Warmer the country, warmer the people?

How the happiest people in the world are from poor, tropical regions

Could it be that in warmer countries, where the sun shines bright all year long, people are happier because the light of the Great Star fills their eyes, making them squint, and pulls the corners of their mouths upward in a spontaneous smile? Like a placebo effect on the brain?

The first time I heard this concept, «the warmer the weather, the warmer the people,» was in high school.

I was sitting at my desk, doodling in my notebook, and our stern teacher lit up in a smile.

It was rare to see her face contorted into that expression – a strange, unsettling yet contagious little smirk framed by her blonde bob. As much as that woman scared me, there was no doubt she loved her job and what she taught: French literature.

«Montesquieu, writer and philosopher, was the first to propose the idea that climate influences human behavior, and entire societies, too! He argued that people in warmer climates tend to be more passionate and emotional, while those in colder climates are more reserved and rational,» she said. Then, her smile twisted into a – even more disturbing, - kind of interrogative grimace.

«What do you think? I personally could not agree more. See, in my hometown, down in southern Italy, people are welcoming and cheerful, whereas here in the north, I notice a great difference in character. A sort of… closure.»

She clasped her hands and squinted her eyes, her lips pressed into a thin line. She loved slipping in anecdotes about her little town by the Mediterranean whenever the opportunity arose. I couldn’t help but wonder what on earth had driven her to come here, to the freezing cold of Piedmont.

That idea stayed with me, perhaps because of her passion, though I didn’t fully grasp its meaning until much later.

It was a sunny but chilly January day here in Lisbon. I slipped my book into my bag, grabbed a towel, and headed to the beach.

There weren’t many people around, which made it all the more special.

A few meters to my left, a mother and two little girls were singing a nursery rhyme in Portuguese, clapping their hands in rhythm. The older sister, maybe six years old, corrected the younger one enthusiastically and loudly as she stumbled over the words and lost the beat. Their mother laughed and joined in the game.

A group of kids nearby were digging holes in the soft, cool sand while their parents toasted with beers, smiling on a large beach towel.

Everywhere I looked, my eyes were filled with beauty.

And when an elderly couple walked past me with their eyes half-closed against the sun and their faces stretched into smiles, I thought of my teacher’s words.

Could it be true that people tend to be happier in warm, tropical countries – even when they’re sometimes poor – because the sun naturally makes our faces contract into a smile?

The thought filled my heart with tenderness.

«It doesn’t matter,» I thought.

«Look at all this life.»