Meet The Happiness Hopefuls

Meet an eclectic bunch of believers who are convinced that their ideas are the ultimate one-way street to joy within

- Sneha Bhura

The Finns would tell you that the secret to happiness is being in tune with nature. They are mighty proud of their expansive forest cover and clean air that lowers depression and anxiety, saunas that flush out toxins and the silence that stirs productive contemplation. After being voted the happiest country for the second consecutive year in the UN-sponsored World Happiness Report, Finland’s tourism board started the ‘Rent a Finn’ campaign, which promotes the recruitment of locals as happiness guides. So, a Japanese couple gets to explore the true meaning of sisu—a Finnish term for resilience in the face of extreme adversity. An Italian guest will learn the secrets behind the Finnish school system, considered one of the best in the world.

The Embassy of Finland in New Delhi confirmed no Indian tourists were selected for the inaugural edition of ‘Rent a Finn’ in June but did not disclose how many from India applied. Finland may not be on the radar for Indian tourists, but a country that continually figures in the bottom of the pile in global happiness rankings could learn a thing or two from the Finns. Of the 156 nations surveyed in the World Happiness Report, India ranks 140, down from 133 last year. In Gallup’s 2018 World Poll of 150 countries to gauge the perception of well-being, India had the lowest score, with 3 percent of Indians reporting in 2017 that they were “thriving”, compared with 14 percent in 2014. The tepid response to this one question—if you were in trouble, do you have relatives or friends you can count on to help you whenever you need them?—dramatically brought down the “thriving” score.

Mapping unhappiness in India will be a limitless exercise. But all is not bleak. Here are some strange, life-affirming vignettes of hope and felicity from people who advocate calm and peace by believing their own trajectories. They are happiness hopefuls.