It is the
objective of many people to know happiness and have fulfilment in their lives.
It is the measure of their earthly lives as to how much they have benefited
others or have known pleasure in their own lives.
A study by
Professor Richard Layard and his team at the London School of Economics’ Centre
for Economic Performance has concluded that a child’s emotional health is much
more important to their satisfaction levels as an adult than other factors,
even academic achievements when young or wealth when older (‘Emotional health
in childhood ‘is key to future happiness’,’ The Observer, 9 November 2014). The
emotional health of a child is evaluated by the enduring of unhappiness,
sleeplessness, eating disorders, bedwetting, fearfulness or tiredness.
Interestingly, the report states that ‘Income only explains about 1% of the
variation in life satisfaction among people in the UK – one sixth of the
fraction explained by emotional health.’
The report
authors acknowledged that their findings are controversial. In an accompanying
paper, Andrew E Clark (one of Professor Layard’s colleagues) noted the
suggestion that ‘education and income are among the least important
determinants of adult success, as measured by life satisfaction…risks provoking
outrage among some.’
The report
concludes: ‘By far the most important predictor of adult life-satisfaction is
emotional health, both in childhood and subsequently. We find that the
intellectual performance of a child is the least important childhood predictor
of life-satisfaction as an adult.’
In a journal
for the Association for Psychological Science (‘Residents of Poorer Nations
Find Greater Meaning in Life,’ Psychological Science, 19 December 2013), it was
reported that, whilst the populations of wealthy nations tend to have greater
life satisfaction, those in poorer nations have greater meaning in life. It can
be because as countries become richer, religion becomes less central to
people’s lives and so they lose meaning to life.
The report’s
authors, Shigehiro Oishi (of the University of Virginia) and Ed Diener (of the
University of Illinois), stated that: ‘Given that meaning in life is an
important aspect of overall wellbeing, we wanted to look more carefully at
different patterns, correlates, and predictors for meaning of life.’
They continued:
‘Religion gives a system that connects daily experiences with the coherent
whole and a general structure to one’s life…and plays a critical role in
constructing meaning out of extreme hardship.’
According to
experts, happiness declines steeply when middle age (between the ages of 45 and
54 years) is reached, especially in the affluent West (‘Happiness ‘dips in
midlife in the affluent West’,’ www.bbc.co.uk, 6 November 2014). The Lancet study
authors utilised world survey data to show that, in the UK, life satisfaction
had a U-shape trajectory in midlife before increasing in later life. The three
measures of wellbeing used by the Gallup World Poll (in more than 160
countries) were evaluative (how satisfied people were with their lives),
hedonic (feelings or moods such as happiness, sadness and anger) and eudemonic
(judgements about the meaning and purpose of life).
Co-presenter
Angus Deaton of Princeton University explained that the situation in the UK and
the USA could be explained by economics. He commented: This is the period at
which wage rates typically peak and is the best time to work and earn the most,
even at the expense of present wellbeing, so as to have increased wealth and
wellbeing later in life.’
In research
published In Psychological Science, it was stated that having a sense of
purpose may add to your life, regardless of what the purpose is (‘Sense of
purpose ‘adds years to life’,’ www.bbc.co.uk, 14 May 2014). The added years was
regardless of a person’s age or employment status, but it appears that
purposeful people look after their health better and are physically fitter.
Dr Patrick
Hill, of the Department of Psychology at Carleton University in Canada,
explained: ‘Our findings point to the fact that finding a direction for life,
and setting overarching goals for what you want to achieve can help you
actually live longer, regardless of when you find your purpose.’
Research has
proven that the monetary value of goods and service produced by a nation fails
to reflect its social and environmental ‘wealth’ (‘Beyond GDP: UN looks at
alternative measures of the wealth of nations – including birdsong, the number
of girls attending school and a good night’s sleep,’ www.independent.co.uk, 18 May 2014; ‘Lollipops, washing
machines and sleeping patterns show a nation’s true wealth,’ www.telegraph.co.uk, 19 May 2014). The survey found that
unorthodox indicators (such as the availability of cheap eyeglasses and the
level of random acts of kindness) were better signposts. Indeed, economic
progress had no longer equated with the wellbeing of society as it tended to cause
social tension, for it was for the benefit of the few at the expense of the
many.
Professor
Anantha Duraiappah of the UN University (which was co-hosting the symposium)
stated: ‘New research has begun to show that people often value non-material
wealth just as highly, if not more, than monetary wealth.
‘Moreover, as
countries develop, there are diminishing returns to quality of life from
economic output.
‘Indeed, the
relationship becomes increasingly contentious and questionable. Growing
inequality within and across nations is becoming a force for social tension and
conflict in developing and developed countries alike.’
·
The
new global measurements included in the survey included:
·
Birth
weight (which is an indicator of the child’s future quality of life)
·
The
number and sound of birds in a city (an indicator of biodiversity)
·
Ownership
of washing machines (an indicator of piped water and electricity)
·
Economic
emancipation of women
·
Average
number of teenage girls attending school
·
Average
hours of sleep (an indicator of social bonds and emotional intelligence)
Within the UK,
it was determined that 87 per cent of respondents chose happiness and wellbeing
over wealth as their priority for society (‘National happiness matters more
than national wealth,’ www.dayofhappiness.net/media). In the YouGov poll surveyed by Action
for Happiness, 45 per cent of respondents thought that overall happiness and
wellbeing by people in the nation would be increased by ‘more equality between
rich and poor.’
The results for
the increase of personal happiness and wellbeing were:
·
My
relationship with my partner family 80%
·
My
health 71%
·
My
money and financial situation 42%
·
My
friends and community 35%
·
The
place/area where I live 21%
·
My
work 15%
·
My
religious/spiritual life 8%
·
My
appearance 4%
·
My
possessions 4%
·
Don’t
know 2%
·
Other
1%
The results for
the increase of national happiness and wellbeing were:
·
More
equality and rich and poor 45%
·
Improved
health services 39%
·
Less
crime 37%
·
More
economic growth 35%
·
Less
immigration 34%
·
Less
consumerism 24%
·
More
help by disadvantaged people 22%
·
Improved
school standards 16%
·
Improved
transport and infrastructure 16%
·
Nothing
would increase it 3%
·
Don’t
know 3%
·
Other
2%
The
reality is that it is only through Jesus that we can find happiness, as He
reminded us: ‘Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you.’ (Matthew 6: 33)
Without God in
our lives, we are informed that ‘the joy of the godless lasts but a moment’
(Job 20: 5) and that ‘Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in
grief’ (Proverbs 14: 13).
In God, we can
always be joyful (1 Thessalonians 5: 16) and in hope (Romans 12: 12) because He
sustains us.
It is only when
we get our priorities correct from an eternal perspective that we can make
sense of our lives on earth.
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