Britain's Dreams

This is from an article in the Independant

Happiness of friends and family most important to Britons

Britons have little regard for wealth and fame and aspire instead to a comfortable life and happy family, a study has found.

The survey of the nation's dreams and aspirations revealed that most people sought happiness from close personal relationships rather than material gain.

Britons' top aspiration is for family and friends to be happy and successful (29.9 per cent) followed by financial security and a comfortable life (27.2 per cent), compared with 6 per cent who crave celebrity and wealth, The National Lottery Dream Study found. Don Slater of the London School of Economics, who led the study, said: "Popular culture suggests that our dreams are in the main about great wealth, celebrity, power and fame.

"Across all phases of the research we found the opposite is true. People's dreams are generally rather modest, on the whole realistic - an extension of who they are and how they live."

Just over 12 per cent of the population has "lifestyle" aspirations to give up work or live abroad, while 7.4 per cent hope to keep or regain good health and 6.6 per cent dream of world peace and the eradication of disease and poverty.

The poll also found that 66 per cent of people aspired to a better quality of life for themselves and the people closest to them.

Mr Slater said: "Caring and charitable Britain is alive and well. The majority of the nation's dreams are generous, not selfish, and realistic, not ridiculous. Dreams are above all not greedy or individualistic."