The pursuit of bliss has driven mankind into a variety of activities- from praying to making money, and several others. But a journalist has actually gone to various countries to study how happy people there are. The result is a book, The Geography of Bliss. Written in a very engaging style, it starts with Netherlands, where happiness is a subject of university researchers, to Bhutan, which measures Gross National Happiness rather than Gross National Product, to Switzerland, Qatar, India, and a few other countries in between.
What happens everywhere is quite educational. The Himalayan country of Bhutan itself is a calming influence on visitors and residents alike. They look at life differently, not only materialistically. The residents want monarchy to continue, whereas the king wants to bring in democracy.
Happiness is linked to living in the present, paying attention to what we do, being nice to people, having some money (though not as much as we think), having unpredictability in life (even good things get monotonous after some time?), and above all, feeling you are linked to something or things beyond yourself- the cosmos, or ancestors, or future generations, other animate (or inanimate) beings, etc...
Switzerland is boring, Qatar has no culture (?), India is chaotic but has its fans who feel at home here (I am one), are some of the findings. I am yet to complete the book, but these nuggets of wisdom were endearing.
Happiness also may have something to do with age and marital status (this is my own theory)-children seem to be happy most of the time- the cribbing increases as we age..married people seem happy in spite of cribbing..a paradox?
What happens everywhere is quite educational. The Himalayan country of Bhutan itself is a calming influence on visitors and residents alike. They look at life differently, not only materialistically. The residents want monarchy to continue, whereas the king wants to bring in democracy.
Happiness is linked to living in the present, paying attention to what we do, being nice to people, having some money (though not as much as we think), having unpredictability in life (even good things get monotonous after some time?), and above all, feeling you are linked to something or things beyond yourself- the cosmos, or ancestors, or future generations, other animate (or inanimate) beings, etc...
Switzerland is boring, Qatar has no culture (?), India is chaotic but has its fans who feel at home here (I am one), are some of the findings. I am yet to complete the book, but these nuggets of wisdom were endearing.
Happiness also may have something to do with age and marital status (this is my own theory)-children seem to be happy most of the time- the cribbing increases as we age..married people seem happy in spite of cribbing..a paradox?
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