The Arrival Fallacy: I’ll be happy IF…

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We often have misconceptions about what will make us happy. We think that if we achieve certain goals or acquire certain things, we will feel fulfilled. However, studies show that these fleeting moments of happiness don't last. This is because our minds lie to us about what truly brings lasting happiness. We fall into the trap of being 'happy if' or 'happy when' people, always waiting for the next big thing to bring us joy. Researchers call this bias the arrival fallacy. We overestimate how happy we will be and for how long. This sets us up for disappointment. Even wealthy individuals make the same mistake. So, instead of chasing after external achievements, we need to work on understanding what truly brings us happiness.

Can you accurately identify what aspects of life make you happy? Would you even know if you found true happiness? Leading psychology professor and happiness expert Laurie Santos dives deep on all the factors that contribute to our happiness, why we spend so much energy pursuing it, some evidence-based methods to boost your happiness, why it’s crucial to protect yourself from unhappy people, and so much more. Santos is a Professor of Psychology and the Head of Silliman College at Yale University. Since 2018 she’s been teaching Psychology and the Good Life, which is one of the most popular courses at Yale and at one point included approximately a quarter of the school’s undergraduates. She has also turned her course into a popular podcast series, The Happiness Lab.

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