KERA's Think

Stuff you can do to be happier

Aug 29, 2025
Arthur C. Brooks, a Harvard professor and columnist for The Atlantic, shares valuable insights on achieving happiness. He discusses the power of embracing failure as a pathway to personal growth and the balance needed between virtual communication and in-person connections, especially in remote work. Listeners learn how procrastination can spark creativity and the dual nature of rumination, offering techniques like journaling to manage anxiety. Brooks also explores the intersection of money and happiness and the importance of honest communication during midlife transitions.
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INSIGHT

Run Your Life Like An Enterprise

  • Treat your life like an enterprise by building habits and structures that increase your chances of love and happiness.
  • Pursue audacious personal rewards rather than only financial or market metrics.
ADVICE

Keep A CV Of Failures

  • Keep a CV or journal of failures and revisit each entry after weeks and months to record lessons and benefits.
  • Move painful emotions into your prefrontal cortex so you can learn and grow from setbacks.
ADVICE

Make A 'Two-Don't' List

  • Identify activities and relationships you truly hate and use a yearly "two-don't" list to eliminate toxic attachments.
  • Chip away at obligations that don't serve you to reveal who you really are.
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