Some thoughts about happiness

Culture Matters

DARA E HEALY

I’m at a happy place in meh life

And it cyah change

And I just come out here to do right

So whether day or night

I will never ever change

I’m at a happy place

– soca artist Lyrikal

HAPPINESS. I have been thinking about this concept over the past weeks, as the levels of stress, anxiety and trauma in our society appear to be going up. Just a few years ago, our country was declared to be the happiest country in the Caribbean; this year we were not even on the global listing.

Does this even matter? I wonder, if we were to identify the happiness of our citizens as a priority, what would we change about the way we currently run our nation?

Finland is consistently at the top of global happiness rankings. However, analysts point out that “…political freedom, strong social networks and an absence of corruption are together more important than income in explaining well-being...At the individual level, good mental and physical health, someone to count on, job security and stable families are crucial.”

Finland boasts of integrated urban planning and a wealth of green spaces, as well as strong healthcare and education systems. A survey of people on the street confirmed that the well-run nature of their society was a major reason for their contentment. Further, each person felt that the State met their needs and actually cared about the comfort of its citizens. Effective delivery of social services was another reason for happiness, as well as the perception of minimal corruption at the level of government or in the higher levels of society.

Thus, individual contentment is necessary for the success and well-being of the entire society.

Ancient African world views are community-driven, fuelled by the understanding that personal achievement is very much linked to the balance and harmony of the entire society. In this way of understanding life, there is a symbiosis or give-and-take relationship between the individual and the community.

In Hinduism, “the ancient epic Mahabharata warns Hindus against the potential unhappiness that comes from envy that often results from comparing oneself to others.” Many forms of Eastern and African cosmologies are also founded on the concept of the interconnectedness of life, that is, recognising that there is a spiritual link between generations, between the past, the present and the future.

As we acknowledge that families in our nation are under tremendous pressure, can we apply this ancient wisdom to our everyday interactions? After independence and the wealth brought by the discovery of oil, we appeared to have moved away from such traditional notions of community towards western practices of individualism and consumption.

When economic and other disparities became unbearable, we attempted to transform society through social revolution. In many ways, the revolution of 1970 was also about increasing the levels of happiness and transforming systems which did not work for the majority of people. Sadly, although some progress was made, the lessons learnt were not sustained.

The quest for happiness is not a trivial one. Societies are known to experience collective trauma, whether brought on by war, sickness or corrupt political systems. Such trauma permeates our interactions at every level, manifesting in road rage, absenteeism, terrible customer service, toxic relationships, declining mental health and a generally poor quality of life.

If we are to learn from the happiest countries in the world, we need to make the changes that are necessary to put our nation in a better spiritual place and create value for all our citizens. First, we must be relentless in scrutinising the people we elect to public office. We must also place the needs of the family at the forefront of our planning.

It is essential to honour and celebrate the people who have built our nation by placing their names on schools, public spaces and institutions of learning. We must also adopt a more respectful way of interacting with each other and make a concerted effort to ensure that our media are a force of upliftment. Ancient teachings also provide critical guidance of how leaders should govern. Decision-making must be people-centred and collaborative, driven by what is necessary for the benefit of everyone.

I think it matters whether or not we are on the global happiness list. A high ranking would indicate that not only are we taking care of our citizens, but we are also listening to the wisdom of our ancestors. And that would certainly put all of us in a happy place.

Dara E Healy is a performance artist and founder of the Indigenous Creative Arts Network – ICAN