Understanding Happiness Through Evolutionary Insights

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Office Hours with Arthur Brooks. I’m thrilled to start this podcast with a topic I’ve devoted much of my life to: how we can be truly happier.

This episode draws from my new book, The Happiness Files, a collection of essays from my How to Build a Life column in The Atlantic. But more importantly, it’s grounded in science, drawing on a 2020 study where top researchers ranked the most practical and effective ways to get happier.

Today I discuss: 

• The top 5 research-backed ways to improve your well-being

• Why investing in your close relationships is the single most powerful thing you can do to be  happier

• How joining a club or values-based community can restore your sense of belonging

• The link between lifelong learning and growing happiness over time • Why transcending your ego through faith, philosophy, or awe brings clarity and peace

• How physical exercise reduces unhappiness (and why that matters more than you think)

• Why self-esteem alone won’t make you happy—but understanding your emotions might

• The three elements of a real happiness strategy (and how to build your own)

• How to move on from heartbreak (and why sad music really does help)

• And much more!

Since it’s the very first episode, we’d love to hear any feedback you have. Please email us at officehours@arthurbrooks.com. And please leave a review on Apple or Spotify. Thanks for listening!

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Where to find Arthur Brooks: 

• Website: https://arthurbrooks.com/

• X: https://x.com/arthurbrooks

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthurcbrooks/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArthurBrooks/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGuyFRjJQFGCKzfHTBvWM6A

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-c-brooks/

• Email: officehours@arthurbrooks.com

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Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(02:25) Introducing The Happiness Files and “10 Practical Ways to Increase Your Happiness”

(07:16) Principle #1: Invest in your relationships

(12:20) Principle #2: Join a club

(16:26) Principle #3: Be a lifelong learner

(20:11) Principle #4: Focus on something bigger than yourself

(26:03) Principle #5: Get more physical exercise

(29:35) Recap of principles 1–5

(30:22) How to craft your own happiness plan

(31:44) Strategy #1: Deepen your understanding

(32:30) Strategy #2: Practice regularly

(32:42) Strategy #3: Crystallize your learning by teaching others

(35:06) Q&A: Getting over a breakup and Arthur’s most surprising research finding

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Referenced:

• The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Files-Insights-Arthur-Brooks/dp/B0F4MFQ6VN 

• Leadership and Happiness course: https://www.hbs.edu/coursecatalog/1885.html

• How to Build a Life: https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/how-build-life/

• What the Longest Study on Human Happiness Found Is the Key to a Good Life: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/01/harvard-happiness-study-relationships/672753/

• Ways to Greater Happiness: A Delphi Study: https://link.springer.com/journal/10902

• The Harvard Study of Adult Development: https://www.adultdevelopmentstudy.org/

• The Drive with Peter Attia: https://peterattiamd.com/podcast/

• Huberman Lab: https://www.hubermanlab.com/podcast

• America’s Declining Social Capital: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1981-25768-001

• The Best Friends Can Do Nothing for You: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/04/deep-friendships-aristotle/618529/

• Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community: https://www.amazon.com/Bowling-Alone-Collapse-American-Community/dp/0743203046

• Daily Stoic: https://dailystoic.com/podcast/

• Johann Sebastian Bach: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach

• Vipassana Meditation: https://www.dhamma.org/

• Insight Meditation: https://www.insightmeditation.org/

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