There is a common social theme that emerges consistently from the World Happiness Report 2015. At both the individual and national levels, all measures of well-being, including emotions and life evaluations, are strongly influenced by the quality of the surrounding social norms and institutions. Paying greater attention to the levels and sources of subjective well-being has helped us to reach these conclusions, and to recommend making and keeping happiness as a central focus for research and practice.

This video originally appeared on the TEDXBrentwoodCollegeSchool event by Dr. John Helliwell on August 16, 2016.

Using Happiness Research to Better Adapt
Dr. John Helliwell | TEDx BrentwoodCollegeSchool

John F. Helliwell is Senior Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and co-director (with George Akerlof) of CIFAR’s program on “Social Interactions, Identity and Well-Being”. He is also Professor Emeritus in the Vancouver School of Economics at the University of British Columbia. He was Mackenzie King Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Harvard in 1991-94, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and an Officer in the Order of Canada. He is co-editor of the World Happiness Report (2012, 2013, 2015).

If You’re Happy & Your Know It – Clap Your Hands!