What is the key to happiness?

Policy ramifications of happiness? Indeed? We suspect republicans hard at work trying to prove that redistributing a dime to the poor will accomplish nothing much hence we should not bother to try doing that.

In the New Yorker review, "Everybody Have Fun: What can policymakers learn from happiness research?" Elizabeth Kolbert examines three books on the matter. And you guessed it, there is no definitive answer to what makes a person happy.

• Derek Bok, “The Politics of Happiness: What Governments Can Learn from the New Research on Well-Being”
• Carol Graham, “Happiness Around the World: The Paradox of Happy Peasants and Miserable Millionaires”
• Daniel Gilbert, “Stumbling on Happiness”

But wait -- the Times comes back with the notion that deep substantive conversation is an essential key to happiness.

And proposing to your beloved on the 167 bus to Teaneck is also a way to achieve happiness.