Learn English Language: Is GDP the wrong goal?
Did you know that one small country measures its success not by wealth, but by the happiness of its people? Welcome to Adept English, the podcast where we help you learn English through fascinating real-world stories. Today, we’re discussing a unique model of government from Bhutan—a country that prioritises Gross National Happiness over GDP. Along the way, you’ll pick up essential vocabulary for discussing politics, economics, and cultural values in English.
Happiness is the ultimate currency of life.
⭐ Tony Hsieh
Now, I’ll be honest—when I first heard about Bhutan’s approach, I was sceptical. I mean, can happiness really be measured? But as I learned more, I realised there’s something truly inspiring about a government that puts its people’s well-being first. And that’s what we’ll explore today: how Bhutan’s Buddhist principles and nine domains of happiness are shaping its policies—and what we can learn from them.
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More About This Lesson
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a country where the government’s main goal is to make its people happy? Not just richer, not just more productive, but genuinely happier? Sounds like a dream, right? Well, today, we’re diving into the fascinating story of Bhutan, a small Himalayan country that measures success not by money, but by something called Gross National Happiness. Along the way, you’ll pick up some amazing vocabulary to talk about politics, economics, and even happiness itself. Oh, and by the way—this is Adept English, your go-to podcast for improving your English fluency. So, ready to explore a whole new way of thinking about government? Let’s go!
Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.
⭐ Dalai Lama
Listening to this English lesson will help:
- You learn advanced vocabulary for discussing politics and economics.
- You understand complex terms like "sustainable" and "equitable" in context.
- You practice pronunciation of challenging words like "federal" and "Buddhist."
- You explore cultural insights through discussions on Bhutan's governance.
- You improve listening skills with clear, natural English explanations.
- You gain confidence in discussing global issues like GDP and happiness.
- You learn to use transitional phrases for smoother conversations.
- You discover idioms like "best interests at heart" in real-world use.
- You engage with current topics that expand your conversational range.
- You practice active listening by following detailed explanations.
Why is this topic perfect for English learners? Well, first, it’s packed with real-world vocabulary—words like “federal,” “sustainable,” and “equitable” that you’ll hear in news, debates, and even everyday conversations. Second, it’s a chance to practice listening comprehension while exploring a unique perspective on government and happiness. And finally, it gives you the tools to discuss big ideas in English—whether you’re talking about politics, culture, or even your own country’s priorities. So, not only will you improve your English, but you’ll also have something really interesting to talk about! Ready to learn and think differently? Let’s get started.
Follow and subscribe to our English language podcast, wherever you listen or watch your podcasts: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adeptenglish/
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What is Gross National Happiness (GNH) and how does it differ from GDP?
Gross National Happiness (GNH) is a unique measure used by Bhutan to evaluate the well-being and happiness of its citizens, rather than focusing solely on economic output like Gross Domestic Product (GDP). GNH is based on four pillars: sustainable and equitable socio-economic development, environmental conservation, cultural preservation, and good governance. Unlike GDP, which prioritizes economic growth, GNH emphasizes holistic well-being, ensuring that policies align with the happiness and harmony of the population. - How can learning about different government models improve my English fluency?
Exploring topics like government models, such as Bhutan's GNH or the UK's capitalist system, introduces you to advanced vocabulary related to politics, economics, and culture. By listening to and discussing these topics, you’ll expand your ability to express complex ideas in English. This not only enhances your fluency but also prepares you for real-world conversations about global issues, making your English more versatile and engaging. - What are the nine domains of happiness in Bhutan's GNH framework?
The nine domains of Gross National Happiness include psychological well-being, health, education, cultural diversity and resilience, good governance, ecological diversity and resilience, and good living standards. These domains guide Bhutan’s policies, ensuring that development aligns with the well-being of its people. Understanding these terms can help you discuss topics like sustainability, governance, and cultural values in English with greater confidence. - Why is Bhutan's approach to governance considered unique?
Bhutan’s governance is unique because it prioritizes the happiness and well-being of its citizens over economic growth. By focusing on Gross National Happiness (GNH), Bhutan integrates Buddhist principles, environmental conservation, and cultural preservation into its policies. This approach contrasts with many Western governments that emphasize GDP and economic productivity. Learning about Bhutan’s model can help you discuss alternative governance systems and their impact on society in English. - How can I use podcasts like Adept English to improve my British English fluency?
Podcasts like Adept English are excellent tools for improving your British English fluency. By listening regularly, you expose yourself to native pronunciation, vocabulary, and sentence structures. Focus on topics that interest you, such as politics or culture, and take notes on new words and phrases. Repeating lessons and practising speaking about the topics will reinforce your learning and help you speak more naturally and confidently.
Most Unusual Words:
- Federal: A central government where many countries or states are governed by one main power.
- Presidential: A system where many decisions come from one leader, the President.
- Utopian: An ideal or perfect society, often unrealistic.
- Resolution: A formal decision or statement made by a group.
- Domain: An area or field of activity or knowledge.
- Pillar: A rule, value, or goal that supports something important.
- Sustainable: Able to meet current needs without harming future needs.
- Equitable: Treating everyone fairly and equally.
- Resilience: The ability to recover or adapt to difficult situations.
- Corruption: Dishonest or illegal behaviour, especially by those in power.
Most Frequently Used Words:
| Word | Count |
|---|---|
| Government | 18 |
| People | 16 |
| Bhutan | 13 |
| Country | 11 |
| National | 8 |
| About | 7 |
| Means | 7 |
| Really | 6 |
| Gross | 6 |
Listen To The Audio Lesson Now
Transcript: We Should Rethink Government Goals-English Listening
Do you like the government of your country - or would you welcome a different way of doing things?
Hi there and welcome to this podcast. Are you happy with the government in your country? Do you feel that your government has your best interests as its priority? Your best interests at heart? What? Is that not a strong 'Yes' I hear? I know that most people in the UK would probably not feel that the UK government has their interests, their priorities at heart. And there's a lot of talk at the moment about 'broken government', 'broken systems of government' which don't serve the purpose of the people. If we don't like what we have, what other models of government are there? Do we look to the EU, federal system of Government? That's 'federal' F-E-D-E-R-A-L, meaning 'a central government where lots of countries are governed by one central power'. Or do we look to the presidential government of the United States for our model? 'Presidential' means that many of the ideas and choices come from one person, the President. For most people, maybe not. And there is talk of 'Late-stage Capitalism' being around in many countries. This means a huge difference in wealth between the rich and the poor within one country and the wealth concentrated in the hands of the rich. And that power being used only to serve those people.
Hello, I’m Hilary, and you’re listening to Adept English. We will help you to speak English fluently. All you have to do is listen. So start listening now and find out how it works.
Many people are disappointed with this type of government. And some of that feeling, those ideas, may feel familiar for you. So today, let's look at the ideas about government that one country has that are very different from what most of us know. A country whose driver, whose goal, is simply to make people happy. Sounds quite utopian, doesn't it? Let's explore this idea today and along the way, you're going to get some really good vocabulary for discussing ideas about economics, politics, governments, and ways of thinking. Let's work on your English language together at the same time as discussing some interesting ideas and give you opportunity to learn some really good vocabulary and extend what you're capable of talking about in English.
📷
A young buddhist meditating in a calm room with a coloured glass window. Improve listening skills with clear, natural English from a native speaker.
Bhutan - a special country?
In 2011, the UN or the United Nations passed a resolution saying that its member states should 'follow the example of the country of Bhutan and measure the happiness and well-being of its citizens'. The UN called happiness 'a fundamental human goal'. What is it about this small Himalayan country of Bhutan, B-H-U-T-A-N, that the UN was referring to? Let's find out more today about this very different type of government and why the UN should say to its members that they 'should follow Bhutan's example'.
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Capitalism’s ‘sacred cow’ - Gross Domestic Product
OK, so the differences between many countries and Bhutan? Most capitalist, westernised countries have values based around their GDP, their Gross Domestic Product and the idea that the more economically successful a country is in terms of producing things to sell, the higher the GDP, the better off people are and the happier people will be. And the idea is common that higher GDP should be every government's goal and this determines the actions that governments take. For example, this is exactly what the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, is focused on right now. It's a very capitalist idea. Allow people to earn money, give them freedom and they will be happy. It's as though generating products, business and therefore money are the highest priority and the way to secure a nation's happiness.
While there are some upsides to this - I don't deny it some freedoms and benefits - Capitalist societies seem to evolve into a situation where money just becomes the main driver of everything. Behind every government policy lurks some motivation around money. I can cite many examples where this is the case and it doesn't feel right. It doesn't make people happy and people are not being well served by government with these interests and actually neither is the environment. We can't just go on producing more and more stuff because we need it for our GDP. That's ridiculous. So what might a different way of doing things look like?
Buddhist inspired government
The small country of Bhutan that sits between China, India and Nepal tries to govern according to what will make its people happy. It's based on Buddhist thinking. That's B-U-D-D-H-I-S-T. And attempts to measure its people's collective happiness through harmony with nature and certain cultural values. The guidelines, the rules if you like, are expressed in the nine domains of happiness. The word domain, D-O-M-A-I-N, means 'an area'. So nine 'areas of happiness' and four pillars of G-N-H. So 'a pillar', first of all, P-I-L-L-A-R. Well, it's one of those upright supports you might see in a temple holding up the roof, but in this sort of context 'a pillar' means 'a rule, a value, a goal, an aim'. So four pillars of G-N-H. G-N-H stands for 'Gross National Happiness' and that's Bhutan's answer to GDP, Gross Domestic Product. So according to the Bhutanese government, the four pillars of G-N-H, Gross National Happiness, are:-
- (firstly) a sustainable and equitable social and economic environment. The [word](https://adeptenglish.com/language-courses/500-most-common-words-course/ ) 'sustainable', S-U-S-T-A-I-N-A-B-L-E, means 'able to meet the needs of people now without compromising, without damaging the needs of people in the future'. That's 'sustainable'. And 'equitable', E-Q-U-I-T-A-B-L-E, means 'treating everyone fairly, in the same way'. Equitable opportunity, if you like.
- The second pillar, the aim of environmental conservation, meaning that whatever the government chooses to do, it mustn't damage the environment and instead must preserve it.
- The third pillar, to promote and preserve culture.
- And the fourth aim, or the fourth pillar of Gross National Happiness, to have good governance, meaning 'let's do government well'. Let's not be corrupted by other influences, like the opportunity to benefit by making money.
That sounds very good in comparison with what we have, doesn't it? Certainly in the UK, that's true. And the nine areas or domains that the Bhutan government are concerned with, that determine Gross National Happiness are things like people's psychological well-being, people's health, people's education, cultural diversity and resilience, good governance, ecological diversity and resilience, good living standards. So the government of Bhutan is divided up into the usual governmental areas, but all must abide by these values. All must promote the values outlined. And the government also regularly asks its people what they think. They do this by using surveys or questionnaires. That means sets of questions. And that is a way of reliably capturing what people really think and feel.
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Bhutan’s Gross Nation Happiness Surveys - a democratic voice?
That's so much more effective than a so-called 'democratic' vote once every five years. I don't see it as a democracy in the UK. It's not 'democratic' for me because there's no political party in the UK whose policies I totally agree with. When I get chance to vote, I have no voice. Even though I have strong views and opinions because no party satisfies all the things I require. But here, the Bhutanese people have a voice. So the first Bhutanese nationwide GNH survey, Gross National Happiness survey, was done in 2008 and a second one in 2010 and then another one in 2015. The results were reported on in different ways, sometimes sorted by gender, meaning 'male or female', by age, by where people live or their job. The survey asked questions about living conditions and religious behaviours. The questions were devised by the Centre for Bhutan Studies with the help of Oxford University researchers. The Bhutan government uses the survey results to measure national progress against its goals and the results also help them decide future policy, future direction. It also compares 'gross national happiness' between different points in time. That's a measure of whether the government is doing its job properly. How brilliant is all that? Actual government for the people, I imagine.
Bhutan is not a utopia….
Criticisms of Bhutan include that the country only became a democracy in 2008 and that before this time huge numbers of people were expelled from the country, particularly Hindus and Nepalese people. Over 100,000 or 1/6th of the population of Bhutan of Nepalese origin or Hindu faith were expelled from the country because they would not integrate with Bhutan's Buddhist culture. That was prior to 2008 and they have since become a democracy and a democracy that has some refreshing and important ideas, I think. It's also been pointed out that in terms of happiness, much of the population of Bhutan lives in extreme poverty. In December 2023, Bhutan moved from being the UN's least developed country to the status of 'developing country'. So Bhutan has made much improvement in recent years, showing social and economic progress, reducing poverty, improving educational standards and life expectancy. There's still a long way to go and you might argue over how development is measured. Is that according to Western values or according to 'gross national happiness', I wonder?
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No one is claiming that Bhutan is the perfect place to live and there are many growing pains for a small developing country. There are food shortages, shortages of medicine and some elements of corruption in Bhutan. But at an ideas level, the country of Bhutan has something really precious that surely we all ought to learn from?
Goodbye
Let us know what you think.
Enough for now, have a lovely day, speak to you again soon. Goodbye.
Thank you so much for listening. Please help me tell others about this podcast by reviewing or rating it. And, please share it on social media. You can find more listening lessons and a free English course at adeptenglish.com
Links
- Gross National Happiness
- Secret to happiness
- Happier life
- Late-Stage Capitalism
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