Existentialist's Corner

Froggies are gloomy Gastons, no matter how much cheese is in the refrigerator, & we admire the clarity of their vision that sees past material comfort to the grim truth:

Yet the French are gloomy. A recent WIN-Gallup poll found that their expectations for the coming year ranked lower than those in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Unless they're just playing to the stereotype when pollsters call.

But the tadpoles may be going overboard.

The World Health Organisation notes that the suicide rate in France is much higher than in any of the "old European countries", with the exception of Finland. Suicide is the second biggest cause of mortality among 15-to-44-year-olds after road accidents, and the primary cause among 30-to-39-year-olds.

Sounds as if the educational system works well enough, though coming in second (& behind Finland) must sting a little. But others act as if human overpopulation is not the root of all problems, & think something must be done.

Senik concludes that, if the French are to rediscover their sense of gaiety, their education system must play an important role in transforming its citizens' attitudes at an early age. "Happiness policies should take into account the irreducible influence of psychological and cultural factors," Senik writes. "As those are – at least partly – acquired in school and other early socialisation instances, this points to some new aspects of public policy, such as considering the qualitative aspects of the education system."