‘’happiness, noun. The state of pleasurable contentment of mind; deep pleasure in or contentment with one’s circumstances.’’ – Oxford English Dictionary.

Humans have been searching for happiness since ancient Greek times. According to The World Happiness Report of 2023, Finland is the happiest country in the world, and Afghanistan is at the other end. How is happiness measured and how can we trust the index on such a topic? Who’s actually the happiest?

In general, to be happy and find peace, you need to accept what life brings you, right? Piece of mind is highlighted often when discussing happiness. Does that mean happiness is just a mentality? Do depressed people have a bad attitude? Of course not. Throughout history, the guides to happiness have varied. Socrates and Plato shared the thought that actual happiness is reached only after the transition to the afterlife. Now the basic idea of what makes us happy is pretty similar worldwide: family and friends, health, hobbies, and basic needs. Humanity has been a quite positive group throughout history and has had hope even in the midst of world wars and catastrophes. So, what ultimately makes one happy and what is it based on?

There are various studies, ideas and ideologies about happiness. The happiness meters are actually more about life satisfaction. As it should, since happiness is so relative. Health is valued everywhere. But, for example, the importance of family varies in Europe alone. People in the Nordic countries don’t experience loneliness in the same way as southern Europe for example. Loneliness is multiplied in eastern and southern Europe compared to the rest of the world. Philip Brickman and Psychologist Donald Campbell introduced their theory of ‘’the hedonic treadmill’’ in the ’70s. According to them, every individual has a basic level of happiness, and despite big life events, you will return to the level where you were before those events. Also, the amount of materialism makes a huge difference in being satisfied. In general, the more prosperous the society, the more attention is paid to post-material things. Sweden, for example, is focusing the most on environmental issues in the world. Since everything is taken care of, there’s more time for non-material things.

Money doesn’t bring happiness. Or does it? In most of the areas studied about national happiness, the welfare states are at the top of all indicators and according to the UN Happiness Report, the top 10 are mostly Nordic countries. This is a bit tricky to compare though because a good GDP (gross domestic product) provides a different amount of quality of life in different countries. People in countries with progressive taxation also seem to be happier. Low income is associated with social shame in many places and not having money makes people feel like they have failed in what is normal in society. One finding in happiness economics is The Easterlin paradox. Formulated in 1974 by Richard Easterlin and according to him, the long-term growth rates of happiness and income are not significantly related. The main reason for this is social comparison. At a point in time, those with higher income are happier because they are comparing their income to others who are less fortunate, and vice versa for those with lower income. So it seems to be more about social shame than money itself.

But not only in the north. “Gross National Happiness Index” or GNH it’s something that Bhutan, a small nation in South Asia, uses to measure happiness by periodically surveying about 10% of the population and compiling statistics that fall under nine domains: living standards, health, education, environment, community, time-use, psychological well-being, governance, and culture. In total, it includes 33 indicators like spirituality, knowledge, health, and urbanisation issues for example. It’s made to achieve a balanced development in all areas of life that are essential for our happiness. The 4th King of Bhutan, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck came up with the concept when he stated: “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product’’. In the report of 2023, 93.6% of the Bhutanese population considers themselves happy.

And finally, let’s not forget science. Scientists mostly agree that genes also contribute to how happy we feel. Being positive is a lot about temperament. Happiness varies between siblings due to character traits and temperament even if the environment is the same. So even if life treats you badly, you still have about 30-40% of genes controlling your mood. Happiness is claimed to enhance the immune system affecting the initiation or progression of cancer, HIV, cardiovascular diseases and autoimmune disorders. This is still debated though and requires more research.

Among many others, Aristoteles said that happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life. Over 2000 years later that still sounds right to most of us. So wherever you live, whatever your country’s GDP is and whatever your given cards were at birth, all of us have the same goal of being happy. Maybe next time you feel unhappy about something, think about why. Are you really personally unhappy or is it just that someone else seems happier, more fortunate and well?

‘‘There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path’’ – Gautama Buddha

Taika Soihtu

Sources:
Yle areena: elävä historia podcast: Onnellisuuden lyhyt historia – ja vielä lyhyempi tulevaisuus?
Yle areena: Onnellisten maa?: Onko onnellisuus vain asenne?
gnhcentrebhutan.org – What is GNH?
Businessinsider.com – 12 of history’s greatest philosophers reveal the secret to happiness
Asian development blog – Your Questions Answered: What is Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index?
Worldhappiness.report – World happiness report 2023
Worldhappiness.report – exploring the biological basis for happiness