27th Mar 2006
Are You Happy?
Are you happy? Do you think most people around you are happy? What about most people in your state or country?
Traditionally, economists have measured happiness in terms of income or in terms of spending power. On a larger scale, this translates into gross national product (gdp). But does how much you earn measure your happiness?
Carol Graham in At What Cost Happiness? in Science and Spirit describes how happiness is being measured.
This new line of research highlights the importance of looking at factors other than income when gauging well-being. Broadening the investigative scope will allow us to answer questions about societal, cultural, and physiological elements that may limit happiness, such as pervasive inequality, persistent violence, and emotional disorders—factors that fall outside the predictive powers of traditional economic indicators.
How would you measure happiness?
