What is Happiness and Why Does this Matter?

I don't like the name calling that's happening in American politics. Name calling is like slamming the door in the face of others--it stops conversations and minimizes important issues. Instead, I believe in civil discourse and debate. I also acknowledge our primitive instincts to quickly demean and disrespect those that disagree with us or do us wrong, but caution myself and others to move above and beyond our primitive selves towards civility, respect, collaboration, development, and betterment.

This led me to think of commonality of purpose and action, and brought me back to the great words that lay the foundation for our United States democracy, words that formulate our vision to provide all with "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

The focus on happiness caught my attention and prompted me to imagine a world based on an economy of happiness. I tweeted out a number of questions related to the attributes of happiness, happiness metrics, and happy communities. People retweeted and then tweeted related links. I decided to collect the links here as I continue to focus on this vital element of living--an element that leads to peaceful communities, quality living, and care for one another.

I'm sure I'll add more in the days to come, and I invite you to share related links, tweets, and research with me.

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