Gross National Happiness

Try this on for size….

Since 1972, the Himalayan nation of Bhutan adopted an economic policy that stressed wellbeing and the quality of its citizens’ lives, termed Gross National Happiness (GNH), over material growth, or Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 

The idea of General National Happiness rests on four pillars: economic self-reliance, a pristine environment, the preservation and promotion of Bhutan’s culture, and good governance in the form of a democracy.

Sounds pretty cool. I could get behind that.

Random Fact: The current King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, is the same age as me.

Links:
Ann Muller (where the photo in this post came from)
Gross National Happiness: Centre of Bhutan Studies
The Kingdon of Bhutan