What Stanford professors learned about happiness after a Himalayan trek

What is the key to human happiness? This is one of life’s biggest questions and Ron Gutman has devoted a large part of his career to studying it.

Gutman is a Stanford adjunct professor, serial entrepreneur, author, speaker and award-winning inventor. He is best known for his 2011 TED Talk “The hidden power of smiling,” which has been viewed more than 6.5 million times.

In an effort to learn more about human happiness, he decided to conduct research in the real world.

In October 2024, Gutman made a three-week trip through the South Asian country of Bhutan, officially known as the Kingdom of Bhutan, located in the eastern Himalayan mountains. Gutman walked through the mountains together with academics, scholars and local residents.

The Kingdom of Bhutan, located between the two most populous countries in the world, India and China, is known for its governing principles of prioritizing human happiness and well-being over economic development.

The idea of ​​”Gross National Happiness” was coined in the 1970s by Bhutan’s fourth king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who said that “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product,” according to a 2024 publication by the OECD.

“Wanting to understand the happiness that led me to research Bhutan, because they emphasize this,” Gutman told CNBC Make It.

“It makes me want to understand from their point of view, right? So, (I want to) go and listen to them, to those who have acquired this knowledge, from generation to generation for many (years),” he said.

Because Bhutan is located in the Himalayas, most of the trip is spent hiking. Gutman travels mainly on foot or by local transportation from about 14,000 feet above sea level, he said. Along the journey, he was immersed in the famous landscape of the country.

Bhutan emphasizes on sustainability and environmental conservation. It is the first “carbon negative” country in the world, mainly helped by the vast forests that cover more than 70% of its land, according to the 2023 report.

The country is in a “tradition bubble,” he said. “They are very mindful of nature, very protective of nature… It is sacred to them. You cannot cut a tree without a very special permit.”

Many local Bhutanese people see their lives not only in relation to nature, but also from nature itself, Gutman said.

So, what is the key to human happiness? Gutman would say the answer is simple – it’s to simplify.

“The more I progress in my research on happiness, the more I understand it, the more I connect it to consciousness,” Gutman said.

He discovered during his travels, by observing the local people and through conversations with the local clergy, that happiness is linked to awareness, which can be found in nature.

“In modern culture, we’re so focused on what’s going on outside. There’s so much stimulus coming at us….At some point, we’re almost prisoners,” Gutman said. “Nature creates the opposite …. Nature only exists, only happens.”

“When nature is just happening, you have the opportunity to know that your consciousness is just happening as a result of it. Actually, consciousness – and this is the big ‘aha moment’ I had – is very empty,” he said.

Gutman called it “the empty self.” He learned that when nature is calm, human consciousness is also calm. Whether you are sitting in the grass on a remote lake, or walking between meetings in a big city, who you are, and what you remember, does not change.

“Actually we choose to be stressed by all these sensory emotions… (because) actually, inside we are calm and empty, right? Nature helps us see and understand,” he said.

But it’s not all good: Bhutan has similar challenges.

The country left the United Nations Least Developed Country category last December. Annual per capita gross domestic product will reach $3,700 in 2022, according to World Bank data.

“We think of it as poverty — low GDP,” Gutman said. “Life is not easy because this is not a rich man, but he is happy.”

The Bhutanese government seeks to strengthen the economy while continuing to balance the country’s guiding principles of environmental sustainability – through measures such as daily tourism spending – and “Gross National Happiness.” Gutman looks at the country as an example of how to develop without losing the “ancient wisdom” built over many years.

In many Western and developed countries, people are often in a hurry – not only in their daily lives, but also in how to innovate and grow the economy.

“When we rush to innovation, new things, doing things faster, better, easier, cheaper… The important thing is that we forget to bring this solid foundation that keeps the core very strong. So we build a little water ,” he said.

“And I think what Bhutanese people do well… is to keep the core of belief, morals, ethics, and consciousness as the foundation of how we make progress,” he said. “So progress, of course, is slower, but more solid, right? And, I think we can learn from him.”

Want to master your money this fall? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course. We’ll teach you practical strategies to hack your budget, reduce debt, and increase your wealth. Start today to feel more confident and successful. Use code EARLYBIRD for a 30% off introductory discount, now extended through September 30, 2024, for the back-to-school season.

In addition, Sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and life.