{"id":5346,"date":"2018-09-27T12:00:51","date_gmt":"2018-09-27T12:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.austinshortfilm.com\/blog\/why-happiness-is-more-important-than-economic-growth\/"},"modified":"2018-09-27T12:00:51","modified_gmt":"2018-09-27T12:00:51","slug":"why-happiness-is-more-important-than-economic-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.austinshortfilm.com\/tech\/why-happiness-is-more-important-than-economic-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Happiness is More Important Than Economic Growth"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_EhCCmC7At4\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>http:\/\/cenkuslaw.com<\/p>\n<p>Traditionally, the way we measure economic success is by economic growth via metrics such as GDP, average income, unemployment, etc. <\/p>\n<p>However, while economic growth is important to a point, wealth and growth don&#8217;t equate to personal satisfaction and happiness. That&#8217;s why I argue that traditional metrics of economic progress aren&#8217;t the most effective means to measure overall progress (at least not for the most developed economies).<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ve experienced tremendous economic growth over the past century, yet it appears that we aren&#8217;t any happier. In fact, the U.S. is one of the wealthiest countries on the planet, yet by the standards of the UN&#8217;s World Happiness Report we certainly aren&#8217;t the happiest.<\/p>\n<p>While subjective happiness is difficult to measure and compare between societies, it&#8217;s absolutely a valuable metric to compare amongst a static population over time. In the UN&#8217;s World Happiness Report, they utilized six key indicators of happiness:<br \/>\n1. GDP (a traditional metric of economic health)<br \/>\n2. Perception of corruption<br \/>\n3. Life expectancy<br \/>\n4. Generosity<br \/>\n5. Social support<br \/>\n6. Overall freedom<\/p>\n<p>Again, although it&#8217;s difficult to measure the happiness of a population, I argue that it&#8217;s an important factor to consider in examining the progress of society as a whole. <\/p>\n<p>Our obsession with growth means nothing if we aren&#8217;t happier as a result of this relentless pursuit. And, one could argue that a happier population, in fact, makes it more productive and is a sign of that growth we so desire.<\/p>\n<p>Watch the video for my take and please share your thoughts!<br \/>\n_____________________________________________<\/p>\n<p>For a deeper dive into  and other legal issues vital to the success of your deals and your business, visit me at:<br \/>\nhttp:\/\/www.cenkuslaw.com<\/p>\n<p>Just starting up? Check this out for my advice on startup success: http:\/\/www.thestartupshepherd.com.<\/p>\n<p>You can also reach me at:<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/brettcenkus<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsmag-video-container\"><a class=\"twitter-timeline\" data-width=\"600\" data-height=\"900\" data-dnt=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/bcenkus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">Tweets by bcenkus<\/a><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p>http:\/\/www.cenkuslaw.com<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsmag-video-container\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"4GTOAizHPX\"><p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cenkus.com\/\">Home<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" src=\"http:\/\/www.cenkus.com\/embed\/#?secret=4GTOAizHPX\" data-secret=\"4GTOAizHPX\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Home&#8221; &#8212; Brett Cenkus\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>_______________________________________________<\/p>\n<p>About me:<\/p>\n<p>My 20+ years of experience in business finance, business law and entrepreneurship have led me to believe that numbers and logic are awesome tools, but understanding human nature and emotions is the first step to business success. <\/p>\n<p>The Cenkus Law Firm provides services related to mergers &#038; acquisitions, general business issues and startups, including founders\u2019 agreements and fundraising. I also consult with entrepreneurs and have invested my own capital as an angel investor.<\/p>\n<p>From 2010-2013 I served as Chief Legal Counsel of a publicly-traded international oilfield services company. From 2001 to 2006 me and a partner founded and built Paragon Residential Mortgage. Paragon was sold to Bridge Investments in 2006. <\/p>\n<p>I hold a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania. <\/p>\n<p>Now, I live in Austin, TX with my wife and two kids. I enjoy reading, running, classic movies, great food and wine and some great American football.<\/p>\n<h3>More info on Why Happiness is More Important Than Economic Growth<\/h3>\n<div class=\"ss-local-rss\"><div class=\"rss_header\"><h2><a href=\"https:\/\/cn.bing.com\/news\/search\/?q=Why+Happiness+is+More+Important+Than+Economic+Growth&amp;qft=sortbydate%3D%221%22&amp;format=rss\" rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"rss_title\">Why Happiness is More Important Than Economic Growth - BingNews<\/a><br \/><span class=\"rss_description\"> Search results<\/span><\/h2><\/div><ul>\n            <li>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bing.com\/news\/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&amp;aid=&amp;tid=6632687130184ee4bd4285760deee3a8&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fapnews.com%2Farticle%2Fpay-income-economy-inflation-42fff23c6d2ae49ad56e990aea558b4a&amp;c=4886393257594403822&amp;mkt=en-us\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWorkers\u2019 paychecks grew faster in the first quarter, a possible concern for the Fed\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Pay and benefits for America\u2019s workers grew more quickly in the first three months of this year, a trend that could contribute to higher inflation and raise concerns about the future path of price ...<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n            \n            <li>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bing.com\/news\/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&amp;aid=&amp;tid=6632687130184ee4bd4285760deee3a8&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.msn.com%2Fen-us%2Fmoney%2Fcareersandeducation%2Fwhy-america-s-happiness-ranking-is-irrelevant-opinion%2Far-AA1nV8QH&amp;c=5536086504189068109&amp;mkt=en-us\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWhy America\u2019s happiness ranking is irrelevant | Opinion\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Earlier this month, the news media was flooded with articles showing that America\u2019s happiness ranking had declined, pushing the United States down to 23rd in the world. Reports showed that younger ...<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n            \n            <li>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bing.com\/news\/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&amp;aid=&amp;tid=6632687130184ee4bd4285760deee3a8&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.psychologytoday.com%2Fintl%2Fblog%2Fout-of-the-darkness%2F202404%2Fwhy-a-harmonious-childhood-is-key-to-psychological-and-social&amp;c=16141402550661075117&amp;mkt=en-us\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWhy a Harmonious Childhood Is Key to Psychological and Social Health\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>In Finland, fathers spend more time with school age children than mothers. 6 There are many factors that contribute ... ranked as the world\u2019s happiest countries. One reason why these countries have a ...<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n            \n            <li>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bing.com\/news\/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&amp;aid=&amp;tid=6632687130184ee4bd4285760deee3a8&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.statesman.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fpolitifact%2F2024%2F04%2F29%2Fpolitifact-was-last-years-us-job-growth-all-from-part-time-work%2F73481720007%2F&amp;c=17319568595213334535&amp;mkt=en-us\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPolitiFact: Was last year's US job growth all from part-time work?\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Statement: \"The much-trumpeted job growth in the last year ... time workers report higher health, happiness with work and satisfaction with work schedules than both full-time workers and people ...<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n            \n            <li>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bing.com\/news\/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&amp;aid=&amp;tid=6632687130184ee4bd4285760deee3a8&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newscenter1.tv%2Flifestyle%2Fpersonal_finance%2Fmore-than-money-financial-advisors-shift-to-life-coaching-as-americans-redefine-wealth%2Farticle_962669bf-e640-5a55-9f79-50a6ff8f5a64.html&amp;c=12490297183917163081&amp;mkt=en-us\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMore Than Money: Financial Advisors Shift to Life Coaching as Americans Redefine Wealth\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Will financial advisors replace therapists in the coming years as Americans seek guidance on how to lead more fulfilling lives? eMoney reports that in 2022, 46% of advisors now offer ...<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n            \n            <li>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bing.com\/news\/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&amp;aid=&amp;tid=6632687130184ee4bd4285760deee3a8&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-13316927%2FThe-UK-economy-way-recovery-amid-falling-inflation-growth-powered-rising-population-economic-dynamism-IMF-says.html&amp;c=3580151018645414060&amp;mkt=en-us\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe UK economy is on the way to recovery amid falling inflation, Jeremy Hunt claims as the IMF says growth is being powered by a rising population rather than economic dynamism\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>GDP in the UK will grow just 0.5 per cent ... boosted by 'increased inflows of migrants with faster growth in the foreign-born than in the domestic-born labour force', the IMF said in its latest ...<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n            \n            <li>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bing.com\/news\/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&amp;aid=&amp;tid=6632687130184ee4bd4285760deee3a8&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.astronomy.com%2Fscience%2Fwhy-good-science-is-needed-more-than-ever-and-so-is-good-faith%2F&amp;c=4890085381797861508&amp;mkt=en-us\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWhy good science is needed more than ever, and so is good faith\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Those are much, much harder questions, and the answers are much, much more uncertain \u2014 and hence ... inappropriate for crafting policy, which is why \u201cevidence-based policy\u201d is simply not.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n            \n            <li>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bing.com\/news\/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&amp;aid=&amp;tid=6632687130184ee4bd4285760deee3a8&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scmp.com%2Feconomy%2Fchina-economy%2Farticle%2F3259224%2Fchinas-gdp-growth-beat-expectations-so-why-are-analysts-and-business-groups-still-downbeat&amp;c=7842701439415599859&amp;mkt=en-us\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tChina\u2019s GDP growth beat expectations \u2013 so why are analysts and business groups still downbeat?\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>\u201cThe downside risk [in China\u2019s economy] is how quickly the drag from property investment will diminish, and whether households are willing to spend more ... growth forecast on the better-than ...<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n            \n            <li>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bing.com\/news\/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&amp;aid=&amp;tid=6632687130184ee4bd4285760deee3a8&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.sky.com%2Fstory%2Fits-the-inflation-stupid-why-a-vibecession-is-hurting-biden-despite-an-economy-which-is-the-envy-of-europe-13116800&amp;c=15244508209195503597&amp;mkt=en-us\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIt's the inflation, stupid: Why a 'vibecession' is hurting Biden - despite an economy which is the envy of Europe\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>The United States is forecast to have more economic growth ... why, then, is consumer confidence so weak? Why are Biden's approval ratings - the key polling benchmark for the US leader - lower ...<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n            \n            <li>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bing.com\/news\/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&amp;aid=&amp;tid=6632687130184ee4bd4285760deee3a8&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2024%2F04%2F16%2Feconomy%2Fimf-us-economy-growth-inflation-warning%2Findex.html&amp;c=534537767197126499&amp;mkt=en-us\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIMF raises growth forecast for \u2018overheated\u2019 US economy and urges caution on rate cuts\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>0.1 percentage points more than predicted in January. China\u2019s economy, the second-largest in the world, is forecast to grow 4.6%, while India is expected to notch growth of 6.8%. \u201cThe strong ...<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n            \n            <li>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bing.com\/news\/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&amp;aid=&amp;tid=6632687130184ee4bd4285760deee3a8&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Ffinance%2Fcommodities-futures%2Foil-rises-as-markets-weigh-middle-east-risks-29cc1cca&amp;c=7576943759537828803&amp;mkt=en-us\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tOil Slips Despite Middle East Fears, China\u2019s Economic Growth\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>1045 GMT \u2013 Oil prices are edging lower despite fears of escalating hostilities in the Middle East and China\u2019s stronger-than-expected economic growth in the first quarter. Brent crude and WTI ...<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n            <\/ul> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>http:\/\/cenkuslaw.com Traditionally, the way we measure economic success is by economic growth via metrics such as GDP, average income, unemployment, etc. However, while economic growth is important to a point, wealth and growth don&#8217;t equate to personal satisfaction and happiness. That&#8217;s why I argue that traditional metrics of economic progress aren&#8217;t the most effective means [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5347,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[2404,615,2402,2403],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.austinshortfilm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/EhCCmC7At4.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.austinshortfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5346"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.austinshortfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.austinshortfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.austinshortfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.austinshortfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.austinshortfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5346\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.austinshortfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.austinshortfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.austinshortfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.austinshortfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}