Gross National Happiness
I wish that I were creative enough to have created this term on my own, but alas, I must be honest, it was King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan. In catching up on my National Geographic magazines, I read an article entitled “Bhutan’s Enlightened Experiment,” and I think I had a little bit of enlightenment myself.
In the 1960’s, Bhutan began to open its borders and peered into the wonders and challenges of modernity and globalization. Proud of their Buddhist culture and simple ways, the Bhutanese sought an entry into modernity that included good health, education and infrastructure, while maintaining the beauty and serenity of the land. To accomplish this, the King stepped away from the normal quantifier of prosperity, net dollars earned called Gross National Product.
While there is much to learn in the brilliance of others, we can also learn from that which already rolls off our tongues.
Jewish tradition doesn’t have the clarity of the four pillars of GNH, but we do have Torah. As we sing each time we read from the Torah as a community: “Eitz chayim he lamachazikim bah, vetomcheha me'ushar. Deracheha darchey noam, vechol netivoteha shalom.” It is a Tree of Life to them who hold fast to it, and all who embrace it will be enriched. Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths lead to peace.
- Proverbs 3:17-18
http://nymag.com/news/features/17573/
What happiness scientists (yes, there are people who consider themselves scientists of happiness) have discovered is that people are most happy when they're most homogeneous: i.e. as long as everyone has basic needs met and is equally rich (or poor), educated (or uneducated), etc., they tend to be happier than socio-economically diverse populations. (In America, the midwest tends to by a lot happier than New York, for example.)
This seems confirmed by an article in Business Week, rating the happiest counties in the world.
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/oct2006/gb20061011_072596.htm
Denmark and five other European countries, including Switzerland, Austria, and Iceland, came out in the top 10. (The US was 23)
The big surprise, however, was Bhutan (at no. 8). Here's what the interactive feature of the article noted:
Bhutan
Population: 2.3 million
Life Expectancy: 55 years
GDP Per Capita: $1,400
Here's a surprise: The small Asian nation of Bhutan ranks eighth in the world, despite relatively low life expectancy, a literacy rate of just 47%, and a very low GDP per capita. Why? Researchers credit an unusually strong sense of national identity. Plus, the country has beautiful scenery and a largely unspoiled culture, thanks to strict governmental limits on tourism, development, and immigration. Pretty counterintuitive, but Bhutan seems to have found a recipe for happiness.
Don't know where this leaves us, but your post definitely made me happier... (Comment this)
If I were into praying every morning, I would start with saying that. Perhaps I should..
Thank you for this morning's moment of enlightenment.
K. M.
Jaffa (Comment this)
JGB (Comment this)