What a Stanford professor learned about happiness after trekking in the Himalayas

Ron Gutman will visit the Kingdom of Bhutan in October 2024.

Contributed by Ron Gutman.

What is the key to human happiness? It’s one of life’s biggest questions, and Ron Gutman has devoted a large part of his career to learning more about this subject.

Gutman is an adjunct professor at Stanford University, serial entrepreneur, author, speaker and Award-winning inventor. In 2011, he TED talk “The Hidden Power of Smile” has been viewed more than 6.5 million times.

To learn more about human happiness, he decided to conduct some real-world research.

In October 2024, Ron Gutman visited Bhutan with local spiritual and religious leader Khedrupchen Rinpoche.

Courtesy of Ron Gutman

Bhutan trip

In October 2024, Gutman embarked on a three-week journey through the South Asian country of Bhutan, officially known as the Kingdom of Bhutan, located on the eastern ridge of the Himalayas. Gutmann hiked through the mountains with scholars, clergy and locals.

Sandwiched between India and China, the world’s two most populous countries, the Kingdom of Bhutan is known for its governance principles that prioritize human happiness and well-being over economic development.

The concept of “Gross National Happiness” was proposed by Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the fourth king of Bhutan, in the 1970s, according to a 2024 Bhutanese publication. “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product.” OECD.

Ron Gutman with King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk of Bhutan.

Contributed by Ron Gutman.

“To learn more about happiness, I started researching Bhutan because they take happiness very seriously,” Gutman told CNBC Make It.

“It made me want to understand it from their perspective, right? So, (I wanted to) listen to their voices, hear the voices of the people who have gained this knowledge generation after generation over the years,” he said.

Since Bhutan is located in the Himalayas, most of the trip will be spent climbing. Gutman mostly walks or takes local transportation from elevations of about 1,000 feet to nearly 14,000 feet, he said. Throughout the journey, he immersed himself in the stunning scenery the country is famous for.

Bhutan has placed a large emphasize About environmental sustainability and protection. This is the first “Carbon Negative“According to a 2023 report, the world’s countries benefit largely from their vast forests covering more than 70% of their land. Report.

Ron Gutman in front of Paro Taktsang, known as one of the holiest sites in Bhutan.

Contributed by Ron Gutman.

The country is in “a traditional bubble,” he said. “They care deeply about nature, are very protective of nature… It’s sacred to them. You can’t cut down a tree without getting a very special permission.”

Many locals in Bhutan believe their lives are not only connected to nature, but come from nature itself, Gutman said.

The secret to happiness: simplicity

So what is the key to human happiness? The answer, Gutmann would say, is simple—simplify.

“The more progress I make in happiness research, the more I understand it personally, and the more I connect it to mindfulness,” Gutman said.

During his travels, through observing locals and talking to local clergy, he discovered that happiness is related to mindfulness, which can be found in nature.

“In modern culture, we’re very focused on what’s going on outside. There’s a lot of stimulation coming at us… and at some point, we almost become prisoners of it,” Gutman said. “Nature creates the exact opposite… Nature is there, it just happens.”

“When nature is happening, you have the opportunity to understand that your consciousness is happening because of it. Basically, consciousness—and this was a big ‘aha moment’ that I experienced—is also empty,” he said.

Ron Gutman went on a three-week trek through the Himalayas.

Contributed by Ron Gutman.

Gutman calls it the “empty self.” He learned that just as nature is peaceful, so is the human consciousness. Whether you’re lying on the grass by a remote lake or running between meetings in a big city, who you are and what your consciousness is, doesn’t change.

“We basically choose to bear the weight of all these sensory emotions… (because) actually, inside we are peaceful and empty, right? Nature helps to see and understand that,” he said.

Bhutan’s Challenge

But not all is rosy: Bhutan also faces its share of challenges.

The country withdraws from the United Nations least developed countries Category last December. Its per capita gross domestic product will be about $3,700 as of 2022, according to the World Bank data.

“We thought it might be poverty – low gross domestic product,” Gutman said. “It’s not an easy life because these people are not rich, but they are happy.”

The government of Bhutan is working to strengthen its economy while continuing to balance the country’s guiding principles of environmental sustainability (through measures such as daily tourism fees) and Gross National Happiness. Gutmann sees the country as an example of how to develop without losing the “ancient wisdom” accumulated over the years.

In many Western and developed countries, people are often in a hurry—not just in their daily lives, but also in the way they innovate and develop economically.

“When we rush to innovate, new things, do things faster, better, easier, cheaper… the problem is, we forget to keep the core strong with this very solid foundation. So we’re building a little bit Water,” he said.

“I think what the Bhutanese have done well…is keep a strong core of faith, morals, ethics and mindfulness as the basis for their progress,” he said. “So progress is certainly slower, but more solid, for ? And, I think that’s something worth learning from them.”

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