Live long and prosper

This salutation, which is recognized and beloved by Trekkies the world over, has its roots in far more ancient cultures than the fictional Mr. Spock and his Vulcan peoples. Investigation into the origins of the popular greeting would show that the scriptwriters of Star Trek borrowed it from the Hebrew ‘Shalom aleichem ‘and the Arabic ‘Salaam alaykum’ which roughly translates as ‘Peace be upon you’. A sentiment as relevant today as it ever was. So how do we attain a long, peaceful and prosperous life?

The International Organisation “The Other Economic Summit”, recently updated its Happy Planet Index based on findings relating to life expectancy and contentment in world countries, combined with economic and environmental impact. Their findings may surprise you, 9 out of the 10 top countries are in Latin America. On balance, Costa Rica came top with a score or 76.1 out of 100.

The tangible factors that contributed to Costa Ricans reporting the highest “Life Satisfaction” rating in the world were clean water, high literacy rates and a desire (and effort) to reduce its environmental carbon footprint. Furthermore, their national motto of “Pura Vida” meaning “pure life” is put in practice by maintaining intimate bonds with family and friends and pursuing a less materialistic way of life. Civil society is also very active, and social involvement within the community is encouraged by the establishment of many religious, environmental and workers groups. As a consequence, Costa Ricans have a life expectancy only second to that of Canada.

So it would appear that long life, contentment and true prosperity have little to do with our possessions and the size of our bank balance. These goals can be achieved through sharing love and closeness with our family and friends, social involvement and taking steps to preserve our own beautiful planet.

May you live long and prosper.

Samuel Bartlett writes about bachelor degree online and can be reached at bartlett.samuels@gmail.com.