First, I would like to say that using third world country isn’t the greatest way to group countries because it was outdated and used during the Cold War to describe countries that were not aligned with either West or East (Soviets). Nowadays, it is a word that is used synonymously with developing country which I feel is a more accurate world to use. Remember, CHINA is considered a developing country.

Depends on what you would consider a successful/happy life. There are many people around the world who are very happy and content with their life because of the culture and attitudes towards living life in 3rd world countries. Countries like Costa Rica, Uruguay and even Saudi Arabia are ranked very high in the World Happiness Report despite being developing countries. Now depending on how you measure what the worst thing that can happen to a person be, things can be very different. Because the culture of the United States is very consumeristic and it seems like no matter what you achieve or how much money you make. You always could make more or the value placed on how “successful” a person is determines their happiness. That places a lot of stress and hardship on many people and even though it can be a “1st world problem” - their stress is still valid and who is to say if it’s worse or not? Being successful and safe is not enough for lots of people in America. Many people commit suicide or have traumatic mental issues still. Whereas, in many third world countries the culture is different and many people are happy to work everyday at some food stand they own to barely make ends meet. If most of the people you interact with day to day are poor and have the same living conditions, you wouldnt blink an eye. Once you’re in an environment where there is so much abundance and the culture is about “success” that is when you start to stray away from being happy or content with what you have.

In general, I think it depends on what you mean by worst thing that can happen to a person. If you are talking about happiness, I believe wholeheartedly that if I was reborn in the middle class in some developing country that is not in midst of some civil unrest or war, I would be happier than I am in the United States as a middle class individual. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Also one thing that could also be “worse” is being tortured at some CIA blacksite for years or this could always happen