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Spectator by Seema Goswami: Does this spark joy?

Jul 24, 2023 06:32 PM IST

India ranked 125th in the World Happiness Report, causing controversy. The author questions what happiness actually means and whether it can be quantified.

There was much angst on social media when the annual World Happiness Report was released recently, and revealed that India ranked a lowly 125 (out of 137) on the index. India’s position improved from 136 in last year’s report, but it still came below its neighbours Pakistan and Bangladesh. And strangely enough, even the two nations that are tearing themselves apart in a war – Russia and Ukraine – were ranked above India.

In the context of the World Happiness Index, it doesn’t make sense to try and measure happiness on a sliding scale when happiness is a feeling, not a quantifiable property. (Shutterstock; sanchit khanna/HT archive)
In the context of the World Happiness Index, it doesn’t make sense to try and measure happiness on a sliding scale when happiness is a feeling, not a quantifiable property. (Shutterstock; sanchit khanna/HT archive)
If you were to conduct a happiness audit on your own life, things like reading a good book, getting caught in the rain or spending time with those closest to you would likely top the list. (Raj k raj/ht photo)
If you were to conduct a happiness audit on your own life, things like reading a good book, getting caught in the rain or spending time with those closest to you would likely top the list. (Raj k raj/ht photo)
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