are optimistic. They have always lived like this without the hope of getting any help so they can't be bothered at all by the so-called Western economic crisis erroneously christined as 'World economic crisis. If Europeans fight their baseless wars, they called it world wars, if they suffer for bad management too, they call it world economic crisis. I am not really surprised at what is happening because the Holy Bible has already predicted in the book of Daniel that there will be no more large empires after the Roman empire. What the Eurozone and EU is seeking to do is to build an European empire which is contrary to the word of God. To make matters worst, they chose to obliterate any reference to God from their charter. It is only a matter of time for the EU to come down crumbling. (Mene, Mene, Tekel u-Pharsin) מנא ,מנא, תקל, ופרסין This is the interpretation of the matter: mina, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; shekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; half-mina, your kingdom is divided and given to others.
In developing countries, three things may give them the hope that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Cultural and social psychological make up, strong economic growth in many of these countries due to hike in prices of their export commodities and being less integrated in the world financial system.
In Ghana for instance, I took part in a help and health-seeking behaviour among residents of a slum called Nima in the heart of the capital in 2006. One of the questions was to find out how they felt about their future health. The response was universal, positive. It stunned my European colleagues. I explained that Ghanaians are trained to think positively that no matter their present conditions, the only permanent condition in life is change. Thus if you walk to any hospital and ask a very seriously sick patient 'how are you? His immediate response is likely to be 'I am fine, thank you'.
Secondly, if a society where over 60% of the citizens are unabnked or there is no mortgage or investment products, what does the imminent collapse of a financial institution like a bank mean to them? It is therefore not surprising that people in the so-called developing or better put 'poor' countries are optimistic. They have always lived like this without the hope of getting any help so they can't be bothered at all by the so-called Western economic crisis erroneously christined as 'World economic crisis. If Europeans fight their baseless wars, they called it world wars, if they suffer for bad management too, they call it world economic crisis. I am not really surprised at what is happening because the Holy Bible has already predicted in the book of Daniel that there will be no more large empires after the Roman empire. What the Eurozone and EU is seeking to do is to build an European empire which is contrary to the word of God. To make matters worst, they chose to obliterate any reference to God from their charter. It is only a matter of time for the EU to come down crumbling. (Mene, Mene, Tekel u-Pharsin) מנא ,מנא, תקל, ופרסין This is the interpretation of the matter: mina, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; shekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; half-mina, your kingdom is divided and given to others.
