It is possible for a theory not to correspond to reality?

The happiest people in Africa apparently reside in Angola, according to a 156-nation survey published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

Released Monday, September 9th, the 2013 World Happiness Report ranks the happiest countries around the globe and around Africa.

The Solutions Network, launched in August 2012, mobilizes scientific and technical expertise from academia, civil society, and the private sector in support of sustainable-development problem solving at local, national, and global scales.

The report identifies the countries with the highest levels of happiness: leading experts in several fields – economics, psychology, survey analysis, national statistics, and more – describe how measurements of well-being can be used effectively to assess the progress of nations.

The Report shows significant changes in happiness in countries over time, with some countries rising and others falling over the past five years. There is some evidence of global convergence of happiness levels, with happiness gains more common in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, and losses more common among the industrial countries.

For the 152 countries with data available, happiness (as measured by people’s own evaluations of their lives) significantly improved in 60 countries and worsened in 41.

The Report also shows the major beneficial side-effects of happiness. Happy people live longer, are more productive, earn more, and are also better citizens.   

This year Angola happen to be the happiest Country in Africa in its 61st position between 152 Country surveyed.

So far so good, but it is possible for a theory not to correspond to reality?  The answer could be yes, bust let’s give a look to the following video and find out what people of Luanda think about it.

Adjaime, the director of a Street children's Shelter in town, gives his own idea of being happy in Angola. Then a young angolan student gives is own clue.

Adjaime: “I don’t know if we can consider Angola the happiest Country but is a Country in which people try to move forward when they face difficulties in a way that appeals to suffer as little as possible, smiling even if you are suffering, going through the difficulties of life, singing and dancing, I’m not sure it means to be happy, it is just a way to face the problems”

“So this is true if it means to feel good in your own soul and from a materialistic point of view, that’s why we cannot think of Angola as the happiest country of the continent but as a Country which try to solve the problems without being overwhelmed by the problems”

Dani: "Angola is the happiest Country in Africa because the families living in this country are always willing to help one each other.