Yes, that remote kingdom in the Himalayas seems to be some sort of Bhutanical garden (sorry, couldn’t resist!).
How so? Consider these questions:
- What is happiness? How is it measured?
- What is a healthy society? How is it measured?
Well, it seems that Bhutan has found a new way to measure happiness — and it isn’t reduced down to an economic statistic like per capita GDP. Rather, it’s what is called G.N.H., or Gross National Happiness.
Sound corny? It is, sort of, but it could be argued that our concept of happiness as linked to economic prosperity is flawed in its fundamental reductionism. Perhaps a fuller, more inclusive understanding of happiness is indeed necessary.
For more, see this recent post at The Reaction, where I delve into the nature of happiness (no, it’s not a warm gun) and the Bhutanese alternative to our Western conceits.