Happiness index may not work. In UK, a nationwide research is underway to make happiness of its citizens a political issue. Gross National Happiness (GNH) steers all aspects of public policy in Bhutan. While I embrace the idea that economic growth of a country doesn’t preclude wellbeing of its citizens, I wonder if trying to make everyone happy is wide of the mark? Should it be the pursuit of happiness or physical and mental wellness or contentedness? I would argue for the latter two.
Pursuing happiness doesn’t work. Not only are people’s whims and emotions variable, but people always want more. What makes someone happy today will not make him/her happy tomorrow. How does policy-making satisfy an unending hunger for more or better or different?
We are better off ensuring physical and mental wellness in humans… We are well when healthy and have homes, and our society has less inequality. Top 20% of Americans control 85% of the wealth, top 1% control 42%. This level of inequality contributes to feelings of inadequacy in majority of the population while exacerbating consumption to the detriment of humankind.
Speaking of consumption, there’s another barrier to unmitigated pursuit for wealth and power–limited resources on Earth. Brief notes on US consumption from WorldWatch.org:
- The United States, with less than 5 % of the global population, uses about a quarter of the world’s fossil fuel resources—burning up nearly 25 % of the coal, 26 % of the oil, and 27 % of the world’s natural gas.
- As of 2003, the U.S. had more private cars than licensed drivers, and gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles were among the best-selling vehicles.
- New houses in the U.S. were 38 % bigger in 2002 than in 1975, despite having fewer people per household on average.
We are better off creating a culture of contentment, rather than a culture in pursuit of happiness. Wealth does bring happiness and lessens our burdens, but if the pursuit of becoming wealthy is equated with the pursuit of happiness, we have a problem. Not everyone can be wealthy but everyone can be content–well-fed, housed, with health and education available to all.
Life is hard; there will always be challenges–some so overwhelming, we may never recover. Life is unfair; where and when you are born (and to whom) dictate so much of your opportunities, struggles and beliefs. We should instead strive to accept, let go of greed and unrealistic consumption beyond Earth’s capacity.
The Chinese had a culture of contentment in the past. I don’t know where it is heading right now with their development path and hunger for consumption. Yet in the past, “striving not to strive” and humility were honored. Ambition was seen as dark thing feeding the ego, causing people to become unhappy, to lose their virtuous qualities, respect for others and elders and loyalties they owed to society. It is inevitably the exportation of American culture and consumption patterns that are springing entrepreneurial, ambitious new generations everywhere. Can we blame America’s success? Can we blame popularity of Hollywood? Who knows.
Pursuit of happiness and the misery that comes with it (i.e. keeping up with the Joneses, the American dream, debt culture…) certainly sounded shallow in socialist Mongolia, when I was a child, raised to appreciate communal property and resources. While a certain ideal of “fairness” was forced upon society, it was a good thing for most of the people.
In capitalist Mongolia today, people are taking out high interest loans to buy homes, building where there were parks and playgrounds, burning fossil fuels to make Ulaanbaatar the most polluted capital city in the world, and are unable stop the rising bribes, pilfering, and backdoor politics causing severe economic and political inequities in society.
The only truly liberating thing we have going for us comes when we nearly die… or we are near death in age, when we finally let go of the constricting “dreams” we have of a better life and begin to notice our kids, spouses, and revel in our ability to do little things for each other like cooking. At that point, nothing is a chore anymore. We don’t hold grudges or get angry so much—what’s the point? They’re wasted energy when we have so little time and so little energy left on earth. Instead, we think about what positive impact can we impart to the future generations? Not a bad mindset.
I look forward to old age. Even with failing body and maybe even failing mind, I believe there will be solace in letting go. Maybe then I won’t want a condo in Mongolia, land in Hawaii, and a house in Aspen…
