It’s goes like this: close your eyes, put your hand in front of your face, open your eyes and describe what you see. Now, close your eyes again, put your hand 12” from your face, open your eyes again and describe what you see now.
Chances are you’ll get a more full picture the second go around. Logic and evidence show us that the more narrow your view, the less you actually see. Essentially, what you can determine is in your field of view comes down to perspective.
 | CIW proposes a measurement by "happiness" rather than wealth |
Recently an independent, non-partisan group of “accomplished Canadians” took that philosophy to heart and are now applying it to the way in which Canada measures its peoples well being.
The newly formed Canadian Index of Wellbeing takes a more holistic approach to reporting on the quality of life of Canadians, and “promotes a dialogue on how to improve it through evidence-based policies that are responsive to the needs and values of Canadians”.
From CIW's website:
The Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) is a new way of measuring wellbeing that goes beyond narrow economic measures like GDP. It will provide unique insights into the quality of life of Canadians – overall, and in specific areas that matter: our standard of living, our health, the quality of our environment, our education and skill levels, the way we use our time, the vitality of our communities, our participation in the democratic process, and the state of our leisure and culture. In short, the CIW is the only national index that measures wellbeing in Canada across a wide spectrum of domains.
This approach touches upon a trend Counsel reported on back in 2008: Sunshine State: The Power of Positivity. What’s being looked at through the CIW isn’t how much money is being made or the GNP, but instead opting for something more nuanced in its findings. Through CIW’s proposed platform, not only do you see WHO your citizens are, but WHAT they truly need.
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