On March 20th, International Day of Happiness was celebrated. That day when we reflect on what makes us happy. And, more than that, we make a point of sharing it with everyone (on our social networks). Calm! It's not bad. But why does there need to be a specific day for happiness?
The idea for this International Day of Happiness was launched by Bhutan, a small Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas that, since 1972, has used ?Gross National Happiness? as its official statistic.
In 2012 the proposal was presented and approved by 193 countries. In 2013, the date was already marked on the official calendar of the United Nations, so that there would be «a more inclusive and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development and well-being».
The truth is? What good is economic growth if people are not happy? What good is economic growth if there is no equality in the distribution of wealth? What good is economic growth if we harm other areas of our lives, such as family, friends, a good work environment, health, peace or environmental sustainability?
It is also true that economy and happiness can coexist in the same formula. Which? The Happiness Economy.
The starting point is precisely the fact that human development indices, such as financial wealth or Gross Domestic Product, do not truly reflect the level of well-being and population satisfaction. Thus, the Economics of Happiness is a branch of economics that comes to be studied quantitatively human happiness.
How? Through measures of well-being, quality of life, satisfaction with life itself and society and several other variables related to the economy, but also to other social and political sciences.
It may seem ambiguous, but the Happiness Economy has produced solid and credible results capable of demonstrating what really makes people feel calm and happy and what leaves them dissatisfied and insecure, regardless of their personal finances.
One ??of the applications of the Happiness Economy is theWorld Happiness Report< /span> which develops its study along six lines ? Gross Domestic Product per capita, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, social support and absence of corruption ? and thus analyzes the degree of happiness and economic and social development of 156 nations.
No 2018 World Happiness Report< span style="font-weight: 400;">, Portugal was in 77th place. Let's wait for the results of 2019, until then:
Think social, change the rules!
Sources: Economic Newspaper, Knoow, UN News, UNRic< /p>
Rafaela de Melo
