Happiness is over-rated

HAPPINESS IS OVER-RATE

Rajeev Lal 

A few days ago, the United Nations published its World Happiness Report, 2017, in which India figured at 122^nd position among 155 countries. In fact, India slipped by 4 notches over its 2016 ranking of 118 whereas Pakistan, the arch rival, improved its ranking from 92 in 2016 to 80. Naturally, it was reported with great dismay by the Indian press. All our neighbours and even countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, Somalia, etc. are better placed than us, they lamented.

UN started publishing the World Happiness Report in the year 2012. At that time, there was a concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) index and in terms of GNH, Bhutan was declared to be one of the happiest countries in the world. This was widely reported at that time.Thereafter, the methodology for measuring national happiness has been changed substantially and in the 2107 report, Bhutan ranks at 97^th position. Now, among other things such as, healthy life expectancy, good governance, level of corruption, freedom, etc., income and disparity in society also play significant role in determining the level of happiness.

But, does happiness depend on these parameters? Or even on many other such variables that the experts can think of? These factors are important for the well-being of mankind and all the countries must try to improve on them. For, they lead to comfortable life. But comfortable life is not equal to happiness. Ease of living should lead to enhancement in sensitivity, intelligence, thoughtfulness and awareness. Comfort may be an enabling factor for happiness, but if  it  actually leads to only elation, it does not augur well for mankind.

An important ingredient of happiness is contentment which is poison for progress, either spiritual or material. A sense of dissatisfaction and discontent with the present state of affairs is what drives the mankind towards innovation and progress. Contentment and happiness results in stagnation; discontent and unhappiness drives growth and advancement. Had Siddhartha remained happy and content in his royal life, he would not have become Goutam Buddha. If a country with very high scores on the indices of happiness does not feel dissatisfied with its current state of affairs and makes no efforts for further improvement, it would be doomed in the long run.

Also, can sensitive and intelligent people remain happy and blissfully unaware? In fact, sensitivity, intelligence, awareness go hand in hand with dissatisfaction and discontent. If people in Norway are very happy in spite of poverty, hunger, violence and terrorism across half the globe, is it something good to gloat about? It only reflects a sense of apathy and selfishness or a lack of awareness. Even worse than this, how can people of countries  suffering from high levels of terrorism, violence and corruption be relatively happier than other countries with far less of those evils? Such happiness can only be perverse or idiotic. People in Norway or other countries ranking high on the World Happiness Report may be enjoying comfortable lifestyle but  it does not necessarily mean that they may also be very happy. The possibility of their being disturbed by the malaise prevailing in the world is very high. Perhaps, this is why, as the World Happiness Report,2017 points out, the incidence of mental illness is very high in rich countries despite very high living standards.

India may have got very low scores under many of the parameters for measuring happiness and we must do everything to improve on these crucial parameters. However, to claim that India is worse off than its neighbours or some African countries needs critical scrutiny by experts. Pakistan, for example, is not only much higher in ranking than India, it has vastly improved its ranking this year despite its worsening social and financial condition. Bangladesh, too, ranks higher than India in spite of its abject poverty, persecution of the minority community and a spurt in violence and terrorism last year. 

In any case, as elaborated above, happiness is not a direct byproduct of ease of living. The essential ingredients of happiness are insensitivity, lack of awareness, selfishness and/or some stupidity. People in India are generally lacking in these essential components of happiness and should not be unnecessarily bothered about their ranking in the World Happiness Report of the UN. 

Happiness, after all, is highly hyped.