A new epoch in the pursuit of happiness

Countries in the East African Community did not prove any different from the rest of Africa on the happiness score as indicated in the recently released World Happiness Report. The majority of the people polled in Africa recorded below five on a scale ranging from zero — the most unhappy — to 10, the extremely satisfied. The EAC countries scored an average of 4. Nations such as Denmark, Norway, Finland and Netherlands emerged as the happiest with an average score of 7.6.The report takes note of universal agreement that a higher income, better health of mind and body, and a high degree of trust in one’s community, all contribute to high life satisfaction. Poverty, ill health, and deep divisions in the community all contribute to low life satisfaction. The report emphasises that essential to all of these is the quality of governance and rule of law. It may be noted that poverty permeates life in Africa, which mainly accounts for the low score on happiness. The report thus poses the question: “After the end of poverty, what comes next? What are the pathways to well-being when basic economic needs are no longer the main drivers of social change?”In suggesting a way out, the report notes that humanity has entered a new epoch termed the Anthopocene. In this epoch human beings, for good or for ill, have it in their grasp to change the Earth’s physical systems, including the climate, the carbon cycle, the water cycle and biodiversity. These are essential towards our happiness.The Anthropocene combines two Greek terms, “anthropo” for human, and “cene” for new, the argument being that the principle behind it will necessarily reshape our societies. This complements another notion being introduced of “Sustainable Development”, which includes tackling poverty along with a combination of human well-being, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. The notion is broached further with a suggestion that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should follow Millennium Development Goals, set to end in 2015. “It is likely that the concept of the SDGs will be adopted by the UN member states at the Rio+20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012,” the Report observes.The report aims at urging governments to make national policies ranked as important by their citizens in enhancing their sense of well-being.It also observes that countries can avoid “happiness traps” such as in the U.S. In explaining the happiness trap, the report notes that in the U.S. “at any particular time richer individuals are happier than poorer ones, but over time society did not become happier as it became richer.” One reason, the report explains, is that individuals compare themselves to others. They are happier when they are higher on the social (or income) ladder. The second reason is that the gains have not been evenly shared, but have gone disproportionately to those at the top of the income and education distribution. Another is that other societal factors – insecurity, loss of social trust, a declining confidence in government – have counteracted any benefits felt from the higher incomes. The fourth reason is adaptation: individuals may experience an initial jump in happiness when their income rises but then at least partly return to earlier levels as they adapt to their new higher income.The U.S. paradox, as described above, also goes for most countries in Africa, which should do well to heed the World Happiness Report. Twitter: @gituram