Happiness index

Happiness index.

Was listening to a BBC 4 radio podcast of an interview of Sir Ken Robinson,  (educational expert)(?) He had some interesting things to say about education, much of which I agree with. That’s not what this post about though.

During the interview, the term happiness index came up. It seems that on the population census form that has to be completed this year, in the UK, there space for you to indicate how happy you are. The British Government wants to establish a happiness index, seems to be the in thing among Governments.

According to Sir Ken, our greatest ambition is to be happy. How are Governments going to achieve this? Well for one thing, according to Sir Ken, ensuring that there are enough recreational facilities, sports centres, and places of entertainment, e.g., theatres.  Seems a lot like the old Roman bread and circus idea to me.

Seems to me we are being entertained to death already. Those who have TV’s, have 100’s of satellite channels to choose from, 24 hour sport,  (all sport codes are represented), movies, so called educational programs, the last, mostly  propaganda as far as I’m concerned.  Added to this there is the Internet, can be carried in your pocket nowadays. The list goes on and on.

What makes you happy? More things, more money, fancy car, house, ability to travel to exotic destinations etc,  In a past post I wrote about the new illness in the West called “affluenza”, the more prosperous people are the more discontented they seem to be. According to research done by anthropologists, the Masaai herdsmen in East Africa are more contented with their lot, than the average Wall Street millionaire!

I have this vague idea in my head that if I could go fly fishing every day, all day, I’d be happier. Would I still be happy if I broke an arm or a leg while fly fishing? If your happiness depends on things, and things that happen to you, your chances of real happiness are slim. Bad and good things happen.

Where do you find your happiness, as fleeting as it might be?