Happy

The Declaration of Independence argued that American citizens had the right "to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." But what is happiness, and how do we acquire and keep it? Filmmaker Roko Belic's documentary examines one of our most prized but elusive emotional states. Many Americans equate material success with happiness, but Happy shows us an Indian rickshaw driver, a Louisiana Cajun bayou fisherman, and African Namibian tribe members who are all poor in wealth, but rich in happiness. Researchers point out that many happy people are nurtured by close family ties and communities, which encourage cooperation and service, as members look out for each other. Some of the world's happiest places are visited, including the Kingdom of Bhutan, which measures "gross national happiness"; the Japanese island of Okinawa, home to a large number of the world's oldest folks; and Denmark, where "co-housing" communities enable residents to live and eat together in an extended family setting. The documentary describes how happiness produces longer, healthier lives, and helps us achieve larger goals or overcome adversity, illustrated here by a former beauty queen disfigured in an accident, who battled the long journey back to love, happiness, and self-acceptance. The human brain plays a key role in happiness—releasing dopamine to maximize pleasure—while also being stimulated by physical activity, the seeking out of new experiences, and the cultivation of care and compassion for others. Happy does not minimize the obstacles to happiness, but—backed by scholarly insights and specific examples—offers a solid, realistic look at the universal longing for joy. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)