his short report was compiled from a collective intelligence gathering of World in 2050’s (W2050) Senior Fellows (Individual & Societal Wellbeing Committee). The meeting took place under the Chatham House Rule, so specific ideas will not be directly attributed to any specific Fellow. W2050 Senior Fellows attending the committee meeting were: Ambassador Lisa Gable, Angela Redding, and Dr. Lipi Roy. Also present was W2050 Executive Director Dr. Shane C. Szarkowski.
We’ve long understood there is a scientifically provable connection between happiness and wellbeing. Yet siloed (and often at odds) understandings of what we mean by happiness and by wellbeing complicate efforts to measure happiness and its real impacts on individual and societal wellbeing. Members of W2050’s Senior Fellows committee on wellbeing met in advance of International Day of Happiness to discuss the shortcomings in our understanding of happiness, and how we might reframe conversations to better support wellbeing. This is particularly important as lawmakers are beginning to think about happiness as a public policy issue.
The oversimplification of “happiness”
Happiness encompasses multiple concepts which are internally at odds with one another, yet we either conflate them or simply don’t consider concepts of happiness that don’t fit in the moment. Hedonistic happiness is what we most often think of—happiness in the moment that is often pleasure driven. Compare this to eudemonian happiness which is typically purpose–driven and comes from achieving (or being satisfied in one’s pursuit of) something they find meaningful. Both are necessary if we are to flourish, though the connection with eudemonian happiness and wellbeing seems more straightforward.
Both hedonistic and eudemonian forms of happiness can be materialistic, which can lead us to a perpetual cycle of wanting. This is reinforced by the “collective illusion,” wherein most people publicly go along with an idea they do not privately agree with, because they incorrectly believe most people in the group agree with that idea. Over time, successive generations can internalize these illusory beliefs in favor of privately held beliefs they may no longer feel or recognize as easily. This is escalated by status signaling on social media.
This is also an identity issue. Measuring our own happiness in acquisitional ways—by our status, income, or other metric of illusory success—devalues our own sense of self, increasing anxiety and stress. It’s a bigger issue now than ever. Data shows that post–pandemic, people are struggling more than before to manage their anxiety and frustration. This rise in stress creates physical wellbeing hazards, from diet–based and rare diseases to heart disease, cancer, dementia, and other neurological problems.
Reframing the pursuit of happiness
As typically framed, happiness is a short–term indicator, while wellbeing is something we measure and think about over time. People cannot be happy all the time, despite the pressure and expectations of the modern world being that we should always be pursuing or achieving happiness. Rethinking what we mean by happiness in a way that is less about your pleasure in each moment and more about life satisfaction can help us to bring our understandings of happiness and wellbeing more into sync.
This step is important as happiness, even envisioned as a short–term indicator, is difficult to measure. Where do we find a baseline level of happiness, and what are the different levels? At what level of happiness does our wellbeing benefit, and at what deficit level of happiness does our wellbeing suffer? Rather than try to quantify happiness—often based on flawed, oversimplified notions of what happiness is—we should seek to reframe what is meant by happiness to conceptualizations that research shows are conducive to human flourishing.
The research is there. According to the longest–running longitudinal study on human flourishing, quality relationships appear to be a better indicator of longevity and wellbeing than any other indicator. Quality relationships are about belonging and trust, we feel less alone and are more likely to seek help when needed. This shows itself in a variety of ways. Meta–analysis of studies on teen suicide, for instance, found that in the U.S. teenagers with a sense of spirituality were 62% less likely to commit suicide. Those with a sense of shared spirituality, part of a community that shares their sense of spirituality, were 82% less likely to commit suicide.
This kind of resilience is critical because hardship is embedded in human life. Indeed, social connectedness can act as a source of happiness even amid great adversity. Fellows cited two examples in Israel and Haiti, where even in environments of significant hardship, tightly–knit communities are able to find joy in their togetherness.
Happiness does not arise from an absence of hardship or sadness, the relationship is more complex. Connectivity and a sense of purpose are critical to more resilient, longer–term happiness (though “hedonistic” happiness also remains a human need). Attainment of longer–term aspects of happiness, much like attaining greater wellbeing, requires a certain amount of adversity.
Data shows that the rise in anxiety and stress—and an attendant difficulty in managing stress post–pandemic—makes it more difficult for us to interact with one another and makes us more isolated, which in turn makes our anxiety and stress more difficult to deal with.
Priorities for more resilient happiness and wellbeing
Happiness as public health: Public health policy wields a mix of public education initiatives and regulation to give people greater control over their personal health. The same should be done with happiness. Public education campaigns could highlight the risks of acquisitional or status–seeking ideas of happiness—which are transitory and can lead to anxiety as we yearn for still more—in favor of more resilient and fulfilling notions of happiness.
Differentiate, deromanticize happiness: In much of the world, the way we romanticize a status–dependent norm of happiness makes us more anxious, more stressed, and more isolated. It makes us unhappy and compromises our wellbeing. Public education campaigns should aim to deromanticize these self–destructive ideas of an unattainable, always fleeting happiness.
Cultivate social connectivity: Our societies are increasingly fragmented. Policymakers should recognize the importance of a sense of belonging to our happiness and wellbeing. Cultivating more shared communal spaces can help us reconnect with communities we identify with—from parks to public libraries to places of worship, youth centers, and main streets—bolsters longer–term happiness, resilience in the face of adversity, and our holistic wellbeing.
More holistic treatment, prevention systems: We typically think of only one aspect of happiness or wellbeing, whether experts or laypeople, in our discussions. This contributes to public confusion about best practice and may even exacerbate the issue of public illusion. Experts should take a more holistic approach to promoting happiness and wellbeing, collaborating across specialties and breaking down silos—which in turn will help better inform public education campaigns.
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Demystifying the happiness–wellbeing connection
Photo by Robert Grunder on Unsplash
March 20, 2024
W2050 Senior Fellows discussed the still poorly–understood connection between happiness and wellbeing. They found that unhealthy conceptions of happiness–often at the expense of human connection–make us not only less happy but also makes us less resilient to adversity and harms our wellbeing.
T
his short report was compiled from a collective intelligence gathering of World in 2050’s (W2050) Senior Fellows (Individual & Societal Wellbeing Committee). The meeting took place under the Chatham House Rule, so specific ideas will not be directly attributed to any specific Fellow. W2050 Senior Fellows attending the committee meeting were: Ambassador Lisa Gable, Angela Redding, and Dr. Lipi Roy. Also present was W2050 Executive Director Dr. Shane C. Szarkowski.
We’ve long understood there is a scientifically provable connection between happiness and wellbeing. Yet siloed (and often at odds) understandings of what we mean by happiness and by wellbeing complicate efforts to measure happiness and its real impacts on individual and societal wellbeing. Members of W2050’s Senior Fellows committee on wellbeing met in advance of International Day of Happiness to discuss the shortcomings in our understanding of happiness, and how we might reframe conversations to better support wellbeing. This is particularly important as lawmakers are beginning to think about happiness as a public policy issue.
The oversimplification of “happiness”
Happiness encompasses multiple concepts which are internally at odds with one another, yet we either conflate them or simply don’t consider concepts of happiness that don’t fit in the moment. Hedonistic happiness is what we most often think of—happiness in the moment that is often pleasure driven. Compare this to eudemonian happiness which is typically purpose–driven and comes from achieving (or being satisfied in one’s pursuit of) something they find meaningful. Both are necessary if we are to flourish, though the connection with eudemonian happiness and wellbeing seems more straightforward.
Both hedonistic and eudemonian forms of happiness can be materialistic, which can lead us to a perpetual cycle of wanting. This is reinforced by the “collective illusion,” wherein most people publicly go along with an idea they do not privately agree with, because they incorrectly believe most people in the group agree with that idea. Over time, successive generations can internalize these illusory beliefs in favor of privately held beliefs they may no longer feel or recognize as easily. This is escalated by status signaling on social media.
This is also an identity issue. Measuring our own happiness in acquisitional ways—by our status, income, or other metric of illusory success—devalues our own sense of self, increasing anxiety and stress. It’s a bigger issue now than ever. Data shows that post–pandemic, people are struggling more than before to manage their anxiety and frustration. This rise in stress creates physical wellbeing hazards, from diet–based and rare diseases to heart disease, cancer, dementia, and other neurological problems.
Reframing the pursuit of happiness
As typically framed, happiness is a short–term indicator, while wellbeing is something we measure and think about over time. People cannot be happy all the time, despite the pressure and expectations of the modern world being that we should always be pursuing or achieving happiness. Rethinking what we mean by happiness in a way that is less about your pleasure in each moment and more about life satisfaction can help us to bring our understandings of happiness and wellbeing more into sync.
This step is important as happiness, even envisioned as a short–term indicator, is difficult to measure. Where do we find a baseline level of happiness, and what are the different levels? At what level of happiness does our wellbeing benefit, and at what deficit level of happiness does our wellbeing suffer? Rather than try to quantify happiness—often based on flawed, oversimplified notions of what happiness is—we should seek to reframe what is meant by happiness to conceptualizations that research shows are conducive to human flourishing.
The research is there. According to the longest–running longitudinal study on human flourishing, quality relationships appear to be a better indicator of longevity and wellbeing than any other indicator. Quality relationships are about belonging and trust, we feel less alone and are more likely to seek help when needed. This shows itself in a variety of ways. Meta–analysis of studies on teen suicide, for instance, found that in the U.S. teenagers with a sense of spirituality were 62% less likely to commit suicide. Those with a sense of shared spirituality, part of a community that shares their sense of spirituality, were 82% less likely to commit suicide.
This kind of resilience is critical because hardship is embedded in human life. Indeed, social connectedness can act as a source of happiness even amid great adversity. Fellows cited two examples in Israel and Haiti, where even in environments of significant hardship, tightly–knit communities are able to find joy in their togetherness.
Happiness does not arise from an absence of hardship or sadness, the relationship is more complex. Connectivity and a sense of purpose are critical to more resilient, longer–term happiness (though “hedonistic” happiness also remains a human need). Attainment of longer–term aspects of happiness, much like attaining greater wellbeing, requires a certain amount of adversity.
Data shows that the rise in anxiety and stress—and an attendant difficulty in managing stress post–pandemic—makes it more difficult for us to interact with one another and makes us more isolated, which in turn makes our anxiety and stress more difficult to deal with.
Priorities for more resilient happiness and wellbeing
Happiness as public health: Public health policy wields a mix of public education initiatives and regulation to give people greater control over their personal health. The same should be done with happiness. Public education campaigns could highlight the risks of acquisitional or status–seeking ideas of happiness—which are transitory and can lead to anxiety as we yearn for still more—in favor of more resilient and fulfilling notions of happiness.
Differentiate, deromanticize happiness: In much of the world, the way we romanticize a status–dependent norm of happiness makes us more anxious, more stressed, and more isolated. It makes us unhappy and compromises our wellbeing. Public education campaigns should aim to deromanticize these self–destructive ideas of an unattainable, always fleeting happiness.
Cultivate social connectivity: Our societies are increasingly fragmented. Policymakers should recognize the importance of a sense of belonging to our happiness and wellbeing. Cultivating more shared communal spaces can help us reconnect with communities we identify with—from parks to public libraries to places of worship, youth centers, and main streets—bolsters longer–term happiness, resilience in the face of adversity, and our holistic wellbeing.
More holistic treatment, prevention systems: We typically think of only one aspect of happiness or wellbeing, whether experts or laypeople, in our discussions. This contributes to public confusion about best practice and may even exacerbate the issue of public illusion. Experts should take a more holistic approach to promoting happiness and wellbeing, collaborating across specialties and breaking down silos—which in turn will help better inform public education campaigns.
