When we refer to these strange comparisons of national happiness we use our own word, lykke. In family with Geman glück, but with another meaning. More like a calm, everyday bliss, and mostly void of outside reasons like personal success and sometimes even in spite of personal failure. Appreciation of life, thankfulness, would be a way to describe it. So the two things are very much connected to us. When we hear we are the most happy (lykkelige) people we just laughs :) Lykke seems to be a thing that can happen to people in Sierra Leone just as well as it can happen to us. Lykke is never to have a public health system... except the appreciation can sometimes be so big that it includes that as well...
I got my gal, got my song, got heaven the whole day long.
In the nineties the reinvention of Buxtehude was a big thing and I attended some concerts and I have quite a few records too. Strange how such beauty can be overlooked for such a long time. I had him present after reading @bengy's very fine post about one of his cantatas. I think you will appreciate it.
That is an insightful look into the Danish national character. I always found it interesting that German uses the same word "Glück" for luck and for happiness.
It seems we Americans aren't too exact in everyday conversation. Pleasure, happiness, fun, & amusement can all be very different things, but are often treated as synonyms.
I appreciate what you are getting at with lykke. Happiness can be defined several ways. My definition of happiness would be somewhat like lykke, a generalized sense of well-being that also embodies contentment, gratitude, and being in-tune with the world.
Bliss of course is that rare state of being that makes even happiness seem trivial.
PS I'm listening to Membra Jesu Nostri by Buxtehude as I write, that's beautiful, thanks for the tip!
Like the word hygge, lykke is just a universal human feeling that we have a word for. I found an interesting article in Danish yesterday where a linguist discussed the international comparisons for the most happy nation. In his opinion it was bound to be wrong as we do not mean the same things with the words. He mentions a Tibetan Buddhist concept, bdewa, that I have only been able to find in Danish text via search engines ?? rather strange. It is supposed to mean inner peace gained through suffering. I only found that dewa should mean: bliss, in this text... Really strange that it is nowhere, not even Google! In any case it does sound like another universal concept that we just doesn't have a word for.
Interesting, the concept of bdewa is new to me.
Buddha's four noble truths relate to suffering, and he taught the principle that cravings are the source of suffering. Overcoming cravings and attachment and following the eight fold path (right intention, right speech, etc.) is the way to overcome suffering and experience bliss.
Anyway, a fun discussion that took on a life of its own.