The people of Denmark have reported higher levels of happiness than citizens of other Western countries for the past 30 years. Now scientists think they know why: Danes just have low expectations.

In surveys, Danes repeatedly report little enthusiasm for the coming year, relative to other nationalities. In a humorous study published recently in the British Medical Journal, scientists conclude that this culture of low expectations is the secret to Danes' high levels of life satisfaction, writing:

Year after year they are pleasantly surprised to find that not everything is getting more rotten in the state of Denmark.