摘要：乔恩·克利夫顿（Jon Clifton）担任盖洛普（Gallup）的首席执行官，盖洛普是一家全球分析和咨询公司。他的使命是帮助10亿人发现他们独特的优势，协助组织创建繁荣的工作场所，并通过盖洛普世界民意调查（Gallup World Poll）让80亿世界公民

慷慨对人们福祉的影响可能比赚取更高的薪水更大

Generosity could do more for people's wellbeing than earning a higher salary

Jon Clifton

行政总裁

华盛顿特区

Chief Executive Officer

Washington, D.C.

乔恩·克利夫顿（Jon Clifton）担任盖洛普（Gallup）的首席执行官，盖洛普是一家全球分析和咨询公司。他的使命是帮助10亿人发现他们独特的优势，协助组织创建繁荣的工作场所，并通过盖洛普世界民意调查（Gallup World Poll）让80亿世界公民的声音被听到。盖洛普世界民意调查是一个跨越150多个国家的百年项目。2008年加入盖洛普后，克利夫顿升任公司咨询部门的全球管理合伙人，利用行为经济学为领导者提供建议。

他于2022年出版的著作《盲点：全球不幸福的崛起》（*Blind Spot: The Global Rise of UnHappiness*）成为《华尔街日报》畅销书。克利夫顿还为《经济学人》（*The Economist*）、《BBC》和《哈佛商业评论》（*Harvard Business Review*）等知名平台撰稿。他是盖洛普的董事会成员，并曾担任 Meridian International、Streetwise Partners 和 Young Professionals in Foreign Policy 的董事会成员。

在教育方面，克利夫顿拥有密歇根大学（University of Michigan）的政治学和历史学士学位，以及内布拉斯加大学（University of Nebraska）专门研究国际法的法学博士学位。他是贝勒大学（Baylor University）宗教研究所（Institute for the Studies of Religion）的高级研究员，并获得了米德兰大学（Midland University）、北卡罗来纳大学彭布罗克分校（University of North Carolina-Pembroke）和西新英格兰大学（Western New England University）的荣誉博士学位。

Jon Clifton serves as the CEO of Gallup, the global analytics and advisory firm. His mission is to connect 1 billion individuals with their unique strengths, assist organizations in fostering thriving workplaces, and help 8 billion of the world’s citizens be heard through the Gallup World Poll, a centurylong project spanning over 150 countries. After joining Gallup in 2008, Clifton rose to the position of Global Managing Partner in the firm’s consulting division, leveraging behavioral economics to advise leaders.

His 2022 book, Blind Spot: The Global Rise of Unhappiness, achieved Wall Street Journal bestseller status. Clifton has also contributed to notable platforms like The Economist, BBC, and the Harvard Business Review. He holds a board position at Gallup and has formerly been a board member for Meridian International, Streetwise Partners, and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy.

Educationally, Clifton earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor specializing in international law from the University of Nebraska. He holds a senior fellowship at Baylor University for the Institute for the Studies of Religion and has been recognized with honorary doctorates from Midland University, the University of North Carolina-Pembroke and Western New England University.

Julie Ray

高级顾问

世界新闻的执行编辑

内布拉斯加州奥马哈市

Content Senior Consultant

Managing Editor for World News

Omaha, Nebraska

朱莉·雷（Julie Ray）从事写作和编辑工作已有30多年，其中20多年是在盖洛普（Gallup）度过的。她为国际客户、领导者和媒体分析和撰写盖洛普的全球研究文章，特别关注移民问题。

除了编辑和管理发布在盖洛普网站（Gallup.com）上的全球研究文章外，雷还为盖洛普网站撰写了400多篇文章，并与他人合著了出现在国际政策杂志和期刊上的文章。

Julie Ray has been writing and editing for more than 30 years — more than 20 of them for Gallup. She analyzes and writes about Gallup's global research — with an emphasis on migration — for international clients, leaders and the media.

In addition to editing and managing the global research articles published on Gallup.com, Ray has authored more than 400 articles for Gallup's website and has coauthored articles that have appeared in international policy magazines and journals.

华盛顿特区--今年的《世界幸福报告》不仅揭示了世界上最幸福的国家，还强调了善良的力量：新证据表明，慷慨的行为和对他人的善意的信念是幸福的重要预测因素，甚至比赚取更高的薪水更重要。

这些发现来得正是时候。盖洛普的趋势显示，善行——如帮助陌生人、志愿服务和捐款——从疫情期间的高峰大幅下降。虽然仍高于疫情前的水平，但这些行为的突然减少引发了人们对这些趋势可能走向何方的疑问。

世界上最幸福的国家是……

在最新的幸福排名中，北欧国家继续占据榜首，芬兰、丹麦、冰岛和瑞典保持着世界上最幸福的国家的地位。芬兰仍然独树一帜，其次是丹麦和冰岛，这两个国家紧随其后，瑞典位列第四。

今年的前十名国家还包括拉丁美洲的哥斯达黎加和墨西哥，以及中东的以色列。值得注意的是，美国去年首次跌出前20名，今年仍未重返榜单。总体而言，15个西方工业国家现在的幸福感低于2005年至2010年期间。美国、瑞士和加拿大是幸福感下降最多的国家之一。

为什么善良比以往更重要

除了这些排名之外，最新的报告还关注关怀和分享对人们幸福感的影响。尽管在COVID-19疫情期间慷慨行为有所增加，但善行——帮助陌生人、志愿服务和捐款——已经失去了动力。这对世界未来的福祉很重要，因为这些行为无论是单独还是共同，都是幸福的关键驱动力。

报告中最引人注目的发现之一是，善良和期待他人的善良——相信如果丢失钱包会被归还——是比避免犯罪或经济困难等重大负面事件更强的幸福预测因素。换句话说，相信周围人的善意对我们的福祉的影响可能比赚取更高的薪水更大。

此外，在人们期望丢失的钱包会被归还的国家——如北欧国家——幸福感排名最高。简单地相信他人会诚实和正派地行事，有助于提高整体生活满意度。对他人的信任是幸福的倍增器。

善行的力量：通往幸福的已验证路径

这些发现再次证实了社会科学家长期以来所建议的：善行对施予者和接受者都有益。参与善行可以提供心理上的提升，并产生涟漪效应，鼓励他人效仿。

经常参与善行的人——如帮助陌生人、志愿服务或捐款——报告的生活满意度高于不这样做的人。但好处不仅仅是当下的感觉。长期研究表明，持续的慷慨行为可以改善心理和身体健康，加强社会联系，甚至延长寿命。

但如果善行涉及《世界幸福报告》所称的“三个C”——关怀联系、选择和明确的积极影响，它们可以带来更多的好处。

最后的思考

帮助他人并期待他人善良的人更幸福。在善行正在减弱的时刻，我们比以往任何时候都更需要它。一个更幸福的世界可能比我们想象的更简单：选择善良。慷慨地给予。更多地信任。我们的幸福——以及周围人的幸福——取决于此。

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- This year’s World Happiness Report not only reveals which country is the happiest in the world but also underscores the power of kindness: New evidence shows acts of generosity and the belief in others’ goodwill are significant predictors of happiness, even more so than earning a higher salary.

These findings couldn’t come at a more important time. Gallup trends show that acts of benevolence -- helping a stranger, volunteering time and donating money -- have dropped significantly from their pandemic-era peak. Though still higher than pre-pandemic levels, the sudden drop-off in these behaviors raises questions about where these trends might be headed.

And the Happiest Country in the World Is … In the latest happiness rankings, Nordic countries continue to dominate the top spots, with Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden maintaining their positions as the happiest countries in the world. Finland remains in a league of its own, followed by Denmark and Iceland, which are closely grouped together, and Sweden rounding out the top four.

This year's top 10 countries also include Costa Rica and Mexico from Latin America and Israel from the Middle East. Notably, after falling out of the top 20 for the first time last year, the U.S. has not returned. In general, 15 Western industrial countries are now less happy than they were between 2005 and 2010. The U.S., Switzerland and Canada are among the biggest losers.

Why Kindness Matters More Than Ever Beyond these rankings, the most recent report focuses on the effect that caring and sharing have on people’s happiness. Despite the rise in generosity during the COVID-19 pandemic, acts of kindness -- helping a stranger, volunteering and donating -- have lost their momentum. This matters to the world’s future wellbeing because individually, and taken together, these behaviors are all key drivers of happiness.

One of the report’s most striking revelations is that being kind and expecting kindness from others -- believing that your wallet would be returned if you lost it -- are stronger predictors of happiness than avoiding major negative events like crime or economic hardship. In other words, believing in the goodwill of those around us can have a bigger impact on our wellbeing than earning a higher salary.

Furthermore, countries where people expect their lost wallets to be returned -- like the Nordic nations -- rank highest in happiness. The simple belief that others will act with honesty and decency contributes to greater overall life satisfaction. Trust in others is a happiness multiplier.

The Power of Benevolence: A Proven Path to Wellbeing These findings reaffirm what social scientists have long suggested: Benevolence benefits both the giver and the receiver. Engaging in acts of kindness provides a psychological boost and creates a ripple effect, encouraging others to do the same.

People who regularly engage in benevolent acts -- such as helping a stranger, volunteering or donating -- report higher life satisfaction than those who don’t. But the benefits aren’t just about feeling good in the moment. Long-term studies show that sustained acts of generosity lead to improved mental and physical health, stronger social connections, and even longer lifespans.

But benevolent actions could deliver even more benefits if they involve what the World Happiness Report refers to as the “three Cs” -- caring connections, choice, and a clear positive impact.

Caring connections: When people feel socially connected through their giving, the happiness effect is amplified. Simply put, giving is more fulfilling when it strengthens relationships. Choice: The wellbeing boost is greater when individuals freely choose how to help others rather than feeling obligated to do so. Clear positive impact: Knowing that one’s generosity is making a tangible difference enhances the emotional rewards of giving. Final Thoughts People who help others and expect kindness from others are happier. And at a time when benevolence is waning, we need it now more than ever.

A happier world might be simpler than we think: Choose kindness. Give generously. Trust more. Our happiness -- and the happiness of those around us -- depends on it.

来源：非 常道