True Value Metrics (TVM) is driven by the idea that modern money accounting and money economics is not a system of metrics that suits the modern world. TVM embraces the idea of value which is more than just money. Value is associated with quality of life, and quality of life is related in part to the idea of 'happiness' that is referred to in these notes.

Test your Happiness ... Psychologists say it is possible to measure your happiness.

This test designed by psychologist Professor Ed Diener from the University of Illinois, takes just a minute to complete.

To find out how happy you are just look at the five statements below and decide whether you agree or disagree using a 1-7 scale.
1 ... Strongly disagree
2 ... Disagree
3 ... Slightly disagree
4 ... Neither agree nor disagree
5 ... Slightly agree
6 ... Agree
7 ... Strongly agree

Please answer these questions as honestly as you can.

1. In most ways my life is ideal.

2. The conditions of my life are excellent.

3. I am satisfied with my life.

4. So far I have gotten the important things I want in life.

5. If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing.

Add up your scores.

Evaluate your Total Score.

31-35 You are extremely satisfied with your life.
26-30 Very satisfied.
21-25 Reasonably satisfied.
20 Neutral
15-19 Slightly unsatisfied
10-14 Unsatisfied
5-9 Extremely unsatisfied

COMMENTS (5)

I really like the deep simplicity of the questions. Thank you for the clarity. This has given me a chance to see how unhappy I am- scoring 11.

I am becoming more self aware on how I have let my career situation bring me down. I depended too long for my happiness and since of self to return.

This survey has opened my eyes to how I have allowed my situation to take power over me.

The Bhutan questionaire on GNH is far better and more extensive than these 5 simple questions. If anything this is a testiment to how sadly lazy America is in that they can’t even copy someone else’s good idea well enough for it to matter. Converting the Bhutan questionaire into an American version but with the same questisons would be the only real way to measure GNH by its definition since Bhutan was the one who invented the term in the first place.

Hi Eric,

The very simple 5 question happiness survey tool was created by one of the founders of happiness research and it has been used many times for decades. Look for the Vermont Town Meeting Survey on this website. This is the Western version of the Bhutanese GNH survey with 135 questions and results displayed for the nine domains of happiness. It was developed by Dr. Michael Pennock of the Department of Epidemiology in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Michael was one of the experts who assisted the Center for Bhutan Studies in developing the original GNH survey. You can take this survey online and get immediate feedback on your scores. We are currentlyasking Vermonters to take the survey and the Seattle Area Happiness Initiative is running the survey for the Seattle area. Please let us know what you think of this more comprehensive survey.

Tom

Perhaps thsi questionnaire could be converted into online system whereby anyone, after filling up his/her nationality, can select their scale and the scores can be maintained by this website according to the country.

This will be give an indicative results of a country’s people on whether they are happy or not.

The five questions are all dependant on mindset of the day. It would be nice to get into spiritual fulfillment, core friends-community, sense of being at harmony.

I also think that empowering people by getting them to take and recognize small steps for a happiness index is key.

I like Bhutan’s national goals and think a personal and community score card measuring progress would be valuable.