As I put on the television, witnessing the chaos unfolding across the globe, a profound sense of reflection overcame me. I found myself drawn to a topic of immense significance—Gross National Happiness (GNH). The world’s struggles and discord have only deepened the relevance of this concept, compelling me to explore and think why the world failed to imbibe and embrace it a long time back.
We may never fully comprehend the depths of wisdom behind His Majesty the Fourth King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck’s declaration that Gross National Happiness (GNH) is more important than Gross Domesticl Product (GDP). Only His Majesty alone understood the true weight of those words. But perhaps it was born from a rare clarity—an astute perception of the world’s trajectory, an unshaken recognition of the perils that lay ahead, and a vision so profound that, one day, it would force the world to reckon with its own misguided pursuits.
That day has not only come – it came a long time back. The world is unraveling under the weight of its own excess—consumed by unrelenting greed, poisoned by environmental devastation, and lost in the hollow chase for economic supremacy. The very foundations of modern civilization tremble as inequality widens, societies fragment, and the soul of humanity is sacrificed at the altar of profit. And now, in a desperate bid to course-correct, the very same powers that once dismissed alternative paths now champion the ideals of sustainability and well-being. The same world that glorified wealth above all else now speaks, with urgency, of happiness and balance.
And yet, decades ago, a young King from a small, overlooked nation stood at the crossroads of history and dared to tell the world it was heading the wrong way. His was not merely a policy or an ideology—it was a truth, a beacon of hope, and a bold challenge to the world’s most powerful institutions. What he saw then, the world has begun to understand. His vision was not just ahead of its time; it was a prophecy—one that has begun to unfold before our very eyes. But there still are nations and leaders who refuse to acknowledge this universal truth.
If only the world had realized long ago that vision is not the exclusive domain of great powers and vast economies. If only it had acknowledged that wisdom can rise from the smallest of nations, that a leader need not command a superpower to possess an extraordinary foresight—we might not be standing at the edge of catastrophe today.
We would not be grappling with climate change, nor drowning in the consequences of reckless consumption and unsustainable progress. We would not be watching forests burn, rivers dry, and the very foundations of humanity tremble under the weight of greed and short-sighted ambition.
But it is not too late. The tides have not yet swallowed our shores, nor have the last trees fallen. There is still time—time to listen, time to change, time to heed the wisdom that was once ignored. The question is: Will the world finally open its eyes before the last chance slips away?
Ugyen Tenzin from Thimphu
