- i mean, i guess we have other stuff to worry about. like we take the most antidepressants per capita in the world. - you heard that correctly. iceland, one of the reportedly happiest places on earth, takes more antidepressants than any country in the world, and it s really not even close. - there are a lot of people who have seasonal depression. - okay. - because of the darkness, yeah, in winter. - do you have friends that have struggled with depression, anxiety, suicidal? - i have struggled with depression and anxiety. - yeah. me, too. [laughs] - there s a lot of culture in iceland that you always have to be doing something, and everything you do, it has to have a purpose. - right. - and so if you re depressed, you re just lazy. - mmm. - and you re just - so there s a cultural stigma against depression. you should be out there safeguarding this eider duck s nest this winter instead of sitting around feeling sorry for yourself or something.
- no? - while wearing that. that s so ridiculous. - you don t think i should be wearing it? - jón gnarr. - jón gnarr. - jón gnarr. - the world s coolest mayor. his campaign began as a joke. - some thought it was a joke, but at least one-third of the reykjavík voters thought differently. [triumphant chords] - jón gnarr is a cab driver turned playwright turned comedian, who, in 2009, successfully ran for mayor of reykjavík. among his platforms was his refusal to form a coalition government with anyone who hadn t seen hbo s the wire. - inspired by a philosophy of nonsense, gnarr promised to get them a polar bear for the city s zoo. - i actually think we need more humor in all aspects of life. [triumphant music] [laughing] - here we go. allow me. so, who better to don my viking regalia alongside. - you prefer a shorter axe?
i m visiting a place that does happiness as well as anywhere on earth. for a decade now, iceland ranks as one of the top five countries on the world happiness report. the united states has never cracked the top ten. a lot of people hear this and wonder, iceland? as in that island country floating in the north atlantic, submerged in near-total darkness and tongue-numbing cold? [wind howling] yes, that iceland. but how the hell do you measure happiness? it s complicated, but each year, hundreds of thousands of people around the world rate the quality of their lives on a scale from one to ten. okay, so it s not really that complicated. is there any truth to this so-called science of happiness? well, i intend to find out. i m here in iceland s capital of reykjavík
but the youth of reykjavík are the first to admit that iceland, for all its creativity and whimsy, is not without its struggles. [tuning instruments] what does the name mean? - our grandparents, they have, like, an eider duck nesting that take care of every summer. they watch it so that the fox doesn t get into the nest. - wow. - yeah. and so the latin name of the eider duck is somateria mollissima. and so we took ateria from that. - boy, you icelanders have the weirdest hobbies. like, our family hobby is protecting the nest of the eider duck. [laughter] - what s life like as a disaffected punk rock youth in suburban reykjavík?
get nice things with nice prices at wayfair. wayfair, you ve got just what i need [birds twittering] [engine humming] [upbeat music] - this is pálína axelsdóttir njarovík. she lives and works in reykjavík, but for several months each year, she heads a couple of hours east to eystra-geldingarholt, where she and the rest of her family run a farm. at this point, i ve heard a lot about the resilience of the icelandic people. but today, i m going to witness firsthand just what it takes to survive here, and it s going to be. adorable. [sheep bleating] hello. - hi, hi. - am i in the right place? - yes. - oh, this is amazing. - welcome. this is maria, my partner. - hi. mari-ah.