The Symposium on Interdisciplinary Studies on Happiness

By: Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports

By: Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports

At 9.20am at Orchard Parade Hotel

Professor Euston Quah,
Associate Director, Centre for Liberal Arts and Social Services, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Associate Professor Suthiphand Chirathivat,
Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

Associate Professor Sothithorn Mallikamas,
Former Dean of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. I suppose I have to say that I am happy to be able to join this illustrious community of professors, researchers and policy makers who will discuss and share insights on the concept of happiness.
2. Let me first qualify that I am no expert on how to lead a happy and fulfilling life. The pursuit of happiness is in fact a life long learning journey for me.
   
   

   The pursuit of individual happiness

3. I personally believe that happiness has to be pursued and is something that each individual has to personally work towards. It is not like money, which can be exchanged or given to people. In fact, what makes one person happy may be very different from what makes someone else happy. Just a few days ago, the Best Cleaner award in Holland-Bukit Timah Town Council was presented to a woman in her 60s. It was heart-warming to see her expression of immense pride and joy as she accepted the award; everyone present could sense how happy she was. While many shun the job of a cleaner, here is someone who takes great pride in her work and has found joy in it. I wonder how many are as proud as she was with their accomplishments in work and life.
4. Indeed, happiness has a lot to do with being able to recognise our individual strengths and abilities, and striving to do our best. Happiness is not about who has achieved more, but who has done the best they can within their own capacity. And we have to learn to accept that we are all different, have different strengths, and live with what we can achieve within our capacity. Nobody can profess to live a life without adversity. Our mindset and attitudes in overcoming difficulties in life are so important in the attainment of happiness.
5. When I was a young girl, my father taught me that if I learn to detach myself from my problems, I will realise that they would not be as overwhelming as they seemingly appear to be. Many times when we are embroiled in an issue, the pressure and our emotions get the better of us, and we fail to look at the matter objectively. This is of course easier said than done, so as we do so, we should also learn to identify when we need help and should not be afraid to ask for help.
   
   

   Relationships with family and friends

6. Whenever I reflect on my life, it is rare that I think of what I have accomplished at school or work. It is always my family, my friends, and people who have touched my life that makes me feel how rich my life is. Having a supportive family, which includes my husband, children, parents and siblings, is what makes my life worthwhile. True to many of us, my family is my first line of support. My friends are also an indispensable part of my life as they bring strength and joy through their companionship, laughter and support.
7. While our relationships with people make our lives worthwhile, bitter fights and strained relationships can easily send one into depression. In fact, many divorce and murder cases often involve love that turned sour. Hence, we need to put in effort to maintain relationships, and I too am always learning how to improve in this area. In the process of maintaining these relationships, we must be prepared to change oneself before changing others.
   
   

   What makes a happy society?

8. What then makes a ''happy society''? I would like to suggest that a ''happy'' society is one with a lot of positive spirit, where each individual strives to add value to the society, to the best of their ability. Whether we are a CEO of a company, an officer in a bank, a soldier or a cleaner, we should recognise our strength and contribute to society no matter how big or small the contribution is. Conversely, we must also be quick to recognise and appreciate those who have contributed.
9. Governments and leaders of nations have recognised that the pursuit of happiness is fundamental to the human condition. Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States of America, declared in 1776 that the USA exists to secure ''life'', ''liberty'' and the ''pursuit of happiness'' for its people. In Bhutan, a ''Gross National Happiness'' index has been developed to measure quality of life, and every policy introduced must not only achieve economic development, but also social and spiritual development.
10. What about Singapore? If you quickly sing our National Anthem or recite our Pledge in your mind, you will realise that the term ''happiness'' is found in these two expressions of our nationhood. The second line of Singapore's national anthem, ''Sama-sama menuju bahagia'', when translated to English reads, ''Let us progress towards happiness together''. And the last line of the Singapore pledge states that as a nation, we will strive ''to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation''
11. I am very grateful for the clean environment, the beautiful trees, parks and gardens, our sound and robust economy, and a caring and gracious society that our founding fathers have worked hard to achieve. This is because I strongly believe that the physical, economic and social environment also play a vital influencing factor in creating happiness.
12. At the heart of a happy society is how the vulnerable and the disadvantaged can find comfort and support in others. In this regard, I applaud those who find happiness in helping others. Indeed, a Chinese proverb states that helping others is fundamental to happiness A happy society is marked by generosity in spirit and in giving. I believe Singaporeans are a generous people, and many, even those who do not have much, are willing to help those less fortunate than themselves.
    
    

    Conclusion

13. I have shared some thoughts about what makes a happy society, but I know there is so much more to explore and understand. So when I looked at the proposed topics for this workshop, I was pleased to find that this workshop also examines happiness in the light of marriage, family and the elderly, all of which are core to the work of my Ministry.
14. I would encourage all of you to take advantage of the presence of both subject experts and policy-makers to share your perspectives and learn from each other' work.
15. On this note, let me wish all of you a very happy discussion and a productive workshop.
16. Thank you.
    
    MCYS Speech No: 66/2008
    Date Of Issue: 20/11/2008