Eric Weiner: On Following Your Bliss

02.13.08 | 2:03 PM ET

The Geography of Bliss sits contentedly at No. 10 on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list. It seems that Eric Weiner’s 10-nation search for the happiest places on earth has struck a chord with ever-striving Americans who, more often than not, find happiness an elusive destination. I recently e-mailed Weiner, a correspondent for NPR, to ask him about happiness and a few of the blissful (and not so blissful) stops on his trip.

World Hum: In the book, you write a lot about “hedonic refugees”—people who have found long-term happiness in cultures other than their own. In your travels for NPR over the years and for the book, have you ever reached “hedonic refugee” status yourself? You seem to have a real affinity for India.

Eric Weiner: You’re right. I do have a soft spot for India. I lived there for two years and feel more alive (for better or worse) in India than anywhere else on the planet. However, I can’t quite make the leap to “hedonic refugee” status, since I always feel very much like an outsider there.

I particularly enjoyed your chapters on India and Iceland and was somewhat surprised that Iceland ranks among the happiest nations on earth. You explain that this is due to Icelanders’ lack of envy and refusal to attach any stigma to failure. But is that really enough to see them through the long, dark winters? 

No. They also drink heavily. But they do so in a very Icelandic way. I call it “bracketed indulgence.” They’ll drink like fish on the weekends but if you even touch a glass of beer on a Tuesday night, you’re labeled a lush. That binge mentality applies to many aspects of life in Iceland, including work. The Icelandic way is: Everything in moderation, including moderation. It works for them.

You note that countries like Mexico and Costa Rica also rank relatively high on global happiness indexes, beneficiaries of what social scientists have branded the “Latin Bonus.”  What’s your theory on why Latin cultures feel the joy more than most?

In a word: family. It’s tremendously important in Latin America, and social scientists believe that this sense of belonging is a major factor in our happiness. There’s also a different sense of time in many Latin American cultures—a ma?ana mentality that gringos find infuriating but, I think, is one source of Latino contentment.

And then there’s Moldova, which you paint as exceedingly grim, though your meeting with Peace Corps volunteers there was one of the funnier moments in the book. Did you see any glimmer of hope that Moldovans might turn the corner on happiness?

No. Not unless they can get a handle on the rampant envy and mistrust in their country.

The one quote in the book that really resonates for me comes from a Bhutanese, who tells you the idea of personal happiness makes no sense; all happiness is relational. Are the Bhutanese way ahead of the rest of us on this count?

Not necessarily. Many countries around the world seem to grasp this notion that happiness is relational—that we derive much of our joy from our connections to other people. In America, I think, we have lost sight of this and today view happiness as a strictly personal state of mind. I think that is a mistake.

So what happiness advice have you been dispensing to the (likely overstressed) American audiences you’ve encountered on your book tour? Mai pen lai, like the Thais?

Absolutely. Mai pen lai! That Thai expression, which translates roughly as “never mind,” is a simple yet liberating approach to life’s pratfalls. I find myself using it frequently, like when my iPod crashed the other day and I lost some 2,000 songs. Mai pen lai. The Thais have another expression, one that translates as “Don’t think too much!” Thais believe that the very act of thinking can be destructive and erodes our happiness. I think (there’s that word again) they’re on to something. In fact, I found that in many of the world’s happiest nations people don’t think about happiness very much. Ironically, that is one of the keys to happiness.

Thanks, Eric, and continued happiness in your travels.

Photo by Chuck Berman.

©2026 World Hum, All Rights Reserved