Transcription
ALONG FOR THAT RIDE. THAT'S A COOL ASSIGNMENT. THAT'S A COOL ASSIGNMENT.
>> IT WAS VERY COOL.
>> IT WAS VERY COOL.
WHAT AN ADVENTURE IT'S BEEN. DO YOU KNOW THAT ABOUT 40% OF YOUR HAPPINESS IS DICTATED BY YOUR GENES, ABOUT 15% BY YOUR ENVIRONMENT, BUT THAT LEAVES 45% UP TO YOU. BUT THAT LEAVES 45% UP TO YOU.
FEW HAVE THAT EXTRA HAPPINESS FIGURED OUT LIKE THE DANES. FIGURED OUT LIKE THE DANES.
CAN A BIKE LANE LEAD TO A HAPPIER LIFE? IN COPENHAGEN, THIS IS HOW HALF THE CITY GETS AROUND. THE CITY GETS AROUND.
>> THIS CITY BICYCLES MORE THAN ANY OTHER CITY ON EARTH.
>> Reporter: IT'S INCREDIBLE.
>> Reporter: IT'S INCREDIBLE.
EVERYWHERE YOU GO, THERE ARE BICYCLES.
>> 1.2 MILLION KILOMETERS PER DAY. THAT'S EQUIVALENT OF 35 TRIPS AROUND THE WORLD.
THE CITY OF COPENHAGEN FIGURES IT SAVES $15 BILLION A YEAR BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE BIKING TO WORK INSTEAD OF DRIVING. WORK INSTEAD OF DRIVING.
>> Reporter: DAVE BUETTNER SAYS THAT GIVES THEM SOMETHING ELSE TO TALK ABOUT.
DENVER IS RANKED AS ONE OF THE 40 HAPPIEST PLACES ON EARTH.
>> THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD ARE INTERACTING FACE-TO-FACE LIKE WE ARE RIGHT NOW SIX TO SEVEN HOURS A DAY.
YOU CAN'T DO THAT WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR CAR.
>> Reporter: BUT HE SAYS BIKES ARE JUST ONE WAY THAT THE DANES MAKE LIFE LESS STRESSED AND MORE JOYFUL.
>> WHEN I THINK OF HAPPINESS, I THINK OF HOW MUCH PLEASURE YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE. HOW MUCH PRIDE YOU HAVE WITH YOUR LIFE AND LIVING WITH A SENSE OF PURPOSE.
>> Reporter: HERE NO JOB IS LESS THAN ANY OTHER.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANY HESITATION TELLING PEOPLE YOU'RE A GARBAGE MAN?
>> NO, NO.
>> NO, NO.
>> IT'S A JOB YOU CAN BE PROUD OF?
>> YES.
>> Reporter: ALLEN CHRISTIANSON JUST WORKS FIVE HOURS A DAY BUT EARNING THE SAME AS A SCHOOL TEACHER.
ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN, HOW HAPPY ARE YOU?
>> I WOULD SAY MAYBE EIGHT, YEAH.
>> AMBITION IS NOT CELEBRATED. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, YOU'RE NO BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
>> Reporter: AN AMERICAN CLOCKS IN 50 HOURS A WEEK.
>> HERE 37 HOURS.
AND THEY HAVE A CLEAR PUNCTUATION BETWEEN WORK LIFE AND LIFE.
>> Reporter: BUT THE REST OF THE TIME SHE CAN RELAX WITH YOUR FAMILY AND ONE OF DENMARK'S CO-HOUSING COMMUNITIES.
>> THEY CALL IT NOT QUITE A FRIEND BUT MORE THAN A NEIGHBOR. THEY CAN COUNT ON THIS SUPPORT.
MOTHERS DON'T HAVE TO WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT CHILD CARE. IN DENMARK YOU GET A YEAR OFF.
>> Reporter: PAID.
>> PAID.
>> DO YOU LOCK YOUR DOOR?
>> DURING THE DAY? NEVER.
>> Reporter: OUT ON THE SIDEWALK ALL BY HERSELF.
THERE'S A BABY.
>> YOU'D BE ARRESTED IN NEW YORK FOR THAT.
>> TRUST AUTO IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN WEALTH WHEN IT COMES TO HAPPINESS.
THERE'S A FEELING HERE IN DENMARK THAT NOTHING TOO BAD WILL EVER HAPPEN TO YOU.
>> Reporter: DANES TRUST THEIR GOVERNMENT.
THEY PAY ENORMOUSLY HIGH TAXES.
>> EVERY DANE IS BORN WITH THE RIGHT TO FREE HEALTHCARE, FREE EDUCATION THROUGH COLLEGE, COMFORTABLE RETIREMENT.
THEY'RE FREE TO PURSUE A JOB THAT MEETS THEIR PASSIONS AND THEIR INTERESTS.
>> Reporter: ALEX MONROE'S PASSION IS THIS PALACE.
HIS FAMILY'S HOME FOR EIGHT GENERATIONS.
HOW MANY BEDROOMS DO YOU HAVE?
>> BEDROOMS, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
>> Reporter: IT WASN'T DESIGNED TO BE A HARD ONE.
HE'S HOUSEKEEPER, BUTLER, AND HANDYMAN OF THIS GORGEOUS BUT SOMEWHAT CRUMBLING ESTATE.
YOU TAKE OUT THE GARBAGE HERE.
>> DEFINITELY.
>> Reporter: YOURSELF.
>> OH, YEAH.
>> Reporter: THIS PART OF DANISH HISTORY PRESERVED FOR EVERYONE.
>> I WOULD PUT MYSELF AT A SEVEN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I STILL LOOK FORWARD TO FINDING THE WOMAN OF MY LIFE AND HAVING KIDS.
MY LEVEL OF JOY AND HAPPINESS CAN GO UP.
>> Reporter: THERE WILL BE A LOT OF PEOPLE WATCHING THIS WHO SAY THEY CAN TAKE YOU RIGHT UP THERE TO A NINE.
IF YOU NEED MORE PROOF OF JUST HOW HAPPY THEY ARE HERE, LOOK WHAT THE GARBAGE MAN DOES WHEN ANOTHER TRUCK GOT IN HIS WAY.
WE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO YELL AT THE GUY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN NEW YORK.
BUT NO.
>> SO DANISH ROAD RAGE IS HE GOT OUT AND ASKED IF I CAN GET OUT OF THE WAY.
>> Reporter: DO I NEED TO MOVE? YOU DON'T HAVE ROOM ENOUGH?
OH, YEAH.
>> EVERYBODY HAS THAT ATTITUDE, YOU HAVE A LOWER BASELINE OF STRESS.
>> Reporter: SORRY, SORRY, SORRY.
CAN'T STOP.
CAN'T STOP.
WHICH CERTAINLY HELPED ME AND MY PRODUCER.
JAKE, WE'RE GETTING WEIRD LOOKS ON OUR OWN SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS.
>> FOR A WOMAN WHO COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK HER BRAKE, YOU WERE PHENOMENAL.
>> Reporter: IN FAIRNESS, THEY WERE FOOT BRAKES AND THEY WERE TRICKY.
HERE IN AMERICA, THE AMOUNT OF TIME WE SPEND IN OUR CARS HAS TRIPLED SINCE THE 1970s AND THAT IS NOT MAKING US HAPPIER.