This is the first part of a three part blog series looking at "happiness and hedonism".

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If you want to communicate the Christian message effectively, then you need to understand what makes secular Australia tick. 

Last week I had light bulb moment listening to question time at the launch of the latest AMP-NATSEM report - The pursuit of happiness: life satisfaction in Australia.

I was surprised at some of the utopian language used to describe Australian society, especially given the social inequities around the well-being of Aboriginal people.

Yet, as the report itself indicates, even if you earn a modest $40,000 a year then you are most likely one of the happiest and most fortunate people ever to walk this earth.

No wonder many of our compatriots believe they have already found the promised land.

While people may site factors such as weather and lifestyle, their ‘heaven-on-earth’ is founded on far more than such trivialities.

As the NATSEM report notes, Australia is one of the happiest societies on the planet partly because it is so wealthy.

A crucial reason wealthier societies tend to be happier is that they can pay to build up social capital: law and order, justice, health and public infrastructure.

But the report has a sting in the tail.

To really enjoy the benefits of this wealth you need to do so with a spirit of gratitude.

Findings in summary

In a future blog I will examine some of the fascinating findings about family life, especially those linking well-being to -

"¢ having more children
"¢ not being in a blended family
"¢ working shorter hours

In contrast, the secular media, such as Sydney Morning Herald business reporter Annette Sampson, focused on the 'joy' of financial security.

Here is my 60 second sound-bite summary of this aspect of the report. It provides some ammunition for a sermon against consumerism and in favour of that old-fashioned puritan idea of thrift.

1. Big bad debt makes you unhappy

The larger your credit card debt the more likely you are to be unhappy. However not all debts are so bad. Large home mortgages are linked with a greater sense of well-being because, the authors suggest, people see their home as a long-term investment. Happier people tend to have a larger pool of savings and other investments (including superannuation - which was the take home message from sponsors AMP).

2. Material possessions don't buy happiness

Spending more on consumer goods, such as a new TV, is not linked with a greater sense of well-being. (The opposite is true of spending which helps strengthen relationships, such as taking a holiday.) 

3. Envy destroys happiness

In rich countries like Australia, there is a very weak connection between happiness and earning more. But there is a catch. After comparing people of the same age and education, the report concludes: "happier people tend to have higher incomes relative to their peer group, and the most dissatisfied people have lower incomes than their peer group". The issue is your disposable income relative to the people you socialize with. As Dr Tim Sharp, UTS professor and founder of the Happiness Institute, told the launch luncheon: "One of the greatest paths to unhappiness is trying to keep up with the Jonses"

Being grateful

Dr Sharp told the launch luncheon that Australia is a "happy country" because it is the "lucky country".

"We don't give enough thought to the fact that we turn on the tap and we have drinkable water. But we should," he said pointing to the number of children in the developing world who die each year from preventable diseases.

Sharp pointed out that attitude that doesn't see our many blessings is linked to material envy of your peers. And comparing yourselves with your wealthier peers is fatal to contentment.

His remedy?

"We should be more grateful and appreciative," he said.

This, of course, begs a question: thankful to whom?

Or to frame the question another way: do secular Australians have the spiritual resources to truly live a life of thanksgiving?

What do you think?

A starting point might be Paul's advice to the Corinthian church.

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NEXT TIME: Does happiness research promote hedonism?