The Pursuit of Sustainable Happiness

Facing constant pressure to reach ever-increasing objectives, people across all walks of life have become dislocated from what is essential and meaningful to a happy life. As a result, many turn to various forms of escapism, ranging from drugs and alcohol abuse to conspicuous consumption. When addicted to acquiring stuff, consumers become anxious between fixes, fueling debt-financed consumption. With the pandemic driving expectations of major change, we have an opportunity to deploy big-picture thinking to instill more sanity into our society. This article proposes ways to address some of our common vices and historical missteps, aiming to improve mental health and enable the pursuit of sustainable happiness through reforms to how we educate our children, manage the business cycle, support entrepreneurs, and provide healthcare. As the article states, education should fight the mental health crisis, not compound it. Using consciousness practices, like yoga and meditation, individuals can achieve a profound state of relaxation that simultaneously alleviates stresses, trauma, and anxiety. In terms of economic reforms, one approach would be to attack the short-term corporate thinking that drives the need for bailouts; another would be to lower corporate taxes for entrepreneurs. Finally, with healthcare costs soaring along with government debt, it might be time to re-visit the decades-old debate around establishing a two-tiered healthcare model in Canada.

• Consumer culture, Mental Health Crisis, Educational reforms, Erich Fromm