According to the latest Wellbeing-INDEX, we are more satisfied than ever but suffer from negative emotions like stress and loneliness.
If anything, this is quite an incomprehensible paradox, sort of a morbid type of satisfaction.
First, although women today report higher levels of life satisfaction and overall happiness than men, they experience worse outcomes in mental health and negative affect. Second, despite substantial advances in women’s social and economic status over the last years, their wellbeing relative to men has declined.
These persistent inequalities not only reflect gender disparities in our society but also have substantial implications for wellbeing. Wellbeing is a key indicator of overall quality of life, making differences in wellbeing among genders particularly important to understand and address. However, is there a gender well-being gap? If so, is it closing?
Another apparent paradox is that, although ageing is associated with multiple physical and social losses, subjective wellbeing is stable or increasing in later life.
It is a widely held assumption, including by older persons themselves, that subjective wellbeing declines with age. Indeed, this expectation seems valid given the many losses and declines that may accompany old age in areas such as roles, energy, income, social relationships, and health.
Yet apparently, wellbeing is now remaining stable or increasing in later life. With advancing age, because they sense that time is limited, people increasingly prioritise emotionally meaningful goals and social interactions to maximise positive affect and minimise negative affect.
Summing up what emerged from the Wellbeing-INDEX, I would say that being generally satisfied with life involves cultivating a mindset of gratitude, focusing on internal growth rather than external validation, and fostering meaningful connections. It is a long-term state of contentment, rather than a fleeting moment of happiness.
Satisfaction is not found in having everything you want but in appreciating everything you have and finding purpose in your daily actions. Positive people know how to relish their achievements and haven’t lost their capacity to be satisfied in today’s ever-growing competitive rat race.
ARUC’s faux-pas
Sponsorship in sport has evolved from simple logo placement into a sophisticated, financial and social industry that acts as a core strategic tool for corporate communications. It involves providing financial or in-kind support (such as equipment, technology, or services) to athletes, teams, leagues, or events in exchange for promotional benefits and brand association.
Education and Sports Minister Clifton Grima, Caritas Malta, the PN and several employers’ associations have timely raised justified concerns over the recent agreement linking a children’s football programme to the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC), warning it risks sending conflicting messages to young people.
On the other hand, ARUC Chairperson Joey Reno Vella has stubbornly defended the collaboration with the MFA to fund fees for children hailing from difficult financial backgrounds, insisting the deal does not in any way promote cannabis use.
Arguments against cannabis associations sponsoring sport activities, particularly youth sports, often centre on the need for healthy environments, the protection of minors, and the upholding of sporting ideals.
A primary concern is that associating sports, which promote health and development, with cannabis companies or regulators normalises a substance that can be harmful to children and adolescents. It risks giving children mixed messages about the role of drugs in a healthy lifestyle.
The consumption of cannabis contradicts fundamental aspects of the spirit of sport criterion. It is important to remember that in the world of sport, there is no debate: cannabis is on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)’s Prohibited List. The Prohibited List is an international standard of the World Anti-Doping Code that is not affected by the changes in Maltese law that legalised recreational cannabis. Cannabis is just one of many substances that are legal in Malta, yet prohibited in sport.
As such, this is one of the main reasons why this controversial agreement offends the spirit of sport and is not consistent with the athlete as a role model for young people in our country.
Negative international reputation for Malta
The fact that the delegation for the European Budgetary Control Committee (CONT) raised concerns about corruption, fraud, and the misuse of European funds in Malta does not augur well for our country.
Their telling statement that such funds must not be used for a small circle of politicians has hit the nail on the head and, to a certain extent, confirms what many have been perceiving.
The spate of corruption and shocking scandals that we have had over the last few years, among which are the high-profile cases of Vitals, Electrogas and the Marsa junction, raised more questions than they answered when the respective authorities and ministries came out with their explanations or justifications.
It’s no wonder that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) had a total of 17 active cases of corruption or fraud in Malta, amounting to €235 million in estimated damages.
To top it all, the visiting delegation left the islands nonplussed, as while the Maltese authorities provided the delegation with a positive outlook of the situation, this was quickly contradicted by civil society organisations who spoke of a slow justice system in which high-level corruption cases are either not finalised in due time or not prosecuted at all. While local authorities reported no issues of mafia in the country, this was contradicted by some names seen in Maltese reports, which were seen again and again in reports outside of Malta.
The delegation made it clear that, unlike the situation in Malta abroad, the norm is that politicians have to resign once involved in a political scandal.
That notwithstanding, Malta’s European Funds Ministry said that discussions were held between it and the delegation, based on a constructive dialogue, where all concerns based on a series of misconceptions were thoroughly and satisfactorily addressed by the government.
Nevertheless, nothing of the sort was either confirmed or denied before or after the delegation left the islands.
In this sense, it seems reasonable to conclude that the air has not been cleared with regard to how Malta is looked at when it comes to utilising European funds for local national projects.
Dr Mark Said is a lawyer
