Laurie Santos, a Yale psychology professor known for her popular course on happiness, explores the intricate dynamics of well-being. She discusses the myth of happiness tied to societal expectations and shares evidence-based strategies to enhance joy. Santos highlights the importance of social connections, the adverse effects of technology on loneliness, and the transformative power of rituals. She offers valuable insights into emotional management, parenting impacts on children's happiness, and the significance of setting healthy boundaries for personal fulfillment.
01:46:11
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Misconceptions About Happiness
People expend significant effort pursuing happiness but often fall short due to misconceptions.
Our minds deceive us about what truly brings lasting happiness, leading to disappointment.
insights INSIGHT
Arrival Fallacy
The "arrival fallacy" describes the false belief that achieving specific goals will bring lasting happiness.
Affective forecasting errors cause us to overestimate the intensity and duration of happiness from these achievements.
insights INSIGHT
Reference Points and Adaptation
Reference group bias and hedonic adaptation explain why happiness from achievements is short-lived.
We constantly compare ourselves to others and adapt to new circumstances, diminishing our appreciation.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In this book, Catherine Price makes the case that 'True Fun'—defined as the combination of playfulness, connection, and flow—is crucial for our well-being. She weaves together scientific research and personal experience to reveal the mental, physical, and cognitive benefits of fun. The book provides a practical, personalized plan to help readers achieve better screen/life balance and incorporate more fun into their lives without feeling overwhelmed. Price argues that by prioritizing True Fun, individuals can become happier, healthier, more productive, and less stressed, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling life.
How to Break Up with Your Phone
Katherine Price
Time Smart
How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life
Ashley Whillans
This book addresses the issue of time poverty, where four out of five adults feel they have too much to do and not enough time. Author Ashley Whillans provides proven strategies for improving time management, including assessments, checklists, and activities to help readers make a mindset shift. The book highlights the negative effects of time stress on happiness, health, productivity, and relationships, and offers practical advice on outsourcing time-consuming tasks, managing technology, and making time-savvy decisions to enhance overall well-being.
Can you accurately identify what aspects of life make you happy? Would you even know if you found true happiness? Leading psychology professor and happiness expert Laurie Santos dives deep on all the factors that contribute to our happiness, why we spend so much energy pursuing it, some evidence-based methods to boost your happiness, why it’s crucial to protect yourself from unhappy people, and so much more. Santos is a Professor of Psychology and the Head of Silliman College at Yale University. Since 2018 she’s been teaching Psychology and the Good Life, which is one of the most popular courses at Yale and at one point included approximately a quarter of the school’s undergraduates. She has also turned her course into a popular podcast series, The Happiness Lab.
--
Want even more? Members get early access, hand-edited transcripts, member-only episodes, and so much more. Learn more here: https://fs.blog/membership/
Every Sunday our Brain Food newsletter shares timeless insights and ideas that you can use at work and home. Add it to your inbox: https://fs.blog/newsletter/
The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish 
