The Irish: More Emotional Than Most

The Irish: Experience stronger emotions than most other’s.

The Irish are, according to a Gallup poll, the fifth most emotional people in Europe. In 2011, 51% of Irish people reported feeling strong emotions on a daily basis.

Over a two-year period (2009-2011) Gallup measured daily emotions in more than 150 countries. Respondents were asked whether they experienced five negative and five positive emotions in the previous day. Negative emotions included feeling anger, stress, and sadness. Positive emotions included feeling respected, smiling and laughing, and being well-rested.

The most emotional people in the world are the Filipinos, where the figure is 60%. The least emotional are the Singaporeans. Despite living in a state where unemployment is low and GDP-per-capita is high, only 36% reported feeling strong emotions on a daily basis.

The famous Latin temperament seems to have born out in the poll, with many of the most emotional people in the world in Latin America. El Salvador, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Bolivia are all in the top ten.

Furthermore, the opinion that those from Eastern Europe appear less emotional would not seem to be without basis either. Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine are amongst the least emotional people in the world.

One of the primary conclusions that experts have drawn from these results is that many other factors beside income account for a society’s wellbeing. Much of which supports the idea put forth by Nobel-Prize winning economist Daniel Kahneman and Princeton economist Angus Deaton that after individuals make £75,000 (€56,900) annually, additional income will have little impact on how they experience their lives.