Interesting 60 Minutes segment, “Pursuit of Happiness” with Morley Safer investigating the claims that Denmark is the happiest country. United States was ranked 23th, Japan 90th.

He interviews Professor Kaare Christensen at the University of Southern Denmark, who wrote “Why Danes are Smug” and tried to discover why Denmark finds it self on top of the happiness heap. Dr. Christiansen attributes Danish happiness to modest expectations.

Here are some other qualities that might have something to do with it:

• little disparity of wealth
• little violence
• people feel safe and secure
• education is free through university (the government pays you)
• free health care
• subsidized child care
• paid parental leave
• elder care
• humility: the Danish government’s website states: “the present configuration of the country is the result of 400 years of forced relinquishments of land, surrenders and lost battles.”

How does that work? The Danes pay about 50% in taxes for these services.

Tal Ben-Shahar, professor of Positive Psychology at Harvard, says Americans want it all – more is better. More is better usually applies to material realm. That doesn’t work. It doesn’t make us happier. What does?

“The number one predictor of well-being is close friendships and close relationships in general, which includes of course, family relationships. Much better predictor of well-being than affluence is,” Ben-Shahar says.

Asked what he would advise Americans to do, a Danish student said: “Well, okay. I have an advice. Don’t depend too much on the American dream. Yeah. I think you might get disappointed.”

(Full transcript of show. Tip of the hat to Duplicitous Primates)