Transcript Jon Hall, Policy Specialist, Human Development Report Office, UNDP
From Capabilities to Contentment: Links between Happiness and Human Development
Jon Hall, HDRO, UNDP
Binocular Vision
A Spare Eye
A Wider Field of View
Spotting Faint Objects
Depth Perception
Happiness & Human Development … Common Origins
“ Our metrics are important not just because they tell us how we are doing but because they serve as guides in policy making…. GDP measures the busy-ness of our economy. But the big question is whether we are busy doing the right things. Making your economy grow more will not necessarily get you the things that people really want. Our preoccupation with GDP makes it difficult for politicians to back policies that are good for society and for the environment but which might not result in an increase in GDP.
.”
Joseph Stiglitz
Nobel Laureate
Happiness & Human Development … Strange Bedfellows?
Happiness & Human Development … Strange Bedfellows?
“A grumbling rich man may well be less happy than a contented peasant, but he does have a higher standard of living than that peasant”
Amartya Sen
Happiness & Human Development … Strange Bedfellows?
Our overall happiness - how we feel about our lives - is what matters to us most.
Richard Layard
Happiness & Human Development can Help Each Other
Human Development Life Satisfaction
Measurable Desirable
Partially Yes Yes, by definition Usually yes (but not necessarily)
Life Satisfaction vs the HDI
.2
.4
.6
Human Development Index (HDI) .8
95% CI Overall Life Evaluation Fitted values 1
Life Satisfaction vs the HDI – Controlling for Income
.2
.4
.6
Nonincome HDI 95% CI Life Evaluation Net Effect of Income .8
Fitted values 1
Life Satisfaction and its Correlates HDI Job Satisfaction Perceptions of Safety Economic Conditions Trust in Government Government Effectiveness Freedom of choice Inequality Coefficient
4.813*** 6.305*** 1.685*** 1.08* -0.595
0.818*** 4.454*** -6.027***
Constant
2.167*** 0.705*
Adj- RSq
0.584
N.
152 0.599
152 4.342*** 0.049
148 5.00*** 0.02
151 5.734*** 0.002
133 5.429*** 0.535
152 2.208*** 6.694*** 0.312
151 0.335
124
It is better to be blind than to see things only from one point of view
Indian Proverb