Week 1-NOC-Jul24-Sustainable Happiness-1 PDF

Sustainable Happiness TE L P by N Prof. Atasi Mohanty IIT Kharagpur Module 01: Unit-I-Sustainable Happiness Lecture 01: Introduction  Unit I-Sustainable...

Sustainable Happiness TE L P by N Prof. Atasi Mohanty IIT Kharagpur Module 01: Unit-I-Sustainable Happiness Lecture 01: Introduction  Unit I-Sustainable Happiness: Introduction What is Sustainable Happiness ? ❑Sustainable happiness is happiness that contributes to individual, L community and/or global well-being without exploiting other people, E the environment or future generations. (O’Brien, 2005) T ⮚The concept of sustainable happiness was developed by O’Brien P (2005) in order to draw attention to the consequences, both N positive and adverse, of how individuals, communities and nations pursue happiness. ✔In a globalized world, everyone’s actions have repercussions on distant lands and people. ✔Some impacts are immediate and short term while some have enduring effects. ✔Aim of combining the two terms are: to link happiness to sustainability, now and into the future; to emphasize the reality of our mutual interdependence; and to generate discussion regarding the potential for making substantial contributions to sustainability L efforts through research from happiness studies. P E ✔Sustainable happiness is a concept that can be used by individuals to T guide their actions and decisions on a daily basis; at the community level, it reinforces the need to genuinely consider social, N environmental and economic indicators of well-being so that community happiness and well-being are sustainable; at the national and international level it highlights the significance of individual and community actions for the well-being of all – now and into the Future. ✔ Sustainable happiness takes into account that happiness is interconnected with other people, other species, and the natural environment by a remarkable web of L interdependence. P E ✔ Sustainable happiness can lead to a more sustainable T lifestyle and greater life satisfaction—and sometimes it’s right at your fingertips. ✔ Ask yourself this question: N ✔ It involves reawakening to the joy that comes from simple pleasures or generating options for a lifestyle change. ✔ Is there one thing that I could change that would lead to sustainable happiness?  Self-Check exercise A Sustainable sense of Self Discuss: ‘Think you can, think you can’t. Whichever you think, you’ll be right’ (Henry Ford, Founder of Self-sustainability and Self-sufficiency are Ford Motor company). What does this mean? overlapping states of being in which a person or Think: What was Marja-Leena’s first job at organization needs little or no help from, or the Opera House? How did she develop her career L in jewelry making? interaction with, others. E Explore T Self-sufficiency entails the self being enough (to Watch: Any documentary or good film for fulfill needs), and a self-sustaining entity can motivation P Reflect: Think of three things you enjoy maintain self-sufficiency indefinitely. N doing. Now choose one that you would really like to These states represent types of personal or collective get better at. How could you go about getting better autonomy. at that skill? Who could help you? These are some learning activities to build understanding of recognizing personal strength and planning strategies for achieving personal goals:  Sustainable Happiness As Sustainability Sustainable happiness can be understood in a broader context characterized not only by global issues (e.g., poverty and climate change), but also by a growing discontent since Globalization. TE L Since the late 2000s, an increasing number of people have started to challenge the view of development funded on mass production and consumption with severe pollution, resource depletion, and exploitation. N P Sustainable happiness tackles the very idea that quality of life directly depends on constant material expansion. The core assumption is that it is possible to combine sustainability in a large sense (including economic, social, and environmental aspects) with the maintenance, or even enhancement, of well-being.  Sustainable Happiness TE L P by N Prof. Atasi Mohanty IIT Kharagpur Module 01: Unit-I-Sustainable Happiness Lecture 02: Sustainability and Happiness  Sustainable happiness is grounded on the view that well-being does not result from an individual enterprise led in isolation from a community and global issues. E L It is a collective endeavor, which requires people to use resources T with parsimony, cooperate, and avoid producing externalities (i.e., P costs imposed on others in terms of resource depletion, pollution, exploitation, abuses, and so forth). nineteenth century; N It deepens the contrast with economic growth as it has presumably been undertaken from the onset of industrialization in the To that respect, sustainable happiness claims to figure or participate to a necessary paradigmatic or civilizational shift.  TE L N P ⮚UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS In 2015, UN countries adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable L Development Goals (SDGs). PTE These activities tie in nicely with SDGs 3 and 4 which are about good health and wellbeing and quality education. ⮚Sustainable Wellbeing N Sustainable wellbeing is achieved when improving individual wellbeing is correlated with improving the wellbeing of other members of society and the natural environment. Following this approach, human needs, societal needs, and environmental needs are considered interrelated and interactive.  Sustainable happiness has two dimensions. On an inner level it is about finding ways to sustain our happiness beyond the short-term highs. E L On the outer level it is about a happiness that is eco-friendly: good for us and good for the planet. T P A greener happiness that doesn’t cost the Earth. N Catherine O’Brien, who teaches sustainable happiness, defines it as “happiness that contributes to individual, community and/or global well-being and does not exploit other people, the environment or future generations.” Authentic Happiness, according to positive psychology, is a mix of two types of well-being, one of which may hold the key to sustainable well-being.  Hedonic well-being is the type of happiness we get from pleasure and enjoyment. It is what we usually think of as happiness and we can recognize it from the peaks of positive emotion – the L moments of joy, of bliss, of serenity. E This is the form of happiness which is about fun and the T ‘feel-good factor’ but it comes with a built-in limitation – the hedonic treadmill. P N Eudaimonic well-being is the deeper happiness which comes via a variety of routes from having meaning and purpose in life to how we are at our best and realizing our potential. Fulfillment is gained by putting effort into an endeavor that is meaningful to you.  Transcendence is key to Eudaimonia – going beyond the self in the service of something external and with a sense of our connection to the bigger world. It focuses on we more than me. E L This is what makes Eudaimonic well-being potentially the more sustainable form of well-being. T P The shadow side of hedonic well-being is that short-term pleasures can have long-term costs, which makes them N unsustainable as sources of happiness. Eudaimonic well-being, on the other hand has arguably little or no cost, making it good for the individual, community and the planet. This is what makes it sustainable.  Sustainable Happiness TE L P by N Prof. Atasi Mohanty IIT Kharagpur Module 01: Unit-I-Sustainable Happiness Lecture 03: Sustainability and Happiness  Happiness and Collective Wellbeing In general idea, a collective happiness is represented by L the amount of wealthy and the quality of people's life. E But that is just one elements of happiness, the other one T as well as the more significant one is the freedom choice P of the individual person. N Optimism is more necessary than ever, and understanding how other cultures approach life’s trials and joys may help us achieve contentment. Another wellspring for a happy life worldwide is resilience – proven to increase immunity and reduce stress.  The term "subjective well-being" denotes how people experience and evaluate their lives, usually measured in relation to self- reported well-being obtained through questionnaires. Sometimes different types of well-being are distinguished, like L mental well-being, physical well-being, economic wellbeing or E emotional well-being. T The different forms of well-being are often closely interlinked. P For example, improved physical well-being (e.g., by reducing or N ceasing an addiction) is associated with improved emotional well- being. As another example, better economic well-being (e.g., possessing more wealth) tends to be associated with better emotional well- being even in adverse situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.  Well-being plays a central role in ethics since what we ought to do depends, at least to some degree, on what would make someone's life go better or worse. According to this view , there are no other values besides well-being. E L The well-being of a person is what is good for this person. T Theories of well-being try to determine which features of a state are P responsible for this state contributing to the person's well-being. N Theories of well-being are often classified into hedonistic theories, desire theories, and objective list theories. Hedonistic theories and desire theories are subjective theories. According to them, the degree of well-being of a person depends on the subjective mental states and attitudes of this person. Objective list theories, on the other hand, allow that things can benefit a person independent of that person's subjective attitudes towards these things.  Sustainable happiness, express the same concerns for sustainable development coupled with well-being; such as - 1. the Happy Planet Index(HPI) proposed by the New Economics L Foundation and P E 2. Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index(GNH). T HPI is the composite indicator combining measurements of life satisfaction, life expectancy, and equality in relation to the ecological N footprint of (usually) a country. GNH is a composite indicator that monitors nine domains (living standards, health, education, good governance, ecological diversity and resilience, time use, psychological well-being, cultural diversity and resilience, and community vitality) through encompassing surveys of 148 questions (Centre for Bhutan Studies and GNH Research 2016).  TE L N P 1. People must always return to their characteristic set point. L 2. Happiness equation for intentional personality E processes, which could potentially operate in addition T to, in concert with, or in spite of, peoples’ genetic P constitutions. N 3. When people change their intentional behavior–that is, doing some-thing new that takes effort–they have a better chance of boosting their well-being. 4. People have to create life shifts–or changes in cognition and behavior–for themselves, which can require considerable motivation and effort.  Despite several barriers in well-being, less happy people can successfully strive to be happier by learning a variety of effortful strategies and practicing these with determination and commitment. L They use the sustainable happiness model (by Lyubomirsky, E Sheldon and Schkade, 2005) as theoretical framework. T According to the model, three factors contribute to an P individual’s happiness level: The set point Life circumstances N Intentional activities/effortful acts that are episodic and naturally variable The journey to happiness leads to positive life outcomes such as a higher income and stronger relationships.  Sustainable Happiness TE L P by N Prof. Atasi Mohanty IIT Kharagpur Module 01: Unit-I-Sustainable Happiness Lecture 04: Sustainable Happiness Theory  The question, however, is whether people can actually attain a level of sustainable happiness. What happy and unhappy people are like????? L The first thing that comes to mind is the difference between their E ‘objective’ circumstances that could cause a difference in their level of T happiness. P Examples include: marital status, age, sex, culture, income etc. It is N shown, however, that these factors do not explain the variation in people’s level of well-being. Happiness and/or unhappiness is due to the subjective experience and construal of the world by people, as they interpret their environment differently, leading towards exploring subjective individual thoughts, behaviors and motivations. Happier people see the world in a more positive, and happiness- promoting, way.  TE L N P  Research suggests that happy people use multiple adaptive strategies: ⮚Construal L Research that involved having happy and unhappy people reflect on E similar hypothetical situations / actual life events, revealed that happy people view these events as more pleasant, while unhappy T people view these same events as unfavorable. ⮚Social comparison N P Findings suggest that happy people are less sensitive to feedback about another person or his or her performance (favorable and unfavorable feedback). When performing ‘better’ on a task, all participants became more confident about their skills; However, happy people were unaffected while unhappy people were, negatively affected.  Unhappy people seem to feel positive emotions when a peer has done worse than them, even if they both got negative feedback. When they got positive feedback but performed at a lower level than a peer, they felt negative emotions. L This was the case in both individual and group settings. E Decision-making T When happy people make life-altering decisions, they tend to be P satisfied with their possible options, and only express negative emotions N when their sense of self is threatened. Conversely, unhappy people were generally unhappy with the options offered to them. Happy and unhappy people also differ in how they make decisions in the face of many options. Research suggests that happy individuals are relatively more likely to be satisfied with a solution that is "good enough," while unhappy people tend to maximize the benefits of their decisions and attempt to make the absolute best choice.  Although maximizers’ decisions may ultimately produce objectively superior results (e.g., a more lucrative job), maximizers experience greater regret and diminished well-being relative to satisfiers. Intrusive Dwelling Self-reflection and dwelling on yourself is more often done by unhappy L people. E When led to believe that one has failed something, the unhappy person T dwells on it and fails at further tasks. P However, given distractions from these intrusive thoughts, unhappy people tend to behave more similarly to happy people. N This finding hints at a critical mechanism underlying differences between happy and unhappy people— namely, that one could ‘‘turn’’ a happy person into an unhappy one by instructing her to ruminate about herself. When reflecting on past experiences unhappy people exaggerate the negative emotions with negative event and inherent positive emotions linked with positive events. Happy people do the opposite, thus increase their happiness? ❑HAPPINESS- , OR HOW POSITIVELY A PERSON FEELS ABOUT HIS OR HER LIFE, L OFFERS A COMMON GROUND FOR PEOPLE OF diverse cultures, E creeds, sexes and geographies T Happiness is not only an individual characteristic but also a P community characteristic highly dependent on social N connections and cohesion and local amenities Social Connectedness and Happiness-There is growing awareness of the role that social relationships play in happiness, Connecting with others prevents us from becoming isolated, which may be key to long-term wellbeing, including health.  Neighborhood Amenities and Happiness-Neighborhood amenities such as the availability of green space and access to transit and cultural resources may influence residents’ subjective wellbeing directly, L Happiness Visioning-Happiness visioning, or consideration of what a E local happy future might look like, is the first stage of the STHF. T Happiness visioning focuses on improving seven specific domains of P happiness: N family relationships, financial situation, work, community and friends, health, personal freedom and personal values. Happiness and Health-Happiness is (Veenhoven ,2006) - “the overall appreciation of one’s life-as-a-whole, in short, how much one likes the life one lives", often measured through tests of subjective well- being and life satisfaction. ❑Researchers have demonstrated that one’s subjective experience of happiness corresponds with numerous positive health outcomes (Seligman et al., 2002), including lower blood pressure, the inclination to seek out and act on health information, and more robust immune L systems than those of less happy people E ❑Happiness and Sustainability- T ⮚ In a world of global warming climate scientists are investigating both P mitigation measures and adaptations measures, where human N suffering has reached almost unfathomable levels, a focus on happiness could appear to be a diversion from the hard core issues of sustainability. ⮚Happiness is at the heart of who we are and what we do but in a consumer society, where consumption and happiness are inextricably linked, individuals confuse the “path to the ‘good life’ as the ‘goods life’.  Sustainable Happiness TE L P by N Prof. Atasi Mohanty IIT Kharagpur Module 01: Unit-I-Sustainable Happiness Lecture 05: Sustainable Happiness Process  Sustainable Happiness Theory (Catherine O’Brien) Sustainable development and sustainability have been fostering interdisciplinary research and policy development for two decades. TE L Positive psychology and happiness studies are stimulating interdisciplinary research with implications for policy and practice. N P O'Brien (2005) defined sustainable happiness as the pursuit of happiness that does not exploit other people, the environment, or future generations. Bringing sustainability and happiness together within the concept of sustainable happiness holds significant possibilities for individual, community, and global well- being.  Positive psychology has influenced many disciplines in a very short span of time. positive psychology is most significant and far reaching impact when it is applied to sustainability efforts, locally, nationally and internationally. L Such application may accelerate shifts in attitudes, policies, practice and E behavior. T Specifically, opportunities for integrating positive psychology with P sustainability education are discussed including work in the area of sustainable happiness, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) N and positive education. Sustainable happiness underscores the interrelationship between human flourishing and ecological resilience. Thus sustainable happiness and well-being are integral to building sustainable futures, and positive psychology could be increasingly influential in leading research and education that heralds a new era of understanding and political will to embrace sustainability.  Dr. Catherine O’Brien, originator of the term “sustainable happiness.” believes that human unhappiness is a major ecological problem and that creating a sustainable world will also create happier world. In other words, we don’t lose anything when we live more mindfully and responsibly. We actually gain a different but far greater form of wealth. L “I would say sustainably happy people are better for the environment. E When we really understand that our happiness and well-being are T intertwined with the ecosystems that sustain us I think that’s hugely P powerful, it’s transformative”. N Martin Seligman and others (from the field of positive psychology that has emerged in the ‘90s) began to look at and started asking these kinds of questions, What could we learn from people who are really flourishing and thriving? “What can we learn from happy people?” “What are the health benefits or other benefits of happiness?” “Can you teach happiness?” and so forth.  Types of Happiness- PLEASANT LIFE One level of happiness is a pleasant life wherein you engage - L frequently and consistently - in doing things that give you E pleasure. while it’s great to indulge in things that make us feel T good, those moments can sometimes be fleeting and there are often deeper levels of satisfaction to be had. ENGAGED LIFE N P One step on from a pleasant life is what Seligman calls an engaged life. An engaged life is one where you are living in a way that cultivates your virtues and strengths. Being a person of good character, it seems, is an important part of living a more deeply fulfilling and happy life.  MEANINGFUL LIFE Finally, Seligman’s third dimension of happiness is a Meaningful Life, one that is marked by purpose and meaning. L Happiness in this respect comes from taking those virtues and E strengths that make us a person of good character and using them in service of something bigger than own self - something that gives T purpose and meaning to your life. P Which type will you focus your How can we aim for a meaningful life? Take a moment to reflect N energy on? first on your strengths and virtues - the best things about you Can you think of a cause bigger than yourself that is truly worth serving? All types of happiness are not equal. Some give us fleeing moments of pleasure, whereas others lead to a more longer-lasting, fulfilling level of happiness and satisfaction. ❑Steps to Enhance Happiness- Step 1: Cultivate Awareness — And ‘Meta-awareness’ Awareness is a “heightened, flexible attentiveness to our L environmental and internal cues,” that basically means our E surroundings as well as our thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations. T One simple tactic that will help you achieve this? Close your eyes and P focus on the act of taking 10 breaths. N Step 2: Cultivate Connection Making a small effort to connect with friends, loved ones and colleagues via Zoom, email or text can be enough to help you tap into deeper feelings of kinship as the pandemic continues. Simply cultivating feelings of kindness toward others can be enough to help boost our sense of connection — regardless of whether the person on the receiving end even knows we’re thinking about them.  Step 3: Practice Insight Develop insight as having self-knowledge about how our own emotions, thoughts and beliefs shape our sense of who we think we are; working to develop this kind of insight can empower us to L challenge the beliefs we’ve held about ourselves. E One practical, real-world way to do that is to simply notice when a T negative thought crops up, and be inquisitive, Stop and ask yourself: P Where is this thought coming from? Is it based in any assumptions? Step 4: Connect With Your Purpose values. N It can be worthwhile to spend time thinking about our deep core Then make an effort to notice how even some of the most mundane activities you do every day are connected to them; having a larger sense of purpose in life is linked to positive health outcomes ― from resilience in the face of trauma to overall lower risk of death.  TE L N P  TE L N P