Ways to Greater Happiness: A Delphi Study
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Ways to Greater Happiness: A Delphi Study Dan Buettner1 · Toben Nelson2 · Ruut Veenhoven3,4
© The Author(s) 2020
Abstract In the first round of this Delphi study 14 experts suggested strategies for improving life-satisfaction. In a second round, experts rated these strategies for (a) effectiveness, (b) feasibility and (c) cost-effectiveness. They considered 56 strategies policy makers can use to raise average happiness in a nation and 68 ways in which individuals can raise their own happiness. Experts were informed about the average ratings made by the panel and about the arguments advanced. Then, in a third round, experts made their final judgments. Summed ratings for average effectiveness and feasibility of the strategies ranged between 8.4 and 4.9 on scale 2–10, which means that most of the recommendations were deemed suitable. Agreement was slightly higher on policy strategies than on individual ways to greater happiness. Policy strategies deemed the most effective and feasible are: (1) investing in happiness research, (2) support of vulnerable people and (3) improving the social climate, in particular by promoting voluntary work and supporting non-profits. Individual strategies deemed most effective are: (a) investing in social networks, (b) doing meaningful things and (c) caring for one’s health. Keywords Life-satisfaction · Research review · Policy advice · Utilitarianism
This study was commissioned by National Geographic Inc, Washington USA. A more detailed report of this study is available at https://www.eur.nl/en/ehero/publications/worki ng-papers/2017-01. From this site you can download: 1) A pdf version of this paper which involves links from the text to rows in tables, 2) Excel files for the tables 2 and 3 in which you can sort, 3) Documentation about this Delphi study, and 4) A copy of the data set. * Ruut Veenhoven [email protected] 1
Gallup, Washington, USA
2
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
3
Erasmus Happiness Economics Research Organization, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
4
Opentia Research Program, North-West University South Africa, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
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D. Buettner et al.
1 Introduction 1.1 Call for Greater Happiness All humans want a satisfying life for themselves and their children. This is seen in the high ranking given to happiness in the value hierarchies of students all over the world (Diener et al. 1995) and in the preferences of ordinary people in western nations (e.g. Adler et al. Adler et al. 2015). Individually, people seek ways to achieve a more satisfying life and this quest is manifests in the soaring sales of ‘how-to-be-happy’ books and in the ongoing development of life-coaching businesses. Citizens in western societies call on their governments to improve the social conditions for happiness; for example, 85% of the British agree with the statement that ‘A governments prime aim should be achieving the greatest happiness of the people, not
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