World¡¯s First ¡®Museum Of Happiness¡¯ Now Open In Denmark Wants To Make The World A Better Place

Denmark has consistently ranked among the happiest countries in the world. While it might seem to be jolly because of no solid reason, the truth is that Denmark takes a lot of effort to ensure the mental well being of its nationals. A shining example of this is ¡°The Happiness Museum¡± that the country has opened in its capital Copenhagen.

A one-of-a-kind establishment, The Happiness Museum is a brainchild of ¡®The Happiness Research Institute.¡¯ The institute is meant to head research into mental well-being and quality of life in the country. The museum will now replicate its ideals.

¡°Our hope is guests will leave a little wiser, a little happier, and a little more motivated to make the world a better place,¡± says CEO of The Happiness Research Institute, Meik Wiking. ¡°We think Denmark is an obvious home for a museum that focuses on how we create a better framework for good lives.¡±

Happiness in a museum

The Happiness Museum (Image: Instagram/ The Happiness Museum)

Since it is the first of its kind concept, one might not be sure as to how a museum can encapsulate happiness as a theme. The team at The Happiness Museum has tried to do so through eight different rooms that use interactive exhibits around happiness.

These exhibits range from being thoughtful to playful. One such, for example, uses a mirror to find out which side of the Mona Lisa¡¯s face is actually smiling.

The museum even exhibits the make-do relation between wealth and happiness through a John F Kennedy speech in The Politics of Happiness room. Another room called Happiness Around the World uses post-it notes with memories and musings written by visitors.

Some exhibits are thought provoking through challenging questions. A report by the Press Association highlights how the museum poses questions to visitors, like ¡°If you could live in a Matrix-esque world of artificial pleasantness, would you do so? Can you and would you buy happiness? And would you actually return a lost wallet you found on the floor?¡±

Other rooms focus on the ¡°science, history, and geography of happiness.¡± While this might sound outlandish, these areas of happiness incorporate almost everything, ranging from emotionally intelligent AI to ¡°a world map ranking countries by their happiness.¡±

A noble idea

The Happiness Museum (Image: Instagram/ The Happiness Museum)

Even though this particular year has not been a very optimistic one for the global population in general, Denmark has found a way to preserve the little glimpses of happiness. What¡¯s more, it has made the museum operation in times of the pandemic, obviously with proper checks in place.

Covid-19 protocols followed at the museum include a strict one-way system, and a maximum of 50 guests at any one time.