Australia: the happiest place on earth?

How should we define happiness? Are we happy? What leads to lasting happiness?

Wed 31 Jul 2013

Australia has taken the top spot on the OECD Better Life Index as the happiest country on earth for the third year running, ahead of 35 other OECD countries. But why are we seeing an increase in the number of Aussies being treated for depression? Why do 1 in 3 of us work overtime? And why are we drinking more alcohol than what is recommended?

How should we define happiness? Are we happy? What leads to lasting happiness?

Panellists Mark McCrindle, Thubten Chokyi and Ross Gittins ask if Australia is indeed the "Happiest Place on Earth".

Mark McCrindle is a social researcher with an international renown for tracking emerging issues, researching social trends, and analysing customer segments.

Ross Gittins is a political and economic journalist and author, known for his "ability to make dry, hard-to-understand economics and economic policy relevant".

Thubten Chokyi is International Director of the Liberation Prison Project, and Spiritual Program Coordinator and teacher at Vajrayana Institute in Sydney.

These videos were recorded on July 31 and August 1, 2013.

Topics

Christian Faith

Work and Vocation

Lifestyle and Wellbeing

Relationships and Community

Science and Technology

Art, beauty and creativity

Society and culture

Worldview and Religion

Contributors

With

Ross Gittins

Ross Gittins is the Economics Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and an Economic Columnist for The Age.

For 40 years he has had a ringside seat as the Australian economy has gone through radical change. He’s covered 40 budgets and 16 elections and watched 13 treasurers and eight prime ministers wrestle with boom and recession, debts and deficits.

He is a winner of the Citibank Pan Asia award for excellence in financial journalism and has been a Nuffield Press fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge, and a journalist-in-residence at the Department of Economics at the University of Melbourne.

His most recent books are Gittins’ Gospel, Gittinomics, The Happy Economist and Gittins: A Life Among Budgets, Bulldust and Bastardry; published by Allen & Unwin (June 2015).

Mark McCrindle

Mark McCrindle is a social researcher, TEDx Speaker, best-selling author, influential thought leader and Principal of the research-based advisory firm, McCrindle Research.

Mark is a social analyst with an international following. His passions lie in tracking emerging issues, researching social trends and analysing customer segments. Mark is an advisor to executive boards and committees across Australia. As a sought-after demographer, futurist and social commentator, he’s delivered over 100 keynotes in the last year.