Arthur C. Brooks, professor at Harvard, discusses topics such as blood occlusion training, genetics and happiness, the difference between complex and complicated problems, and the importance of cultivating true friendships. He also explores the concept of finding meaning in life, the benefits of death meditation, and collaborating with Oprah on their book 'Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier'.

Arthur C. Brooks, a social scientist, shares insights on happiness, discussing its misconceptions and the importance of relationships, meaningful work, and connecting with something transcendental. They explore the pillars of happiness and practical steps to build a more fulfilling future, emphasizing the need for balance, emotional self-management, and societal change. They also discuss the impact of negative emotions, the Opposite Signal Strategy, and the trade-off between enjoyment and meaning in different life stages.

Sam Harris speaks with Arthur C. Brooks about what it takes to build a good life. They discuss the power of social comparison, the intelligence taboo, political dignity and ethical hierarchy, the Dalai Lama, the nature of love, fluid and crystallized intelligences, the strange case of Linus Pauling, the limits of identity, atheism and religious faith, fear of death, psychedelics, existentialism, St. Thomas Aquinas, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.   Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That’s why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life’s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Guest Arthur C. Brooks, professor at Harvard, discusses topics such as finding happiness, challenges in the music career, the impact of social media on human interaction and happiness, advancing policy and funding research, and strategies for forgiveness in relationships.

Arthur Brooks, a best-selling author and happiness expert from Harvard, explores how to master your mindset to feel happier. He shares his unique journey from musician to professor, emphasizing the importance of embracing discomfort and establishing productive routines. Brooks delves into the components of happiness, the balance between joy and sorrow, and how aging affects our well-being. He also discusses tackling the depression epidemic among young adults and offers practical insights for nurturing resilience and gratitude in daily life.

Arthur C. Brooks used to run a prominent think tank where he was paid handsomely to influence public policy. Did all that success make him happy? Nope. So Arthur quit his job and set out to transform his life. Now he has written a book about what he learned along the way, the #1 New York Times bestseller “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.”---Want to hear Arthur summarize his new book in just nine minutes? Download the Next Big Idea app and search for Arthur's Book Bite: http://nextbigideaclub.com/app

Oprah and Arthur C. Brooks, co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller "Build the Life You Want," discuss science-based research and actionable practices for living a happier life. They explore the power of giving love, the destructive nature of envy, resolving family conflict, and treating parents as more than an emotional ATM. They also emphasize the importance of shifting focus from oneself to others and the benefits of admiration over envy.

Experts Arthur C. Brooks, Dr. Robert Waldinger, Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, and Christoph Schnedlitz explore happiness and purpose. They discuss building life-changing happiness, breaking success addiction, the Harvard Happiness Study, social media's impact on happiness, the influence of relationships on lifetime happiness, and the skills needed for resilient happiness.

Only the first 1 hour and 4 minutes of this episode are available on the paywalled podcast version (the BLACK podcast logo). If you’d like to hear the full 1 hour and 43 minutes of this episode and gain access to all full-length episodes of the podcast, you’ll need to SUBSCRIBE here. If you’re already subscribed and on the private RSS feed, the podcast logo should appear RED. Sam Harris speaks with Arthur C. Brooks about what it takes to build a good life. They discuss the power of social comparison, the intelligence taboo, political dignity and ethical hierarchy, the Dalai Lama, the nature of love, fluid and crystallized intelligences, the strange case of Linus Pauling, the limits of identity, atheism and religious faith, fear of death, psychedelics, existentialism, St. Thomas Aquinas, and other topics. Arthur C. Brooks is a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Business School, where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. He is also a columnist at The Atlantic, where he writes the popular “How to Build a Life” column. Brooks is the author of 12 books, including the 2022 #1 New York Times bestseller From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life. He speaks all around the world about love and happiness, giving more than 150 speeches and lectures per year in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.  Brooks began his career as a classical musician, leaving college at 19, and performing with ensembles in the United States and Spain. In his late twenties, while still performing, he returned to school, earning a BA in economics through distance learning. At 31, he left music and earned an MPhil and PhD in public policy analysis, during which time he worked as a military analyst for the Rand Corporation. Brooks then spent the next 10 years as a university professor at Syracuse University, where he taught economics and nonprofit management. In 2009, Brooks became the president of the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC, one of the world’s most influential think tanks, which he led for a decade. During this period, he was selected as one of Fortune Magazine’s “50 World’s Greatest Leaders” and was awarded seven honorary doctorates.  Originally from Seattle, Brooks currently lives outside Boston, with his wife Ester Munt-Brooks, who is a native of Barcelona. They have three adult children. Website: arthurbrooks.com  Twitter: @arthurbrooks   Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That’s why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life’s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.  

Harvard professor Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey discuss the four pillars of happiness: family, friendship, work, and faith. They explore the importance of positive and negative emotions, emotional management, and strategies for understanding and managing happiness to build a happier life.