In pursuit of happiness

At the beginning of the new century, a new scientific discipline emerged named positive psychology,with well-being and happiness as its subject.Therefore, a brief understanding of this area is needed to understand well-being/happiness. Generally, it was believed that well-being emerged from the absence of pathology.

Bradburn (1969) found that positive and negative affect are independent, which led scholars to realise that these two concepts should be studied separately, as eliminating negative emotion does not necessarily mean an increase in positive functioning, as viewed by Ascenso (2022) and others. In 2000, Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi's article on positive psychology urged us to comprehend and shape the factors that enable individuals, communities and societies to flourish, furthering the idea and reconceptualising psychology to build a positive mental framework, moving away from a focus on life's negativities.

To put it simply, positive psychology is the idea of fostering well-being and optimal functioning by emphasising life values such as happiness, optimism, subjective well-being and personal growth, as mentioned by Boniwell&Tunariu (2019). Although Martin E. P. Seligman, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, is credited with the positive psychology movement, the concept has a rich history in ancient Greek philosophy, humanism, and several areas of mental health, as noticed by Hefferon&Boniwell (2011). Positive psychology not only focuses on how to increase individual happiness but also on happiness and flourishing at the group and community levels.

Happiness/well-being has been the subject of interest from ancient times. Different cultures, philosophers and spiritual leaders developed their own notions of how to live a good and happy life, even in the absence of systematic scientific research on happiness. Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle opined that living a virtuous life would make people authentically happy. According to Aristotle, "happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence." Romans viewed happiness as prosperity and divine favour (McMahon, 2006). Happiness has been valued at all times because "the mere search for higher happiness, not merely its actual attainment, is a prize beyond all human wealth, or honour or physical pleasure" (Cicero, fragment from the lost manuscript Hortensius, as cited in McMahon, 2016).

Merriam-WebsterDictionary defines happiness as a gratifying or fulfilling experience. Veenhoven (1984) defined overall happiness as "the degree to which an individual judges the overall quality of their own life-as-a-whole favourably" or "how much one likes the life one leads." Lyubomirsky (2007), a positive psychology researcher, defines happiness as "the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one's life is good, meaningful and worthwhile." Some of the terms that scientists use to measure happiness are life satisfaction, positive affect, and subjective well-being. Mullis (1990) noted that a person's sense of well-being is shaped by their personal aspirations, life expectations, and means to achieve desired ends. Positive emotions, such as joy, pride, contentment, and gratitude, are some expressions of happiness. In this study, the terms 'happiness' and 'well-being' will be used interchangeably, as many other scholars have done, e.g., Kahneman (1999), Ryff and Keyes (1995), and Dr IlonaBoniwell (2017). However, some scholars have distinguished between the two terms.

Happiness - a Government Endeavour

The pursuit of happiness is not only a concern for individuals; governments also endeavour to contribute to the happiness of their citizens' lives. King JigmeSingyeWangchuck of Bhutan presented the term 'gross national happiness' in 1972 and proclaimed that "Gross National Happiness (GNH)" is much more relevant than Gross Domestic Product to get a holistic overview of a nation's well-being. The concept entails a holistic approach to sustainable development, emphasising the non-monetary facets of well-being and notions of progress, as mentioned by the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative. For the first time in 2019, New Zealand announced its well-being budget, demonstrating the importance of happiness from a government's point of view. Making well-being a top priority has earned the country widespread admiration and praise. Bhutan and New Zealand are not the only governments to prioritise happiness; the United States Declaration of Independence included the phrase "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" long before them. At the UN General Assembly in 2011, a resolution was adopted to give greater importance to happiness and well-being in achieving and measuring socio-economic progress.

Prime Minister SurayudChulanont pledged to improve the economic situation and general well-being of Thai residents when the government implemented a happiness index in the wake of the 2006 military coup. In a similar vein, nations including Australia, China, France and the United Kingdom have started creating measures of national happiness. In 2012, the UK started attempting to gauge the well-being of its citizens. North Korea's state-run TV likewise revealed an international Happiness Index in 2011. In the meantime, the indigenous idea of the "good life" has been included in the constitutions of Bolivia and Ecuador as a tenet of sustainable development.

In Bangladesh, the government has a significant impact on its people's happiness. Growing concerns about economic hardship, a lack of social assistance and widespread discontent are highlighted by the nation's recent decline in the World Happiness Report, which saw it drop from 129th in 2024 to 134th in 2025. Effective governance has an important effect on community services, community trust and financial stability. People are less gratified with their lives when policies fail to address matters like disparity, joblessness or inflation. Government effectiveness also affects access to superior infrastructure, healthcare facilities and education. Public service delivery failure or corruption can erode public confidence in governance mechanisms and thus create life dissatisfaction. Democratic freedoms and civic engagement programmes, such as freedom of speech and welfare initiatives, raise public trust and satisfaction. Although cultural values such as independence and communal fortitude are significant, a citizen-friendly government can create an ideal ecosystem to protect the soft desires of the people, like freedom and rights, and foster human dignity.

NGOs can also play a key role in creating a satisfying environment for all, especially for the underprivileged in our country.Through community-building activities, social support schemes and mental health services, people can live a satisfactory life and enjoy happiness, especially those in disadvantaged groups. NGOs can also organise cultural events, clean water facilities, affordable but quality healthcare and quality education. All these will increase community bonding and thus can reduce stress and increase life satisfaction.

Dr Afsana Akhtar teaches at BRAC Business School, BRAC University.

afsana@bracu.ac.bd