The Atlas of Happiness

Helen Russell takes a careful look at all the ways people around the world find to be happy. She features thirty of these methods in her book, The Atlas of Happiness: The Global Secrets of How to Be Happy.

In Japan, the word that sums up the way people find happiness is wabi-sabi.

What is wabi-sabi (pronounced “wah-be-sah-be”)? From the book: ‘The abandonment of all aesthetic ideals that demand “perfection,” wabi-sabi is an appreciation of things the way they are; a reveling in the texture and complexity of real life and the beauty of imperfection.” Yes, the beauty of imperfection.

The happiness techniques are: fair go (Australia); Gross National Happiness (Bhutan); Saudade (Brazil); joie de vivre (Canada); xingfu (China); pura vida (Costa Rica); arbejdsglaede (Denmark); jolly (England); kalsarikannit (Finland); gemutlichkeit (Germany); meraki (Greece); aloha (Hawaii); petta reddast (Iceland); jugaad (India); craic (Ireland); dolce far niente (Italy); wabi-sabi (Japan); turangawaewae & haka (New Zealand); friluftsliv (Norway); azart (Russia); ubuntu (South Africa); tapeo & sobremesa (Spain); smultronstalle & lagom (Sweden); federerism (Sweden); tarab (Syria); mai pen rai (Thailand); gezellig (The Netherlands); keyif (Turkey); homeyness (USA); and hwyl (Wales).