My book “The Power of Wellbeing” is about how people often underestimate the power of empathy. Across the world, there has been an alarming turn towards populism and strongman politics. In doing so, the most marginalised and vulnerable have received the brunt of a sudden cold shoulder. The world needs a General Wellbeing framework, one built on mutual cooperation rather than exclusionary competition, and even worse, more recently, an increasingly ugly form of predatory capitalism.
In my view, it is fitting, then, that one of the architects of its namesake has released her own memoir. Jacinda Ardern’s “A Different Kind of Power” has attracted its fair share of venom, including in response to a recent article in The New Yorker – see image above. This included name-calling (demeaning nicknames) criticism of her facial expression (smug and entitled), the colour of her outfit (“commie” red), and the fact that she is living overseas, having taken up a post at Harvard University, rather than staying at home (for that sin she is certainly not alone).
However, like her or not, in late 2020, when she was voted in for a second term, polls showed that she was one of the country’s most popular leaders ever, and her memoir is a rallying cry—a call to remember that the value of empathetic leadership is not only that it attempts to occupy the moral high ground, but also because of its real, tangible benefits.
In “The Power of Wellbeing”, I wrote about the strengths of the Wellbeing Budget Ardern introduced during her tenure. Reprioritising the country to measure its success not wholly on its economy can provide a focus on intergenerational wellbeing and long-term investment needed to enhance resilience in at-risk communities. But it isn’t without its faults. There has been justifiable criticism of her government’s transparency, with calls that New Zealand was prioritising “style over substance” by employing more public relations practitioners than journalists. The Wellbeing Budget still has some way to go to providing a world for General Wellbeing, but it was an important start.
I define General Wellbeing in broad terms in “The Power of Wellbeing”. Wellbeing does not equal happiness. It is a far more open, holistic criterion. I have written more about the benefits of a Wellbeing-centered framework in my recent blog post Budgets Were All About Wellbeing – But that’s no longer the case! By being non-linear and fluid, and thus responsive to different kinds of harm, the power of wellbeing is in its ability to put a spotlight exactly where it’s needed: in how politics and policy actually affect the lives of a country’s people.
In an ideal world, GWB (General Wellbeing) could, and in my view should, replace GDP, tempering our concerns with the economy against other needs such as reducing homelessness, improving child poverty, and other troubling causes that GDP doesn’t readily address.
In my book, I argue for a MUST approach to achieve policy reform: Means, Utility, Sustainability, and Trust. Importantly, I start with “Means”. That is the familiar yet critically important requirement for exercising fiscal responsibility, ensuring the economy is robust and has the means to support essential programs such as health and law and order. To that extent, I fully endorse Nicola Willis’ emphasis on fiscal discipline. However, that is where we part company. Utility, Sustainability, and Trust are about taking care of our society, our planet, and the institutions that maintain a civil and law-abiding society, respectively. These are all aspects of society that need attention, and aspects that General Wellbeing would be most suited to assist in.
During her media campaign, Jacinda Ardern has been criticised for not speaking about the politics, and focusing on the message of kindness long-associated with the former Prime Minister. But in the realm of Wellbeing, the two can be one and the same. The small can form the whole; the kindness (I prefer the word “empathy”, even though many of Ardern’s detractors seem to struggle with the whole concept of showing empathy to another human being) can help build the policy. In promoting her book, Ardern has returned to rolling out her familiar brand of kindness without apology or embarrassment. She proudly wields the term “empathy,” regardless of past critiques, determined to convey the message. She should be recognised, not vilified, for doing so.
Ardern herself may remain controversial, despite all the good she has done; courts have found aspects of her government’s response to be unlawful, and a Royal Commission of Inquiry is currently investigating the same issues. The soul of her work is profound and greatly needed in the world today. Politics that can get work done while still caring. Politics that show the power of wellbeing is of a different kind.
💬I would love to hear what everyone thinks.
If this piques your interest, check out The Power of Wellbeing. It is available online at Amazon and independent bookstores such as Time Out Bookstore.”
