How can we measure happiness?
well-being and turning to ways of measuring national happiness. Philip
Johnston wonders how such a scheme might work.
   How can we measure happiness?; Clear blue laughter: David Cameron is a
   happiness is spiritual, individual, difficult to define and ephemeral.
   problems, happiness may be unattainable. Then there are the Victor
   Personal happiness is something we all aspire to; so what about
   national happiness? Can the well-being of a country be measured? Is it
   possible to aggregate all those individual experiences into a happiness
   The consideration of happiness and how to maximise it is hardly a new
   lead our lives as individuals, the idea of happiness, both as a science
   Researchers have found a close correlation between reported happiness
   seeks to maximise happiness for individuals and society at large.
   Moreover, economists believe that the pursuit of public happiness as a
   is the one that produces the greatest happiness”.
   happiness, using the results of psychology and neuroscience.
   happiness has not increased at all in Britain or in the United States –
   economists, to consider how a sense of national happiness might be
   criteria for happiness that fit their own political outlook. If a
   perceptions of personal happiness, Mr Cameron could be walking into a
   happiness. They have been persuaded that it is possible to measure life
   If measuring happiness is a relatively new phenomenon in the West, it
   happiness” since 1972. Its main components include the promotion of
   How can we measure happiness?; Clear blue laughter: David Cameron is a
How can we measure happiness?