Believe it or not, India is growing happier. In 2020 India ranked 144 in the World Happiness Report. In 2022 the country ranks 136. The international community is concerned about the safety of minorities and the arrest of those criticising the government. India has been labelled an electoral autocracy. But despite all this, there is undeniable proof from well-respected agencies that indicates the mood of citizens is improving.
I am not going to delve into the many causes for this happiness. Whatsapp university, the fount of knowledge that many sip from, provides myriad reasons – schadenfreude (sadistic pleasure) to new sense of pride and many other reasons. Instead, let’s look at some time and tested ways to happiness.
Respect for the environment has been a key element in religions and culture. Unfortunately, the cost of economic growth is a damaged environment. It goes without saying that most people are at pains to maintain a nice home and the plants housed in it. But this concern rarely extends beyond the boundaries of their home.
The obverses of the many ways to negatively impact the environment are the routes to environmental protection. Burning fossil fuel, increase in garbage generation, decrease in tree cover causes climate change and air pollution. Climate change leads to disruption in agriculture, fisheries and many other industries. It increases health risk not only due to exposure to extreme heat and weather events but also by increasing zoonotic disease events like the recent outbreak of Zika virus and by creating the right conditions for outbreaks of other diseases like cholera. These have socio-economic consequences due to loss of life, decrease in production, increase in expenditure on health, increase in insurance.
Surveys have revealed that youth are extremely concerned about Climate Change and its consequences. Their future personal and socio-economic well-being is intertwined with what happens to the climate.
So, the problem seems insurmountable given the enormity of its consequences. But the nature of all problems is it starts small. Further, when broken into its constituents’ problems become manageable. Therefore, the potential for individual action is immense.
Individuals can reduce, reuse and recycle. Reducing consumption decreases the amount of waste; the latter two extend the life of a product. But there is a fourth action – refuse or not buying which will bring down the amount of waste. The other option of not buying is choosing a product or service that has less waste. For example, instead of buying something from Amazon which comes with a lot of packaging buy the product from the local store.
Of course, one can compost biodegradable garbage or join a composting service. But individual action comes in various hues and in these dire times should not be limited to these tried and tested ways. Individuals can demand companies like Coke and Pepsi create systems to take back their plastic bottles. The electorate can lobby their elected representatives to be more active on environmental issues.
Psychologists have found there is a link between having a sense of purpose, achieving goals and happiness. Working to protect the environment provides a double dose of happiness because the outcome of this effort is better health and reduced costs.
There is an added benefit – socialising and building a community. There are psychological benefits of being part of a community. Research has shown unmistakable deep links between belonging to a larger community and sense of well-being, better health outcomes.
Margret Mead said ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world’. So, it is important for individuals to work together.
So, in a time when the nation is fraught with divisiveness the need to build a community is all the more important even if it is to protect the environment.
Margret Mead makes an important point in her statement – that of thoughtfulness. Dictionaries provide three meanings to this word. The first is ‘the state of thinking carefully about something’; the second ‘the quality of being kind and thinking about other people’s needs’; and the third ‘the quality of thinking carefully about how to do something so that it is effective.’ These are outcomes of inputs which include reading and being open to other ideas.
Reading opens one to new worlds and therefore challenges beliefs and shakes-up the status quo. This therefore challenges the narratives that one is forced to accost daily. However, in times like these it is only human to opt for material that re-enforces existing notions and join the community that espouses them. No doubt, there is a form of happiness that comes from the belief of being safe within such groups. The other form of happiness that such groups, and their members, express is for the difficulties that others are going through.
Sure, this is happiness. But happiness that is sustainable is manufactured from within. Marcus Aurelius said ‘God did not intend my happiness to rest with someone else’.
The art of being happy in today’s world has at least three options – ‘ignorance is bliss’, turn a blind eye to what is occurring and there is the safety in numbers’ approach – finding wellbeing in joining the prevailing stream of thought. There is also another option, which is broadening one’s horizon which culminates in a community of ‘thoughtful committed citizens.’
The choice depends on the community one wants to build and the direction one wants the country to go in.
(Samir Nazareth is an author and writes on socio-economic and environmental issues)
