Today we welcome Sonja Lyubomirsky who is a distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside. Originally from Russia, she received her A.B., summa cum laude, from Harvard University and her Ph.D. in Social/Personality Psychology from Stanford University. Her research has been featured in hundreds of magazines, newspapers, shows and documentaries in North America, South America, Asia, Australia, and Europe. Dr. Lyubomirsky’s best-selling books The How of Happiness and The Myths of Happiness have been published and translated in over 16 countries.
In this episode, I talk to Sonja Lyubomirsky about happiness. Across all of her research, Dr. Lyubomirsky has found that connection is what makes people happy. So then, how do we form high-quality connections? Dr. Lyubomirsky gives us insight on how to use kindness, reciprocity, and gratitude to maintain and strengthen our relationships. We also touch on the topics of psychedelics, interpersonal chemistry, and social media.
Website: drsonja.net
Twitter: @slyubomirsky
Topics
01:38 Sonja’s interest in happiness research
03:56 The Happiness Pie Chart
07:55 The Set-point Theory of Happiness
10:42 Connection is the key to happiness
15:19 Are extroverts happier?
20:12 Psychedelic social psychology
25:25 The Happiness Boomerang Effect
29:58 What makes for great conversation?
34:16 High-quality connections
36:47 How to create interpersonal chemistry
42:44 Can you count too many blessings?
45:27 Apps that make us happy and unhappy
51:39 Kindness boosts immunity
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