Greater Happiness for a greater number · How create greater happiness? Better informed life choice...
Transcript of Greater Happiness for a greater number · How create greater happiness? Better informed life choice...
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Greater Happinessfor a greater number
Is that possible? If so, how?
Ruut VeenhovenErasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Presentation at conferenceWell-being in the welfare state
House of Science, Helsinki, FinlandSeptember 22 2011
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Greater happiness
• The greatest happiness principle
• What we know about happiness
• Is greater happiness possible?
• How can that be achieved?
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Greatest happiness principle
• Philosophy
• History
• Present day policy relevance
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Greatest happiness principlePhilosophy
• Morally good is what works out wellMorality appears in consequences
• Most moral is what produces ‘greatest happiness for greatest number’
• Called ‘utilitarianism’
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Ideology of greater happinessMoral philosophy
Variants
• Applied on individual choiceActor utilitarianism
• Applied on public choiceRule utilitarianism or Political utilitarianism
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Ideology of greater happinessMoral philosophy
Variants
• Applied on individual choiceActor utilitarianism
• Applied on public choiceRule utilitarianism or Political utilitarianism
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Greatest happiness principleHistory• Idea roots in 18th century Enlightenment
• Articulated by Jeremy Bentham‘On morals and legislation’ (1789)
• Rejected by leading ideologies in the 19th and early 20th century– Church– Liberalism– Socialism– Nationalism
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Ideology of greater happinessPresent day relevance
• End of great ideologies of deficitCall for ‘positive’ policy goals
• Rising appreciation of happiness– In public opinion– Among policy makers
• Greater knowledge about happiness
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What we know about happiness• What is ‘happiness’?
• How is that measured?
• How happy are we?
• In what conditions are we most happy?
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What is ‘happiness’?Four qualities of life
external
internal
chances
outcomes
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What is ‘happiness’?Four qualities of life
external
internal
chances
Livability
Life-ability
outcomes
Utility
Satisfaction
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What is ‘happiness’?Four kinds of satisfaction
Passing
Enduring
Part
Whole
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What is ‘happiness’?Four kinds of satisfaction
Passing
Enduring
Part
Pleasure
Domain
satisfaction
Whole
Top experience
Life satisfaction
(Happiness)
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What we know about happinessMeasurement of happiness
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Measurement of happinessBest practice in direct questioning
• global self estimate– single question for large scale surveys
– multiple questions
• multi-moment average for small scale follow-up
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Measurement of happinessBest practice in direct questioning
• global self estimate– single question for large scale surveys
– multiple questions
• multi-moment average for small scale follow-up
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Measurement of happinessExample of a survey question
Taking all together, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your life as a whole these days?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Dissatisfied Satisfied
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What we know about happinessHow happy are we?
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How happy are we?Denmark
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How happy are we?Zimbabwe 2005
D I S S A TI S F I E D
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S A T I S FI E D
H O W S A T I S F I E D A R E Y O U W I T H Y O U R L I F E
0 , 0 %
1 0 , 0 %
2 0 , 0 %
3 0 , 0 %
Percent
C O U N T R Y / R E G I O N : Z I M B A B W E
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How happy are we?Finland
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How happy are we?Happiness in nations 2000-2009• Denmark 8,3
• Finland 7,9
• USA 7,4
• Germany 7,1
• France 6,6
• Russia 5,5
• Iraq 4,7
• Zimbabwe 3,0
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What we know about happinessWhat makes us happy?
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What makes us happy?
external internal
chances Livability
outcomes Utility
Life-ability
Happiness
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Analogous concepts in biology
external
internal
chances
Biotope
Fitness
outcomes
Ecological function
Survival
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What makes us happy?
external internal
chancesLivability
kind of societyLife ability
outcomes Utility Happiness
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What makes us happy?Wealth of the nation
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What makes us happy?Inequality of incomes in the nation
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What makes us happy?Rule of law
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What makes us happy?Societal conditions• Economic affluence +.65• Good governance +.62• Rule of law +.58• Democracy +.50• Personal freedom +.46• State welfare +.22• Income inequality +.18
Explained variance 75%
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What makes us happy?Societal conditions• Economic affluence +.65• Good governance +.62• Rule of law +.58• Democracy +.50• Personal freedom +.46• State welfare +.22• Income inequality +.18
Explained variance 75%
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Change social security by change happiness1990-2005
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What makes us happy?
external internal
chances Livability Life ability
outcomes Utility Happiness
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What makes us happy?Sources of difference in modern nations
• Heredity ± 30%
• Good/bad luck ± 10%
• Social position ± 10%
• Learned abilities 25%?
• Choice 25%?
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Great happiness possible?
Theoretical answers
• Comparison theory no– Happiness will oscillate– Around neutral level
• Need theory– Freudian theory of primitive urges no– Maslow’s theory yes
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Great happiness possible?
Empirical answers
• Most people are happy
• Most people live long and happy
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How happy are we?Happiness in nations 2000-2009• Denmark 8,3
• Finland 7,9
• USA 7,4
• Germany 7,1
• France 6,6
• Russia 5,5
• Iraq 4,7
• Zimbabwe 3,0
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Greater happiness possible?
• Theoretical answers
• Empirical answers
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Greater happiness possible?
Theoretical answers
• Trait theory no
• Comparison theory no
• Need theory yes
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Greater happiness possible?Average happiness 1973-2010
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Greater happiness possible?Gains on scale 0-10, 1973-2010• Italy + 0,63
• Denmark + 0,55
• USA + 0,29
• France + 0,55
• UK + 0,26
• Netherlands + 0,26
• Japan + 0,20
• Belgium – 0,33
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How create greater happiness?
• Improving livability of society
• Improving individual life-ability
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What makes us happy?
external internal
chancesLivabilityof society
Life ability
outcomes Utility Happiness
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How create greater happiness?Improve livability of society
• Society as-a-whole macro level
• Institutions in society meso level– Schools– Work organizations– Old age homes
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How create greater happiness?More livable society
Do invest in:• Good governance• Rule of law• Freedom
Don’t invest in more• Income equality• State welfare• Economic growth?
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How create greater happiness?More livable institutions
• Happiness is a major aim of– Schools– Care homes
• As yet no measurement of happiness effects
• Hence, no competition on happiness
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What makes us happy?
external internal
chances Livability Life ability
outcomes Utility Happiness
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How create greater happiness?Strengthen life-abilities of individuals
Do invest in:• (preventive) mental health care• Support of life choices
Don’t invest in • More schooling?
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How create greater happiness?Strengthen life-abilities of individuals
Do invest in:• (preventive) mental health care• Support of life choices
Don’t invest in • More schooling
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How create greater happiness?Better informed life choice
Problem
• Happiness depends partly on choice: 25%?
• Difficult to predict our own happinessGilbert: ‘Stumbling on happiness’
• Hence much sub-optimal choiceKahneman: Expected vs experienced utilityFrey: Mis-predicting utility
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How create greater happiness?Better informed life choice
Solution 1: Mood monitoring
• Use of happiness diary for education
• Feedback on– How happy you are
compared to comparable people– Profile of your enjoyment of activities
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How create greater happiness?Better informed life choice
Solution 2: Chart consequences of choice
• Investigate long-term effects on happiness– of major choices– in large scale panels
• Assess probabilities for people like you
• Analogous to – tests of consumer goods– Research on health consequences of behavior
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Conclusion
• Greater happiness is possible
• This can be achieved at three levels– macro level of society– meso level of organizations– micro level of individuals
• Effect-research is required at all three levels
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World Database of Happiness
http://worlddatabaseofhappiness.eur.nl