Does positive psychology explain the happiness of Danes? Granted, surveys are not perfect, but they can be telling; Denmark enjoys the highest "wellbeing" of the countries surveyed and an article in The Atlantic claims its because people trust the government, which seems a little self-serving to the sociologist who might like big government. The Germans trusted their government also but occupied Denmark in World War II.
What happened next was distinct, though. When the Danes learned the Germans planned to round up the Jews and send them to camps, they quickly mobilized a plan to get them to Sweden, which enjoyed friendly relations with the Germans and had neutral status.
Danish people respect authority, but only if authority is virtuous, according to Mette N. Claushoej, recent Danish Embassy adviser in Washington, and the embassy wished only to emphasize those were her personal views, so even the government is not willing to hurt anyone's feelings.
The World's Happiest People by Robert A. Lavine, Ph.D.in The Atlantic
