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1、How to let happiness find you An education that encourages emotional intelligence may not be as daft as it sounds if we are to make the most of this age of affluence, argues philosopher AC Grayling We are richer than ever but no happier, so the experts tell us, prompting renewed discussion about

2、what happiness is, in the hope that public policies can be devised to promote it. Not only does increasing wealth fail to make us happier, the experts add, but one of the reasons for increased wealth, namely the individualistic and competitive demands of today's predominantly market societies, actua

3、lly makes us unhappier. Code to joy: lessons in schools have been shown to reduce depression, bullying and other problems Professor Richard Layard, of the London School of Economics, is a leading proponent of the idea that public policy can make a real difference to the quantum of happiness in s

4、ociety. He has shown that increased incomes, better housing, possession of cars and television sets, and all the other appurtenances of well-furnished life are not what make people happy, at least once they have risen above a certain material level. In his lecture at Cambridge University earlier

5、this week, Lord Layard argued that happiness should be taught in schools. He said that schools should raise children's "emotional intelligence" and thereby help them to understand what makes for happy lives. On the basis of empirical research, he is able to point to programmes that have reduced de

6、pression, bullying and other problems in a number of schools, which consequently enjoy a calmer and more collegial atmosphere. There is no doubt that these ideas have much to recommend them, but they need to be couched in the right terms to avoid giving the impression that the aim is to package and

7、 supply happiness as if it were some sort of commodity. If matters were that easy, and happiness were just a matter of mild euphoria and indifference to life's vicissitudes, the answer would be to put Prozac in the public water supply. But that is not what Lord Layard and other advocates of happin

8、ess programmes are saying. There are two points that need to be firmly grasped before one can talk seriously about the real question at stake, which is not best phrased as "how can we increase the amount of happiness in society", but rather "how can we equip individuals to live more personally sati

9、sfying lives?" Despite seeming to be versions of each other, they are radically different questions. The first suggests a view of happiness as a form of welfare that public funding, if suitably directed through education or some other vehicle of social engineering, could subsidise. The second re

10、cognises that there are very many ways in which people can use the word "happiness" to describe what they feel when their lives are going well, and that what they mean by it is almost always a very individual thing. The individual thing in question is typically an enduring mood or mindset arising f

11、rom the joint operation of a number of factors. These include health, the quality of personal relationships, satisfaction in work or other avocations, engagement in creative and pleasurable activities, either financial security or indifference to money, a sense of being valued at work or in the comm

12、unity, and a sufficient degree of independence to be able to make individually important choices and act on them. Each of these things in turn requires a degree of understanding and a capacity for self-government, which individuals can be helped to acquire both by education and through prevailing s

13、ocial attitudes. For example, health is enhanced by exercise and good diet. That is something that can be taught. Good relationships are based on mature understanding of others, generosity and tolerance, and an ability to express feelings constructively and appropriately; these are more complex ma

14、tters, and central to "emotional intelligence", but they likewise can be encouraged and fostered through education and the social debate. Still, no general prescription is ever going to capture what unique combinations of such factors will suit all individuals. But society can help individuals to

15、acquire the tools they need for the task of building their own uniquely satisfying lives. And indeed, education is the principal such tool. An education that results in an ability to think, to evaluate evidence and arguments, and to know where to find information and to make use of it is one key; a

16、wide acquaintance with literature and history, and the challenge to respond reflectively to both, is another. Perhaps "happiness studies" as such will help, but the two keys mentioned are indispensable, and perhaps the only real foundations of a chance for good lives. There is no guarantee that pe

17、rsonally satisfying lives will be built from these materials, but they offer a better chance than education, which is too exclusively focused on transmitting employability skills at the expense of personal development. This, I think, is the idea that underlies Lord Layard's argument, and it shows th

18、at it is, despite the over-quick formulations that it receives in the media, on the right lines. But there is a final point that the long philosophical tradition of debate about happiness and the good life shows, and it is this: that the surest way to unhappiness is to try to pursue happiness direc

19、tly. This is because happiness only ever comes as the outrider to other things that are in themselves independently fulfilling and rewarding. Happiness is like the dot of light in a very dark room that you can only see out of the corner of your eye, but which vanishes when you look directly at it.

20、 Instead of looking for happiness, therefore, one should look for achievement in a worthwhile field, or service to a noble cause, or the good of one's family or community, or the personal pleasure that comes from creative endeavour. As surely as night follows day, happiness will attend success in

21、any of these efforts. Learning the value of these things is what constitutes an education in happiness; applying the lessons thus learnt is what offers the best chance of finding it. CAN YOU TEACH HAPPINESS? Lesley Garner , The Daily Telegraph's Lifeclass columnist "You learn how to be happy in

22、 the family you grow up in, but I think you can relearn it, too. It is entirely about the attitude with which you approach problems. It is an abstract, a by-product of doing other things. Happiness is a habit that happy people have and that unhappy people can learn." Lionel Shriver , author of 'The

23、 Post-Birthday World' "The idea of teaching happiness as a course is absurd. In my experience happiness is a by-product of other activities. It cannot be approached directly. The most sustaining and durable happiness is as a result of hard work and therefore probably of a bit of unhappiness along

24、the way." Robin Badham-Thornill , Headmaster of Summer Fields School, Oxford "A child needs the right combination of influences at home and at school. It is up to us to create a caring, secure and fulfilling environment for our pupils. We back that up with personal health and social education les

25、sons, which help children to be properly aware of their needs and of the needs of others." Dr David Starkey , historian "I think there are techniques that give people the illusion of happiness. Wanting a society that is more level, more equal, one that places less emphasis on competition is profo

26、undly ideological. There is far too much social indoctrination in schools today. Children should be left to make up their own minds." John Wilkinson , headteacher, St Paul's Primary School, Camden, North London "Happiness can't be taught, just as a joke that needs explaining is suddenly no longer

27、 funny. Should we even aim for happiness? I'll answer that with another question: when were you last completely happy? "The answer may surprise you. It could be yesterday, when the iPod you ordered arrived in the post. But it's more likely to have been in your childhood - perhaps the day you caugh

28、t your first fish." Roger Highfield , The Daily Telegraph's Science editor "I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all prescription for happiness, alas, so I don't think it can be taught, but studies have shown that physical health is the best single predictor, followed by income. "Sociologists

29、 have found that relative income, however, is more important than absolute - with people's happiness depending on the relative success of their peers. This is thought to be why people in the West have become no happier in the last half-century, despite being healthier, wealthier and better travelled

30、." Fiona Harrold , life coach "Can happiness be taught? Absolutely! A positive, dynamic approach to life is the best passport to happiness. Encouraging our children to take responsibility for getting what they want is something we should all be doing." Oliver Chubb , 17 "I find it hard to come

31、 to terms with teaching state of mind. Surely you are happy for your own reasons, not because someone teaches you how to be. I don't think emotions are an academic subject. If they were to call these 'general life' lessons I would find the idea easier to accept, but 'happiness' lessons, no." Milo S

32、eery , 8 "Happiness can be taught. I don't know how, by some hypnotists probably. They can put people into trances. Games like football make me happy - and really warm weather. You should aim for happiness because it can make you confident and things..." Olivia Garner , 11 "Happiness can't really be taught because you don't want to think about needing to be happy. If you think too much about being happy then you will be much more aware when you are not happy and will be wondering all the time if you are being happy. It comes naturally."