This is the fourth Dragon King of Bhutan.
He looked at other countries and noticed in most of them,
the government and the people strive for economical wealth.
And those few who achieve this goal
usually live a comfortable life.
But on the downside,
many other people live in misery,
poverty or social isolation.
Also in the ruthless hunt for money,
huge parts of the environment are often destroyed.
This couldn’t be the right path for Bhutan.
The concept of Gross National Happiness was born.
The primary idea of GNH is
that every human being aspires for happiness
and the country’s development should also
be measured in its citizens’ happiness.
The fourth Dragon King’s challenge therefore
was figuring out how to balance economic development
with the emotional and spiritual well-being of his people.
Although economic growth can’t be the only goal,
a flourishing economy gives the government
the funds needed to provide a working health
and educational system,
as well as certain living standards.
Because being healthy, having opportunities
for the future and knowing that security,
a steady income, housing or well- balanced time use
are guaranteed is crucial for people to be happy.
But furthermore, people get a lot of positive energy
from being with others and sharing interests.
Participating in cultural life
and to hold up local traditions
and cultural heritage lead to
a stronger community feeling.
Healthy family relationships,
advocating community activities
and religious aspects are factors for achieving happiness.
It gives the Bhutanese people
a strong sense of values and identity.
The fourth Dragon King reigned 34 years
basing his decisions on all factors of
Gross National Happiness, asking himself,
“What makes Bhutan’s people happy?”
The idea of Gross National Happiness
has taken quite some momentum outside of Bhutan,
with other countries and people
around the world thinking about adopting
the GNH approach to strive for development
with values and to make the world a happier place.