Gross National Happiness
The former Mayor of Sebastopol, Larry Robinson, wrote a column in our local paper that really provoked my thinking. He mentioned that the nation of Bhutan has, since 1972, used an unusual concept for measuring human progress, called "Gross National Happiness". Contrast that with our traditional measure, Gross National Product, which measures all economic activity, good and bad, like food and shelter, clothing, bombs, prisons, traffic accidents, and widgit production. It quantifies how fast we are getting "there" but ignores the goal. The goal should be a measure of the maximum good for the majority of people.
It could include the environment, family health and safety, justice, freedom. It could measure how successfully a proposed new law would help a majority of people rather than benefitting only a few.
Bhutan's model includes four pillars to be considered in all proposals: good governance,equitable economic development,environmental sustainability and cultural integrity. The fundamental question regarding new proposals is whether or not they will lead to greater happiness.
What a shift in national consciousness this would be. Of course the likelihood of a change like this by fiat is about the same as massive funding for the new "Peace Department", that is, not so likely. It would require a huge increase in citizen awareness to expose the influences of the PTB in proposing and accomplishing modifications to our laws. So much of the thrust of new laws and so many of the court decisions seem designed to harm rather than help, tear down rather than build up. I hope we can do better while there's still time.
A little heavy for a kitchen table discussion, I know. But direction is important and it's been said "How will you know when you've arrived if you don't know where you're going?"
Let's hope we know where we're going.
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