How happy are you?

"How happy are you today?”

“Well, my IOH was 5 yesterday. It’s slightly better today, it’s a 7.”

“Wow, that’s great, mine have been on the low since I lost my wallet the other day. Hopefully something will happen to make it turnaround.”

IOH? Index of Happiness. How do you measure happiness? Is it even possible? Well, it may not be impossible.

Some people sing or shout when they are happy. So, the louder the outburst, the happier they are. A decibel meter will probably gauge the exact degree of happiness.

Some people get into their beloved car and go for a ride when they are happy. So, their cruising speed is probably a good index. 60 km/h is probably when you close a sales; 90 km/h is probably when you land a RM50,000 contract; 100 km/h is probably for a salary increment; 120 km/h on the highway is probably for landing the first prize in lottery; 160km/h on the street – well, it’s an index for happiness, not foolishness.

Some people like to go for a drink to celebrate their happiness. The number of beers gulped down is probably not a good indicator, ‘cause people who don’t usually drink can get a very low index even though they might be very happy. It is probably more accurate to measure the time between when they black out drunk, and the time they wake up. The happier they are, the higher the drunkenness, therefore the longer the sleeping time. Hangover? Who cares.

Some people go shopping for celebration. Obviously, the amount spent is easily the reference guide. How they would feel after seeing the bill tomorrow is probably another “happiness” that needs to be measured.

So, is IOH a rational idea. It would seem difficult to measure one’s happiness. What about measuring the happiness of 670,000 people? Really?

See? It’s not impossible.