The Daily Motivation Demystifying the Science of Happiness | Dr. Laurie Santos
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Jan 27, 2026 
Laurie Santos, Yale psychology professor famous for her popular course on the science of well-being, explores why modern comforts often leave us unfulfilled. She discusses faulty intuitions about happiness. She highlights how social connection and acts of kindness boost well-being. She also talks about student overwhelm and why we overestimate others’ good fortune.
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Why Happiness Is Trending Now
- Humans have long worried about happiness, but modern focus grows because basic needs are largely met for many people.
- Laurie Santos says our minds have bad intuitions about what actually increases happiness.
Our Intuitions About Happiness Mislead Us
- People strongly mispredict what will make them happy and invest in the wrong things like more work or lottery dreams.
- The science shows common theories about what brings happiness are often wrong, despite our effort.
Start By Realizing You're Not Alone
- Recognize you're not alone by learning the stats about peers' mental states to reduce isolation.
- Use awareness to counter the mind's tendency to project that others are doing fine when they're not.