Sometimes, we suspect the world has grown stupider. And sometimes, we’re convinced of it. The latter came into play with the release of the latest annual World Happiness Report this week. Not so much that Finland is once again No. 1. Or that the US has dipped to its lowest at 24. What’s supremely silly is that the happiness rankers believe that one possible indicator for the people in Trumpistan to be sadder is an ‘exponential rise in the number of Americans eating alone this century’. This is as ridiculous as saying marriage is an indicator of happiness. Why on earth should meals be communal? Eating solo is a glorious exercise in autonomy. No small talk. No negotiating appetiser choices. No pretending to be impressed by someone’s deep knowledge of wine tannins. Just you, your meal, and the sheer pleasure of consuming food without chit-chat. You can even read a book or watch a show while you savour your filet mignon at your favourite restaurant.
Then, there’s the absence of judgement. No one to mock your enthusiastic enthusiasm for carbs. No raised eyebrows at your mixing soy sauce with ketchup ‘just to see’. If anything at all, more Americans eating alone should make them jollier. And let’s not forget the financial efficiency – paying for one lobster thermidor is happier than paying for two.
