English Learning for Curious Minds | A More Interesting Way To Learn English #575 | The Science of Happiness: Can It Be Measured?
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Oct 23, 2025 The podcast explores the intricate concept of happiness and its measurability. Delve into the difference between pleasure-based and purpose-driven happiness, as discussed by Aristotle. Discover how social connections and loneliness impact well-being, especially during challenging times. Learn about innovative methods like experience sampling and big data approaches that offer real-time insights into mood. Finally, understand the role of trust and caregiving in societal happiness, revealing that happiness is more than just a personal quest.
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Two Faces Of Happiness
- Psychologists separate happiness into hedonic pleasure and eudaimonic purpose, reflecting different life values.
- Subjective well-being combines life satisfaction, positive emotions, and negative emotions for a fuller measure.
Limits Of Life Satisfaction Surveys
- Life satisfaction surveys are simple and let researchers compare countries and trends over time.
- They rely on memory and thus overemphasize peaks and endings, distorting average experience.
Measure Mood In The Moment
- Use experience sampling to measure happiness in the moment via random prompts about mood and context.
- Collect many snapshots to reveal which activities and company actually boost happiness.