Increasing wealth hasn't made us happier, and more individualistic,competitive societies make many of us positively unhappy. There is too much avoidable suffering in our society and too little contentment. We need to find a better way to live.
The key idea of the Action For Happiness Movement (actionforhappiness.org) is that for a society to be happy, individuals must get their happiness from helping others. Drawing compelling insights from scientific evidence, as well as wisdom of age-old spiritual and ethical practices, Richard Layard will show us how we can work together to become better parents, partners,colleagues and citizens.
We have the potential to create a society in which the greatest happiness of humankind is our main priority. Join the revolution.
Richard Layard is a leading economist. He is founder of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics, and since 2000 has been a member of the House of Lords. He is best known for his workon unemployment and inequality, and his most recent book, Happiness:Lessons from a New Science (2005). He is a founding member of Happiness Movement which aims to promote the increase of happiness and the reduction of misery.
This secular sermon took place at Conway Hall on Sunday 23 January 2011.
