Gross National Happiness

[Tony]

The latest wheeze by the Government is an idea to begin measuring the nations Happiness Index.

 

They want to know how good you feel. They want to improve your well-being.

 

Now for a moment put your in-bred Sheffield cynicism to one side and have a bit of a think. Gross National Happiness was developed in Bhutan where they now focus on what makes the nation happier rather than just what makes them richer or idler or fatter or thinner. After all, that's what really matters at the end of the day isn't it?

 

www.grossnationalhappiness.com

 

So, will anyone take it seriously or is this a chance for different things to become important for a change - i.e. the stuff that we really want?

[Tony]

More in this news report

 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i9y6dbt_d-aRl0xQvJtKNqaCjrDQ?docId=CNG.907abc4d81c3c1c9a87d6f7bd7a18808.181

[Wildcat]

What's the difference between this and the gini coefficient?

[evildrneil]

Theoretically it's a fabulous idea - unfortunately to work it would require such a HUGE culture shift from an essentially unballanced, competetive, centralised and (more or less) authoritarian cutlure to a more egalitarian, equal and co-operative one. Sheffield bred cynicism aside I don't see it happening to be honest

[L00b]

what makes the nation happier

Stop the constant dooming-&-glooming in the media (everybody knows we're in it up to our ears by now), and let people (and trust people to) get on with it.

 

This should produce a measurable improvement in the "Nation's Happiness" overnight

[Wildcat]

Theoretically it's a fabulous idea - unfortunately to work it would require such a HUGE culture shift from an essentially unballanced, competetive, centralised and (more or less) authoritarian cutlure to a more egalitarian, equal and co-operative one. Sheffield bred cynicism aside I don't see it happening to be honest

 

Indeed all the evidence shows that more equal societies are the happiest, why I am suspicious of the condems using a new measure rather than an established one.

[spooky3]

Are you happier now under Cameron or were you happier before under Gordon?

 

Nowts changed!

[Tony]

Indeed all the evidence shows that more equal societies are the happiest, why I am suspicious of the condems using a new measure rather than an established one.

 

You'll be happy then since the UK's Gini Coefficient* exceeds that of Bhutan.

 

Rather than pick political holes in it what do you think of the principle?

 

 

 

 

 

*The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion developed by the Italian statistician Corrado Gini and published in his 1912 paper "Variability and Mutability" (Italian: Variabilità e mutabilità).

[spooky3]

Rather than pick political holes in it what do you think of the principle?

 

 

More human rights conflicts anyone?

[Lotusflower]

Indeed all the evidence shows that more equal societies are the happiest, why I am suspicious of the condems using a new measure rather than an established one.

 

Same old smoke...same old mirrors...same old mind games.

 

The "spin" has reached a level where they are actually reinventing the meaning of words. Thankfully you can't fool all of the people all of the time.