Psy 225 - Happiness Paper

Happiness

Dawn Gerber

PSY/225

November 14, 2016

Sandra Branton

Happiness

The Bhutanese views on happiness are that they are free from the materialistic pressure that drives other economies and that their lives are shaped by traditions and religion giving them an understanding of what it means to be happy. The key is a focused awareness of what is happening around you. The Bhutanese views of happiness are based on four pillars of development which are environment conservation, cultural preservation, good governance and socioeconomics rather than emphasizing on economic development. King Jigme Wangchuk felt that it is more important to have gross national happiness rather than a gross national product for his people. The King believes that when you have respect for parents and religion and having regards for each other, it utters happiness. Values have to do with the heart, families and how you look at life. The Bhutanese culture relies on living in the present and not the past, focusing on living life to the fullest and being positive.

There were many interesting and meaningful aspects of this video that I found interesting. First off would be when they introduced the television to their people and how it affected them. I always felt that TV has a significant influence in our lives and that it impacts our children on many different levels. This video shows how the television became consuming and that they started to neglect their duties. As for me I was focused on the negative impact that it had on them and did not see much of the positive. Something that was meaningful for me was that the Bhutanese culture seems simple and that it doesn't take much to make them happy. Their culture is about contentment, wisdom, compassion and a deeper sense of being.

The comparison of the American life and the Bhutanese life is that the "good life" is like night and day. It seems that we as Americans are always trying to keep up with the Jones and that we're never happy with what we have. Americans are too consumed, they want everything now, and it's usually never enough. I believe that television a huge influence on our lives and that so many people believe what they hear. The Bhutanese people live life more in the moment. The Bhutan's seem to be more respectful of their people and their culture. Their culture is not a materialistic one such as ours.