Happiness Index

"Mate acquisition" as an indicator of happiness? 

Like many people, I would struggle to point out Bhutan on a map.  But this tiny kingdom is responsible for one big idea, the measurement of Gross National Happiness.

It seems that I've been reading a lot about happiness recently.  Yesterday, in the Wall Street Journal, I learned that the "magic number for happiness" - the salary that will keep most Americans happy, is $75,000.  Unless you live in New York, of course, where the number is $163,700!  The day before, in the New York Times, Lisa Belkin reported that Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (you remember, the pyramid that had food and shelter at the bottom and self-actualization at the top) has been challenged by a bunch of psychologists who argue that parenting should be the pinnacle with "mate acquisition" and "mate retention" following closely behind. (I think they will have trouble marketing that one).

And earlier this year, in an entire magazine article devoted to the issues surrounding the GDP as a measure of national progress (stick with me here), real academic credibility is being given to including happiness in a dashboard of national success indicators called the State of the USA.

Naturally, Facebook is in on the act.  They now have a Gross National Happiness Index of their own, culled from the positive and negative posts made every day, and which peaks on some predictable days in the U.S., including SuperBowl and, rather sweetly, Mother's Day.

But it seems to me that all of these efforts to track happiness may be somewhat missing the point, since the drivers for contentment are often so very personal.  It's been an incredibly happy year for me, for example, despite the fact that I quit my job, sold my house and moved cross country - all factors which normally show up on lists of stuff that will stress you out.  Of course, getting married (twice!) with scads of friends in tow helped.  And one person's multi $$$ salary may be entirely supplanted by someone else's satisfaction of doing something really worthwhile, that is not necessarily well paid.

It's with that in mind that Eric and I will soon travel down to Los Angeles  to say au revoir to good friends who have decided to pack up the good life and spend a year in Tajikistan (another place I needed to check on the atlas) working to help that country build its economy through tourism development.  I think they are hugely courageous and a bit mad.  But for them, this is just another way to find a fulfilling road...and I wish them very happy.