Page 7 - Seniorstoday April 2023 Issue
P. 7
draw are days of happy expectation and
the best returns on the investment.
Most people assume that things will lead
to more happiness than experiences.
Physical objects such as the latest iPhone,
handbag or car last longer than going to
a play, taking a cooking class or going
on a vacation. Buying things does make
us happy at least in the short term. In
the longer term however, we graduate to
new things and even though they may
have made us excited and happy at first. Bhutan is consistently one of the world’s happiest nations
Eventually, the item becomes the new A few years ago I went to Bhutan—it’s
normal and fades into the background. a small Himalayan kingdom famed for
The happiness that comes from buying basing all its national policy decisions on
experiences tends to increase overtime. happiness. Quite the destination, quite the
One reason is that we often share our journey. I arrived feeling short of breath
experiences with friends. While we may a severe headache, mountain sickness
be still driving the new car, you would be yet once I got there the landscape, the
telling your friends about the time when bridges covered in flags with hills in the
you took the kids to Disney World. It’s a background. The Paro River, a monastery
memory that keeps growing warmer with with a thousand young, adolescent and
time. adult monks playing football and running
around. I hesitantly asked my guide what
where the consequences of so many young
males living together? Homosexuality?
The guide said it was taboo. Unconvinced
I was. I didn’t pursue matter further. We
were staying in the Uma Paro Hotel, eight
of us were the only people in the dining
room. Suddenly, there was a great flutter
In richer nations, people usually buy more and we were told that Richard Gere– yes,
products and services and if consumption the Richard Gere – would be arriving in
were to make people happier, one could the dining room in the next 20 minutes and
expect people to be happier in wealthy sure enough the man did turn up! After he
countries. This is not necessarily so. In was seated, four women from our group
fact, when people are lacking something went up to him and asked if they could take
in their lives they try and replace it with a selfie with him. No, said he, “I am tired.”
materials possessions, this often fails as The disappointment almost turned the
people usually misjudge what will make dessert bitter, and the women said various
them happy. One could get a temporary things but the conclusion was, it’s ok, he
boost from a particular purchase but the doesn’t matter, our happiness does not
pleasure tends to fade with time. depend on him.
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #46 | APRIL 2023 7
