The Veritas Forum

If you're wondering if you'll get the "happily ever after" promised by fairy tales, you're not alone. For the past three decades, the General Social Survey has tracked a slow decline in happiness in the United States. Responses in 2021 suggest the lowest percentage of "Very Happy" Americans (19%) since 1988. But, what exactly *is* happiness — or its lack thereof? Is it something that we can measure in a survey or promise at bed time? And, how does it contribute to what it means to be human? In today’s episode we dive into happiness — what it is, how we get it, and its purpose for us today — in a Forum entitled, "What Good Is Happiness?” This Forum event was hosted at the University of Chicago in February 2020. The first speaker is Jennifer Frey, professor of philosophy at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Frey is in dialogue with Jonathan Masur, an economist at the University of Chicago. Sign up for our newsletter here. Check out this Forum event on Youtube. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.

How would you answer the question, "How much are you worth?"? Based on your body's iron, magnesium, oxygen, etc., you could sell your body for around $18. Or you could check your transcript and report your 4.0 GPA. Or with the help of social media, you could tally up your followers on Instagram and Twitter. But $18, a 4.0, and 3,000 followers are poor approximations for you and the worth of your life. How, instead, should we approach this question? Today, we’re exploring what it means to be human — holistically. How can we approach our humanness with an understanding of our bodies, minds, and souls? By the end of this episode, you’ll gain a better understanding of how you are worth more than the sum of your parts. This Forum event was hosted at Dartmouth in 2022. The first speaker is Praveen Sethupathy, the director for the Center for Vertebrate Genetics at Cornell University. The second speaker is Lori Alvord. She’s a General Surgeon at Astria Health. The conversation is moderated by Ross Douthat, opinion columnist at the New York Times. Sign up for our newsletter here. Check out this Forum event on Youtube. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.

Do you find yourself frustrated by life's inefficiencies? Wouldn't it be better if we could live entirely productive, completely predictable lives? Surprisingly, minor inconveniences can be more beneficial to you than you might think. Perhaps they can even bring meaning to your life and remind you of your ultimate lack of control. In this episode, we’ll investigate how time impacts what it means to be human. Can we find meaning and purpose in our short lives? And how can we begin to see time — however much of it we get — as a gift? This Forum event was held in 2019 at MIT and features Dr. Alan Lightman, professor of the practice of the humanities at MIT, and Dr. Meghan Sullivan, professor of philosophy at Notre Dame. Sign up for our newsletter here. Check out this Forum event on Youtube. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.

If only you had 15 more minutes, or were 5 years younger, or a year into the future — then, things would be better. Maybe even *you* would be better. But maybe time is more than a sparring partner. More than something you curse or see as a thief. It might just be an integral part of what it means to be human. In today's episode, we discuss with Dr. James K. A. Smith what it might look like to *partner* with time. We talk about Jamie's new book, How to Inhabit Time, and how we can learn to appreciate the fleeting, ephemeral moments of this life. Sign up for our newsletter here. Order Jamie's new book, How to Inhabit Time, here. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.

Unveil the depths of desire and habits shaping our identity, ponder on choosing what to worship for true fulfillment, explore the quest for ultimate satisfaction beyond material possessions, and learn about intentional re-habituation to break negative patterns and foster change.

There's a lot that humans can do that other animals can't — we can make beautiful works of art and develop life-saving medicines. But, there's a lot we share in common. For example, we share 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees. You may wonder, then, where does our *humanness* lie? What makes humans unique? This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event at Emory University in 2018. The original title was, "What Does it Mean to Be Human?" and featured Dr. Joshua Swamidass, professor of biomedicine at the University of Washington at St. Louis and Dr. Scott Lilienfeld, a professor of psychology at Emory. If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe! Sign up for our newsletter here Check out this Forum event on Youtube. Visit veritas.org to learn more about the mission of the Veritas Forum and find more resources to explore the ideas that shape our lives.

What makes you, *you*? And how can you live into the fullness of your life? We're coming through a global pandemic that may have forced you to face your own mortality. You may be struggling to create loving relationships in a virtual and media-filled world. You might be figuring out who you are and what ‘identity’ means. This fall, it's a great time to ask, "What does it mean to be human?" The first episode of our eleventh season drops on Thursday, September 8th. Join us as we share insights from scholars working in various disciplines from particular viewpoints. This season's episodes feature archival Forum content and new interviews with your favorite Forum speakers. You won't want to miss an episode! Be sure to subscribe NOW to our podcast — and leave us a rating and review on Apple podcasts, too.

PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | This season is all about character and virtue — and how we can close our “character gaps” to become better people. But, what does it look like to grow more virtuous in a world with pain, trauma, and grief? Our guest for this episode, contemporary artist Makoto Fujimura, approaches this question through the lens of a centuries-old art form: kintsugi. Mako’s most recent book, Art + Faith, is available here. Like what you heard? Rate and review The Veritas Forum on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, get updates on more ideas that shape our lives by signing up for our email newsletter here. Thanks for listening!

PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | The pandemic upended all of our lives. As a response, we started different habits — and perhaps even formed addictions — that helped us to cope. But, after two years of pandemic living, is it possible to change? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Nii Addy, a researcher at Yale specializing in addiction, depression, and anxiety. And he says we can have hope — according to his research, it is possible to rewire our brains for greater mental health. If you’re curious to hear more from Nii, check out his podcast, Addy Hour, wherever you listen to podcasts! Like what you heard? Rate and review The Veritas Forum on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, get updates on more ideas that shape our lives by signing up for our email newsletter here. Thanks for listening! veritas.org/GiveDecember

PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | People today reach the standard markers of adulthood — finishing education, getting married, becoming financially independent — later compared to people 50 years ago. Does that mean that kids these days are “behind” in their development? Or should these standard markers be rethought? Our guest today, Dr. Nancy Hill, is a Harvard professor and developmental psychologist. She invites us to consider how attending college might change how we develop — not just in our twenties, but for the rest of our lives. You can order Nancy and her co-author Alexis’s book, The End of Adolescence, here. Like what you heard? Rate and review The Veritas Forum on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover our episodes. And, get updates on more ideas that shape our lives by signing up for our email newsletter here. Thanks for listening!