There appears to be nothing rotten in the state of Denmark these days. For the second straight year, Denmark has been named the happiest country, according to a survey of 156 nations called the World Happiness Report. Based on Gallup data collected from 2010-2012, the survey looks at measures like life expectancy, social support, freedom to make life choices, and perceptions of corruption and generosity. Denmark nudged out Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Sweden.

Denmark was named the world's happiest country in the 2013 World Happiness Report, and Noma, the 45-seat restaurant in the capital city of Copenhagen, was crowned number one on the annual "World's 50 Best Restaurants" list in 2010, 2011 and 2012. But, the Danish people will be hesitant to tell you of such achievements given their Law of Jante, a Scandinavian mentality that essentially promotes the principle that one person is no better than anyone else.

The new results are in. The US, for all its riches, stands just 17th in the new world happiness rankings released today in the World Happiness Report 2013. Denmark tops the world tables. Indeed, there is something good going on in the northern latitudes. The top five countries are Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Netherlands, and Sweden.