The Economics of Happiness

If there is one thing all humans share in common, it’s the desire for “Happiness”. Meaning different things to different people, this state of being can be elusive@astate, particularly in first-world countries where a barrage of information overload intrudes on our newsfeeds and daily lives.

While the ability to access endless streams of information and connect with one another via numerous social media portals can bring us closer together, the abstraction and de-personalization of relationships as filtered through digital means simultaneously harbors great potential to exacerbate alienation and isolation. Factor in the everyday realities experienced by minorities, the marginalized and oppressed such as racism, classism, misogyny, homophobia, etc….and the climb to even a moderate state of happiness, let alone the pinnacle, can seem arduous, if not downright impossible.

Sadly, for the majority of Americans overall, the happiness quotient is declining. In a survey of 2,345 U.S. adults conducted online between April 10 and 15, 2013, only a third of Americans (33 percent) reported being very happy. Senior Vice President of the Harris Poll, Regina Corso@rcorso, claims that the figure is an indication that “while attitudes on the economy may be improving ... this is not translating into an improvement in overall happiness.”

For minorities, the steady decline in happiness is even more pronounced.

Of African-Americans, the report states that a meager 36 percent identify as being very happy, down from 44% in 2011. In contrast, fewer than three in ten Hispanic Americans (28 percent) are very happy, which represents not only a decline from 2011 (35 percent) but also a significantly lower percentage than seen among either whites or African-Americans.

Bleak as these statistics may sound, technology may provide a diagnostic approach to helping experts develop policies, practices and panaceas to the rising phenomenon of unhappiness in America and beyond. In 2013,  U.S. scientists devised a happiness assessment tool called the hedonometer@hedonometer, which combs some 50 million updates on Twitter each day, analyzing them for “happy”, “sad” and “neutral” word content.  According to a report by The Huffington Post’s Mallika Rao,  happiness indexes like these may help inform U.S. politics with the goal of governing with a citizen’s inner life in mind. If an index finds that train travel causes less stress than driving, for example, funds might shift from highways to public transportation.

“It’s too early yet to gauge the results of these efforts,” she notes, “but in the wake of the global recession, the promise of the experiment still captivates cities, states and countries willing to try their chances.”

It certainly seems as if it makes ample economic sense to reform current, outmoded systems. Despite the onerous nature of the times we live in and the overwhelming sense of powerlessness that impedes even the most modest quest for happiness, sometimes all that it takes is a simple reminder that you’re in control. With the government and big business continuing to promote globalization and corporate power, people around the world are resisting those policies and starting to forge a very different future. Community infrastructures re-built on a more human scale combined with economies based on more egalitarian social and ecological values are giving rise to “localization”, or taking back control of the means of production, naturally affecting the happiness quotient in those communities, by encouraging more productivity and engagement.

An award-winning documentary film, The Economics of Happiness@theEofH, details the significance of this shift. Factoring in the social, spiritual, and ecological costs of today’s global economy, the film also highlights the many benefits of alternative local economies through showcasing some of the most notable steps people and communities are already taking worldwide.

Film contributor Jennifer Alig@jalig, President of Sustainable Oklahoma City, is consistently delighted by the growing number of residents that don’t just attend movie screenings of The Economics of Happiness, but also show up to plant food to feed the hungry and join work parties to feed neighborhoods using the products of thriving urban farms on vacant city lots. Alig notes, “After events, we sometimes use Open Space Technology to talk about topics that people are passionate about and willing to invest their time in.”

When asked what real world benefits exist utilizing these different economic modalities, Alig responded, “The kind of society that makes for health, happiness, true prosperity and sustainability is one with strong local economies and flourishing communities that includes many activities provided by local nonprofits. It’s one characterized by:

• Local small businesses and banking

• Farmers’ markets and urban gardens

• Urban designs that favor shared walks instead of isolated commutes

• Public spaces for social interaction

• Circumstances in which buyers know sellers

• Businesspeople that sponsor and volunteer for local activities

• Salary differences that are not vast

• Citizens building a better world together

Her ultimate conclusions mirror those of the film’s director and contributor John De Graaf and Linda Sechrist.

“We intuitively know what is required to create such a society, starting in our own community. What we need is the determination to make sure the economy serves us; rules that benefit all of the people; a commitment to widespread quality of life, social justice and sustainability; and the political will to make good change happen.”

Sources:

https://www.localfutures.org/programs/the-economics-of-happiness/

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/12/books/review/oh-joy.html

http://freakonomics.com/2010/09/15/the-black-white-happiness-gap-large-but-narrowing/

http://www.dailygood.org/story/119/economics-of-happiness-the-new-economy/