Belfast locals returned all dropped wallets, showing kindness

In Belfast, a major UK city, people showed great kindness by returning lost wallets. This happened on March 20, which is the UN's International Day of Happiness. The BBC’s Mark Easton conducted an experiment to see if happier people are kinder. He left 10 wallets on the streets of Belfast. To his surprise, all 10 wallets were returned to him. Easton noted that while his experiment was not scientific, it suggests that "strangers are kinder than we think." According to the Office for National Statistics, Northern Ireland is consistently the happiest region in the UK, with the highest scores in personal wellbeing. However, the Nevin Economic Research Institute points out that Northern Ireland ranks poorly on economic indicators like productivity and income. Annie Quick from the New Economics Foundation mentioned that many people in Northern Ireland are surprised by their happiness levels. She said, "We don’t have the answer." The happiness in this region might come from positive, though fragile, expectations due to the peace process and strong community ties. Easton expressed his joy at seeing all the wallets returned. He remarked that the experiment "restores your faith in human nature." One person returning a wallet said it was simply the honest thing to do, while another indicated they were happy to help. Meanwhile, the UK has dropped from 23rd to 24th in the World Happiness Report rankings, with Scandinavian countries holding the top spots.