Happiness

People's level of happiness was not a concern of ancient governments, so it was unique when America's Declaration of Independence mentioned it.  As you know, the right to happiness is found in the second sentence.

No, wait -  it's the pursuit of happiness that's called a right. Yes, the pursuit.  Thomas Jefferson didn't say that everyone had a right to be happy, but that such a pursuit is a God-given right.

If we want to pursue it, then it would be handy to know what's involved, what factors actually improve the likelihood of happiness.  That is the theme of Gross National Happiness, written by Arthur C. Brooks and published in 2008.  Here's his title at the time of writing:  Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government Policy at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship in Syracuse NY.  I actually got to meet him at a talk he gave on the U of MN campus and found him well-spoken, professional, likeable.

As you'd expect from an economist, his "book is based completely on data - large surveys conducted by the best and most impartial data-collection organizations in the world - as well as on a synthesis of the work of the finest researchers currently working on the subject of happiness."

If you'd like to get a quick idea of your current mood, go here.