Where have all the virtuous role models gone?

I recently spent a day at the World Happiness Summit in London. As you might expect from “the happiness event of the year”, much of the content was rather uplifting and enjoyable. And, as you might also expect, there was something a bit cringeworthy about some of the proceedings (one consultancy boasted about guiding its clients through their “purpose journeys”), as well as a smattering of the downright preposterous (“please turn to the person next to you and ask one another: are you constipated?”).

But the words that really stayed with me came from America’s surgeon-general Vivek Murthy, who spoke about the link between social disconnectedness and depression, and the way in which serving others can alleviate this. Dr Murthy argued that young people needed to be given a new definition of success, one less connected with the acquisition of fame and fortune and more with contributing to the world. This would not only help those around them, but enhance their own happiness and well-being too.