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The Daring Idea of Happiness as GDP
It’s a question of productivity versus happiness as the ultimate judge of the welfare of nations. Yes, this is an argument for a socially just Democracy, or as I like to call it, civilization. Nic Marks must surely be a socialist. At TEDGlobal 2010 he suggested that we would be better off to measure success by happiness rather than productivity. Cue the crazy jihad nut job dance from the Right (plus a Glenn Beck cry fest), but meanwhile, I ask you on this Labor Day, have you ever been to a country where they valued overall contentment of the people over their productivity? Because once you’ve seen it in action, it’s hard to deny the validity of Marks’ inspiration.