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Posted by The Independent

• Wednesday, 6 January 2010 at 09:28 am

Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it. For now that both government and opposition have embraced the happiness agenda, sceptical voices are warning that this marks a disturbing intrusion of the state into the private lives of citizens, and that, far from being benign, attempts to regulate the subjective states of citizens could have sinister implications. Well-being, once absent from political discourse, has become a contested issue at the very heart of it.

Read this well written and fascinating article about the British Government’s desire to implement a “Happiness Agenda” and like any idea or set of beliefs from an individual or facet of Government, it has its opponents, skeptics and nay sayers, as it should.

“On 7 December, the Government published a report, “New Horizons”, setting out its 10-year mental health strategy. As Gordon Brown said in its introduction: “This is about more than preventing mental illness … it is also about helping individuals and communities to bring the best out of themselves.” As psychological well-being becomes more than just a health service concern that deals with chronic or acute problems, all branches of the state start to take an interest in it.”

The “study” of happiness and emotional well-being have always taken criticism in part I believe due to the innate human propensity to envy.  I truly believe ALL people would choose to be happy over unhappy, but many find the negative aspects of life are so prevalent most of their waking hours that the pursuit of happiness to them seems fruitless and pointless.  Misery really does love company.  Emotional envy is the feeling that “To me happiness is a great challenge and you don’t, so I don’t like you” or “if I can’t be happy, why should you.”  It seems odd to think that people really do feel this way, but they do, just as there are those who feel envious of the wealthy and look at them with dislike, and in severe cases deep hatred.

Many people also see the intervening of Government into the emotional fitness of its citizens to be intrusive and sinister. All certainly have the right to their feelings and beliefs however, I believe if a society is to survive and thrive, collective thought needs to focus on an optimistic and positive view of the future, a “how could we have done better?” look at past mistakes and failures and a proactive approach to current challenges.

The most proactive approach to building character and social values in a community is to provide character education and emotional intelligence based curriculum to our children.  There is no doubt or argument that more and more children are unhappy, depressed and pessimistic about their future.  Not only do mountains of research substantiate this fact, but the media in all areas of the globe report about it.  This to me is more than just a “red flag” that something needs to be done, it is, I believe to be the highest level of concern about our future.  More important an issue than climate change and the environment or the stock market, the emotional well-being of our worlds children need to be at the forefront of discussions and actions.

I personally commend the British Government for taking a proactive approach to ensuring the positive growth of their Nation through helping individuals and communities to bring the best out of themselves.

Character development starts with education and the tools to take the necessary action to achieve sustainable economic growth and emotional prosperity.  I encourage all parents, teachers, coaches and caregivers to see the future through the eyes of their children, because that is exactly where the fate of our future lay.