Finding a Life Manual

Bhutanese believe happiness equals wanting what you have — imagine gratitude — divided by having what you want — gratification. The Bhutanese aren’t on some aspirational treadmill, constantly focused on what they don’t have. Their religion, their isolation, their deep respect for their culture and now the principles of their GNH movement all have fostered a sense of gratitude about what they do have. How many of us here, as TEDsters in the audience, spend more of our time in the bottom half of this equation, in the denominator? We are a bottom-heavy culture in more ways than one.

The reality is, in Western countries, quite often we do focus on the pursuit of happiness as if happiness is something that we have to go out — an object that we’re supposed to get, or maybe many objects. Actually, in fact, if you look in the dictionary, many dictionaries define pursuit as to “chase with hostility.” Do we pursue happiness with hostility? Good question. But back to Bhutan.

Bhutan’s actually bordered on its north and south by 38 percent of the world’s population. Could this little country, like a startup in a mature industry, be the spark plug that actually influences a 21st century of middle-class in China and India? Bhutan’s actually created the ultimate export, a new global currency of well-being. And there are 40 countries around the world today that are actually studying their own GNH. You may have heard, this last fall, Nicolas Sarkozy in France, announcing the results of an 18-month study by two Nobel economists, focusing on happiness and wellness in France. Sarkozy suggested that world leaders should stop myopically focusing on GDP and consider a new index, what some French are calling a “joie de vivre index.” I like it. Co-branding opportunities.