Learning Happiness: How Young Indians Can Cultivate Well-Being with Science

In just a few days, the World Happiness Report will be released on March 20. The media will latch onto it, and we’ll hear scattered snippets of analysis. As always, India will find itself near the bottom. Meanwhile, the Nordic nations will once again dominate the top ranks. But any discomfort on the lowly rank will be fleeting. Soon, reports will surface reassuring us that we’re still ahead of some neighbors, particularly Pakistan and Bangladesh. We are proud to be the tallest dwarf around! Meanwhile, the U.S. will remain absent from the top 20, further comforting us with its fall from grace. A few political ripples may follow, their tone depending on whether India's ranking has inched up or down. And then, as quickly as it arrived, the discussion will fade into silence.

There are some unsettling details in the report that I believe everyone should be aware of.

Most of us never bother to read the original report, largely because we tend to distrust vague, abstract concepts like happiness. Can it really be measured? And even if it can, how do we know the measurements are accurate?

To take the report seriously, it’s crucial to understand that happiness isn’t measured purely subjectively. Researchers use a combination of methods, including surveys, biological markers, and behavioral and economic indicators. Surveys, in particular, have been validated—their results correlate well with physiological and behavioral markers, remain consistent across geographies and cultures, and even align with long-term outcomes. For instance, people with higher happiness scores tend to live healthier, longer lives.

While happiness may seem like an intangible psychological phenomenon, there are reliable and scientifically sound systems to measure it.

The World Happiness Report has been published annually since 2012, and over the years, India’s happiness score has shown a decline. This downward trend is further reflected in the rising consumption of anti-depressants across the country.

However the ugliest part is that the decline is not uniform across all age groups. A stark generational divide has emerged:

• Younger Cohorts (Born After 1980): Happiness levels have been consistently lower, with life satisfaction diminishing as they age.
• Older Cohorts (Born Before 1965): This group tends to experience increasing life satisfaction with age.

This isn’t just an Indian trend—it’s a global pattern, with only a few exceptions. The unsettling reality is that our younger generations are wilting with unhappiness. The unsettling reality is that we are not doing enough to prevent this.

Imagine young Humayun lying helpless on his deathbed, while Emperor Babur looks the other way, trying to conjure a ghazal instead of the famous life-exchanging prayer.

The data speaks for itself—both in India and globally, youth suicide rates have risen at an alarming pace in recent years.

• In the U.S., suicide deaths among individuals aged 10 to 24 increased by 62% between 2007 and 2021. (Source: Yale Medicine)
• Suicide is now the third leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds worldwide. (Source: WHO)
• In India, young people under 30 account for a staggering 41% of all suicides. (Source: NCRB Report)

Forget stats, just ask yourself how frequently are you hearing news of young students from prestigious colleges killing themselves?

Why is this happening?

It's tempting to turn this into a political blame game or a melancholic reflection on how "kids these days" will never experience the same joys we had. But let's look for solutions instead.

While I don’t have all the answers, I do know that happiness can be learned and practiced. The challenges faced by younger generations are undeniably complex, but research shows that targeted psychological exercises can significantly improve happiness levels. Interestingly, many of these practices are already embedded in cultural and religious traditions across the world. They also align with broader economic philosophies — primarily with communism but, to some extent, with capitalism as well.

I have started learning about these through an incredible free course by Yale: The Science of Well-Being, taught by the brilliant Professor Laurie Santos. The course is a true gift to humanity—especially for the next generation.

Inculcating happiness practice is especially crucial for us Indians, as we have the largest share of young people in the world—over 50% of our population is under the age of 30 (Source: UN Population Report). Yet, we also carry one of the heaviest burdens of unhappiness.

I earnestly urge you to take this course and, more importantly, recommend it to the next young person you meet. You never know - you may just have given the gift of life to the youngster.

Let’s make happiness a skill we actively cultivate and spread. Let’s learn to be happy.