The World of Happiness Report Part 1

In John Helliwell's, Richard Layard's and Jeffrey Sachs' The World of Happiness Report (Apr. 2012) argues that the quest for happiness is linked with the goal for sustainable development. The authors do not write in chronological order but more in sections of relevance. The authors' purpose was to show the readers how dependent we can be on material things and how it affects our level of happiness in order to get the readers to be less materialistic. The intended audience could be anyone looking to benefit their level of happiness or be less dependent on material things.

I feel that Helliwell's, Layard's, Sachs' "The Word Of Happiness Report" was interesting. I agree and also disagree with this essay. There were sections I agree with, for example when they explain that many people's happiness if based of the materialistic objects they have. I disagree that happiness can be measured. I believe happiness something you find on your own and I just do not think it can be measured. I really enjoyed the section of the essay where the authors explain that happiness can effect a person's physical health. The authors state some very interesting points in "The World of Happiness Report" that really make you think.

I think the meaning of this essay is to get countries to understand that their main goal for their country should be to boost the happiness level. The whole text states nothing but facts about surveys taken about happiness around the world. I also believe that the authors are trying to stress that materialistic things do not make long lasting happiness, only temporary happiness. The authors go on to say "the world's economic superpower, the United States, has achieved striking economic and technological progress over the past half century without gains in the self-reported happiness of the citizenry." Thee authors are basically saying that we, as Americans, depend on technology and have made many advances but cannot enhance our level of happiness.