Uncharted with Hannah Fry
6. The Happiness Curve
Oct 2, 2023
The podcast explores the U-shaped curve of happiness in human lives, comparing patterns in happiness data to wage data and discussing the impact of responsibilities, health, money, family, and career on well-being. It also delves into the concept of a midlife crisis in orangutans and great apes, highlighting the similarities in happiness assessments between humans and primates.
13:50
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Happiness follows a U-shaped pattern, hitting a low in midlife.
- Well-being increases in older age, challenging the idea of a permanent midlife crisis.
Deep dives
Midlife Crisis in Orangutans and Humans
Orangutans and humans exhibit similar U-shaped patterns of mental well-being through their lives. Research on orangutans showed evidence of a midlife crisis, paralleling the trend seen in humans' happiness levels. Just like humans, orangutans display emotional complexity, seeking comfort and experiencing grumpiness when hungry, highlighting striking similarities between the two species.
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
