The Art of Happiness with Arthur Brooks

Exploring the joy of new experiences and the balance between neophilia and conservatism. Emphasizing the importance of embracing curiosity for a more fulfilling life. Discussing the societal impact of neophilia, health and fitness in unpredictable times, and promoting happiness through shared experiences.

Were you happy with your life pre-pandemic? Are there toxic relationships or draining activities that might be better left behind as we reemerge from the pandemic? In this episode, Arthur and Ceci discuss how we can use these waning months of the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to honestly evaluate our lives and assess our happiness. Arthur also provides a step-by-step guide on how to learn from difficulties and suffering of the pandemic in order to return to “normal” better, and happier, than we were before.

Bill Burnett, co-author of Designing Your Life, joins Arthur Brooks to discuss applying design principles to life. They emphasize the importance of prototyping, embracing curiosity, and navigating challenges for personal growth. The podcast explores the process of self-redefinition in later stages and challenges dysfunctional beliefs for happiness, advocating for continuous redesign in life.

Are you making your life harder than it needs to be? Satisfaction is one of the key macronutrients of happiness, but it can prove elusive. And it’s easy to burn out chasing it, and inventing more and more wants in our lives. Can we escape this phenomenon? In this episode, Arthur is joined by New York Times bestselling author Greg McKeown to discuss his latest bestseller, Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most. Together, they share some practical advice for living more effortlessly, while doing more of what matters and finding the true satisfaction that we seek.

Can money buy happiness? It’s easy to get trapped in a cycle of working more and more hours, chasing more and more money, in the hopes of getting happier. But after a certain point, despite our hard-wired belief to the contrary, more money doesn’t bring more happiness. In this episode, Arthur and Ceci discuss the sometimes complicated relationship between money, happiness, and satisfaction. They also share how, at any income level, with a little knowledge and practice, we can actually use money to buy a little more happiness.

Meaning and purpose in life are key drivers of happiness. However, we know that to understand happiness, we must also understand unhappiness, as these virtues often come through pain and suffering. In this episode, Arthur is joined by renowned teacher, international facilitator, and author of Healing Collective Trauma: A Process for Integrating Our Intergenerational and Cultural Wounds, Thomas Hübl. Together, they discuss how we can understand and process traumatic experiences. They also share some advice on how we can avoid becoming permanent victims of our trauma and pain, and instead, develop resiliency and experience post-traumatic growth.

How quick are you to rethink your opinions when presented with new information? Can changing your mind make you a happier person? In this episode, Arthur is joined by Wharton organizational psychologist and bestselling author of Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know to discuss the perks of being wrong. They also explore how thinking like a scientist and having the humility to reevaluate our opinions, while staying true to our values, can help us to not only improve ourselves, but our world, as well.

Explore the fear of failure and its impact on individuals' ability to enjoy new experiences. Learn about the rise of this fear in modern society, its causes, and consequences. Discover the interconnection between uncertainty and fear of failure, as well as strategies for overcoming it. Understand the importance of feeling fear and acting with courage. Explore the power of gratitude, visualization, and letting go of pride in overcoming fear. Learn about the benefits of meditation and the Litany of Humility in reducing fear and increasing courage.

Christians around the world have just entered the season of Lent, a time of prayer, fasting, and voluntary sacrifice. However, this practice isn’t limited to Christianity, or even to those who are traditionally religious. In this episode, Arthur and Ceci explore the positive side effects of sacrifice and share some Lenten strategies and best practices for gaining these happiness benefits, whether we are religious or not.

Evidence shows that there’s more loneliness and isolation in the United States than ever before. Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has even said that we have an epidemic of loneliness in this country. How do we turn back this trend? In this episode, Arthur is joined by thought leader and author of The Lonely Century: How to Restore Human Connection in a World That’s Pulling Apart, Noreena Hertz. Together, they discuss some practical solutions to combat the loneliness epidemic and help those we love who may be suffering.