One of the most cited quotes in English is variously attributed to Bertrand Russell, John Lennon, T.S. Elliot, and Soren Kierkegaard, among others. What can be said with more certainty is that in print, the quote first appeared in Marthe Troly-Curtin’s 1912 novel “Phrynette Married,” a publishing sensation at the time.[break]
There is a reason why the ownership of the quote is contested: it is common knowledge. It doesn’t take the genius of Russell or Elliot to figure out this simple truth, unlike, say, the Theory of Relativity, which most physicists believe could have occurred only to Einstein.
Until a few years ago, I loved watching sports on telly. But soon, as I turned it off after countless hours spent gawking as the ball hit the bat in what petered out into a boring Test draw, I felt something was amiss, like I could have done far better things than being a passive spectator of a match being played halfway across the world. No wonder. The depressive effects of long hours in front of television have been scientifically demonstrated in recent times.
While I could watch sports on TV for the whole day, I could not read more than 10 pages of even the most engrossing book at one sitting. My eyelids would droop; I would yawn every five minutes. It was an ordeal, what I considered a total waste of time. But strangely, even if I read just a handful of pages from a trashy airport potboiler, I felt a sense of contentment. Not a surprise, either. Researchers at the University of Maryland have found that reading a novel elevates one’s mood, even if the plot is rather depressing.
Illustration: Sworup Nhasiju
In time, reading became my enduring source of contentment. According to Martin Seligman, one of the founders of the Positive Psychology movement, it is this sense of wellbeing that constitutes happiness. Seligman describes this state of wellbeing in terms of five factors, neatly captured in the acronym PERMA. You are happy if you are rich in: Pleasure (given by delicious foods or feelings of love, inspiration, hope, etc.), Engagement (or flow, absorption in an enjoyable yet challenging activity), Relationships (strong social bonds), Meaning (serving a cause bigger than yourself), and Accomplishments (realizing tangible goals).
In a cosmological sense, there are only two things we mortals in this tiny speck of the universe can do with our time: waste it on things that bring us miseries or waste it on the stuffs that (paradoxically) make us happy. In other words, essentially, there is no difference between time well spent and time well wasted. At this point, it might be relevant to broaden the scope of inquiry and ask: Have the last few years in which Nepal has gone through many difficulties been a complete waste for the country and its people?
Year after year, Nepal has been ranked among the ‘least happy’ countries in the world in terms of available social, educational, environmental and health support. But it turns out we are a hardy bunch, able to take hardships in our stride. Even in these dismal times, when asked if they are happy with their standard of living, 50 percent of Nepalis answer in the affirmative.
According to the publishers of the annual Legatum Prosperity Index, which measures the level of happiness in 110 countries around the world, Nepalis are unhappy about the level of their socio-economic development and never-ending political instability. But they measure pretty high on Personal Freedom, one of the eight variables in the Prosperity Index. The authors of the index believe it is their “ability to express political opinion without fear” that gives Nepalis a strong sense of belonging in the country.
At the opposite end of the happiness spectrum, Norway consistently tops Legatum Prosperity Index. Although the country came into limelight last year for perhaps the most heartbreaking event in its modern history, when on July 22, 2011, right-wing fanatic Anders Behring Breivik gunned down 77 innocent people in Oslo and Utoya. The shocking incident has made many Norwegians reevaluate their sense of security. But despite this once-in-a-blue-moon event, the vast majority of Norwegians remain very happy with the quality of their lives. They have every reason to feel happy: the country has the world’s highest per-capita GDP, 74% of Norwegians say other people can be trusted, 94% are happy with their environment, and 93% believe hard work will help them get ahead in life.
As Seligman’s PERMA model makes clear, strong social ties and sense of belonging are important measures of personal happiness, and when individuals’ results are extrapolated to the whole population, that of a country. Recent upheavals have made Nepalis question the strength of their social harmony, and with the old symbols of national unity fast disappearing, they are left groping in the dark for their identity. But it’s not all doom. Much like my transition anxiety with books has evolved into a lasting love, there are enough reasons to hope there is light at the end of the transition tunnel for Nepal.
The writer is the op-ed editor at Republica.
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