1. The document summarizes findings from the Gallup World Poll, which surveyed over 130,000 people across 130+ countries, representing 96% of the world's population. 2. It finds that while objective conditions like longevity, access to necessities, and modern technologies have increased worldwide, significant disparities remain between countries. 3. Measures of subjective well-being like life satisfaction, positive emotions, and overall affect also vary widely between nations and correlate with factors like GDP, trust, freedom, and lack of corruption rather than individual adaptation.

1. The Well-Being on Planet Earth Jack Block Award Address Society for Personality and Social Psychology February 10, 2008

2. Ed Diener Joseph Smiley Professor of Psychology, University of Illinois Senior Scientist The Gallup Organization

8. Signs for hope and optimism Signs for need for improvement Most evident in juxtaposing nations

13. 0: Worst Possible Life 10: Best Possible Life 9 7 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

26. Well-Being Accounts for Policy Use These could enormously benefit psychology

28. But what about: Adaptation? Personal, not societal?