Isn’t it high time the South African government understood how to enhance our gross national happiness?
South Africa is one of the unhappiest nations on this earth. We’re not as miserable as Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia or Angola, but we come in at a lowly 118 out of 143 nations measured in the Happy Planet Index. A survey conducted by the New Economics Foundation, the Happy Planet Index reveals “the ecological efficiency with which human well-being is delivered”.
The Happy Planet Index is similar to Bhutan’s concept of Gross National Happiness, which puts the well-being of people and the planet first when making economic policy. It is a pioneering way of measuring national “success”, which was introduced in 1972 by the then King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
The drive behind this unique way of looking at economic development was Buddhist spiritual values, and it remains Bhutan’s central focus for matters related to economic growth and development. This approach is a radical departure from most other countries that make productivity and economic growth the driving force of their vision and strategic planning.
Replacing productivity with happiness There are four pillars when it comes to the Gross National Happiness model, and Bhutan has learned that “happiness” is driven by sustainable development, the preservation and promotion of cultural values, good governance, and the conservation of nature. If those four aspects are in check then the rulers of Bhutan know they are on the right track to enhancing national happiness.
Little wonder then that Bhutan does well in the “happiness” survey, and currently ranks as the 17th happiest country in the world. The 10 top happiest places in the world, according to the index and listed in descending order, are Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guatemala, Vietnam, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Brazil and Honduras. Other happy hotspots include Nicaragua, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Argentina and Indonesia.
Sad state: South Africa comes in at a lowly 118 out of 143 nations measured in the Happy Planet Index.
What’s interesting about Costa Rica is that apart from having the highest “happiness” score, it has the second-highest average life expectancy in the world, second only to Canada. Then notice how many of the happiest countries are situated in Latin America, or are islands?
Money can’t buy contentment By contrast, how happy are developed nations? It appears that wealth can’t buy happiness. Rich developed nations fall in the middle ground, according to the index. The highest placed is the Netherlands at 43, with the United Kingdom coming in at a midline medium, scoring 74 out of 143. Like South Africa, the United States isn’t fairing too well and is in the bottom percentile, taking up position 114.
Unfortunately, misery seems to be a sub-Saharan epidemic. The report says the “bottom 10 Happy Planet Index scores were all suffered by sub-Saharan African countries, with Zimbabwe bottom of the table, with a Happy Planet Index score of 16.6 out of 100”.
In summary, the report says: “The countries that are meant to represent successful development are some of the worst-performing in terms of sustainable well-being.”
Happiness doesn’t cost the earth Launched in July 2006 as a radical departure from the world’s obsession with GDP, the index identifies “health and a positive experience of life as universal human goals, and the natural resources that our human systems depend upon as fundamental inputs. A successful society is one that can support good lives that don’t cost the Earth”.
This thinking behind the Happy Planet Index and Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness concept is starting to resonate with the rest of the world. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is looking at new ways of measuring progress that will focus on human well-being. In March this year, the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group on Wellbeing Economics met for the first time to look at well-being as a national meter, national goal and complementary measure to GDP. Well-being and happiness projects have been launched in Belgium, Italy, Canada and Australia.
Back home, a tsunami of stories on greed, corruption and self-interest flood the South African media, while our leadership is enraged in debates about nationalisation and other mechanisms to enable crony capitalism, entitlement and quick access to high-paying government work. This debate, often reframed with racial metaphors, attendant name-calling and mudslinging further obfuscate the real issues at hand.
Before the next round of service-delivery riots begin, perhaps our leaders can leave the cursing and corruption aside for long enough to ponder on the concept of happiness. Perhaps they could learn from what other nations are doing to build national well-being, and start becoming obsessed with improving South Africa’s gross national happiness, instead of wealth, privilege and power.
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22 Responses to “How happy are you?”
RSA is dying (Aids/poverty) on its feet midst obscene wealth.
Dakota Native American tribal wisdom says:
“When you discover you are riding a dead horse, (Parastatals), the best strategy is to dismount and get a different horse.”
In government, education and corporate SA, more advanced strategies are employed for DEAD horse,
1. Get a stronger whip.
2. Change - riders.
3. Appoint a committee - to study the horse.
4. Visit other countries - to see how other cultures ride dead horses.
5. Lower standards - so the dead horse can be included.
6. Reclassify - the dead horse as ‘living impaired’.
7. Hire outside contractors - to ride the dead horse.
8. Harness several dead horses - together to increase speed.
9. Provide additional funding - and / or training to increase dead horse’s performance.
10. Do productivity study - to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse’s performance.
11. Declare - that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overheads and so contributes more to the bottom line of the economy than other horses.
12. Rewrite - expected performance requirements for all horses.
…
BEST STRATEGY
13. Promote the dead horse to supervisory position!
Hi Mandy,
Interesting survey indeed…but did you know that most of the top ten countries in the ‘happy’ list are also countries that make the major list of drug producing countries?
A 2004 list of the ‘major’ countries:
Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
You might state that this is an old list, but I recently watched a show by Bruce Perry travelling at some of these countries: that show was recent and very revealing!
Amongst many things, the show revealed the deseases that the common unwealthy citizens suffer, the starvation, the sexual crimes against poor and unprotected women and the major corruptions happening in order to sustain the drug world…what does this mean for the economic development of those countries?
Do you by any chance have the demographical information of the sample data for the survey? Could it have been the very people enjoying the products from which many of the poorer people die from?
The point I am trying to make is that, many people keep condemning South Africa as if we’re all walking around with misery in our lives, which is absolute nonsense. Happiness as much as it is a state of mind, is informed by many aspects, one of them being access to basic needs…let’s focus our energy in providing these needs before deciding our fate on surveys.
The ANC has made so many promises that they have no hope of delivering so there is no need for them to waste the treasury on lost causes. Rather make the few fat cats fatter and to hell with everyone else.
Overcoming poverty is a myth that has endured for many thousands of years and will continue to do so.
The poor are only good to vote and nothing else and unfortunately they vote for the biggest promises, not the best party options for the future. One man one vote means that someone like Bobby Godsell who had the future of millions in his care, has a vote that is equal to someone who cannot even sign their names? democracy does not work in Africa. It’s only purpose is to gain control of the countries bank account and resources and spend it to the benefit of the ruling party members (some of them that is).
Well, ‘old, female’, you actually made me laugh. Was that original?
As for Mandy, I think she has a point. While running piped water, electricity and free homes were meant to make poor South Africans happy, in 15 years, they don’t seem much happier.
But with a couple of bucks in his pocket, any man feels like a king; has choices to make and can consider what to do with them. Same applies to any woman.
And that spells: J-O-B.
I long since accepted that the new, but somewhat now jaded, South Africa wants me as unhappy as it can get me. I’m one of a great, washed minority. It’s these minorities, though, that have staying power and I’ve learnt to be a lot happier on my own.
Unfortunately, poor South Africans now believe that the only things that can make them happy are running piped water, electricity and free homes.
Any changes government made, would need an entire lifetime of re-education, if the promotion of Aids-awareness is anything to go by.
Just imagine if all the money government uses to promote itself and its programmes were put into service delivery? The prmotion isn’t necessary; we can’t change the service (non) providers, they were voted in!
Poor Zimbabwe! I’m not too sure about Saudi Arabia - sharia law, beheadings, oppressed women - eish! I think the Mandy’s survey only targeted men. But she’s right - everytime I drive past our Mbare Slums [slightly better than your Khayelitsha], the kids playing in the sewer river look happy!
@old,female: “RSA is dying (Aids/poverty) on its feet midst obscene wealth.” I would say you need to clarify that statement. South Africa has one of the highest Gini coefficients or measures of inequality in income or wealth in the world. The rest of your comment, though satirical in nature, doesn’t add much value and as such doesn’t warrant any further comment.
@Lu: If you quote data you need to at least offer a source, so that it can be verified as accurate and true. Then your data is old and could be outdated, and as such doesn’t offer much credibility or weight to your assumptions. Then the Happy Planet Index is based on credible research. Lastly take a stroll through the Eastern Cape which is one of SA’s most impoverished provinces, or through Orange Farm or Alexandra. Even better through the Central Methodist Church - then let’s talk about attitude again. You can’t make assumptions regarding attitude based solely on your state of mind, class and relative privilege.
@Greg: Don’t you know what SA is called in Africa? The United States of Africa. We are seen as the seen as the brash, arrogant and lesser loved state of the continent. Just as the US was increasingly unloved abroad, so too SA has achieved a really bad reputation in Africa.
“Overcoming poverty” is a phrase that should read “politicians should plunder less”. This continent is the richest on the planet in terms of mineral wealth; oil, gas, gold, platinum, chrome, coal iron ore, nickel, you name it Africa has it, in absolute abundance.
So why do we also have the poorest people on the planet? Ask a politician/dicatator and listen to him blame colonial oppression, never mind that it has been gone for decades, only to be replaced with civil wars, fat cat gravy trainers, crooked business etc. We, the man in the street and the major ta payers have fuck all to make us happy….enlighten me if I’m wrong, please!
NO - it is not my composition but I also thought it so clever and accurate; that I had to pass it on. The young people today astound me with such brilliant lateral thinking.
I am delighted to see names of new readers and bloggers, as that means my nation is waking up to reality of a failing state-in-being.
Its the new generation who has to carry the torch to save our most beautiful, beloved birth, and homeland of our forefathers.
Force your government to provide you with the happiness you deserve by giving your vote - that also has to be deserved.
WHEN BROKEN GO ON SPENDING SPREE !
” The City of Johannesburg has written off a staggering R2.8-billion in debt - or a 10th of its 2009-2010 budget.
Miss World contestants arrive in SA
Despite this shortfall, city mayor Amos Masondo led a 16-member delegation on a costly 10-day trip to four countries last month as part of a “study tour” aimed at bolstering “service delivery”.
Johannesburg has also come under fire for spending R45-million to host the Miss World pageant for the second year running, amid accusations that the city is cash-strapped. ”
This is Times original to whom I owe my thanks and Mayor for proving a POINT.
i am a zimbabwean i want to tell Mandy de Waal we a not miserable even though we haven been in a tight position the past couple of years we have never been miserable we jus live life the way it is the way it comes if you a miserable in your own rights and life dont compare your own life with us cause you dont know us and you will never know us live us alone.
Huffington Post created the RMI (Real Misery Index). Like most tongue-in-cheek “indices”, it has more than a modicum of truth in it. Much, much, much more. Basically it measures how truly miserable people (in it’s case, Yanks) are by multiplying GDP with percentage drops, times CPI, times drops in housing prices, times health costs, times unemployment levels, times insolvencies and so on.
The USA clocks in at around 23.3 while SA recently topped out at 69.7.
At the end of the day though the suicide rate is disturbingly accurate measure, if not of general levels of unhappiness, then most definitely of the levels of unhappiness that drive good, decent, rational, normal folk - like top Afrikaans journalist, Chris Louw - to see no future other than death. Against this measure, South Africans are among the most unhappy, disillusioned and suicidal nations on the planet. Someone tries to kill himself/herself every 30 seconds (more women than men) and 18 succeed EVERY DAY (more men than women, because of choice of method) Chris chose an AK-47 - pretty decisive and his reason as recorded in a note left behind - he was “gatvol”.
That’s a very common complaint in SA today. Given that there’s so very little to be joyful or optimistic about in SA, the numbers of us who are gatvol to the point of complete despair and hopelessness are growing faster than they should. Faster than any country has cause to be proud of.
@ Justice! You certainly took the words out of my mouth. I am also a ZImbo in the diaspora and I am always amazed at the strength that people back home display. Granted the situation has not been the easiest but you don’t find people feeling sorry for themselves.. Zimbos make some sort of plan to survive and thats the reason why that country is still standing today.
Justice - the fact that Zimbabwe is miserable is not my own opinion, but the basis of research done by The Happy Planet index, and which is based on Gallup Polls and other research. You can read more about the research here: http://www.happyplanetindex.org/
@ Mandy -
No doubt it is too obscure in our country that excels in obfuscation. I apologise for offending you
“RSA is dying (Aids/poverty) on its feet midst obscene wealth.” I would say you need
……..to clarify that statement.”
My comment is a METAPHOR for the present condition of our country - its happiness and self-esteem.
I’ll analyse it for you.
“dying in its feet:: soon to be extinct as the dodo (Once the Engine of the African Continent.)
i.e. “walking dead people” (no expectations) who have aids and - die daily from starvation.
i.e. extreme poverty and disease of the masses,
MAJORITY at the lowest spectrum of misery apropos your index.
“midst “: surrounded by, whilst there is, its occurring
“obscene”; offensive in RSA circumstances of the majority
“wealth” : meaning money, possessions, power, status
i.e majority would be HAPPY with lowest basic necessities as per Maxwell pyramid.
The sentence :
DESCRIBES disparity between people in the same country !
The ‘dead horse’ flogging concept - in which you did not see the relevance:
explains the cause of a “dying” RSA - a country that has so much wealth and skills which could be used to
- bring happiness to our people
- with an efficient government with the power to do so
- that is not as self-serving as our leaders
Dead horse is the “blame game” of others’ guilt not ANC
- previous regimes,
- present racist attitudes etc. etc. etc.
ANC “flogs a dead horse” - its tiresome and overused.
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profile
Mandy de Waal is a columnist, writer and journalist. A former broadcast journalist, de Waal is writes for The Daily Maverick, Noseweek, ITWeb, MarkLives, Brandchannel and MarkMagazine. She is the editor of MandyLives!com. She is part of the judging panel of the Discovery Health Journalism Awards and the MPASA PICA Awards. In her spare time she writes poetry and fiction.
Read her blog Artificial Intelligence: Articles, essays and riffs about new media, media, branding, economics and current events.
The Daily Maverick The Daily Maverick is a unique blend of news, information, analysis and opinion delivered from our newsroom in Johannesburg, South Africa. There are many ways to describe exactly what we do (and for the price of a cup of coffee we'll talk your ears off about it), but the best way to understand the end result is to experience it. Every part of The Daily Maverick is free-to-air and no-payment-required, although free registration is required for a small subset of functions and pages.
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RSA is dying (Aids/poverty) on its feet midst obscene wealth.
Dakota Native American tribal wisdom says:
“When you discover you are riding a dead horse, (Parastatals), the best strategy is to dismount and get a different horse.”
In government, education and corporate SA, more advanced strategies are employed for DEAD horse,
1. Get a stronger whip.
2. Change - riders.
3. Appoint a committee - to study the horse.
4. Visit other countries - to see how other cultures ride dead horses.
5. Lower standards - so the dead horse can be included.
6. Reclassify - the dead horse as ‘living impaired’.
7. Hire outside contractors - to ride the dead horse.
8. Harness several dead horses - together to increase speed.
9. Provide additional funding - and / or training to increase dead horse’s performance.
10. Do productivity study - to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse’s performance.
11. Declare - that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overheads and so contributes more to the bottom line of the economy than other horses.
12. Rewrite - expected performance requirements for all horses.
…
BEST STRATEGY
13. Promote the dead horse to supervisory position!
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