Session 10

The Science of Happiness, session 10

Life Experiences, Taxes and Happiness

It seems preposterous to use taxes and happiness in the same sentence.

And yet, there is a connection which is counterintuitive.

-          No pain, no gain?

In fact, people spend too much time at work and often think that the government is taking away too much $ in taxes

-          Happiest people in the world- Nordics

-          Highest taxes- in the same places

Rat race needs to be discouraged by various means:

-          One way to discourage too much work is to tax what goes beyond reasonable

-          Encourage time affluence

Studies show that while the world has gotten richer, happiness has not changed

-          Wealth on the rise

-          Reported happiness levels have not increased

In fact, there is a threshold; a level of comfort that once reached does not bring in significant increases in wellbeing, with more money

-          Lottery winners

-          Hedonic adaptation

Hedonic treadmill and the fact that we get used with the watch, jewelry, cars that we can buy and they do not bring more satisfaction

-          “I can get no satisfaction”  Rolling Stones

-          “we do not know what brings us satisfaction – Daniel Gilbert

-          Stumbling Upon Happiness

-          Too much time at the office

-          Replaced with time off, spend with family and friends

-          Tolstoy

-          How much land does a man need?

-          The money we have are better spent on experiences, learning like you do

-          And not on material things

-          Consumerism is wrong on many levels

Bhutan presents a special case, with so many participants in what can be seen as a huge research, involving a whole country

-          Bhutan is the last country in the world to have introduced Television in 1999

-          Publicity, images of violence, ads for unnecessary items followed

-          GDP and HDP

-          Happiness levels have decreased, with more violence reported