Post Reports How to choose joy: ‘Try This’
Dec 31, 2024
Emiliana Simon-Thomas, science director at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center and expert on happiness, joins host Cristina Quinn to dive into the science of joy. They discuss how happiness is a cultivated state, influenced more by our choices than by circumstances or genetics. Emiliana highlights the importance of gratitude, resilience, and social connections in fostering a fulfilling life. Listeners learn about initiatives like the Big Joy Project, which encourages daily micro-acts of joy, offering practical tips for enhancing everyday happiness.
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Defining Happiness
- Happiness is a broad term encompassing various positive emotional states like pride, enthusiasm, amusement, and affection.
- It's valuable to be more specific about these individual emotions rather than lumping them together as "happy."
Measuring Happiness
- Happiness is measured using self-report surveys, like the Subjective Happiness Scale.
- These surveys ask individuals to rate their happiness on a scale, providing a quantifiable measure for research.
Factors Influencing Happiness
- Genetic predisposition influences about half of our happiness, affecting dopamine and serotonin regulation.
- External factors and daily choices contribute to the remaining portion, offering opportunities to cultivate happiness.