Life is a short-lived journey, a home that is furnished with countless experiences and meaningful relationships. Typically, money is a variable in the equation, however, it’s merely a tool that assists you in your journey. Money is important for accumulating those experiences and nourishing the relationships you value so much (on a side note, marriage isn’t free). For many countries, money comes easy, and almost all the citizens of those countries live an equally hassle-free life. They travel to Monaco for holiday, drive the fanciest cars, and have steaks marinated in truffle oil for dinner. However, this colossal wealth is suspected to lead way to strange phenomenon in a number of those countries.
The UAE is one of those countries, with a per capita income of 82,000 USD in 2023, it ranks high on the list of the wealthy. Another country with a mind-boggling per capita income is Switzerland, standing at 88,000 USD in 2023. In 2016, the UAE launched a ministry of an absurd nature. The ministry of happiness was launched to insure the spread of positivity and good wellbeing among its citizens. In Switzerland, a polar phenomenon emerged. Assisted suicide services are normal and publicly accepted by the Swiss people, and its name is a literal reflection of the type of service provided. Large amounts of money are sometimes blamed for depression and mental illness, but is it enough to justify the existence of assisted suicide offices?
Your guide to happiness in the UAE.
So, what are the types of services provided by the ministry of happiness? The ministry works to ensure the positive wellbeing of its people, alongside providing programmes and services to boost the satisfaction of the citizens. Those programmes intertwine the concepts of happiness within the government policies, promote wellbeing as a lifestyle, and set benchmarks and indices to measure the level of happiness within the country. Furthermore, the ministry is serious about promoting happiness in the workplace. CEOs responsible for happiness and wellbeing were appointed to several Emirati companies to coordinate happiness and wellbeing initiatives to boost the moral of the employees. Moreover, the ministry allocates time in the government and federal entities for leisure, this includes the engagement in happiness related activities. The ministry also provides a platform to educate people on happiness and wellbeing. The initiative aims to spread awareness on happiness and positivity, alongside endorsing the concept of happiness in the interactions between the government and the community. Through the platform, people and businesses may sign up and choose whatever precise activities they want to perform to help with these efforts. This has helped the UAE maintain a first place within the Arab countries in the yearly UN world happiness report for 6 consecutive years. Authorities dedicated to happiness and wellbeing are not a common occurrence, and even though they exist in some countries, most of those countries are considered to be exceptionally wealthy. “Those who don’t know what to with their money can buy pigeons and set them free” is a saying in Egypt that could explain why some of those authorities exist in the first place.
Money to kill for?
Assisted suicide has been practiced in Switzerland since the 1940s. Unlike the countries of the Arab Gulf, Switzerland is an inherently wealthy country. Switzerland enjoys a great economy, great nature, and great social mobility. Poverty in Switzerland is non-existent, with all its citizens having the exorbitant amount of wealth to do and purchase whatever they please. Even though having a great amount of money may be a key to enjoying our short, insignificant lives, having this amount of money may come with mental disorders. High income may cause a naggy feeling of isolation, which is very prevalent within the rich. Wealth gives people higher statues in comparison to their pears, and this can cause the disposal of your companions and loved ones. When people are poor, they feel the need for help from their friends and loved ones.
Rich people may not feel this need greatly as they stand on higher ground. Moreover, more wealth generates more needs. Once you have surpassed the amount of money needed for basic needs, you will find more things to spend money on. The anxiety and depression generated by this constant self-competition is immense, and the amount of work needed to suffice those newly acquired needs is great. So, does great wealth motivate assisted suicide in Switzerland? To understand this weird phenomenon, we must look at the legality behind it. Suicide services are not provided by the Swiss government, but through private assisted suicide offices. Those offices require that the person wishing to end his life is sane, and that he isn’t motivated to take his own life by an external party. Most of the people ending their life through assisted suicide are terminally ill, which means that they may be suffering from a deadly disease and were informed that they only have little time to live.
However, several cases of assisted suicide do not include terminal illness. Several people have claimed to be mentally sane, financially comfortable, free of terminal illnesses, and chose to end their life through assistance. Lately, assisted suicide has made its way to Several US states and Canada. The laws concerning assisted suicide in those countries are a bit stricter than in Switzerland, yet they do not require the existence of a terminal disease. This has created a weird form of tourism, namely “suicide tourism”. People travel to Switzerland from the neighboring countries in order to make use of the assisted suicide services. However, those services do not come cheap; assisted suicide can cost those with a death wish a hefty 10,000 Euros or even more. However, it’s rather unclear whether depression caused by large wealth motivates people to take their own lives, even with depression being very prevalent within the rich.
Where we draw the line
Generally, suicide isn’t a topic of legal debate, but rather a topic of divine faith. Assisted suicide doesn’t exist in the Arab countries, this could very much be due to religious beliefs. If one person decides to end his own life in the UAE, he won’t be met with legal questioning, in the end, he is now a soles body. However, since the Gulf countries are of a Muslim majority, suicide is met with religious beliefs of heaven and hell. In Islam, if a person decides to commit suicide, he will be punished in hell, deeming him to be an infidel. Yet, suicide is still a problem in Arab countries, and this comes to mental illnesses and huge financial liabilities (yes, people have committed suicide as they lost all their wealth in the stock market).
Conclusion
The sharp difference between the pursuit of happiness in the United Arab Emirates and the idea of assisted suicide in Switzerland highlights the intricate relationship between values in society, money, and mental health. The decision about one’s path in life ultimately encourages thought on the thin line between prosperity and human experience, regardless of whether it is influenced by programmes for happiness or the complications of enormous riches. Finally, suicide is a serious matter, and being there for our loved ones is essential during rough times. The active engagement of peers and therapy can help them hold on to the final threads of life.