Young and Profiting (YAP) with Hala Taha

YAPClassic: Arthur Brooks, The Science of Happiness and Fulfillment

Jul 5, 2024

Arthur Brooks, a behavioral social scientist, shares insights on happiness and fulfillment with Hala. They discuss the key ingredients to happiness, the difference between enjoyment and pleasure, and why hard work leads to satisfaction. Arthur emphasizes the importance of embracing challenges, judging less, and finding balance in life for true happiness.

01:04:56

Episode guests

Arthur Brooks

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Career satisfaction can be enhanced by embracing diverse experiences and transitions.

True happiness involves a balance of enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning in life.

Managing negative emotions through self-awareness and gratitude leads to emotional well-being.

Deep dives

The Evolution of Happiness Exploration

Arthur Brooks, a Harvard professor and happiness expert, shares his journey of personal transformation and the shift towards understanding happiness. Brooks delves into his initial skepticism about actively pursuing happiness and how he utilized his expertise in behavioral economics to enhance his own well-being. By incorporating strategies from neuroscience and social science, Brooks found that through knowledge and habit changes, individuals can truly increase their happiness levels.

Intro

3min

Journey to Happiness and Career Transitions

19min

Exploring Purpose, Mental Health for Entrepreneurs, and Business Tools

5min

Finding Meaning and Fulfillment in Life

19min

Webinar Training and Financial Advice Ads

3min

Exploring Happiness by Focusing Outward Instead of Inward

4min

Finding Balance and Fulfillment in Life

14min

Despite being a successful social scientist for nearly three decades, Arthur Brooks realized that he was missing the boat on personal happiness. He decided to apply his expertise to develop a strategy for living a happier life. So he quit his job and devoted himself to the pursuit of happiness. In this YAPClassic episode, Hala talks to Arthur about building true happiness.

Arthur Brooks is a behavioral social scientist with a focus on human happiness. He is the author of multiple bestselling books, including Build the Life You Want, co-written with Oprah Winfrey.

In this episode, Hala and Arthur will discuss:

- Arthur’s journey from gloom to happiness

- Why a spiral-pattern career will make you happier

- How he met and started working with Oprah

- The four types of career patterns

- Why Americans struggle with happiness

- The three key ingredients to happiness

- Why happiness is not a feeling

- The difference between enjoyment and pleasure

- How hard work leads to more satisfaction

- How to judge less

- Why you need unhappiness

- And other topics…

Arthur Brooks is a behavioral social scientist specializing in human happiness. He holds the William Henry Bloomberg professorship at Harvard Kennedy School and is a Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School. Arthur is a bestselling author, with his latest book, Build the Life You Want, co-authored with Oprah Winfrey. He also hosts the How to Build a Happy Life podcast, writes for The Atlantic, and was the subject of the 2019 Netflix documentary The Pursuit, named one of Variety’s Best Documentaries on Netflix. In addition, he was selected as one of Fortune’s 50 World’s Greatest Leaders.

Connect with Arthur:

Arthur’s Website: https://arthurbrooks.com/

Arthur’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-c-brooks/

Arthur’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/arthurbrooks

Arthur’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthurcbrooks/

Arthur’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArthurBrooks/

Arthur’s Podcast, How to Build a Happy Life with Arthur Brooks: https://arthurbrooks.com/podcast/

Resources Mentioned:

Arthur’s Book, Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier, co-written with Oprah Winfrey: https://www.amazon.com/Build-Life-You-Want-Science/dp/0593545400

Arthur’s Articles in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/arthur-c-brooks/

Take the PANAS quiz: https://arthurbrooks.com/build

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