The Happiness Equation

The Happiness Equation reveals nine scientifically backed secrets to happiness to show you that by wanting nothing and doing anything, you can have everything.

In one of his secrets, Neil takes us on a little history tour. He says we (the Germans, that is) invented retirement in 1889. Neil’s right. I remember the actual history lesson in school.

Otto von Bismarck, the Chancellor of the German Empire at the time, who controlled much of the country’s politics, put in place the world’s first proper pension program. Originally designed to pay for the living costs of disabled workers over 70, our modern system still relies on the basics of it today: employer and worker pay equal parts into a fund each month, which is used to pay the annuity later in life.

It is still considered a prime example of a state providing excellent social welfare. There’s only one problem: it stopped working years ago. When Bismarck implemented the system, the average lifespan was 45. Almost no one lived to collect the pension. Today, people who retire at 65 might live another 30 years, and due to the shift in age groups, one guy might have to pay for five retirees.

But fear not, the solution is around the globe. In Okinawa, Japan, where people have the longest life expectancy on earth, a study with over 40,000 people found that ikigai, which means “reason for waking up in the morning” is hugely beneficial to health in old age.

What it comes down to is abandoning retirement altogether and continuing to work until you die, albeit at a slower pace and in different ways. We have an intuitive understanding that being productive gives us purpose: around half of all people would prefer to postpone retirement anyway.

Another one of Neil’s happiness secret is really straightforward: be yourself. Haha, good one Nik, platitudes much? I know that’s easier said than done, because often, we don’t quite know who we are, if we’re honest. It’s a lifelong process of finding out. That’s what Neil’s made this really cool test for, I took it just now. It’s called the Saturday Morning Test and is rooted in one, simple question: “What would you like to do on a Saturday morning, given you have no other obligations to fulfill?” I thought I would probably sleep in, have a really nice, big breakfast, or meet someone for it, then have an adventure throughout the day and spend the evening with the girlfriend I currently don’t have. I even caught myself thinking: “maybe write a little.” That’s a sign I’m on the right track! The idea is that the more Saturday morning activities you manage to implement in your…