A news article in Hindustan Times ranks India 139 out of 149 countries on the Happiness Index. After India, the next ten countries on the World Happiness Report 2021 rankings are Burundi, Yemen, Tanzania, Haiti, Malawi, Lesotho, Botswana, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Afghanistan. Seems like all our neighbours are happier than us. Our ranking has improved from 144 out of 156 countries.
This report allows for multiple conclusions. Critics will note our 5-place improvement, despite there being fewer participating countries this year. To put it in better perspective we were ranked 111 in 2013 out of 156 countries, so the trend is as important as the absolute ranking. There will be enough naysayers saying sample size etc. but is this the reality?
Economically perhaps we are better off than we were earlier but are we happier? Should we worry or be happy that Bangladesh is likely to surpass us in terms of per capita GDP? Being the top student in class puts immense pressure on a child, as others are constantly trying to surpass them. But is the first ranker happy or the guy on the last bench bringing up the rear happier? At one of our school reunions (10 years back) a classmate came in a luxury car. Everyone was stunned not because of the luxury car but no one could place him as a high achiever in school. In fact the rankers in schools were perhaps not the most successful professionally (if one uses a career as a barometer), but maybe they were happier to be out of the rat race.
Happiness also means lot of different things to different people and quite often is confused with fun, joy etc. Happiness is a state of well being/mind rather than exhibited behaviours. A brooding psychologist does not mean s/he's unhappy; perhaps s/he loves brooding and is happiest in that state.
The narrative today is shaped by political and religious leaders, CEO's and elders in the family and quite often our responses are reactive when someone else shapes our actions. It is time we literally took charge and learn to be happy and make others happy as well.
Cheers and have a good weekend.
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