The Secret To Happiness

It may appear strange to discuss happiness when the world has only recently recovered from the devastation caused by the Covid pandemic that lasted two years. Or witnessed much strife, such as the crippling war in Ukraine, which, if allowed to fester, could lead to a war of the worlds. Or to ring in the new year joyfully when there are dire predictions of a global recession that could result in massive job losses, high inflation, and increased misery.

Yet it is precisely for this reason that we should be seeking answers to the secrets of happiness. For, as Mahatma Gandhi put it, "Strength does not come from winning. Strength is demonstrated when you face adversity and refuse to surrender." So it is with the pursuit of happiness: how do you rise even as you continue to fall and live anew? Accepting that the world was full of suffering was the first of the Buddha's four noble truths. The last three are about the causes and paths to moksha, or ultimate liberation from the seemingly endless cycle of birth and death. The quest then becomes determining how best to accomplish this.

Since 2012, the United Nations has commissioned an independent agency to compile a World Happiness Report and rank the happiest countries. The global survey uses three key indicators of happiness to assess a country's happiness: the person's current life evaluation, positive emotions, and negative effects. Surprisingly, the study discovered that positive emotions such as laughter, enjoyment, or learning something new appear twice as frequently in the responses as negative emotions such as worry, sadness, and anger. The world appears to be learning to cope far better than it did previously.

In the current edition of the World Happiness Report, India, however, finds itself at the bottom of the list, trailing even Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Finland leads the ranking, followed by a number of other Scandinavian countries, with a combination of material well-being, social cohesion, and a sense of ownership in government policy providing them with a decisive advantage. India, on the other hand, can take heart from the fact that its citizens are not required to adhere to such narrow definitions of what constitutes contentment.

According to the same study, the phrase "happiness" has occurred more frequently in the last decade than the phrases "gross domestic product" (GDP), "livelihood, and income," the older markers of progress, both of which have seen a decline in usage.

So here we are at the start of a new year, contemplating how to navigate the twists and turns of life and deal with them with an equanimity that redefines the concept of happiness. Not as a national quest to increase GDP or any personal search for material and physiological comfort, but as the many gurus who have contributed to this special issue on happiness have discussed—the art of not just living, but of giving and finding the elusive state of bliss in that sharing.

You'll also find heartwarming stories in the issue about role models who gave up their own comforts to make others happy. There are notable individuals whose various definitions of happiness have caused us to reflect on how we view the ultimate truth of our existence and the paths we can take to achieve or experience it. So sit back and enjoy the ride.

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We will tell you that you should always be happy no matter how difficult the situation is and face every difficult situation firmly.

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