Dr. Laurie Santos discusses happiness research, distinguishing happiness in life vs. with life. Importance of social relationships for happiness. Strategies for enhancing well-being, overcoming digital barriers. Prioritizing time over money for happiness. Includes insights on personal growth opportunities.
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Quick takeaways
Understanding the distinction between being happy in life (positive emotion ratio) and being happy with life (overall life satisfaction) is crucial for subjective well-being.
Enhancing social connections and prioritizing experiences over material possessions are vital in boosting personal happiness.
Deep dives
Shift to Happiness Research
The shift to studying happiness began unexpectedly for Dr. Laurie Santos, a cognitive scientist initially focused on comparative cognition. Her transition was triggered by witnessing the mental health crisis among college students, motivating her to explore strategies, leading her to create a class on psychology and happiness at Yale that gained massive popularity.
Defining Happiness
Happiness is defined as the balance between being happy in life and happy with life. Being happy in life involves maintaining a positive emotion ratio to negative emotions. On the other hand, being happy with life is determined by overall life satisfaction. This distinction highlights the interplay of emotional and cognitive elements in subjective well-being.
Impact Bias and Hedonic Adaptation
Individuals often misjudge the impact of future events on their happiness, leading to the arrival fallacy of expecting a lasting satisfaction post-event. Research by Dan Gilbert reveals a stronger misprediction for negative events, showing our resilience in reverting to a happiness set point. Hedonic adaptation underscores our tendency to return to our baseline level of happiness regardless of positive or negative life changes.
Strategies for Greater Happiness
Enhancing social connections emerges as a key to happiness, emphasizing the positive influence of social ties on well-being. Allocating resources to free up time and prioritize experiences can combat time famine and boost happiness. Being more other-oriented and engaging in acts of kindness not only benefit others but also contribute to personal happiness.
We're not great at knowing what makes us happy, says Laurie Santos, host of "The Happiness Lab." Laurie joins Maya for a wide-ranging conversation about the latest happiness research and her favorite happiness-boosting strategies. They also discuss how much of our happiness is hard-wired, if there's such a thing as thinking about happiness too much, and what you should know if you ever feel guilty feeling happy, given the state of the world. For more on Laurie, check out her podcast "The Happiness Lab."