Oh, this is golden and oh so complex. I agree with happiness being grossly correlated to satisfaction but the actual question is whatever is it that keeps us satisfied? I can most definitely say that I come from a very relaxed cultural mindset. Even stories of war and combat are littered with humor of lazy soldiers. Basically, in the countryside, give a family a bottle of booze, have a good time, and you would be culturally accepted. There is a high value placed in togetherness to the point that people loan things just to give parties. It seems to me that laughter and a good time are the very sources of their happiness. Basically, be able to laugh in spite of it all and you can be happy. It makes those around me resilient in a sense, but it is also absolutely mind boggling because I honestly think it's unjust. Humor is a good thing to have, for sure, but should it be the constant exit pass? For example, urban flooding tends to be rampant here but rather than lash out against government officials (as those in Singapore would tend to), most people here would just laugh about it. Memes save lives, literally, but I think the laughter just covers up the suffering that is actually there. People are living difficultly but I also question whether this is only because we're now abiding by globalized standards of living where even education is a commodity, and even education is provided through a highly corruptible system. Before all this modernization, were my ancestors happier in their grass skirts and hanging by a tree or something? Maybe there simply were no sociopolitical systems of provision for small groups of people and all that made people happy was a hammock by a beach where they could watch a beautiful sunset. It's not like we can take modernization and all it's inevitable appurtenances back, anyway, so I suppose we have to make do, fast forward to today. It's not like people were happy then too because if they were then we wouldn't have evolved to become these complexities today.
What do you think of the World Happiness Report or Survey and how it is designed? Do you think our personal views of happiness are the same or conflict with a country's ideals?
It's idyllic, but it does not take into consideration the historical atrocities unique to every society. It's a good benchmark to have, but most battle-hardened communities would probably just scoff at the thought of it being applicable to them. Culture emanates from the inter-reactions of diverse minds. It's nice that some people as a culture are collectively pragmatic and melancholic in a good way but it's not ideal for all. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for the uber passionate to thrive in such a placid environment. I, for one, am happy with my plants and my tea and my garden and my clean house and clean laundry so I suppose, I belong to such environment but others would die in it.
Maybe in the futures, societies would be more segregated by personalities. Now if they could just take down border controls and re adjust migration targets to that, and as an overall change these urban and regional systems to something more globally encompassing and connected.
How do you think the pandemic has affected or will affect our views of happiness going forward?
I don't know... Rather than to turn thoughts onto happiness, i think the pandemic has redefined and shed light to that which is deemed essential and necessary like toilet paper. Maybe toilet paper makes people happy.
