Happiness has been defined by philosophers, intellectuals and researchers from different fields of life but the positive psychology researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky defines happiness as “the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.” The essence of happiness is to live a happy life with meaning.
Now the world is changing even its economic paradigm to achieve happiness in true sense. Happiness is not only a momentarily feeling of joy but a purpose to develop a happy world. In 2012 the first-ever UN conference on Happiness took place and the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that the International Day of Happiness would be observed every year on 20 March.
20 March has been established as the annual international day of happiness by Jayme Illien and adopted by the UN in 2012 to advance happiness as a fundamental human right for all human beings. A new economic system was introduced as Happytalism in 2009 to replace ineffective and obsolete economic systems of inequality. Happytalism was introduced as a sustainable way to live and make progress.
The purpose of this new paradigm is to achieve sustainable development goals by 2030 and the happiness and wellbeing of all humans by 2050 by making positive shifts in sustainable economic and human development. This day is actually the realization of true happiness by defining the factors which are sustainable not for only humans but for our planet. Increasing the economy by destroying limited resources and putting future generations on risk is not happiness.
We have witnessed the extinction of species, chemical releases, natural disasters, pandemics, and inequality in the name of economic growth and happiness which led to destruction. The 2012 UN High-Level Happiness as a New Economic Paradigm report recognizes that the present GDP based system was devised prior to any knowledge of climate change or the limited Earth’s resources; prior economic system prioritizes material growth and consumption at the expense of nature, planet, and the future safety and survival of all humanity. Capitalism is responsible for depleting resources, degrading earth’s ecosystems, accelerating greenhouse gas emissions, diminishing biodiversity, global economic insecurity, instability, and conflict.
Most of us measure the happiness of a country by the GDP but the variables which define the happiness of countries are different. World happiness report 2018 ranked 116 countries by their happiness level. The report included six of the key variables found to support well-being: income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust, and generosity. The report concluded that the countries with the happiest residents and immigrants are not the richest countries. Factors affecting the happiness of people were social and institutional support for better lives. The Report ends on a focus on three emerging health problems that threaten happiness: obesity, the opioid crisis, and depression. People now recognize that happiness is about increasing human happiness and well-being with economy.
This present chaos and restlessness is the result of selfish and self-centered approaches in the past which neglected the collective well-being of planet. Happytalism is the need of the time to adapt sustainable development goals with an inclusive approach to protect and conserve resources efficiently with reducing poverty and promising equality.
by: Ayesha Mushtaq
Tags: International Day of Happiness
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