Nic Marks: The Happy Planet Index

www.ted.com Statistician Nic Marks asks why we measure a nation's success by its productivity -- instead of by the happiness and well-being of its people. He introduces the Happy Planet Index, which tracks national well-being against resource use (because a happy life doesn't have to cost the earth). Which countries rank highest in the HPI? You might be surprised.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

[@slamdunktiger]

the five tips recommended here are: 1) connect = social relationships! invest the time and energy 2) be active = contributes hugely to a positive mood 3) take notice = be mindful 4) keep learning = curiosity-based, from simple to big things 5) give!

[@PHNM_MNC]

Thanks

[@adrijamukherjee8147]

10:33, "without an apocalyptic something happening". Corona virus: hold my beer

[@CollinRenaud]

For anyone at NEIT skip to 13:24 for the 5 ingredients to happiness. You're welcome.

[@litpotat5601]

Thanks homie

[@ximevrh]

I'm from Colombia, 3rd place in the ranking 2012...and I know that we have huge problems in Colombia, but even when times are bad we always have a big smile in our faces!

[@taebak5237]

First online geo class of term 2 and I’m assigned this~

[@heyitsian]

Same here

[@kylepetrovic1296]

same lmaoooooo

[@gabriellaarchive]

I can't believe this didn't get more attention. I watched this today and absolutely loved it! so interesting and the website for it is filled with so much information and is so well done 🙌🏽

[@onesy1]

I would have been on my feet for the applause at the end, wow. These are the values that underpin all of humanity, we all need to carry them with us every day of our lives and encourage them in everyone that we meet through what we do and say. Thanks for this great talk, it couldn't have been put better

[@wadegoodwin6773]

Wow, what a refreshing approach to economics Nic. Thank you so very much for this talk, I shall indeed visit your website for more information. Wade Goodwin, The FAIR Digest, South Africa

[@P00P0STER0US]

Easily one of the most enjoyable talks I've seen from TED.

[@emersome1]

This is excellent - thx Nic! Need more hope for our future and agree that this idea is the direction that gives us that hope.

[@extendetBG]

The best speech i'v heard in weeks! Great inspiration! :) Good work.

[@RheaBubbles]

What an inspirational speech. Thank you for that. You made my day !

[@greob]

Great talk. I remember this "happy factor" being mentioned on TED a few months ago.

[@fatenfarrayeh6270]

what a good preacher, it's very good ideas in it. thank you so much

[@CetraTJ]

Thanks Tedtalks, your video are kickass!

[@JasonRister1]

This is awesome. Very well done.

[@nhprman]

He's absolutely right about environmentalists using fear to spread their agenda. There's nothing wrong with polluting less. It's something ALL of us should be on board with. But using extreme rhetoric and fear tactics has backfired BIG TIME in the past generation, and frankly, it's time for a new paradigm. People will react to a positive agenda that lays out benefits clearly.

[@prismakkerra]

Wonderful talk. Just wonderful. ^.^ I love TED so much. One day I'm going to give a speech at one of their conferences.

[@timmyguy13]

Great great message here! Is there any where to get those cards with the five things he talked about??

[@sattarabus]

Nic, you have a distinctive flair for voice and words. Your message is so simple it has often been flogged to death by mouths with a built-in megaphone.. You do it with panache and carbon-free sparseness. That makes for memorability. Words that beget deeds---not mindlessly amped up decibels.

[@JaredWarrenGardner]

@themindminder haha, It would be nice if there was a online picture etc. so you could use as a screen saver :) I love how he giggles when he presents the postcard, haha like he had someone suggest a postcard and just went along with it... lol!

[@ManLikeMatts]

great talk!

[@ChalleFoV3]

the thing about the radio saying how much energy we used is genious! i'de love that data in the newspaper every day. I believe it would make quite a difference

[@DeadWhiteButterflies]

Good talk. Interesting food for thought.

[@Ripzta13B]

This has to be one of my favourite TED talks. We want to be happy, we need to be positive and must be aware of the positive things that are happening in the world through any media or our own eyes.

[@kckrause]

@Great stuff as always!!!

[@PortsladeBySea]

Excellent! We MUST implement an alternative approach to GNP NOW! 🦊💚🦉

[@briansmobile1]

I Love this concept. Happyness comes from emotional awareness. Specifically it comes from thinking in positive terms like he said at the begining. It also comes from reducing drama by reducing assumptions and by being aware instead of taking things personally. Aside from that- always do your best. And that can vary in performance measures, but whatever your best is. Do it.

[@asianlaxer]

excellent video!

[@nodrarb140]

Why is there no HPI for Bhutan in the latest HPI report!?

[@lexleon]

13:10 to 16:40 is the message. Thanks Nic Marks and TED. This vid took me down a rabbit hole, the number 18/23 (dont know why) I searched it found this: Matt 18:23-35 *Must read parable ends with "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." Ezek 18:23 Romans 1:18-23 Don't read Levi 18:23

[@Jennifer.villezcas]

When will the new Happy Planet Index rating come out?

[@websnarf]

It does not surprise me one little bit that Costa Ricans are so happy. I have visited there for an extended vacation and those people are the most laid back, yet reasonably economically successful people in the world. (I was not able to study *why* this is the case, I only saw the end product.)

[@ashleylovesdaddy]

I want to know what the transition process is. It's 'easy' to imagine better futures where people give and exercise, take notice, step up and make a difference. But how do we transition from having to always be making a paycheck? How do we deprioritize making a profit? I never hear anybody talking about that except Jaques Fresco of the Venus Project. That's a great idea but I have no idea how we could transition to it.

[@Ghazzawi9]

This reminds me of that book "brave new world." A happy world can be dangerous, according to Huxley, but I guess I'll choose the dream over the nightmare.

[@blimpy5]

Well needed common sense and an exposition of some salient problems in the western world- bravo

[@sinanozer1653]

I live in Bodrum Turkey and it is the best place to live in on the entire planet !

[@thebermudaI]

This was refreshing. I don't understand why so many people are disagreeing with it...

[@thewinematcher]

@ChalleFoV3 it could be a competition between countries... it would be a great motivator

[@mooxim]

@nine9s I don't think that's how he was measuring happiness, he was just explaining how costa rica were so high up in the top left of the graph. But you do have a point, he didn't explain what his measure of happiness was. Although it could have been something as simple as asking people whether they considered themselves happy, unhappy or content.

[@Alkoholwioslaidziwki]

@Gameboob Is it that hard to check out the country i'm from in my account?

[@hasanmetinbas55]

Teşekkürler

[@samala51]

Very interesting

[@roidroid]

@TurboGC8 maybe you should give a TED talk about it.

[@Tianaism]

wow, fantastic.

[@Nashy119]

@ChalleFoV3 Or online, I think eventually the most useful websites and tools will float to the top.

[@zmgnowai]

@DimitriGoryenko I don't think it's all that vague. I think to get more specific, it would stop being applicable to some people. Spending time with loved ones, being more active, getting out of one's bubble and be aware of the world around you, continually giving your brain food and exposing yourself to new things, and giving... I think these are 5 good things that aren't terribly vague. They are different for every person but they are all somewhat specific instruction.

[@chartaiwan]

I contacted Marks after seeing this talk. At the time he was presenting he had never been to Costa Rica.

[@4BWVan]

This is great. It blows apart the false paradigm that we either have to punish ourselves to live here past 50 years (most environmentalism) or we have to punish the planet to be happy now (mindless consumption/capitalism). I have long though neither is true and Nic has confirmed we can do better than either of those scenarios.

[@ChalleFoV3]

@Geo877 haha. don't worry about it. glad to see that other people are agreeing

[@detore]

@DimitriGoryenko Even though it got a bit airy fairy at the end I still think the overall message was a good one.

[@user-sk8op2uc7j]

5:25 - 9:58, 12:10 - 12:54, 13:08 - 15:32

[@user-oq6ie8dp6r]

충주 대원고 1학년을 위한 매일 해야하는 5가지 행동 요약본 1. 너의 인생에서 가장 중요한 사회관계를 지속시켜라 2. 활동적으로 살아라 3. 주변에 주의를 기울어라 4. 항상 배워라 5. 자신이 가진것을 베풀어라 이렇게 쓰면 된다 도움 됬으면 좋아요 눌러줘

[@lilpa700...]

개추

[@Utsusemi]

"Happiness is a lot to ask for." is what somb0dee told me when I said I want happiness, 2 years ago.

[@BenJordy]

Lol, this is one of my mates dad. XD

[@AzonariMedia]

I don't have enough thumbs for the thumbs up. This video is great!

[@TheAlexHMusic]

I think that the production of a village, nation or even the world is proportional to happiness, but there are other factors which help to increase happiness. What Nic is talking about is the fact that materialism is ruling our lives, and this constant need for money and equating money with happiness is causing Humanity to push a self-destruct button. Looking past this need for money, might increase literacy, numeracy, social skills and many other factors, Instead focusing on money and war.

[@skellymom]

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."

[@ThePremier28]

Hello people from my geo lesson rn

[@hilariofreire]

@pubcat5 you´re seeing it the other way around. it´s not the more love health and wealth the more happy you become. It´s the more happy you are. the more external things don´t matter. love, health and wealth are the consequences of being happy. happyness is a choice. as long as people don´t realize this they will never be happy. how many rock stars feel miserable? and yet they can have anything they want, and there job is making other people enjoy a moment of music. happyness is a choice man.

[@eagleeye1975]

@MrCropper I know, right?

[@danielsw]

@Films4You It is also them who keep wanting more.

[@gusphraba]

@TZMSocialEvolution How telling that it bothers us more that very few people dislike the video (819 vs 41) than the video getting great ratings. The comment system asks for hate, the thumb system asks for quick feedback, obviously the speech doesn't do that bad, does it?

[@TZMSocialEvolution]

@LesGomez No, it's called statistical analysis. Everything I've stated serves as true indicators. And I never said 'all', I made it general on purpose, because unless I survey every person on here, I cannot make an exact determination. However, many of the comments themselves are directly telling.

[@TZMSocialEvolution]

@Aceload I take deep offense to your misreading. I'm sure I used the word "general" in my statement, which is not an all inclusive term, but an observation indicating majority, but not all. I do my best to refrain from absolutes, because they are silly notions, as there are usually exceptions. As for your take on other cultures, you're right! However, in my experience, the American culture in general has grabbed the larger portion of the selfish pie. Thanks for the insults though. Take care.

[@jlspszj]

Happiness is definitely something that many of us are seeking after. To connect, be active, take notice, keep learning and give... I do believe that these are the things that keep us happy for most of the time. The only thing is that happy people are less likely to be as successful as others...

[@ManSeekingMonkey]

@TZMSocialEvolution well said

[@megalibra82]

@HDvideosaregood you missed the point...we are spending more resources than ever but happiness is not really reached. what he is trying to say (which could be wrong) that there is a lot of other outlet for happiness so that we can sacrifice some of our expenditures that we don't need and save this planet from environmental collapse

[@panpiper]

In a world where half the people live on $2.00 a day or less, where basic needs of sustenance are a daily struggle, for someone to assert that 'their' position in the hierarchy of needs should be the one whereby all people aught measure their success is a serious degree of hubris. Happiness and love is only important to people for whom physical needs and security is already established. Unfortunately such basic necessities are not so sufficiently plentiful that we can stop measuring them.

[@redcayenne0118]

I don't know about this... I live in the USA and Panama, and I wouldn't say that people are happier in Panama. Certainly, they use fewer resources to live, but by and large I don't see them as happier. Maybe the men are because they are on top of the food chain, but I'd say women there are much more labored, uneducated, burdened by too many children, poorly nourished, and just not that happy. Perhaps it's that their labor is most influenced by not using resources? This doesn't add up to me.

[@panpiper]

Actually we do not count what we produce. We calculate what we consume. In a healthy economy, those two things tend to be similar, but it can get seriously skewed in certain circumstances, such as a debt funded 'stimulus' that increases consumption and thereby inflates the GDP measurement.

[@costarica]

Costa Rica @ 7:54

[@rashivromio7588]

If you want to achieve a goal of happiness around the world then why dont us start a project with a small country. Like nepal:people are not happy and the reason is hidden despite government.

[@Gameboob]

@MrCropper He's a statistician.

[@oEDLIo]

@defect530 We are stuck here until something totally amazing gets discovered. It may be tomorrow, after a 100 years or maybe never.

[@DeSwiss]

Great presentation. However, until and unless we get control of the capitalists who are the driving force behind consumption and waste, then we'll find it almost impossible to achieve any true happiness. Strong control and regulation of greedy capitalists is a must. Because capitalism is predicated upon "scarcity" being used as a tool to create and maintain profits. But your points on how to positively focus our attention towards our goals are definitely headed in the right direction.

[@SteveSingsThings]

@TZMSocialEvolution Ironically the popularity of your reply undoes its own conclusion! A good number of people (most likely Americans we're forced now to assume) agree with you. With that in mind weak induction gives this argument too much credit. It's really just good old fashioned name calling. :)

[@Rammsteinmaiky1]

I agree with him in general, although what he said actually is not new. It's nothing more than the thinking of so many philosophers, moral and religious leaders from all times, but we have to take into account that in modern times different forces combat to influence the economics, manipulating marketing, using psychology, sociology and even religious and political thinking to indoctrinate people's minds. The key concept to consider, in my opinion, must be Maslow's pyramid of necessities.

[@laviekolchinsky9441]

Yeah, I too think it's important to think of the basic necessities in life. However, if you look at the HPIs (Happiness Planet Indexes) of say African countries, they are some of the lowest. Even though South and Central America may not be as rich (monetarily) as the West, most of their people (I'd say Venezuela in the top 10 is debatable) have their basics checked and have a culture that promotes healthy, happy living. But then, how can you actually "make people happier"? Cultural changes are extremely difficult, and would take decades if not centuries to bring into fruition (changes have occurred before, and these required revolutions such as the Communist Revolution (not promoting communism)).

[@pubcat5]

I would like to ask a question. Isn't happiness made up of love, health, and wealth?

[@detore]

@minesgtrr34 How is anything he talked about social control?

[@jarrodyuki7081]

no one should define what happiness or success is for others.

[@CognosSquare]

@rafaravioli being able to read makes you sadder? I wouldnt worry about that one.

[@priscillauriarte416]

asking for a friend which of Mark's five ideas would affect your life? the most and why?

[@majinspy]

@xXBeach This may be crass, but I simply think that the poor countries don't know what they're missing. The internet, cars, and skyscrapers are pretty cool. Also, his chart said people want love, happiness, and health. Well, those things cost money at some level. The moment this guy starts talking about disbanding the military and investing completely in social programs I just rolled my eyes. This is pure pie in thesky.

[@TZMSocialEvolution]

@LesGomez Is it name calling to make an observation on what is actually observed? I'm basing my statements on what's actually happening in this thread & the truth of the demographic characteristics of KZbin. But you do make an excellent point, that those who agree with me are also probably Americans. Yet it only undoes my conclusion if the support outnumbers the negatives. Hard to gauge that one.

@TZMSocialEvolution Nice.

[@LudicrousTachyon]

That's what the environmentalists should do. They should put up ads showing a picture of Costa Rica and saying something like saving the Earth could make your home look like this.

[@qdfhgv9836]

13:35

[@flutters.mp4]

HKG ppl, happy

[@eagleeye1975]

@eagleeye1975 I wrote the above at about 25% in to the video... and sure enough... it's all "hey, let's put a happy spin on collectivist thought".

[@roidroid]

@maj1kninja07 what's your favourite colour?

[@endofthecosmos]

Human productivity is critical for the future of human civilaztion.

[@liquidminds]

@SuperiorApostate People doing bad stuff, because they believe if they do good, others will walk over them like a doormat, are the reason for the triumph of evil. Doing good is a matter of principle and not a cost-benefit-analisis.....

[@Silken_Sound]

people who dont like this video are people who have the same ideas as Nic Marks, but are not confident enough to do what he is doing in the video. because what he is saying is right.......

[@holyboddy]

i laugh when i see the cameraman on the background

[@edtronic]

COSTARICA COSTARICA!!! TAN BELLA MI TIERRA

[@roidroid]

@Snowflake70 running water, modern medicine. Health is kinda important for happiness.

[@SuperiorApostate]

@HBSchool My country is Nr.2 ! YEAH GO WE PWN.

[@hilariofreire]

@pubcat5 happiness is a choice

[@carnut666]

@allenamenbesetzt since when is taking someones property by force something that shouldnt be justified?