There's something very satisfying about being dismissive, so why should I miss out on the pleasure? Trouble is, I think the idea of measuring the nation's happiness is a good idea. Ah, thank goodness for the inconsistencies of our government. For, who are the people who have spent many years debating how to measure happiness, and indeed, whether that could be done at all? Why, psychologists ! And how is it who devise and conduct surveys ? Why, sociologists! And yet, this very same government has decided that all university subjects will be rated according to their usefulness. Those that are seen as contributing to the nation's wealth- not its happiness- are rated as 1. Those who educate the groups involved in doing the Happiness survey- that is, psychologists and sociologists- get a 4- meaning that the government will not contribute a penny towards tuition. So, the government that wants us to transcend the material uses the material to judge academia. I doubt that this makes psychologists and sociologists very happy. What is lacking here is joined-up government- rather surprising from a coalition.