Happiness: Is it in your DNA?

Happiness is a state of mind, the gurus say.

Well, actually, it could be more a function of genes, the authors of an unusual scientific study asserted on Thursday.

Nations whose inhabitants boast a certain gene variant, they found, had much higher self-reported levels.

Happiness at the national level was more closely related to this variant than factors like wealth, country stability, or even disease prevalence—possibly explaining, for example, why Nigerians rate themselves happier than Germans.

“Feeling happy, relaxed and in a good mood does not depend on the prosperity and safety of a country,” study co-author Michael Minkov of the Varna University of Management in Bulgaria, told AFP.

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