Bhutan and Happiness

Charlie and I have discovered a new, wonderful channel called "Current TV" and it is like having the Nickelodeon, Columbia's independent movie theater, at your home. Current TV is an independent media company led by Al Gore and Joel Hyatt and it is mesmerizing. We watched one show last week about Bhutan, which is as close to Utopia as you could find before 1960. Until 1960 this country didn't have TV, roads, or even money and conserving the uniqueness of the people was the main goal. This is a country that measures their worth (as a nation) by the net happiness of the people. They go by the Gross National Happiness and not the Gross National Product. This concept may be under attack however, as the nation changes from a monarchy to a democracy (at the advice of their beloved king - talk about a selfless man). The picture of the country that they showed was wonderful - amazing landscapes and a simple, peaceful people. This is all changing now though and many say this change is the fault of TV, education, democracy, and westernization. To think that people are becoming less happy (and that the country is in trouble) because things are evolving makes me want to ask how you judge someones life happiness if they don't know what their other life options are? I saw that the people looked very happy before all the changes as of late, but they also were totally sheltered and actually tried to keep outsiders from even coming to visit/travel. Now people have options, they know that they don't have to stay in the fields and do manual labor, they know that drugs that used to only be fed to the pigs will make them feel good when smoked, they know that they can become educated and make decisions for themselves, and they know that there are other types of clothing other than the traditional dress. People are changing their ways now and picking from all their options, which is leading some of them away from the traditional teachings of the years before the 1960's. Does developing diversity in a nation make them less happy as a nation? If so, does that mean that people are only happy if everyone else is behaving exactly like they are? And, is the happiness of the nation based on individual happiness or conformity? Watching this show made me think of the quote "See the happy moron, he doesn't give a damn. I wish I was a moron - My God, perhaps I am." The show brings up the point that it may be happier to be blissfully unaware, but I am not sure who is qualified to decide if that is true or not. I can't imagine that I would want to be unaware of my options. I think would rather have my personal freedom to live the way I want to live, even if that means there is a small amount of unhappiness that comes with it. However, those are my thought as an American who has never known the simplicity of blissful unawareness. I guess that is what makes this a quite circular discussion, once a person has the education to make a statement or offer an opinion about which way is better (and whether the Gross National Happiness will decrease now that the nation is aware of the ways of the rest of the world) it is too late. I guess it is a question that is impossible to scientifically answer. I will continue to enjoy the freedom of choice that I have, but I am a bit sad to see this unique way of life in Bhutan coming to an end.