In Search of Happiness

A typical candidate these days looks for ‘challenging’ jobs. When I ask such candidates why they want a challenging job there are differing answers. Some say they get easily bored with ‘routine’ jobs and others would say only a challenging job can do justice to their potential. No one wants to be the average Joe and there seems to be no one below the median line! I explain the job on offer and say that the job is almost the same as what he/she was doing in the previous organization and it can be boring very soon. At this point some candidates deftly switch to other topics. Some would start enquiring about the ‘compensation’ the job brings along. This is a hint that a boring job with high salary ‘compensates’ the absence of challenge or variety. There are interesting contrasts too. We see brilliant professionals who leave their high paying jobs with MNCs, IMF or the UNO to pick up low paying but highly challenging jobs in politics or government bureaucracy.

What do these people seek? Happiness!

‘Can money buy happiness’ is a popular rhetoric question. The politically correct answer generally is that money can’t buy happiness. Some believe that money can buy happiness or at least buy things or services that in turn lead to happiness. But we can’t stretch the argument to the extreme and say that more money can buy more happiness. Infinite amount of money will not give infinite amount of happiness.

Beyond a certain tipping point money leads to unhappiness, frustration and even creates a sense of guilt. This is when the marginal utility of money turns negative, meaning more money leading to more misery. (Well, some of us may prefer such misery to the current level of prosperity! That’s because many of us are utterly ignorant and do not understand the agony of the uber rich.) At this point the rich man starts throwing money just like a frustrated person throws tantrums. Case in point: the neighborhood billionaire suddenly turns philanthropist and pledges half of his fortunes to the greater good of the poorer folks. 

The same way too little money leads to deprivation and unhappiness. Both these extremes have happy exceptions. With lots of wealth Mr. Warren Buffett seems to lead a happy life and with practically no money in hand or in bank many ascetic people seem to lead happy lives too. Unfortunately most of us are neither Warren Buffett nor penniless ascetic folks.

Does this mean that happiness, like virtue stands in the middle? Are the middle class salaried employees the happiest lot? Not many would agree. Ask an employee, ‘are you happy with your pay hike?’ The very question will rub salt on the wound of unhappiness! So what is the solution for the company? I have no answer. My friend gave a suggestion: appoint a CHO- Chief Happiness Officer or if the company cannot afford another CXO position the CEO can double up as a CHO as well. The CHO will measure the ‘as-is’ condition of the company’s total happiness quotient (THQ) and set targets for every year. Two CHOs in the recent past undertook very effective initiatives to improve the THQ of some companies. One such measure was to give iPohone-6+ to key employees and another one was to give Mercedes Benz cars to the top honchos. Both companies reported better THQs and lower attrition in the recent quarter! Who says money can’t buy happiness?

Buddha said: ‘happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are. It solely relies on what you think.’ 

What do you think? Will the next generation be happier?