Happiness in the midst of change: A human development approach to studying GNH in the context of economic development happiness as the greatest human wealth

Contemporary theories of economic development have concentrated on socioeconomic and epidemiological indices of development to the exclusion of issues of psychological and spiritual development. Yet, economic development without attention to individual human development may produce increasing wealth but decreasing happiness. The construct of Gross National Happiness (GNH), as the real measure of success in a developmental endeavor, is intended to serve as a corrective to the exclusive concern with materialistic indices of development. Development has intangible as well as tangible aspects. No theory or measurement of development can be complete without both. Naturally, the assessment of the intangibles is more subtle and difficult. However, that does not render it impossible. We will first briefly address some of the tangible indices of development that must be considered crucial to GNH. Then, we will survey some of the relationships between economic development and subjectiv