A talk to the University of Washington Bothell Campus on happiness, gross national happiness, sustainability and a new economic paradigm

1. Give a Happiness Talk
How To
for your happiness initiative happycounts.org

2. Introductions
1. Who you are (name, organization,
position, where you are from)
2. What you want to get out of the
training
3. Why happiness?

4. The more we get together, together, togetherThe more we get together, together, together
The more we get together, the happier we’ll beThe more we get together, the happier we’ll be
‘cause your friends are my friends and my‘cause your friends are my friends and my
friends are your friends,friends are your friends,
The more we get together, the happier we’ll beThe more we get together, the happier we’ll be

5. My path to…My path to…
cottage
cottage
industry
industry
mommom
mba
mba
lawyer
lawyer
director of
director of
sustainability
sustainability
sustainable
sustainable
seattle
seattle
happiness
happiness
initiative
initiative
UNUN

6. What is Your Path to Happiness?What is Your Path to Happiness?

7. What makes you happy?What makes you happy?
guided exerciseguided exercise
thingsthings
activitiesactivities
peoplepeople

8. Material Well-BeingMaterial Well-Being
Meaningful WorkMeaningful Work
Social SupportSocial Support
Democratic ProcessDemocratic Process
GenerosityGenerosity
ValuesValues
FamilyFamily

9. Three things you can do forThree things you can do for
your happiness:your happiness:
GratitudeGratitude
GivingGiving
CompassionCompassion

10. Gross Domestic ProductGross Domestic Product
What GDP counts:
+ goods and services sold
+ oil spills, natural and
manmade disasters
+ illness and death
+ divorce
+ accidents
What GDP does not count:
- time with friends & family
- volunteering, participating
in democratic process
- gardening, educating
yourself
- walking for exercise
the sum of all good and
services produced in a year

11. Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellenceToo much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence
and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our grossand community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our gross
national product ... if we should judge America by that - counts air pollutionnational product ... if we should judge America by that - counts air pollution
and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. Itand cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It
counts special locks for our doors and the jails for those who break them. Itcounts special locks for our doors and the jails for those who break them. It
counts the destruction of our redwoods and the loss of our natural wonder incounts the destruction of our redwoods and the loss of our natural wonder in
chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and the cost of a nuclear warhead, andchaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and the cost of a nuclear warhead, and
armored cars for police who fight riots in our streets. It counts Whitman's riflearmored cars for police who fight riots in our streets. It counts Whitman's rifle
and Speck's knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in orderand Speck's knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order
to sell toys to our children.to sell toys to our children.
Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, theYet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the
quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include thequality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the
beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of ourbeauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our
public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our witpublic debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit
nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassionnor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion
nor our devotion to our countrynor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that; it measures everything, in short, except that
which makes life worthwhile.which makes life worthwhile. And it tells us everything about America exceptAnd it tells us everything about America except
why we are proud that we are Americans.why we are proud that we are Americans.
- Robert Kennedy- Robert Kennedy

12. Does GDP make us happy?
GDP in the US has
more than tripled
since 1950s.
Adjusted per capita
GDP since 1960 has
doubled since 2010
Happiness hasremained stagnant
and even fallen

13. Easterlin Paradox
40 year study of nations across the globe
Up to a salary of $75K
for family of four, long
and short term
happiness increases a
lot with more money
After a salary of
$75K, long term
happiness increases
are marginal or non-
existent, short term
increases in
happiness do occur.

15. ...and what about the wealth of...and what about the wealth of
our nation?our nation?

18. nothingnothing

19. The United States has the widest gap between
rich and poor of any wealthy country.
The Nation, Unjust Spoils, Robert Reich

20. A New Economic Paradigm
Gross National Happiness is
more important than Gross
National Product
Gross National Happiness is
more important than Gross
National Product
Jigme Singye Wangchuk
King of Bhutan 1972

21. UN Resolution
Towards a Holistic Approach
to Sustainable Development

22. The spread of happiness
United KingdomUnited Kingdom
FranceFrance
CanadaCanada
BrazilBrazil
AustraliaAustralia
China…andChina…and herehere

23. Happiness Initiatives

24. Gross
National
Happiness
- Material
Wellbeing/Standard of
Living
- Work
- Time
Balance
- Arts &
Culture
- Education
- Environment
- Governance
- Health
- Community
- Social
Support
- Affect
(feelings)
- Satisfaction with Life - Psychological
Wellbeing
Domain icons by Joumana Medlej at majnouna.com

25. Your GNH Index Scores

26. Purpose of government &
life
Why measure happiness?
Granularity and defining
issues
Capture the unobservable
Perception of hurting or
thriving
A “guide societies toward
desirable futures” in an
experimenting society
Inclusivity – you are the data

28. Time Balance
In a typical week, how much of your time
are you able to spend doing the kinds of
things that you enjoy?
None of my time
Not much of my time
Some of my time
Most of my time
All of my time

30. The US is the only wealthy nation without
Paid Sick Leave
Paid Vacation and Holidays
Paid Maternity or Paternity Leave

31. Sick Leave Ordinances
City of San Francisco- Ch. 12W of
SF Administrative Code in Paid
Sick Leave Ordinance includes
part time and temp workers
City of Seattle ordinance 123698
– municipal code for paid sick
leave and paid safe time

32. Environment
How satisfied with you are the efforts
being made to preserve the natural
environment in your neighborhood.
Very dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied
Satisfied
Very Satisfied

34. Wanted: Five to Seven Planets
If everyone on Earth
consumed at the same level
of the U.S

35. Bhutan’s Constitution: Preservation of
the Natural Environment
60% natural habitat
40% development
Bhutan’s Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) Policy of 2010 - encourages the
development of an environmentally
friendly, sustainable economy

36. Parking Days

37. Pop-Up Parks

38. Satisfaction with Life
Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from
zero at the bottom to ten at the top.
Suppose we say that the top of the ladder
represents the best possible life for you and the
bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible.
If the top step is 10 and the bottom step is 0,
on which step of the ladder do you feel you
personally stand at the present time?

39. Overall Satisfaction with Life

40. Easterlin Paradox
40 year study of nations across the globe
Up to a salary of $75K
for family of four, long
and short term
happiness increases a
lot with more money
After a salary of
$75K, long term
happiness increases
are marginal or non-
existent, short term
increases in
happiness do occur.

41. Mindfulness training
Mindfulness programs at
Apple, McKinstry Co. Proctor
& Gamble, General Mills,
Aetna & Google (“Search
Inside Yourself”)
Seahawks Super bowl 2014

42. What you can do
Take the GHN Index
How Happy Are YOU?
Find out
Use the GNH Index for your project, city,
community, campus or company
happycounts.org
Questions, comments, requests: info@happycounts.org

43. Exercise: What is Your Path to Happiness?Exercise: What is Your Path to Happiness?
5 min reflection, share stories for no more than 5 min5 min reflection, share stories for no more than 5 min

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