Sufficiency

On Happiness

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Recent studies suggest that one common factor can be found in the "happiest" 10% of people: the strength of their social relationships. Psychological research also seems to show that, as people get older, they generally become happier, more content, and have a more positive outlook on the world.

Meanwhile, at the societal level, tools like The Happy Planet Index (see video below) measure the happiness of countries in relation to the amount of resources each one uses, while the Mappiness (see image) app beeps users once (or more) a day to ask how they're feeling, and a few basic things to control for: who they're with, where they are and what they're doing, and builds from this a barometer of societal mood.

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On Sufficiency

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Once the five basic needs listed below are met, further affluence and accumulation of goods do not necessarily correlate with a higher quality of life.

On Sufficiency

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In 2008 I was last in Sweden, a country that fascinates me, from its seemingly largely successful embracing of a political "third way", through to its national values of transparency, simplicity and a deep-rooted link to the country's rural roots which, I'm told, is still reflected in many people's surnames.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if there's a Swedish equivalent of kanyini and I'm also intrigued by lagom, another Swedish concept that resonates with me, as I am sure it would with many others who are striving towards gratitude and self-sufficiency.

Could having just enough be "the new black?"

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