The Eric Metaxas Show What is Happiness? I Arthur Brooks (Continued)
Sep 8, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Arthur Brooks, a professor at Harvard dedicated to the science of happiness, dives deep into the essence of what truly brings joy. He discusses the profound link between ambition, morality, and happiness, exemplifying these themes through historical figures. The dialogue also explores the intricate relationship between faith and personal growth, emphasizing the importance of societal engagement. Listeners are treated to practical wisdom and introspective exercises that challenge their perception of happiness and life’s greater meaning.
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Four Core Idols That Drive Behavior
- Arthur Brooks groups human idols into four broad categories that shape behavior and choices.
- Honor, resources, pleasure, and power explain much of why people make moral trade-offs.
Identify And Remove Your Idol
- Watch which of the four idols (honor, resources, pleasure, power) causes you to cut corners in relationships and faith.
- Actively identify and 'kick away' the idol that tempts you to neglect duties to loved ones and God.
From French Horn To Behavioral Science
- Arthur Brooks recounts his unconventional path from French horn player to social scientist and public intellectual.
- He studied by correspondence, earned a PhD, taught, and later led the American Enterprise Institute before returning to academia.
