Happiness Lessons From a New Science by Richard Layard - Book Report/Review Example

Order 347056 Topic: happiness lessons from a new science Introduction: If one understands that the world can not run on happiness, one definitely knows what happiness is! To secure total happiness is like to fill a pitcher with water that has a hole at the bottom. The dimensions of happiness are many fold and with the logic of deduction, it is impossible to segregate happiness from unhappiness. With the logic of induction also, it is not possible to achieve the level of total happiness. There is a distinctive level of difference between standard of living and the standard of life. Layard comments about the prevailing confusing situation at the beginning of the book, thus: “But arent our lives infinitely more comfortable? Indeed: we have more food, more clothes, more cars, bigger houses, more central heating, more foreign holidays, a shorter working week, nicer work and above all, better health. Yet we are not happier. Despite all the efforts of the governments, teachers, doctors and businessmen, human happiness has not improved.”(Layard, 2005,p.3-4)--Mr. Layard, you are knocking at the wrong door. You are confusing the exit as the entrance.These were never, are never and will be never the agents of happiness. These are all the factors, situations and individuals who may be the contributing partners for your standard of living. But the standard of life that we are talking about is an entirely different issue. The happiness that we are mentioning is within you and you have to achieve it, by giving up the negativity in your life and by changing the thought processes. When one gets rid of confusion, one understands the beauty of fusion of life. The road to achieve true happiness is the royal road that passes through ones heart. The chief agent of unhappiness is ones mind—the porter that carries the head-load of worries always on one count or the other! The product ranges of the mind are full of uncertainties. Confusion, anxiety, and many such negative tendencies are the fodder to the mind. When they cease to detract the mind, it loses its inherent power and soon it realizes that it has no existence in reality. Flow of thoughts on various issues create the mind. When the flow comes to an end, the mind ceases to exist and with it all unhappiness! An individual is unhappy mainly because others are happy; the individuals with whom he is ever engaged in comparison, contribute to ones unhappiness. Layard comments, “If people change their reference group upwards, this can seriously affect their happiness. There are many clear cases, where people became objectively better off but felt subjectively worse.”(p.45) Substantiating it further from the point of view of economics, he remarks, “ Happiness depends only on your income relative to your income aspirations—and your income aspirations in turn depend heavily on the average income of the people where you live.”(p.46) That a renowned economist and an expert on issues of unemployment and inequality like Layard strongly feels that economic prosperity can not lead to happiness, takes one elsewhere in ones efforts to find out the true source of happiness. Unfortunately, the path is not simple and straightforward. One has to cross through the complicated and confusing web, to emerge successful to locate the source of happiness. The search and achievement of the goal of happiness is so difficult, that is has often been compared to walking on the razors edge. Happiness is no ordinary subject. The concept of happiness varies from individual to individual. Income of an individual has got something to do with happiness, not everything. There is only one way to get permanent happiness-to give up the chase for impermanent things. Any action with the motivated desire, and what one does to cause intentional pain to others, is a sure source of unhappiness. When you understand the root cause of unhappiness, many confusing issues find the automatic solution. Commenting on one such issues Layard dons the robes of an expert family counselor when he states, "Once a woman is pregnant, both parents should be encouraged to attend free parenting classes, alongside the prenatal classes. The classes should cover relationships between the two parents, as well as between parents and child, since the childs welfare will be damaged by family break-up." (p.178) Happiness is a great subject and Layard has made a great beginning in the book. About the disappointing conclusion less said the better! To define happiness is one thing. The achieving process baffles the most intelligent for the simple reason that true happiness lies beyond the borders of mind and intelligence. Moreover, perfect solution to achieve happiness can only be given by those who have the direct experience of happiness. For sure, Layard is not one of them! That experience is possible for only those who have transcended the last mind-barrier. The issues of researches like-- the time of the day when most of us are the happiest, the name of the happiest countries, the role of genes in happiness, the activities that make one happy, the stable and unstable happiness—these are all good readings, but they will fail to deliver the ultimate package of happiness. For their insight is partial; they view happiness from a narrow angle. While offering solutions to achieve happiness, the clubbed confusion of the philosopher and economist is evident. Layard writes, “We accept the ups and downs and care mainly about our average happiness over a longish period of time.”(p.13) Later he takes a potshot on the subject, when he avers, “ Happiness depends only on your income relative to your income aspirations—and your income aspirations in turn depend heavily on the average income of the people where you live.”(p.46) This statement is misleading and incomplete and is the pointer to the desperate efforts being made by Layard to find solutions to the subject of achieving happiness. Economic ambitions are good servants but they are bad masters. Most of the solutions offered by the politicians and economists in the area of securing happiness for the people are murky solutions. The programs and plans of the politicians for social good are fine; but to assume that such plans will definitely contribute to individual happiness is a wrong conclusion. Government plans can reduce the economic disparity of the people; but government can do very little to reduce the stress levels of the people. Self-realization is the process by which happiness within can be achieved. Happiness without, without the happiness within, has no meaning. In its relentless efforts to pursue happiness, materialism has erred gravely. It solves one problem by shifting it to another area and creates a bigger problem. Statistical tables about material prosperity do not prove anything. The concept of happiness needs to be viewed from the angle of peace and permanence. Observe the conditions prevailing in the society today—they lack both these aspects. Philosopher Jeremy Benthams proposition to create the greatest happiness for the greatest number by prudent societal and personal decisions, is a good platitude but the authentic question is, what are the factors that contribute to the unhappiness of even a small percentage of people? Whether the actions of an outside agency can energize the fountain of happiness in an individuals heart? The economist Layard leans heavily towards moral and spiritual concepts, and rightly so, when he states, “We should teach the principles of morally not as interesting points for discussion but as established truths to hold on to, essential for a meaningful...”(p.234) Conclusion: In fine, the arguments contained in the book are a confusing mixture. A desperate churning process of the various factors that contribute to happiness and unhappiness has been attempted by Layard. But this is to remind Layard—that sages meditated for Ages, wise men wrote millions of pages on the subject of joy and happiness and yet these have eluded humankind in the known history. What a profound mystery! That an economist has made sincere efforts to throw light on this problem from the economic angle by arguing that happiness needs to be the cornerstone of public policy and economic decisions is laudable. But he is able to understand only the part of the truth. The reading of the book kindles curiosity, but the discernible reader knows that the final verdict on the concept of happiness, leave alone its achievement, can be delivered only by the realized souls. Having said this, from the secular point of view, the intrinsic worth of the contents of the book for the policy makers is invaluable. The goal of public policies needs to be to increase human happiness and well-being. People are not willing to pay more taxes just because some economist argues that it will contribute to social good and individual happiness. The measures that will fight the negative impact in any area, need support. If a politician wishes to build and fairer and happier world, none should have any objection for it. This is a book for the progressive-minded individual. The underlying appeal for social democracy and economic justice implored by Layard are the strong points of the book. But how to achieve it and bring happiness to the threshold of the citizens is the moot question. That the economists have begun to think about happiness, is the sure sign that economics alone can not succeed in bringing happiness to humankind! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Works Cited: Layard, Richard. Happiness: Lessons from a New Science. Penguin Press HC, 2005. Read More