Happiness

I thought I'd start my first blog with a subject we all aspire to, though few of us ever seem to truly grasp it.

The saying goes "money can't buy happiness", yet, in this time of global financial crisis, I think quite a few who have lost it all and with it the life they had built, would beg to differ. Money opens access to a material world the consumerist society we have become is taught to cherish and crave - for better or worse. Sports cars, big home(s), brand clothes, a trophy wife..money brings power and status in a society that values it, but also the security to be able to provide for your family, offer your children the best education and the best health care. Money also offers those who have it the chance to spend more time focusing on things they enjoy - lest they become prisoners of their money-making jobs.

Though I try to lead a fairly simple life and enjoy simple pleasures, I can't deny that I myself would sure love to have more money! That said, I don't think I would ever be willing to do so if it were at the expense of a fulfilling job. But I know this choice is an option not all have the possibility to make and puts me among the lucky few - at least for now, where even though I am not making loads by any means, I can sustain myself and have no dependents to provide for.

If psychologist Scrully Blotnick 20 year "wealth creation" study is correct, following my passion is more likely to make me a millionaire than running after the money. I sure hope he is right!

That said, as much research has shown, while during their lifetime individuals typically get richer, they do not necessarily become happier. It is family, social, and community networks that bring joy.
Seriously... past the firsts few millions, what difference can it really make in your life whether you have $20 millions or $200 millions? Does one really need a 5th house to be happier than their neighbor with "only" 4? And if that's the case, why are some of the happier people I've met in my life been those with the most humble lifestyles?
Why are those who abandon any material greed/craving to follow a spiritual path (in the religions that require such extreme steps) those that seem the most at peace?

Anyways, all this thinking about happiness came to me after reading an article by Ian Bullock in July 2009 issue of Adbusters- a magazine I greatly recommend. It makes reference to Dr. John Helliwell's research. Helliwell is an economist at the University of British Columbia who has spent the past 15 years studying well-being by using direct measures of life satisfaction. He has found, for example, that it takes a 40% increase in salary to counter balance a 10% drop in job satisfaction. This actually reminds me of a recent news article that pointed out that on the upside of this difficult economic situation, people seem to be currently more satisfied with their jobs (and surely the fact that they actually still have one) than before.

Helliwell's research shows that good governance is the most influential variable in levels of happiness in different countries. At the core of his claims is a collection of data collected by a Stockholm-based non-profit, the World Values Survey Association (WVSA) which has polled over 350,000 people in countries woldwide. The results show that "economic development, democratization, and rising social tolerance have increased the extent to which people perceive that they have free choice, which in turn has led to higher levels of happiness around the world".

Also at the center of Helliwell's source of happiness is the idea of community, of being together. Though he quickly points out that virtual communities such as facebook don't replace real, live communities that provide the rich and fulfilling relationships necessary for well-being.

But back to the idea of governance and happiness - Bhutan is a small kingdom located between India and China. It is an isolated nation (as an example, television was only introduced in 1999) ruled by a constitutional monarchy, and would be of little relevance to my topic if it weren't that it is the only country in the world to define its success not only by it's GNP but by its GNH, its Gross National Happiness. According to its entry in wikipedia, the "term was coined in 1972 by Bhutan's former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who has opened up Bhutan to the age of modernization. It signaled his commitment to building an economy that would serve Bhutan's unique culture based on Buddhist spiritual values." It serves as a unifying vision for the economic and development plans of the country. Its four pillars are the promotion of sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment, and establishment of good governance.

In a widely cited study, Bhutan ranked 8th out of 178 countries in Subjective Well-Being, a metric that has been used by many psychologists since 1997. In fact, it is the only country in the top 20 "happiest" countries that has a very low GDP.

Last year, the World Values Survey found Denmark to be the happiest country on Earth (a rank it has held amongst its European counterparts for 30 years), followed by Puerto Rico and Colombia. Zimbabwe was found the least happy, with Iraq and Russia close by (I would imagine North Korea - had its people been able to participate would not rank much better - a photographer who managed to enter the country called it The Land of No Smiles). The United States ranked 16th.

Denmark is not the richest country but has high living standards and has been one of the most socially progressive cultures in the world. It was for example, the first country (1989) to grant same-sex couples the same rights as marriage through the enactment of a partnership law. A recent opinion piece in the NY Times suggested however that what makes the Danes truly happier than their similar neighbors is their low expectations, and the fact that they live day by day/in the present (a practice advocated by Buddhists too).

Anyways, this first blog is quite long and not sure anyone will make it to the end. I am not sure if it really has a point or any logic, but I just found the different ways to look at happiness interesting and wanted to share with those who might find it interesting too!

At the end of the day, happiness is an ensemble of things from micro to macro. At the risk of being called a communist though, I believe that "social" nations like the Scandinavian ones are a leading example of how when society is happy as a whole, its individual members are happier. Thus, if raising taxes a little can enable greater health care, education, common goods and less work time, then it is worth it. It all comes around. (Scandinavian countries are also the most generous when it comes to the percentage of their GDP that goes towards development aid... while the USA ranks 23rd).

On a personal note, I don't know if I can lower my expectations, but I know that living in the present is certainly a start - one I have had difficulties applying. But as some of my favorite authors, Saint-Exupery and Coelho have alluded to in their famous paraboles, "happiness is a journey, not a destination" (Father Alfred D'Souza).

Thanks for reading so far and please share your thoughts/comments if you have any.. what do YOU think is the secret to happiness?