The Rich Roll Podcast The Science Of Happiness: Dr. Laurie Santos Shares Evidence-Based Tools For Genuine Joy, Why We Chase The Wrong Things & What Actually Creates Well-Being
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Jun 30, 2025 
In this engaging conversation, Dr. Laurie Santos, a renowned psychology professor at Yale, reveals why our perceptions of happiness often miss the mark. She discusses the mental health crisis among young people and the disconnect between understanding happiness and applying it. Santos introduces practical strategies like negative visualization to foster gratitude and authentic joy. The episode also highlights the impact of social media on self-esteem and emphasizes finding purpose through discomfort and genuine connections for lasting fulfillment.
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Dual Components of Happiness
- Happiness includes feeling good in life and thinking your life is going well.
- It involves a positive balance of emotions and cognitive satisfaction with life progress.
Yale Student Mental Health Crisis
- Laurie Santos witnessed acute mental health crises among Yale students as head of college.
- This sparked her to create a popular happiness course to provide practical strategies for well-being.
The Arrival Fallacy
- Our minds falsely believe that money, status, or arrival will bring lasting happiness.
- We often sacrifice social connection and rest chasing these illusions, the arrival fallacy.
