ABU DHABI // The philosopher Thomas Hobbes famously described the life of man in the state of nature as nasty, brutish and short. Not at all happy.
But that state never truly existed: it was a thought experiment by Hobbes to convince us of the virtues that might steadily accrue from the opposite condition – civil society.
Still, as we survey the region today, we might think Hobbes to have prophesised the war of all against all in the Middle East of the 21st century. Not happy. Apart, of course, from the exceptions to be found most notably along the southern coastline of the Arabian Gulf.
Indeed, the UAE is dedicated to the proposition of happiness. We seek to entrench happiness in the governance that pervades the sweep of everyday life. This year, the Government went so far as to appoint a Minister of State for Happiness. No doubt there was more than a little scepticism around the world, but that is to misunderstand. Happiness isn’t a perpetual state of mirth.
The office of the Ministry of Happiness is not the department of fun. Its work, properly constituted, is to test and establish new standards of efficiency throughout government.
For the happiness of citizens comes from the realised expectation that reasonable goals can be achieved without undue hindrance by the state. And that the state, in fact, might even help in achieving them. In a region with massive dysfunction, governance of an efficient and effective character is no small virtue. We at this newspaper have made our contributions towards this, and will continue to do so. That's why, on the occasion of The National's eighth anniversary, we are publishing a supplement on the various ways we all view happiness.
Since we launched in 2008, The National has led the way in pushing against unreasonable boundaries that impinge on expectations of efficiency. We have reported on the breakdown of public service where it has happened, on how our nation has measured up against global best standards, and on stumbles where they have occurred on our trek towards a modern society. At the same time, we have reported on our national achievements and breakthroughs. We, the paper, are a citizen and friend who seeks the further improvement of our country. We'd like to think that we have been, and we will continue to be, an instrument of happiness.
But let me now also consider happiness on a more prosaic level. Whether we expect others to define what happiness is for us or leave it as something for each of us to pursue, we might find some common ground that brings all these parts together. And it may lie in knowing that living in a place that is tolerant of ideas, that allows individuals to make choices, to explore, and to try different ways to reach their understanding of happiness, may lead to a state of contentment and satisfaction. Such is one kind of happiness.
And here’s something else. Smiling, giving, and praising others does the trick, too. As individuals, we may have a role to play in this mission of building a community that fosters happiness. A bit of kindness, a bit of compassion, and some empathy could go a long way. Also, we might adopt the practice of giving and expressing appreciation at home and in the workplace.
With this in mind, I'd like to acknowledge the achievements and many successes of the staff of The National – how we have all made contributions to the state of happiness of our stakeholders. And long may this continue.
newsdesk@theantional.ae
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
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FORSPOKEN
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Starfield
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RESULTS
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The struggle is on for active managers
David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.
The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.
Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.
Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.
Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.
At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn.
Company%C2%A0profile
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The past winners
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded