Swiss Priorities: Uncovering Their Core Values
Chatting with the Swiss: Values and Priorities Revealed
A whopping 50,000 participants across the nation took part in an engaging opinion poll, dubbed "Life in Switzerland: What Matters Most?", organized by the GFS Bern Institute on behalf of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). The poll aimed to uncover the life principles that Swiss citizens hold dear.
Respondents were asked to select their top priority from a list of eight values.
So, what's the verdict?
It turns out that honesty takes the crown for most Swiss people, with nearly 30% of the votes cast for this value. Honesty holds a special place in the Swiss consciousness, despite not being explicitly mentioned in the Constitution. Interestingly, an earlier study comparing civic honesty rates across 40 nations found that the Swiss were the most honest, as evidenced by a high percentage of wallet returns[2].
Swiss: The Honest Champions? Check it out!
Next on the list of values that the Swiss people treasure is 'happiness,' or finding joy in life (17.11%), followed closely by lasting relationships (12.6%).
It's fair to say that 'success,' while important to some, doesn't quite have the same appeal for the majority (1.48%).
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But there's a catch to these findings.
These statistics represent the general population's preferences, but there are subtle differences among the younger generation and those living in the French-speaking region of Switzerland.
For these folks, 'happiness' tops the list of values. While happiness garnered 17.11% of the votes overall, in the French-speaking cantons, it ranks the highest, securing 22.35% of the votes.
Age-wise, those between 16 and 39 place the highest value on 'happiness,' with 23.70%, while only 14.15% of the 40 to 64-year-olds feel the same, and the percentage drops even lower among the 65-plus age group (12.33%)[1].
In the Swiss lifestyle, 'happiness' holds significant importance, particularly among the younger generation and those residing in the French-speaking region. The preference for 'outdoor-living' and 'home-and-garden' values are intertwined with this pursuit of happiness, as individuals seek to create a harmonious balance between their personal well-being and their living spaces.
