One of the common findings in that field is that you don't do stuff based on absolute measurement, but always relative. One of the good examples studied are revolutions: you don't do revolutions because what you have is intolerable, but because you can see, either near you or in a theoretical model a better solution.
To come back to suicide, one of the reason he provided as a lesser suicide rate among the catholics and jews is the social pressure: you just don't do that. With a weaker social link (that isn't incompatible with more happy society), committing suicide is even more accepted.
Ie. I'm surrounded by happy people that don't care about me,
that's quite an incentive to look for a final solution.
Beside, might be that these countries as a all are more happy because the less happy persons are no more because they committed suicide ?
One of the common findings in that field is that you don't do stuff based on absolute measurement, but always relative. One of the good examples studied are revolutions: you don't do revolutions because what you have is intolerable, but because you can see, either near you or in a theoretical model a better solution.
To come back to suicide, one of the reason he provided as a lesser suicide rate among the catholics and jews is the social pressure: you just don't do that. With a weaker social link (that isn't incompatible with more happy society), committing suicide is even more accepted.
Ie. I'm surrounded by happy people that don't care about me, that's quite an incentive to look for a final solution.
Beside, might be that these countries as a all are more happy because the less happy persons are no more because they committed suicide ?
Read durkheim, still a enlightening author.