PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
By Uma Devarajan
I t has been the substance of countless theories and introspections. And yet the elusive entity that we call happpiness continues to baffle.
Much like a mutant strain that refuses to be tamed, happiness has out grown the purview of self-help gurus and couch-consultants and spilled over into the province of sociologists and economists. From being a deeply personal and subjective phenomenon, the pursuit of happiness has now become a global aspiration – one that plays a major role in determing a country’s evolving graph. More = Happy?
A recent survey conducted by amongst by MTV Networks International, 5,400 youngsters in 14 countries, found Indian youth to be the happiest in the world. It’s Wellbeing Index pointed out that nearly 60 per cent of Indians in the 16-34 age group found a correlation between religion and happiness. A majority of young Indians who admitted to being happy were found to be religious too. The cash-rich Japanese formed the other end of the spectrum and were said to be least happy.
But the perception of happiness has changed with times believes Mumbaibased psychiatrist Dr Y.A. Matcheswalla, who adds that while happiness was viewed as a state where all desires were non-existent, today it is viewed as possessing a big bank balance, luxury or power. “Money, power and success cannot give you happiness. Happiness can only be had when one lives a balanced lifestyle and uses communication as an effective tool to combat sadness, and when one’s psycho-neuroendocrinal chemical axis is in harmony,” he says.
However yoga guru Bharat Thakur believes that material pleasures in addition to emotional contentment are vital requisites to happiness. “A combination of external and internal factors lead to complete contentment. To be happy one needs to know that one is not passing the time – it is time that is passing by you. Every fraction of a second you are dying – yet you don’t celebrate death. The more you conquer your fear of death, the happier you are.” The academic answer T he academia on its part is warming up to the idea of taking the happiness of its scholars under its wing. Harvard University started a course last year on Positive Psychology that focuses on creating, as the course description puts it, “‘a fulfilling and flourishing life”. Judging by the popularity of the course, it would seem that a lot of smart kids are now more dedicated to making a difference than making a dividend. At least, they would learn in a small way that money doesn’t buy happiness.
Such courses would be equally appreciated in India too, feels Dr. Chandrahauns Chavan, Director of the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute Of Management Studies in Mumbai. The institute encourages its students to take up ‘Art of Living’ courses, but Dr Chavan is skeptical about how far lecture hall teaching can go to help attain happiness. “Happiness is a state of mind. It cannot be taught in a classroom. It would involve a lot of introspection, self evaluation and self realisation,” he says. The spiritual connection T he quest for happiness remains eternal and never-ending. We appear to experi ence happiness momentarily, while the rest of the time we are simply chasing it.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation, says that if there is one thing that everyone runs after, it is happiness. “Momentary happiness is something that has no end. It is like a journey towards wanting more. Permanent happiness is what you are. In the Upanishads it is said that the happiness of Samadhi is million times greater than any other happiness.”
There could possibly be as many attitudes to happiness as there are people to express them. “Happiness cannot be pursued – it happens on its own. It is an amalgamation of material, physical, social and spiritual well-being,” says Bharat Thakur. A state of mind D r Madan Kataria, founder of the Laughter Yoga Club International, calls happiness a conditional response. “There is a difference between happiness and joyfulness. Unconditional commitment to have fun is joy. Happiness is a fleeting mental concept and can only be achieved through joy. When your perception of the world changes, the negativity vanishes.”
Television actress Renuka Shahane believes in the adage that happiness is a state of mind. “I’m a happy person because whatever I do, I do with a lot of honesty. I can take a lot of criticism and can easily laugh at myself. I can see humour even in the worst of situations.”
Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav recollects the time when he bagged the role in Main Madhuri Dikshit Banna Chahti Hoon as the one moment that brought sheer joy to his own life. “The joy may become smaller later, but that moment of happiness is forever frozen in time.” The economic quotient I t is not just individual opinion that matters any more. The world is now fast swinging to the belief that happiness is a burden of the state. Governments are taking a leap into the unchartered territory of providing happiness to their citizens.
“In broader terms, ensuring access to basic needs and the means to a secure livelihood has to be on the political agenda of any party if it wants to carry the people with it. Beyond that it becomes more micro in terms of every individual having to decide where to draw the line for happiness,” says economist RV Bhavani.
The concept, however, is not entirely new. Its unlikely origin lies in a tiny Himalayan state that time forgot. Where Bhutan could not hope to compete with the balance sheets of most nations, it managed to cock a snook at the world 35 years ago by declaring the Gross National Happiness (GNH) of its people as its principal objective.
Intangible and difficult to determine, happiness appears to traverse all paths. From the individual to the collective, from the national to the global, it turns a full circle and comes back to within one’s heart. Experts believe that true joy lies not in chasing happiness but looking inwards and finding reasons to feel happy. Often it’s the simple pleasures of life that make us happiest at all times.
CITY: HYDERABAD CITY: DELHI HAPPINESS SCALE:
7/10 9/10 FIVE IMPORTANT FACTORS: Love, Acceptence, Kindness, Success and Humour Love, Opportunity, Recreation, Friendship and Family CAN HAPPINESS BE TAUGHT? I don’t think happiness can be taught and it need not be taught. Happiness is our intrinsic nature… our true state.
For me happiness has always been about what I derive from all that I choose to do and surround myself with.
IS INDIA THE HAPPIEST NATION IN WORLD? Indians have been blessed with the ability to accept things as they come. And acceptance is definitely leads to inner happiness.
Happiness is not a contest, nor can it be compared with the standard rules of relativity. It has a different metric in every context.
CITY: MUMBAI HAPPINESS SCALE:
8/10 8/10 FIVE IMPORTANT FACTORS: Happiness with my girlfriend, Football, Friends, Movies and Work Quality of life, Friends, Work, Food and Challenges.
CAN HAPPINESS BE TAUGHT? You can teach people to be less depressed and more satisfied. This in turn can lead to happiness… but you can’t teach someone to be happy.
Perhaps. Who knows, unless you try it. Though it’s a really sad state of affairs, if you ‘need’ a course that teaches you to be happy.
IS INDIA THE HAPPIEST NATION IN WORLD? Agree. Look at people in Mumbai. The city is so cramped up, the residents travel long distances and yet they’re able to survive. Some say these people have no choice but people learn to find happiness.
Agree. I think that means we have good sex lives, we fight all the time so that way we give vent to our frustration. We say what we want and speak our minds, so we feel lighter.
CITY: CHENNAI HAPPINESS SCALE:
8/10 4/10 FIVE IMPORTANT FACTORS: Chill out time, Money, Surfing, Travelling and Positive experiences My son, Wife, Job, Money and The good life CAN HAPPINESS BE TAUGHT? Everyone has a different perception of happiness and one needs to discover the feeling on his own rather than being forced to feeling happy.
No, happiness can’t be taught nor can you buy it. While not everyone is happy at the same time it is something we need to work towards.
IS INDIA THE HAPPIEST NATION IN WORLD? Disagree. We have enough problems of our own and our society too.
Indians are a content lot and they try to be happy with their lives.
HAPPINESS SCALE: 10/10 8/10 FIVE IMPORTANT FACTORS: Success, Family support, Entertainment, Friends and Medita i n to Good health, Emotional well being, Money, Peace and Friends CAN HAPPINESS BE TAUGHT? Teaching will play its own role in making one happy – you can share your bad moments with friends and family members.
One can be taught the theory of how to achieve happiness, but it is really something reflective – something that comes from within.
IS INDIA THE HAPPIEST NATION IN WORLD? Young people are happy till they complete their studies. But once they leave college the struggle begins. Still, most people do find happiness in life.
We represent a healthy blend of traditional values and the modern jet-set life. Strong religious beliefs lead to a more balanced approach towards life.
source: Deccan Chronicle (2.9.2007)
