08 April 2025
Happiness is one of those rare concepts that doesn't need introducing.
All of us have clear idea of how does happiness feels or what makes us happy, right?
Let's look at some examples of things that gives us a good feeling. Cuddling with your pet, getting a new smartphone, receiving an email from a loved one, having a high salary.
But what if I tell you someone without internet access, without a smartphone and with a much lower salary is happier than most of the world population including people of United States and France?
That could be a random person in Bhutan, a small country in the Eastern Himalayas, where vast majority people live in rural areas, but having happiness as a political priority!
Bhutan ambition is not creating atomic bombs, but to be the happiest country. And they actually have a plan, it's called Gross National Happiness.
They knew financial growth isn't everything people need, like it wasn't everything for Thomas H. Lee. (Thanks to Samira for pointing this out)
GNH mostly focuses on flourishing human values and tackles both internal and exterior happiness obstacles.
Four pillars of GNH are:
1. sustainable and equitable socio-economic development
2. environmental conservation
3. preservation and promotion of culture
4. good governance
Bhutan used to be the least developed country until 2023, and what do you think it means in conduction with GNH?
Despite being ranked quite low in personal income, a 2005 survey revealed 97% of Bhutanese are feeling happy, and In 2006, Business Week magazine ranked Bhutan as the 8th happiest country in the world, above United States, United Kingdom, France and Japan.
Maybe unlike many advertisements and exaggerated happiness showcasing on Instagram, the path to happiness is not that simple.
Maybe prosperity is not about numbers in the bank account, but it's about the weight of one's soul.
