Name: English Rewind - Entertainment: Happiness ?
Uploaded: 2024-08-27T14:43:18.000Z
Duration: 5 min 50 s
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Hello, the programme you're about to listen to was originally broadcast in May 2006 on the BBC Learning English website.

We hope you enjoy it. bbclearningenglish.com Hello, I'm Jackie Dalton.

Well, research shows that having lots of money doesn't always mean being happier.

We're about to hear a report on the topic of wealth and happiness.

First, let's look at a few words and phrases related to happiness.

If you're feeling happy, you could express it in these ways.

Another word for happiness can be well-being.

The older I get, the greater my sense of well-being.

Miserable is a word we sometimes use to describe someone who's not happy.

Some of these words will come up in a moment.

As you listen to this report by Mark Easton, answer this question.

Are people in Britain happier now than they were 50 years ago?

It is perhaps one of the greatest challenges for developed nations around the world.

Once average incomes exceed about $15,000, additional wealth doesn't easily translate into additional well-being.

In some countries, notably the United States, it appears that despite being richer than ever in their history, they're getting slightly more miserable.

In Britain, happiness levels appear to have remained constant since the 1950s, despite the country being three times richer.

People in Britain are not happier than they were 50 years ago.

Mark said happiness levels have remained constant.

People are more or less as happy as they were in the 1950s, even though Britain is three times richer.

And in the United States, although people are richer, they're a bit more miserable than before.

So is there anything we can do to make us feel good?

Some people think the leaders of countries should take action.

As you listen to the next part of the report, answer this question.

Governments are being forced to consider the purpose of politics, should its prime aim be to make people richer or to make people happier.

Happy nations tend to be more productive, health is better, people are more creative, life expectancy goes up, quality of life matters.

So why is a more cheerful country a better country?

Well, there are a lot of reasons, including people are more productive, which means they achieve more at work, and life expectancy goes up, meaning people live longer.

Is a term often used to talk about how good or bad your life is and how happy you are.

So what are some of the things that make us feel like we have a bad quality of life?

Mobility of labour, commuting, long working hours are all bad for happiness.

A big gap between rich and poor tends to reduce it too.

So essentially it looks like working too hard makes people unhappy, and commuting, travelling to and from work, as does a big pay gap, a situation where there are very rich and very poor people living in the same area.

So these are things that in theory governments could try to improve.

Dr Nick Bayliss is co-director of the new Wellbeing Institute at the University of Cambridge.

He thinks that happiness has become an industry.

Firms want us to think we can buy happiness, whether it's a tasty chocolate bar or self-help books, books telling you how you can make yourself feel happier.

Why does Dr Bayliss think this is a bad thing?

There's 8 million self-help books claiming they can sell us feel good.

It's a very unhelpful view of life because sometimes life feels bad, and we have to know what to do with those bad feelings.

And if we're just trying to feel good the whole time and demonise the feeling bad, the feeling scared or angry or ashamed or lonely, I think we're missing much of the richness of life.

As for there being a formula for happy lives, I think that's just going so far in the wrong direction.

Dr Bayliss thinks the feel-good industry offers an unhelpful view of how we should be living.

He thinks it's more important for us to stop just expecting to be able to make our lives happy all the time.

We must learn to accept that there are times when we don't feel so good.

Feeling bad, feeling scared or angry or ashamed or lonely.

You feel ashamed when you think you've done something wrong, like upset someone.

Dr Bayliss thinks we shouldn't expect to be content all the time.

We should learn how to accept and cope with negative feelings as well.

 As he says, they're all part of the richness of life.