Gross National Happiness

When we hear talk of our economy, whether it's surging or in recession, we invariably hear the term GDP, or Gross Domestic Product. According to dictionary.com, it's "the total market value of all the goods and services produced within the borders of a nation during a specified period," and was adopted as a measure of the US economy in 1991. So even more than a measure of production, it has become a sign of the health of the nation's economy, which I'm sure (although I'm not much familiar with economics) somehow indicates the nation's wealth and prosperity, and plays into the standard of living.

So imagine throwing this out as a primary measure. I'm sure this would throw economists into a tailspin. What if we found a way to protect natural resources, promote culture, increase life expectancy, improve literacy, ensure democratic governance, all the while maintaining an increase in the now less important GDP? We could measure the nation's progress instead in "Gross Domestic Happiness."

Sounds strange and inprobable huh? Well, no, it's the approach Bhutan - an isolated country in the Himalayas, and one of the poorest in the world - has taken.

And with some success, according to this article. On the downside, because of recent growth, the country is beginning to experience traffic jams as rush hour, and a mini building boom; since 1998 they have had television, and cell phones came last year.

But hey, we've had that here for years. I'd trade the GPD for GNH and a happier country anyday, and I'm sure at least a few chronically depressed, overworked and unfulfilled Americans would too.