What is the key to happiness? 6 Minute English

Improve your English vocabulary and listening in just six minutes!
Feeling happy is more important than ever right now, especially as many things seem to be out of our control. Neil and Georgina talk about what small things you can do to feel better about life.

This week's question:
Did you know that every year the UN publishes its Global Happiness Survey revealing the happiest countries in the world? It’s based on factors like income, life expectancy and health. The Nordic countries often come in the top ten, but which country was rated the happiest in 2020? Was it...

a) Iceland?
b) Denmark?
c) Finland?

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary
the glass is half full/empty
used to say that someone has a tendency to look at situations in a positive or negative way

alignment
correct position in relation to something else

gratitude
feeling grateful, expressing thanks to another person

hamster on a wheel
someone involved in activities that make them busy all the time but without ever achieving anything important or managing to finish a task

satisfaction
the pleasure you feel when you do something you wanted to do, or get something you wanted to get

hedonic treadmill
the human tendency to return to the same level of happiness after something very good or very bad has happened

[Cover: Getty Images]

For free downloads of the audio and transcript of this programme, go to:

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Training artificial intelligence

#bbclearningenglish​ #learnenglish​ #happiness​ #globalhappiness​ #gratitude

[sabrinamou]

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.

Georgina
And I’m Georgina.

Neil
That’s a big smile on your face, Georgina! You seem happy today!

Georgina
I am, Neil. After all, what’s the point in seeing the glass half empty?

Neil
Ah, so you’re someone who tries to see the glass half full – you generally look at things in a positive way.

Georgina
I hope so! It may seem strange to be discussing happiness in the middle of a global pandemic but right now feeling happy is more important than ever.

Neil
Well then, it’s lucky that happiness is the subject of this programme, Georgina. And while many things seem to be out of our control just now, there are small things we can do to feel better about life…

Georgina
…to feel less stressed, and maybe even a little happier.

Neil
You’re talking like a Dane now, Georgina. Denmark, and in fact all the Nordic countries, are often listed as among the happiest places in the world.

Georgina
You know what would make me happy, Neil? – asking me a really good quiz question.

Neil
OK. Well, did you know that every year the UN publishes its Global Happiness Survey revealing the happiest countries in the world? It’s based on factors like income, life expectancy and health. The Nordic countries often come in the top ten, but which country was rated the happiest in 2020? Was it:

a) Iceland?,
b) Denmark?, or,
c) Finland?

Georgina
Well, Neil, Denmark is famous for bacon, and nothing makes me happier than a bacon sandwich, so I’ll say b) Denmark.

Neil
I like your thinking, Georgina! We’ll find out the answer later, but you’re certainly right to say that Denmark is considered one of the happiest countries in the world.

Georgina
Malene Rydahl, author of the bestselling book, Happy as a Dane, believes that aspects of Danish culture can help us improve our chances of happiness.

Neil
Here she is explaining what happiness means for her to BBC World Service programme, The Conversation. See if you can hear what she thinks:

Malene Rydahl
Well, I think we should be seeking alignment and I think we should practise gratitude and I think that we should be more conscious about how we relate to things that happen to us and how much we compare ourselves to others… I do think that what we need to focus on is the quality of our relationships.

Georgina
Did you hear Malene use the word alignment? She thinks there should be harmony between my true sense of who I am, what I think and how I relate to others. We should be in alignment – or in the correct relation, to those things.

Neil
Malene also thinks happiness comes from gratitude– feeling grateful and expressing thanks to other people.

Georgina
She recommends finding three things, no matter how small, to be grateful for every day.

Neil
Like… getting a good night’s sleep, drinking a hot coffee… and having this chat with you, Georgina.

Georgina
Thanks, Neil, that’s put a smile on my face! It may sound strange but doing this every day can really boost your happiness levels.

Neil
Malene also warns against seeking happiness in external things, as you can hear in this chat with BBC World Service’s, The Conversation:

Malene Rydahl
If you seek happiness and you mistake it for pleasure, you will be running around like a little hamster in a wheel because it’s never enough and because you will be very quickly the victim of the hedonic treadmill… and the hedonic treadmill is… you know, you want something, you think if you’re more beautiful, if you get more power, if you get more money and fame and then you’ll finally be happy… and then you get it and you get a small satisfaction.

Neil
According to Malene, chasing external pleasures like money and fame will leave you feeling like a hamster on a wheel – like someone who’s always busy but never accomplishes anything useful or finishes what they start.

Georgina
She also says it’s easy to become a victim of the hedonic treadmill. This is the idea that humans adapt to whatever level of happiness they achieve. As we make more money, meet the perfect boyfriend or whatever we desire, our expectations also increase, so we never find the happiness we hoped we would!

Neil
‘Money can’t buy happiness’, as my grandma used to say.

Georgina
Right. In fact, it’s probably the quality of our relationships, not external objects, that gives satisfaction – the pleasure we feel when we achieve something we wanted to.

Neil
Lots of useful tips there, Georgina, for feeling as happy as a Dane.

Georgina
A Dane, you say, Neil? So I got the correct answer?

Neil
In my quiz question I asked Georgina which Nordic country was rated happiest in the UN’s 2020 global survey.

Georgina
I guessed, b) Denmark.

Neil
But in fact, Georgina, it was… c) Finland. I guess their bacon sandwiches are even better!

Georgina
OK, let’s recap the vocabulary and start seeing the glass half full – looking at things in a positive way.

Neil
Happiness might be all about alignment – being in the correct relation to things.

Georgina
Or gratitude – being grateful and giving thanks.

Neil
Feeling like a hamster on a wheel means you’re always busy doing things but without getting satisfaction - the pleasant feeling of achieving something you really wanted to.

Georgina
Finally, the reason happiness often escapes us may involve the hedonic treadmill - the human tendency to return to the same level of happiness after something very good or very bad has happened.

Neil
That’s all for this programme. We hope it’s lifted your spirits and given you some useful vocabulary as well.

Georgina
Remember to join us again soon for more interesting topics here at 6 Minute English. And if you like topical discussions and want to learn how to use the vocabulary found in headlines, why not try out our News Review podcast? You’ll find programmes about many topics that will help to keep you entertained and learning at the same time. Don’t forget you can download the app for free from the app stores. And of course, we are on most social media platforms. Bye for now!

Neil
Bye!

[hungvu-gimv]

Happiness comes from many sides of life. To me, the best thing makes me happy is being with my family and enjoying life time with them❤️

[joshua]

I'm feeling completely satisfied by getting the feeds from the BBC learning English each and every day 😇😇😇

[winstonfraser]

Good morning Mr Neil and Mrs Georgina you are making us happy to receive good lessons thanks 👍 you certainly practice gratitude is key

[maggie]

I'd say the pandemic does teach us being grateful than before.
I send my acknowledgement every day to my healthy body, my husband and daughter, and all the beings. Let's treasure ourselves and each other. ☺🌏

[lns]

First of all, I want to say I enjoy listening this programme, it’s very clear and useful!! And secondly, the topic of happiness may be a difficult subject to address because people feel happiness for different reasons. Though the idea of the alignment it's very interesting (happiness comes of being in harmony with who you are, your thoughts and your relation with the others), there are many things are out of our control and sometimes, trying not to be absorbed by the circumstances could be difficult.Then, I wonder if we have the decision to choose happiness each day.

[soetechteach]

In my opinion, you need to train yourself to be a glass half full person if you often want happiness.

Because things won't happen the way you expect in reality, we have to face lots of obstacles.

So here are my two advices to train yourself to have much happiness in your life.

No.1
Meditate.
If you regularly take a meditation, your mind will be calm and peaceful.
If your mind becomes peaceful, you can find out solutions for different obstacles.

No2.
Help other people.
There is a quote 'If you feel hopeless, help others. If you help other people, you will surely feel like you are alive, energetic and content with the things you have.

Thank you for BBC learning for this fantastic video🎉

[phamtien]

publishes
revealing
expectancy
alignment
gratitude
conscious
harmony
external
accomplished
hedonic
treadmill
expectation
lift
spirit

[simplelifepleasure]

Work-life balance, moderate physical activity, some reading, spending time with family and peace in heart and mind ....

[ocbaau]

1. The glass is half full/empty: used to say that someone has a tendency to look at situations in a positive or negative way
2. Alignment: correct position in relation to something else
3. Gratitude: feeling grateful, expressing thanks to another person
4. Hamster on a wheel: someone involved in activities that make them busy all the time but without ever achieving anything important or managing to finish a task
5. Satisfaction: the pleasure you feel when you do something you wanted to do, or get something you wanted to get
6. Hedonic treadmill: the human tendency to return to the same level of happiness after something very good or very bad has happened
7. Nordic countries
8. Income: money that is earned from doing work or received from investments
9. Life expectancy: the length of time that a living thing, especially a human being, is likely to live
10. Harmony: a situation in which people are peaceful and agree with each other, or when things seem right or suitable together
11. Adapt: a situation in which people are peaceful and agree with each other, or when things seem right or suitable together

[LanguisticSchool]

Love, love... and more love. That's the key to happiness. Thanks BBC!

[irenefang]

thanks BBC for an interesting lesson
My note when listening
The topic today is about happiness, to see the half glass full which is the ability to experience life in a positive way.

There are many ways to improve our chances of happiness. One way is gratitude. We can practice daily by listing 3 things that we feel grateful at the end of the day.

However, people should be careful not to be mistaken between pleasure and happiness. If we find happiness in external objects such as fame or money, we can be like a hamster on a wheel. We may just keep seeking aimlessly without achieving anything. This life certainly doesn’t give satisfaction.

[Hiepphandang]

1. see a glass half full
2. like a hamster on a wheel
3. Hedonic treadmill
4. alignment
5. gratitude
6. satisfaction

[luistorres]

I fell happy watching BBC learning English. Now my day is better than yesterday. Thanks a million.

[thaotienlankhue]

I loved your video. Thanks a lot. As far as i can remember, children dont need to do homework in Finland, but their student also gain the highest score in the International acedemic contest. That's great.

[sujaniwettasinghe]

Thank you ! My gratitude for BBC Learning English

[phuongnguyen-cxzj]

I learnt many vocabulary in 6 minutes English. I totally love Neil and Sam or Catherine or other hosts. Thanks from Vietnam.

[dmitriydkoshelk]

Folks, when you are doing such videos, you are saving lives.🤝💎🌷🌻🌼🧠🎩

[TheGudsProduction]

1. I'll start seeing the glass half full from now on.

2. The opposition's buzzers always see the glass half empty. They criticise all things government does eventhough they are beneficial to society.

3. We have to live in alignment with others to make life easier.

4. I'm sending a present to my mum to express my gratitude.

5. I won't be like a hamster on a wheel. I will finish what I have started. I mean it.

6. If you do something you like and finish it, you'll get a big satisfaction.

7. We live in a world that supports hedonic treadmill. We hope we will get happiness as our salary increased.

[royahashimi]

Firstly, i want to thank you for significant topic. i am a refugee and out of my hometown, it was hard to swallow at first of two years then by changing my perspective. Hopefully I enjoy from life now, i usually write a thanksgiving letter in morning.