What can we do about the rat race?

Richard Layard puts forward a number of solutions. I‘m not an economist, but given below is my take on some of his views expressed in “Happiness: lessons from a new science.” The suggestions are geared towards society rather than individuals. But individuals can work for changes in society and policies.

• Decrease competition for status. Status seeking occurs across species, so it is wired into us. But encouraging excessive competition can make matters worse.
• Re-think unbridled consumerism for its own sake. Consumers are also producers. If a society consumes more, people will have to produce more.
• More taxes, carefully applied, can contribute to leveling status, provide an incentive for polluters to lower pollution, and pay for the consequences of addictions, such as smoking and alcohol. Tax can contribute toward the happiness of society.
• Cultivate respect for those who contribute to the welfare of others.
• Put less emphasis on performance-related pay; true performance is not so easy to measure. Performance-related pay tends to increase competition for status. Instead emphasize professionalism.
• Tone down advertising - especially where it targets children, enhances status seeking, or takes advantage of anxiety or low self-esteem.
• Increase cooperation.

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