bhutan – himalayan utopia
Why Bhutan is Building the Anti-Dubai (july 2025) 15 min video.. via nika dubrovsky tweet [https://x.com/nikadubrovsky/status/1944661533377605678]:
Good news. Why Bhutan is Building the Anti-Dubai https://youtu.be/hPlRmUv7qzo?si=D1TC16RXV8VscbMF
the economics of happiness et al
notes/quotes from video:
imagine a place where happiness isn’t just a feeling.. it’s written into the constitution
oi.. strike one
where school and hospital visits don’t come with a price tag
strike two.. supposed to’s of school/work.. free or not.. still a disease (ie: keep making us go to the hospital; not-us)
(reason.. according to video.. for this building): young people are leaving this place in major proportions.. so how did bhutan.. a country that prioritizes its people’s happiness, find itself with so many of them leaving.. seeking jobs/opp
so now in a bold/unexpected move.. bhutan’s king is trying something diff.. he’s building a city.. a modern metropolis like no other.. one that fuses ancient wisdom with cutting edge design.. a place built not for cars or commerce but for mindfulness.. this is the story of a city that could save a nation
need: story/model of city/whatever .. that could save the world.. beyond ‘mindfulness’.. to itch-in-the-soul ness
3 min – if you know anything about this place then you’ll know.. where other countries fret about their gdp.. bhutan measure a much more important index: it’s gross national happiness.. invented in 1970 to measure country’s development holistically.. so serious.. even written into constitution.. gnh values happiness and well being above econ growth
if still measuring things.. not diff.. young people can tell.. that’s why they’re searching elsewhere (khan filling the gaps law because of missing pieces).. constitution ness et al.. human\e constitution et al
5 min – so in dec 2023.. the king unveiled this: gelephu mindfulness city.. it will be a self administered state w/in a state.. the goal is to create a radical start up style city from which the wider country can learn and adopt new ideas
still not letting go enough.. not rad enough.. (aka: same song).. so won’t/can’t get to the root of problem
legit freedom will only happen if it’s all of us.. and in order to be all of us.. has to be sans any form of measuring, accounting, people telling other people what to do
how we gather in a space is huge.. need to try spaces of permission where people have nothing to prove to facil curiosity over decision making.. because the finite set of choices of decision making is unmooring us.. keeping us from us..
ie: imagine if we listen to the itch-in-8b-souls 1st thing everyday & use that data to connect us (tech as it could be.. ai as augmenting interconnectedness)
the thing we’ve not yet tried/seen: the unconditional part of left to own devices ness
[‘in an undisturbed ecosystem ..the individual left to its own devices.. serves the whole’ –dana meadows]
there’s a legit use of tech (nonjudgmental exponential labeling) to facil the seeming chaos of a global detox leap/dance.. for (blank)’s sake..
ie: whatever for a year.. a legit sabbatical ish transition
6 min – (on why this isn’t same as all other start up cities): because this isn’t a get rich scheme.. this is modern econ development .. bhutan style
need deeper.. ie:
oikos (the economy our souls crave).. ‘i should say: the house shelters day-dreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace.’ – gaston bachelard, the poetics of space
gmc will consist of a series of towns spread across the numerous rivers/streams.. all connected by truly incredible bridges.. to bridge key focal pts of city.. ie: temple, med center, .. a kind of fortified monestary..
the ‘bridging’ we need: augmenting interconnectedness via nonjudgmental expo labeling.. a global detox leap.. because what world needs most – the energy of 8b alive people
ie; humanity needs a leap.. to get back/to simultaneous spontaneity .. simultaneous fittingness.. everyone in sync.. the dance
7 min – (starting here.. on how everything is constructed.. esp airport on bridge.. in tune w nature)
great.. but still not root of problem.. so even though seems good et al.. cancerous distraction
9 min – it underlines how serious bhutan takes building in harmony with environ/nature
12 min – they think influence will go way beyond bhutan
13 min – thanks for listening.. i hope this brings a little peace into your day..
again.. since not getting to root of problem.. perpetuates problem/symptoms.. by making us think we’re doing something diff.. so really.. as good as it seems.. cancerous distraction
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be you. 