Emiliana Simon-Thomas, the science director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, dives deep into the concept of happiness as a skill we can nurture, rather than luck-based. She discusses how generosity is biologically rooted and enriches our joy in caring for others. The conversation also tackles empathy fatigue and reframes our understanding of selfishness and love. Through her insights, she highlights the transformative power of compassion on personal happiness and emphasizes the balance between kindness and self-care in today's complex world.
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insights INSIGHT
Happiness: A Cultivatable Skill
The word "happiness" comes from roots meaning luck or happenstance.
However, happiness is a skill to cultivate, not something that merely happens.
insights INSIGHT
Defining Compassion
Compassion is an emotional state arising from encountering suffering.
It includes the intention to alleviate that suffering and help.
insights INSIGHT
The Selfish Nature of Compassion
Compassion is altruistic, but also selfish, because it activates reward pathways.
It reinforces generosity, making us feel good and want to be generous again.
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In '10% Happier,' Dan Harris shares his personal journey of discovering the benefits of meditation. Initially a skeptic, Harris, a news anchor, found himself on a path of self-discovery after a nationally televised panic attack. He delves into the world of spirituality and self-help, encountering various figures including brain scientists, CEOs, and spiritual leaders. The book explores how meditation can reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance overall well-being without compromising one's ambition or edge. Harris emphasizes the importance of mindfulness in making one more resilient and better equipped to handle life's challenges, though it does not eliminate problems entirely[2][4][5].
Love 2.0
Barbara Fredrickson
Barbara Fredrickson's "Love 2.0" delves into the science of positive emotions and their impact on well-being. It explores the concept of 'positivity resonance,' a state of mutual positive connection between individuals. The book argues that these positive interactions are essential for building strong relationships and fostering overall happiness. Fredrickson presents research findings that demonstrate the physiological and psychological benefits of positivity resonance. She offers practical strategies for cultivating more positive connections in daily life.
In this episode, at this fraught moment in history, we're bringing on a leading scientist to help us tackle one of the most pernicious misconceptions that humans have ever fostered. The very roots of the word "happiness" reflect our assumption that happiness is something that happens to us, rather than something we can cultivate. "Hap" is the same root of words such "hapless," or "haphazard." It implies luck. But again, happiness is a skill that we can cultivate. Emiliana Simon-Thomas helps people learn this skill for themselves. Her online course - The Science of Happiness - has reached over half a million people worldwide. She's the science director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. And in this interview, we discuss how to make ourselves happier through generosity, which is literally part of our biology; how the pleasure of caring for others means we'll do it again. How empathy fatigue is real - and I debate with Emiliana about the meaning of selfishness. And, how we've got love wrong. Before we dive in, I want to flag that this is a conversation we recorded late last year, prior to the pandemic and recent racial justice protests in America, but the insights are as vital as ever. Where to find Emiliana Simon-Thomas online: Website: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/profile/emiliana_simon_thomas Course: https://www.edx.org/course/the-science-of-happiness-3 You can find meditations on compassion and much more on our app. Visit tenpercent.com to download the Ten Percent Happier app and kickstart your meditation practice. Visit tenpercent.com to sign up today. Other Resources Mentioned: Tania Singer - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tania_Singer Bill Harbaugh - https://harbaugh.uoregon.edu/ Darryl Cameron, compassion collapse - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collapse_of_compassion Tonglen practice - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonglen Love 2.0 by Barbara Fredrickson - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BM0LMG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/emiliana-simon-thomas-260
10% Happier with Dan Harris 
