The Pursuit of Happiness

by Jeff Weiss

As this is not one of my typical blogs, I think it is important to preface it with a few personal things about me:

I am the eternal optimist.
I believe in karma (where positive intentions lead to happiness, and harmful intentions lead to suffering).
I believe in fate and things happening for a reason.
One of my life’s philosophies is to be as happy as you can be.
I am Jewish but do not consider myself a religious person.

With all of that in mind, (most) people who know me consider me to be an upbeat person with a positive attitude. I think I got this trait from my mother who rarely got upset about anything. She was 95 when she passed away and I believe that her positivity was one of the key reasons for her longevity.

In my presentations and in my TEDx talk, I often talk about the U Curve of Happiness which highlights that human life satisfaction is high in youth, dips to its lowest point around age 49, and rises again after 50, often peaking after 70. This dispels the myth that life can get more depressing as you get older. The reality for most people is that, as you get older, your focus turns away from social competition and toward social connection. You tend to be less stressed about things in general and your priorities shift towards savoring life, love and being present in the moment. All key elements that can lead to greater happiness.

In an effort to understand and embrace happiness to its fullest, my wife and I recently visited what is generally considered to be the happiest country in the world, Bhutan. This Asian country is surrounded by India to the east, west and south and Tibet to the north, with a population of approximately 750,000 people. About 75% of the population are Buddhists, and they embrace it both as a religion and as a way of life that guides their culture and actions.

We were fascinated by our entire trip to Bhutan — from the magical scenery to getting our first introduction to Buddhism, which in Bhutan often feels both deeply religious and very practical in daily life. Religion aside, some of the main tenets that the Bhutanese follow are:

Non-attachment and no jealousy — being content with what you have and not wanting for more
Compassion — helping others or at least doing no harm
Impermanence — everything changes, which encourages humility and acceptance
Karma — act in ways that benefits others and themselves over time (so that they will be reborn in a better place)
Imperfect — humans make mistakes and should be forgiven (vs. being angry and holding a grudge)

With the vast majority of the population practicing Buddhism, it is not surprising that Bhutan is touted as the happiest place on earth. While many are poor farmers with few assets and income, we saw no signs of poverty or sadness. Between the king and the government, the Bhutanese are well-taken care of — from education to healthcare to ensuring basic needs are met including food and shelter. And one point of interest is that there are no lawyers in Bhutan. Disputes are handled locally sometimes in the presence of a judge, but disagreements are handled in a much more civilized way without anger.

Perhaps the most enlightening part of our trip was when we spent time with Khenpo Tashi, an author and foremost scholar in the kingdom who is fluent in the unique aspects of Bhutan’s GNP, or Gross National Happiness (GNH). At a high level, the GNH is comprised of the following four pillars:

Sustainable and equitable socio-economic development
Environmental conservation
Preservation and promotion of culture
Good governance

Under these pillars there are nine dimensions followed by 33 indicators, all laddering up to provide a picture of what encompasses happiness in Bhutan. Below is an image of the dimensions and associated indicators:

To measure the GNH in Bhutan, a survey comprised of 124 variables connected to at least one of the indicators is completed by approximately 10% of the population every 3-5 years. Scores are then tabulated across a wide variety of variables to highlight differences by key area (e.g., regions, rural vs. urban, age, sex, etc.), revealing a ranking of factors related to happiness, and areas of opportunity to increase happiness levels. From there, action plans are developed to focus on the areas of greatest need and opportunity.

For example, it was determined that there was a need to instill Buddhist principles into children at a young age. The result was that all school children now begin their day by meditating, which ladders up to two of the dimensions, psychological wellbeing and health. Ultimately, they will be able to measure the specific impact on overall happiness through this one action.
After departing Bhutan with insights and inspirations I began thinking about how to apply their model to both my personal and business life. Not easy to do as we don’t live in a relatively homogenous world compared to Bhutan where implementing new practices can be done more easily.

While there are lots of discussions, books and businesses focused on health and wellness, I truly believe that happiness is the foundation under which the other elements lie. I also believe that there is a way to apply Bhutan’s approach to measuring happiness within different groups or audiences over time, whether that be on an individual or broader level. For example, consider a senior living environment where the happiness of both residents and staff can drive occupancy rates, longer, healthier and happier lives, and long-term financial success.

If you are interested in discussing how to measure and improve happiness in our society, feel free to reach out to me at jeff@ageofmajority.com as I welcome views and opinions from others.