The Happiness Institute is part of what US economist Paul Zane Pilzer calls the "Wellness Revolution". In his book of the same name, Pilzer says the next trillion-dollar industry after cars and information technology will be in preventative businesses that help people find peace, health and happiness. While most of us are significantly better off financially than our parents and grandparents, happiness levels haven't changed to reflect that. Studies show that once the basic needs of shelter and food are met, additional wealth adds very little to happiness. Even investment banker Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein has warned not to "equate money with happiness". "A vast array of individuals seriously overrate the importance of money in making themselves, and others, happy," said strategist James Montier in a recent memo to clients. "Since the 1950s, people's happiness levels have been remarkably constant despite a massive growth in income-per-head over the same time horizon." he said.


“幸福学院”是美国经济学家保罗·赞恩·皮尔泽所说的“健康革命”的一部分。在他的同名小说中，皮尔泽说在汽车和信息技术产业之后的亿万美元的行业将会是预防性的企业，帮助人们找到和平、健康和幸福。 即使我们大多数人在经济上比我们的父母和祖父母要好很多，但是幸福水平却没有多大的改变。研究表明一旦基本的房子和食物的需求得到满足，额外的财富并不能增添多少幸福。即使投资银行家德利佳华·瓦瑟斯坦也声称“不要把钱和幸福划等号”。 “很多人高估了金钱对于他们自己和他人幸福的重要性，” 策略师詹姆斯·蒙蒂尔最近在给客户的备忘录里说道。他说：“二十世纪五十年代以来，尽管人均收入在同期范围内有了大幅度的增长，但人们的幸福水平一直特别平稳。”