1 00:00:15,436 --> 00:00:24,596 Speaker 1: Pushkin, No, I'm not nervous. Okay, I'm nervous. My heart's 2 00:00:24,596 --> 00:00:30,436 Speaker 1: over here. One fateful day every spring, high school seniors 3 00:00:30,476 --> 00:00:33,516 Speaker 1: who've applied to Yale University are invited to log onto 4 00:00:33,556 --> 00:00:36,276 Speaker 1: a special website to find out if they made it in. 5 00:00:36,476 --> 00:00:43,476 Speaker 1: I'm doing it now. Okay, okay. Only about six percent 6 00:00:43,516 --> 00:00:46,956 Speaker 1: of applicants will get good news. But for that lucky few, 7 00:00:47,236 --> 00:00:57,476 Speaker 1: it's time to celebrate. Some students even post their reactions 8 00:00:57,476 --> 00:01:00,276 Speaker 1: on YouTube. It's kind of a thing. Oh my god, 9 00:01:01,756 --> 00:01:06,236 Speaker 1: my god. When students find out they've gotten too Yale, 10 00:01:06,436 --> 00:01:09,196 Speaker 1: that all their hard work has finally paid off and 11 00:01:09,236 --> 00:01:13,756 Speaker 1: their college dreams have come true, they are understandably, really really, 12 00:01:14,116 --> 00:01:27,316 Speaker 1: really excited. But one students start attending college, all that joy, 13 00:01:27,476 --> 00:01:30,716 Speaker 1: all that relief they felt at getting in, it fades 14 00:01:30,836 --> 00:01:35,796 Speaker 1: pretty quickly. I've seen this firsthand, both as a professor 15 00:01:35,796 --> 00:01:38,396 Speaker 1: of psychology at Yale and as head of one of 16 00:01:38,396 --> 00:01:42,636 Speaker 1: the residential colleges. In the last five years, rates of 17 00:01:42,676 --> 00:01:47,556 Speaker 1: college mental health problems have skyrocketed. Nationally. Over sixty percent 18 00:01:47,596 --> 00:01:51,556 Speaker 1: of college students report feeling overwhelmingly anxious in the past year, 19 00:01:51,916 --> 00:01:55,276 Speaker 1: and over fifty percent say they felt completely overwhelmed in 20 00:01:55,316 --> 00:01:58,996 Speaker 1: the past week. Rates of depression in twenty year olds 21 00:01:59,116 --> 00:02:02,516 Speaker 1: have doubled since two thousand and nine, which is crazy. 22 00:02:03,036 --> 00:02:05,316 Speaker 1: Our country now has more than twice the number of 23 00:02:05,316 --> 00:02:08,756 Speaker 1: young people in serious psychological distress than we did just 24 00:02:08,836 --> 00:02:13,596 Speaker 1: ten years ago, more than twice the number. I was 25 00:02:13,716 --> 00:02:17,076 Speaker 1: horrified when I first heard these statistics, and I really 26 00:02:17,116 --> 00:02:19,716 Speaker 1: wanted to do something to help. So I did a 27 00:02:19,716 --> 00:02:22,756 Speaker 1: little digging and looked it more and more of the research, 28 00:02:23,556 --> 00:02:26,956 Speaker 1: and I started to realize it's not just college students. 29 00:02:27,836 --> 00:02:31,076 Speaker 1: Many of us feel like happiness is increasingly out of reach, 30 00:02:31,716 --> 00:02:35,476 Speaker 1: like we're doing everything right, but something just hasn't clicked. 31 00:02:37,396 --> 00:02:40,276 Speaker 1: I know that feeling well because at the time I 32 00:02:40,316 --> 00:02:44,116 Speaker 1: was experiencing it myself. I mean I wasn't clinically depressed, 33 00:02:44,556 --> 00:02:47,556 Speaker 1: but I felt like something important was missing, like I 34 00:02:47,636 --> 00:02:50,316 Speaker 1: was doing something wrong, like I wasn't as happy as 35 00:02:50,356 --> 00:02:55,516 Speaker 1: I could be or should be. Oh Yale University professor 36 00:02:55,596 --> 00:02:58,676 Speaker 1: is teaching students around the world how science can help 37 00:02:58,676 --> 00:03:01,316 Speaker 1: them lead a happier life. So I decided to develop 38 00:03:01,356 --> 00:03:04,316 Speaker 1: a new class on the science of happiness, a class 39 00:03:04,356 --> 00:03:07,516 Speaker 1: I called Psychology and the Good Life Life lessons that 40 00:03:07,556 --> 00:03:10,956 Speaker 1: could help students and all of us be happier. The 41 00:03:11,036 --> 00:03:13,916 Speaker 1: course was my attempt to pull together everything I could 42 00:03:14,116 --> 00:03:16,916 Speaker 1: about the latest science of happiness and how to achieve it. 43 00:03:17,276 --> 00:03:19,996 Speaker 1: I packed it all together in one convenient set of lectures, 44 00:03:20,356 --> 00:03:22,476 Speaker 1: taught it to my Yale students, and even through it 45 00:03:22,476 --> 00:03:26,236 Speaker 1: online for free. Now our teachings are spreading well beyond campus. 46 00:03:26,236 --> 00:03:28,516 Speaker 1: More than one hundred and thirty eight thousand people around 47 00:03:28,516 --> 00:03:31,556 Speaker 1: the world have registered for the online version of the class. 48 00:03:33,116 --> 00:03:36,876 Speaker 1: But the class also taught me an important lesson. Happiness 49 00:03:37,116 --> 00:03:39,756 Speaker 1: is something that all of us can acquire, but we 50 00:03:39,796 --> 00:03:42,076 Speaker 1: need to go about it the right way. We need 51 00:03:42,156 --> 00:03:45,716 Speaker 1: to go after the right things. That's where the science 52 00:03:45,956 --> 00:03:50,396 Speaker 1: and this podcast can help. If you want to learn 53 00:03:50,436 --> 00:03:53,796 Speaker 1: what researchers are discovering about happiness and how these lessons 54 00:03:53,796 --> 00:03:56,716 Speaker 1: can make real improvements to your well being, then I 55 00:03:56,756 --> 00:03:59,796 Speaker 1: welcome you to join me doctor Laurie Santos for the 56 00:03:59,836 --> 00:04:14,036 Speaker 1: first episode of the Happiness Lab. It was a cold 57 00:04:14,076 --> 00:04:17,436 Speaker 1: Saturday night. I had just gone home after driving hundreds 58 00:04:17,476 --> 00:04:19,796 Speaker 1: of miles to record one of the interviews you'll hear 59 00:04:19,876 --> 00:04:23,756 Speaker 1: later the season. I was pretty exhausted and really really 60 00:04:23,796 --> 00:04:27,356 Speaker 1: psyched to be home. But when I unlocked my door, 61 00:04:27,676 --> 00:04:29,756 Speaker 1: I noticed a strange piece of mail at my feet, 62 00:04:30,596 --> 00:04:34,596 Speaker 1: an envelope addressed to me. The stamps and postmark were foreign, 63 00:04:34,996 --> 00:04:38,876 Speaker 1: but the letter inside was written in English. Dear Miss Santos, 64 00:04:39,356 --> 00:04:42,876 Speaker 1: my name is Clement and I live in France. In 65 00:04:42,956 --> 00:04:46,196 Speaker 1: the letter, Clement explained that he was feeling defeated by life. 66 00:04:46,716 --> 00:04:49,836 Speaker 1: He didn't have the career, relationship or family he'd yearned for. 67 00:04:50,636 --> 00:04:53,356 Speaker 1: He said he felt trapped in a tunnel of desperation, 68 00:04:54,036 --> 00:04:57,996 Speaker 1: a tunnel with no light and no end. Sadly, this 69 00:04:58,076 --> 00:05:00,356 Speaker 1: is not the first time I've received messages like this. 70 00:05:01,156 --> 00:05:04,276 Speaker 1: Since teaching my class online, I've gotten letters and emails 71 00:05:04,276 --> 00:05:07,556 Speaker 1: like this from people around the world, people who weren't 72 00:05:07,596 --> 00:05:10,396 Speaker 1: feeling all that happy and wanted to make a change. 73 00:05:11,076 --> 00:05:14,636 Speaker 1: Clement's letter was especially frank, though. He told me that 74 00:05:14,676 --> 00:05:17,396 Speaker 1: he'd pretty much decided that his life wasn't worth living, 75 00:05:17,956 --> 00:05:21,396 Speaker 1: and that he'd even tried to kill himself. It was 76 00:05:21,436 --> 00:05:24,196 Speaker 1: at this lowest of low points that he stumbled across 77 00:05:24,276 --> 00:05:27,876 Speaker 1: my class to tell you the truth. He wrote, I 78 00:05:27,916 --> 00:05:30,716 Speaker 1: was not convinced of the effectiveness of this course, and 79 00:05:30,836 --> 00:05:36,116 Speaker 1: I thought this was hippie Californian well being crap. I 80 00:05:36,196 --> 00:05:38,756 Speaker 1: get this sort of skepticism from lots of people, but 81 00:05:38,796 --> 00:05:40,956 Speaker 1: the things I'm going to talk about in this podcast 82 00:05:41,116 --> 00:05:44,436 Speaker 1: really aren't crap or a bunch of platitudes or a 83 00:05:44,436 --> 00:05:48,876 Speaker 1: load of hippie dip bbs. This podcast will share the 84 00:05:48,956 --> 00:05:52,116 Speaker 1: latest scientific findings, work that's been carried out by my 85 00:05:52,156 --> 00:05:55,636 Speaker 1: friends and colleagues at top universities around the world. And 86 00:05:55,796 --> 00:05:59,196 Speaker 1: what all this research shows is that happiness is possible 87 00:05:59,796 --> 00:06:03,036 Speaker 1: even for people like Clement, people who are in serious 88 00:06:03,036 --> 00:06:07,356 Speaker 1: psychological distress. The problem, as well here in this podcast 89 00:06:07,676 --> 00:06:10,436 Speaker 1: is that we go about achieving that happiness the wrong way, 90 00:06:11,196 --> 00:06:14,476 Speaker 1: waiting and hoping that our circumstances will change, that a 91 00:06:14,596 --> 00:06:18,356 Speaker 1: promotion or a romance will bring us lasting happiness. None 92 00:06:18,356 --> 00:06:21,316 Speaker 1: of that works, at least not in the way we think. 93 00:06:21,836 --> 00:06:25,716 Speaker 1: It's just a lie that our minds tell us. That's 94 00:06:25,716 --> 00:06:29,236 Speaker 1: what Clement was able to learn. Despite his initial skepticism. 95 00:06:29,596 --> 00:06:33,156 Speaker 1: Clement decided to complete my online course. He learned all 96 00:06:33,196 --> 00:06:35,556 Speaker 1: about the science of well being and how to put 97 00:06:35,556 --> 00:06:39,316 Speaker 1: it into practice. It has worked, Clement said at the 98 00:06:39,396 --> 00:06:48,236 Speaker 1: end of his letter. It has truly worked. People write 99 00:06:48,276 --> 00:06:51,076 Speaker 1: all the time about how my books have changed their 100 00:06:51,116 --> 00:06:54,956 Speaker 1: life I'm talking with Sony Lubermerski, a professor at UC Riverside. 101 00:06:55,476 --> 00:06:58,156 Speaker 1: She wrote two classic texts on the science of wellbeing, 102 00:06:58,636 --> 00:07:02,116 Speaker 1: The How of Happiness and the Myths of Happiness. Her 103 00:07:02,196 --> 00:07:04,516 Speaker 1: work has helped a lot of people, which means she 104 00:07:04,556 --> 00:07:07,116 Speaker 1: gets tons of letters like the what I got from Clement. 105 00:07:07,436 --> 00:07:09,156 Speaker 1: I mean, lots of people say that they want to 106 00:07:09,156 --> 00:07:12,236 Speaker 1: to kill themselves and they've been saved by using these strategies. 107 00:07:12,556 --> 00:07:15,076 Speaker 1: Some people say they got married or divorced because they 108 00:07:15,076 --> 00:07:17,596 Speaker 1: wrote its something I wrote and now they're happier. So 109 00:07:18,036 --> 00:07:20,396 Speaker 1: I don't know. It's just weird to feel like you 110 00:07:20,516 --> 00:07:24,116 Speaker 1: have an influence on people's lives and people you don't 111 00:07:24,116 --> 00:07:27,316 Speaker 1: know who are total strangers. But at bottom line is 112 00:07:27,476 --> 00:07:30,036 Speaker 1: that it's wonderful. We're going to talk a lot about 113 00:07:30,076 --> 00:07:32,836 Speaker 1: happiness in this podcast, so I thought I should start 114 00:07:32,836 --> 00:07:35,836 Speaker 1: by giving you a definition. Since Sonia is pretty much 115 00:07:35,876 --> 00:07:38,236 Speaker 1: the world expert on happiness, I thought you would be 116 00:07:38,276 --> 00:07:41,916 Speaker 1: a great person to help. Essentially, happiness has two components. 117 00:07:42,156 --> 00:07:44,796 Speaker 1: The first component has to do with the experience of 118 00:07:44,876 --> 00:07:48,476 Speaker 1: positive emotions. Right, so, happy people tend to experience more 119 00:07:48,636 --> 00:07:54,916 Speaker 1: frequent positive emotions tranquility, enthusiasm, joy, pride, affection, but that's 120 00:07:54,916 --> 00:07:57,996 Speaker 1: not enough. So a happy person also has a sense 121 00:07:57,996 --> 00:08:00,396 Speaker 1: that their life is good, that they're satisfied with the 122 00:08:00,436 --> 00:08:02,916 Speaker 1: way that they're progressing towards their life goals. So you 123 00:08:02,916 --> 00:08:05,236 Speaker 1: really kind of need both of these components to be happy, 124 00:08:05,476 --> 00:08:08,156 Speaker 1: and I like to think of them as being happy 125 00:08:08,476 --> 00:08:12,076 Speaker 1: in your life and being happy with your life. I 126 00:08:12,196 --> 00:08:14,916 Speaker 1: love this definition because it fits really well with how 127 00:08:14,916 --> 00:08:18,036 Speaker 1: we'll think about improving your happiness in the episodes to come. 128 00:08:18,476 --> 00:08:20,596 Speaker 1: What you can do to be happy in your life, 129 00:08:20,636 --> 00:08:23,276 Speaker 1: to feel better a lot of the time, and with 130 00:08:23,356 --> 00:08:27,076 Speaker 1: your life, how you can experience more meaning and more satisfaction. 131 00:08:27,756 --> 00:08:30,036 Speaker 1: I also wanted Sonya to walk us through an even 132 00:08:30,076 --> 00:08:34,756 Speaker 1: tougher problem, how can we actually measure our happiness levels. 133 00:08:34,756 --> 00:08:37,476 Speaker 1: Happiness is something that's subjective. I wish there was something 134 00:08:37,476 --> 00:08:40,476 Speaker 1: like a happiness thermometer, but there isn't because happiness is 135 00:08:40,476 --> 00:08:43,476 Speaker 1: something that only really the person inside knows, which means 136 00:08:43,476 --> 00:08:45,676 Speaker 1: that scientists like Sonja have had to come up with 137 00:08:45,716 --> 00:08:48,796 Speaker 1: creative ways to track people's well being. In the end, 138 00:08:48,996 --> 00:08:52,036 Speaker 1: they usually opt for a rather simple approach. The gold 139 00:08:52,156 --> 00:08:55,436 Speaker 1: standard for measuring happiness is to ask the person if 140 00:08:55,476 --> 00:08:57,556 Speaker 1: they're happy so we sarch A stend to rely on 141 00:08:57,556 --> 00:09:00,076 Speaker 1: self report, and we have measures where we ask people, 142 00:09:00,196 --> 00:09:02,756 Speaker 1: you know, how often do you experience various positive emotions 143 00:09:02,796 --> 00:09:05,316 Speaker 1: in your life? How satisfy you with your life? How 144 00:09:05,316 --> 00:09:08,276 Speaker 1: happy are you? I've used similar measures of well being 145 00:09:08,356 --> 00:09:11,716 Speaker 1: with my students. Here's a pretty straightforward one. I can 146 00:09:11,756 --> 00:09:14,716 Speaker 1: give it to you now. Taking all things together, how 147 00:09:14,716 --> 00:09:17,316 Speaker 1: happy would you say you are? From zero not at 148 00:09:17,356 --> 00:09:21,196 Speaker 1: all happy to ten completely happy? Are you a nine 149 00:09:21,236 --> 00:09:24,996 Speaker 1: out of ten or more like a six? Researchers have 150 00:09:25,076 --> 00:09:27,556 Speaker 1: checked the validity of these skills in lots and lots 151 00:09:27,556 --> 00:09:31,076 Speaker 1: of ways. It turns out that self report score you 152 00:09:31,156 --> 00:09:34,556 Speaker 1: just gave will correlate with all kinds of real world stuff. 153 00:09:35,196 --> 00:09:39,476 Speaker 1: It predicts detailed timetables of your hour by our emotional experience, 154 00:09:40,076 --> 00:09:42,756 Speaker 1: and what your family members would say if I asked 155 00:09:42,876 --> 00:09:46,316 Speaker 1: them how happy you were. Your score even correlates with 156 00:09:46,396 --> 00:09:49,916 Speaker 1: how often you smile in daily life. The upshot is 157 00:09:49,956 --> 00:09:53,116 Speaker 1: that these seemingly simple questions are much more rigorous than 158 00:09:53,156 --> 00:09:58,316 Speaker 1: a silly BuzzFeed quiz. They really are scientific instruments. Using 159 00:09:58,356 --> 00:10:01,996 Speaker 1: metrics like these, researchers have learned that our happiness levels 160 00:10:02,076 --> 00:10:05,116 Speaker 1: matter more than we think looks like happiness might not 161 00:10:05,236 --> 00:10:07,956 Speaker 1: just be sort of associated with things like more money 162 00:10:08,116 --> 00:10:13,676 Speaker 1: and better longer life, more creativity, better relationships, but it 163 00:10:13,716 --> 00:10:16,796 Speaker 1: looks like that happiness might actually cause some of those things. 164 00:10:17,156 --> 00:10:19,436 Speaker 1: We think that the good things in life, being rich, 165 00:10:19,596 --> 00:10:23,076 Speaker 1: feeling healthy, having lots of friends lead us to feel happier, 166 00:10:23,476 --> 00:10:27,316 Speaker 1: and they do to a certain extent. But it turns 167 00:10:27,316 --> 00:10:30,476 Speaker 1: out that the causal arrow goes in the other direction too. 168 00:10:31,156 --> 00:10:35,356 Speaker 1: Feeling happy leads to good life outcomes. Happy people are 169 00:10:35,396 --> 00:10:38,996 Speaker 1: more likely to get married. Happy people live longer, they're 170 00:10:38,996 --> 00:10:41,276 Speaker 1: more creative, they're more likely to be called back for 171 00:10:41,316 --> 00:10:44,836 Speaker 1: a job interview. Consider the case of money. We assume 172 00:10:44,876 --> 00:10:48,076 Speaker 1: that wealth brings happiness, but the science shows we might 173 00:10:48,116 --> 00:10:51,796 Speaker 1: have it backwards. One recent study tested whether a person's 174 00:10:51,796 --> 00:10:54,956 Speaker 1: happiness level as a teenager predicts how much money they'll 175 00:10:54,996 --> 00:10:58,676 Speaker 1: be making as an adult. The scientists tracks seventh graders 176 00:10:58,676 --> 00:11:02,636 Speaker 1: in the US for decades. Teens who report the highest 177 00:11:02,716 --> 00:11:05,996 Speaker 1: level of life satisfaction at age twelve wind up having 178 00:11:05,996 --> 00:11:09,076 Speaker 1: a salary that's ten percent above the average when they're 179 00:11:09,156 --> 00:11:12,676 Speaker 1: thirty years old, but seventh graders who report being really 180 00:11:12,796 --> 00:11:16,716 Speaker 1: unhappy have incomes that are thirty percent lower than the average. 181 00:11:17,156 --> 00:11:20,676 Speaker 1: Those teens are still affected by their sad moods more 182 00:11:20,716 --> 00:11:24,556 Speaker 1: than a decade later. But happiness early in life doesn't 183 00:11:24,556 --> 00:11:27,396 Speaker 1: just lead to more money later on. It also leads 184 00:11:27,396 --> 00:11:30,396 Speaker 1: to stronger relationships. One of my favorite studies is called 185 00:11:30,436 --> 00:11:35,356 Speaker 1: the Yearbook Study. Women who showed more genuine what are 186 00:11:35,356 --> 00:11:38,436 Speaker 1: called Dushan smiles and their yearbook photos when they're about 187 00:11:38,476 --> 00:11:41,636 Speaker 1: age twenty one were more likely to get married at 188 00:11:41,636 --> 00:11:45,876 Speaker 1: age twenty seven and had more fulfilling marriages at age 189 00:11:45,916 --> 00:11:48,516 Speaker 1: fifty two. So it's kind of amazing. If you're sort 190 00:11:48,516 --> 00:11:51,156 Speaker 1: of positive and happy when you're in college, you're more 191 00:11:51,236 --> 00:11:54,276 Speaker 1: likely to have a good marriage thirty years later. Those 192 00:11:54,316 --> 00:11:58,836 Speaker 1: aren't just isolated findings. The positive effects of happiness are everywhere. 193 00:11:59,516 --> 00:12:02,676 Speaker 1: People who report feeling lots of positive emotions are less 194 00:12:02,676 --> 00:12:05,676 Speaker 1: likely to show cold symptoms when they're exposed to a virus, 195 00:12:06,436 --> 00:12:09,316 Speaker 1: and one famous study of nuns found that twenty some 196 00:12:09,356 --> 00:12:12,076 Speaker 1: things who express the most happy feelings in their diaries 197 00:12:12,396 --> 00:12:15,156 Speaker 1: are four times as likely to live into their nineties 198 00:12:15,436 --> 00:12:18,636 Speaker 1: as those who didn't express as many positive feelings. I 199 00:12:18,716 --> 00:12:21,716 Speaker 1: believe that the research is pretty strong that happiness does matter. 200 00:12:22,476 --> 00:12:25,276 Speaker 1: All these results make me incredibly worried about the college 201 00:12:25,276 --> 00:12:28,036 Speaker 1: students I work with. They seem to be unhappy all 202 00:12:28,036 --> 00:12:32,196 Speaker 1: the time. They constantly make themselves miserable stressing about grades. 203 00:12:32,476 --> 00:12:35,516 Speaker 1: They become so anxious about their job prospects and future 204 00:12:35,556 --> 00:12:39,356 Speaker 1: salaries that they have panic attacks. All this stress over 205 00:12:39,356 --> 00:12:43,276 Speaker 1: their future lives is more than just unnecessary, The science 206 00:12:43,276 --> 00:12:47,796 Speaker 1: suggests it's deeply counterproductive. The research shows that if my 207 00:12:47,876 --> 00:12:50,756 Speaker 1: students were able to work on being happier, on feeling 208 00:12:50,796 --> 00:12:54,316 Speaker 1: better now, those job prospects and salary levels might fall 209 00:12:54,356 --> 00:12:58,836 Speaker 1: into place more naturally than they expect. So if we 210 00:12:58,876 --> 00:13:01,956 Speaker 1: really want our circumstances to improve, we may need to 211 00:13:01,996 --> 00:13:05,036 Speaker 1: start focusing on improving our well being rather than all 212 00:13:05,036 --> 00:13:08,636 Speaker 1: that other stuff, which raises a critical question, can we 213 00:13:08,676 --> 00:13:11,996 Speaker 1: actually we improve our happiness? The science suggests that there 214 00:13:12,036 --> 00:13:14,196 Speaker 1: is a genetic component to happiness, but we have to 215 00:13:14,196 --> 00:13:16,956 Speaker 1: sort of understand what that means. So identical twins are 216 00:13:17,076 --> 00:13:20,436 Speaker 1: much more alike in their happiness levels than our fraternal twins, 217 00:13:20,436 --> 00:13:23,636 Speaker 1: and that suggests that there is a genetic influence on happiness, 218 00:13:23,756 --> 00:13:26,476 Speaker 1: just like there's a gendic influence on weight or blood 219 00:13:26,476 --> 00:13:30,076 Speaker 1: pressure or whether you're going to develop depression or schizophrenia. 220 00:13:30,276 --> 00:13:33,556 Speaker 1: Just because something is heritable or has a genetic influence 221 00:13:33,596 --> 00:13:35,676 Speaker 1: doesn't mean that we can't change it. The way I 222 00:13:35,716 --> 00:13:39,716 Speaker 1: see it is that if someone has a disposition that 223 00:13:40,236 --> 00:13:43,356 Speaker 1: leads them to be on the more unhappy side, they 224 00:13:43,396 --> 00:13:46,356 Speaker 1: can become happier, but they have to work harder at it. 225 00:13:46,676 --> 00:13:49,676 Speaker 1: There's this myth out there that happiness is something either 226 00:13:49,716 --> 00:13:51,876 Speaker 1: you either have it or you don't, and I just 227 00:13:51,916 --> 00:13:55,716 Speaker 1: think that's wrong. And this suggests something really important, a 228 00:13:55,796 --> 00:13:59,276 Speaker 1: premise that forms the basis of this entire podcast. There 229 00:13:59,396 --> 00:14:03,436 Speaker 1: is no real biological barrier to being happier. We can change. 230 00:14:03,796 --> 00:14:07,116 Speaker 1: We can all feel more joy. The problem, though, as 231 00:14:07,156 --> 00:14:09,876 Speaker 1: well hear after the break, is how we go about 232 00:14:09,956 --> 00:14:13,556 Speaker 1: changing those happiness levels, Because even though the science shows 233 00:14:13,596 --> 00:14:16,276 Speaker 1: we can improve our well being, it doesn't work in 234 00:14:16,316 --> 00:14:19,676 Speaker 1: the way we often think. Winning the Nobel Prize doesn't 235 00:14:19,716 --> 00:14:22,716 Speaker 1: make you happier, Winning the lottery doesn't make you happier. 236 00:14:22,996 --> 00:14:26,116 Speaker 1: It's not the things we imagine. It's not the shiny 237 00:14:26,156 --> 00:14:30,076 Speaker 1: babbles that makes us happy. The Happiness Lab will be 238 00:14:30,156 --> 00:14:42,596 Speaker 1: right back, okay, sweet, So we're recording. So my name 239 00:14:42,796 --> 00:14:47,636 Speaker 1: is Bob Waldinger. I'm a professor of psychiatry at Harvard 240 00:14:47,636 --> 00:14:50,756 Speaker 1: Medical School. I met Bob at a workshop on the 241 00:14:50,756 --> 00:14:53,036 Speaker 1: state of well Being in America run by the Arthur 242 00:14:53,076 --> 00:14:56,196 Speaker 1: Blank Foundation. I nervously asked if I could grab a 243 00:14:56,236 --> 00:14:58,956 Speaker 1: few minutes with him in the gardens outside. I felt 244 00:14:58,956 --> 00:15:01,756 Speaker 1: like I was meeting a rock star. Not because Bob 245 00:15:01,756 --> 00:15:04,316 Speaker 1: has one of the top ten most watched TED talks 246 00:15:04,316 --> 00:15:07,196 Speaker 1: of all time, but because Bob is the director of 247 00:15:07,236 --> 00:15:11,276 Speaker 1: what is perhaps the coolest study of human happiness ever conducted. 248 00:15:11,596 --> 00:15:15,436 Speaker 1: I direct a study called the Harvard Study of Adult Development. 249 00:15:15,756 --> 00:15:19,236 Speaker 1: It is, we think, the longest study of adult life 250 00:15:19,236 --> 00:15:22,956 Speaker 1: that's ever been done. It's a study that began in 251 00:15:23,076 --> 00:15:27,756 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty eight, so eighty years ago. The project started 252 00:15:27,796 --> 00:15:30,516 Speaker 1: as an attempt to learn about all the possible factors 253 00:15:30,556 --> 00:15:33,596 Speaker 1: that lead to high well being later in life. The 254 00:15:33,676 --> 00:15:37,036 Speaker 1: researchers started by recruiting a group of subjects who enjoyed 255 00:15:37,076 --> 00:15:42,836 Speaker 1: every privilege imaginable, Harvard College sophomores from the classes of 256 00:15:42,916 --> 00:15:47,476 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty nine to nineteen forty two. Their deans chose 257 00:15:47,516 --> 00:15:49,836 Speaker 1: them as among the best and the brightest young men 258 00:15:50,796 --> 00:15:55,956 Speaker 1: and thought they would be suitable subjects to study how 259 00:15:56,316 --> 00:16:01,036 Speaker 1: people develop as healthy young adults, but the researchers also 260 00:16:01,076 --> 00:16:04,996 Speaker 1: wanted to study not so healthy development. They recruited four 261 00:16:05,076 --> 00:16:10,116 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty six boys from the poorest naighborhoods in Boston, 262 00:16:10,476 --> 00:16:13,276 Speaker 1: and not just from the poorest neighborhoods, but from the 263 00:16:13,316 --> 00:16:16,996 Speaker 1: families that had the most trouble familiar mental illness and 264 00:16:17,116 --> 00:16:22,796 Speaker 1: domestic violence and lots of other social problems, and so 265 00:16:22,876 --> 00:16:26,196 Speaker 1: they wanted to follow these children to see what happened 266 00:16:26,196 --> 00:16:30,676 Speaker 1: to them. Overtime, two groups of subjects from very different 267 00:16:30,676 --> 00:16:33,716 Speaker 1: backgrounds who'd be followed in as much detail as was 268 00:16:33,836 --> 00:16:39,036 Speaker 1: humanly possible. The researchers collected health information from the participants doctors. 269 00:16:39,356 --> 00:16:42,756 Speaker 1: They surveyed the subjects every two years, asking them questions 270 00:16:42,756 --> 00:16:46,116 Speaker 1: about their lives and their happiness. In later years, they 271 00:16:46,156 --> 00:16:49,996 Speaker 1: added blood tests, chest X rays, echo cardiograms, and even 272 00:16:50,036 --> 00:16:54,796 Speaker 1: brain scans. The men were followed through their entire lives, 273 00:16:55,196 --> 00:16:57,916 Speaker 1: which means scientists can now explore how the men's physical 274 00:16:57,916 --> 00:17:02,196 Speaker 1: and mental health changed across different life stages. We can 275 00:17:02,236 --> 00:17:05,036 Speaker 1: see how subjects felt when they got married and had kids, 276 00:17:05,276 --> 00:17:07,956 Speaker 1: or got divorced or widowed, or had their first grandkids. 277 00:17:08,236 --> 00:17:10,796 Speaker 1: We can look at how well being evolved as participants 278 00:17:10,836 --> 00:17:14,436 Speaker 1: started new jobs, when they reached different career milestones, or 279 00:17:14,436 --> 00:17:17,796 Speaker 1: even when they retired. The study was also big enough 280 00:17:17,916 --> 00:17:21,996 Speaker 1: that it included some amazing individual subjects too. We're not 281 00:17:22,156 --> 00:17:24,796 Speaker 1: really supposed to know their identities, but one of the 282 00:17:24,796 --> 00:17:28,596 Speaker 1: studies participants served in a presidential cabinet, one was a 283 00:17:28,636 --> 00:17:32,956 Speaker 1: longtime editor of the Washington Post, and one became President 284 00:17:32,996 --> 00:17:36,796 Speaker 1: of the United States. Yep. John F. Kennedy was one 285 00:17:36,796 --> 00:17:41,356 Speaker 1: of the studies participants. The study has now even extended 286 00:17:41,476 --> 00:17:45,596 Speaker 1: beyond the original sample. Researchers have begun following the men's children, 287 00:17:46,036 --> 00:17:48,396 Speaker 1: which means the research will now be able to capture 288 00:17:48,636 --> 00:17:53,516 Speaker 1: multiple generations of both men and women. Bob was captivated 289 00:17:53,556 --> 00:17:55,636 Speaker 1: from the moment he heard about the study. As a 290 00:17:55,676 --> 00:18:02,116 Speaker 1: young med student. My predecessor, George Valiant, lectured to my 291 00:18:02,316 --> 00:18:06,036 Speaker 1: first year medical school class and he told us about 292 00:18:06,076 --> 00:18:09,316 Speaker 1: the study and it like, I'm basically a voyeur, like 293 00:18:09,676 --> 00:18:12,436 Speaker 1: hearing about people's lives and what they do. So when 294 00:18:12,476 --> 00:18:15,876 Speaker 1: George started talking about this, I just thought, oh my gosh, 295 00:18:16,036 --> 00:18:19,836 Speaker 1: this is the coolest thing ever. And then fast forward 296 00:18:21,036 --> 00:18:25,156 Speaker 1: about twenty years, doctor Valiant took me out to lunch 297 00:18:25,156 --> 00:18:28,356 Speaker 1: one day and said to me, how would you like 298 00:18:28,396 --> 00:18:31,316 Speaker 1: to inherit the study of adult development? And that's how 299 00:18:31,316 --> 00:18:34,676 Speaker 1: he started out. Bob has now served as the studies 300 00:18:34,756 --> 00:18:38,436 Speaker 1: director for more than fifteen years. He's watched the original 301 00:18:38,516 --> 00:18:42,156 Speaker 1: generation of subjects transition from their late adulthood into their 302 00:18:42,156 --> 00:18:47,276 Speaker 1: elderly years. Two hundred and sixty eight Harvard undergraduates started, 303 00:18:47,836 --> 00:18:50,316 Speaker 1: only about twelve are still living, and they are in 304 00:18:50,356 --> 00:18:54,476 Speaker 1: their mid to late nineties. Four hundred fifty six inner 305 00:18:54,516 --> 00:18:59,036 Speaker 1: city boys started, and about sixty of them are left, 306 00:18:59,116 --> 00:19:02,196 Speaker 1: and they are around the age of ninety. Hundreds upon 307 00:19:02,396 --> 00:19:05,996 Speaker 1: hundreds of data points a nearly complete picture of health 308 00:19:06,036 --> 00:19:09,996 Speaker 1: and well being across many different life paths, and so 309 00:19:10,036 --> 00:19:13,756 Speaker 1: you're probably wondering what did the study find. Some of 310 00:19:13,756 --> 00:19:17,916 Speaker 1: what the study has found is absolutely no surprise to anyone. 311 00:19:18,596 --> 00:19:21,236 Speaker 1: We know that smoking is bad for you, and it 312 00:19:21,276 --> 00:19:23,596 Speaker 1: turns out in our study it was really bad for you. 313 00:19:23,916 --> 00:19:27,756 Speaker 1: We know that alcoholism is terrible. It takes a toll 314 00:19:27,836 --> 00:19:30,636 Speaker 1: on your health, you die earlier. It takes a toll 315 00:19:30,676 --> 00:19:34,476 Speaker 1: on your marriage, on your job, on your relationships. Again, 316 00:19:34,556 --> 00:19:38,476 Speaker 1: no surprise. What was the big surprise. It's all the 317 00:19:38,516 --> 00:19:42,156 Speaker 1: things we think make us happy, but don't. Wealth does 318 00:19:42,236 --> 00:19:46,236 Speaker 1: not make people happy. Having your material needs matt does 319 00:19:46,556 --> 00:19:50,356 Speaker 1: make you happy once you get there. Making more money 320 00:19:50,436 --> 00:19:54,436 Speaker 1: doesn't make you appreciably happier. But that's not the only 321 00:19:54,476 --> 00:19:57,436 Speaker 1: misconception we have about what makes for a happier life. 322 00:19:57,796 --> 00:20:00,916 Speaker 1: The other thing is achieving more at work. There's a 323 00:20:00,956 --> 00:20:06,116 Speaker 1: reason why we have this cliche. Nobody on their deathbed 324 00:20:06,196 --> 00:20:09,156 Speaker 1: wishes they spent more time at the office. It's a 325 00:20:09,196 --> 00:20:12,716 Speaker 1: shake because it's true. Our men, as they were looking 326 00:20:12,756 --> 00:20:14,996 Speaker 1: back on their lives as they were at the end 327 00:20:15,036 --> 00:20:18,156 Speaker 1: of their lives, said that the things they were proudest 328 00:20:18,196 --> 00:20:23,636 Speaker 1: of were building a family, raising healthy children, having a 329 00:20:23,716 --> 00:20:28,196 Speaker 1: strong relationship with a partner, teaching their grandchildren to sail. 330 00:20:28,636 --> 00:20:30,796 Speaker 1: I mean, these were the things that they talked about. 331 00:20:30,876 --> 00:20:33,116 Speaker 1: They didn't talk about what they'd achieved at work or 332 00:20:33,156 --> 00:20:35,996 Speaker 1: how much money they'd made. Bob studies showed that the 333 00:20:36,076 --> 00:20:39,036 Speaker 1: keys to happiness don't involve what we often put time 334 00:20:39,036 --> 00:20:42,396 Speaker 1: into to become happier, financial achievements so we can buy 335 00:20:42,396 --> 00:20:45,756 Speaker 1: cool stuff or working harder to achieve more in our careers. 336 00:20:46,116 --> 00:20:49,556 Speaker 1: In fact, his results show that health and happiness often 337 00:20:49,556 --> 00:20:52,516 Speaker 1: comes from the things we sacrifice, while spending more hours 338 00:20:52,516 --> 00:20:58,916 Speaker 1: at work. The surprise was in our finding that one 339 00:20:58,956 --> 00:21:03,236 Speaker 1: of the strongest predictors of staying healthy and happy in 340 00:21:03,276 --> 00:21:09,316 Speaker 1: your life was having good relationships with other people. We 341 00:21:09,356 --> 00:21:12,276 Speaker 1: think of happiness, we often think of self care, but 342 00:21:12,316 --> 00:21:15,996 Speaker 1: Bob's study shows that focusing only on yourself and turning 343 00:21:16,036 --> 00:21:19,116 Speaker 1: too far inwards is a recipe not only for misery, 344 00:21:19,356 --> 00:21:22,676 Speaker 1: but for physical health problems as well. We didn't believe 345 00:21:22,716 --> 00:21:27,596 Speaker 1: it because initially we thought that there couldn't be this 346 00:21:28,036 --> 00:21:33,036 Speaker 1: strong of a connection between mind and body. How could 347 00:21:33,956 --> 00:21:38,076 Speaker 1: the quality of your relationships determine whether you got Type 348 00:21:38,116 --> 00:21:41,156 Speaker 1: two diabetes, or whether you got arthritis, or whether you 349 00:21:41,276 --> 00:21:46,996 Speaker 1: got coary artery disease. That seemed unfathomable. The big message 350 00:21:46,996 --> 00:21:49,156 Speaker 1: of Bob's study is that we consider many of the 351 00:21:49,196 --> 00:21:53,036 Speaker 1: things that actually matter for happiness to be well unfathomable, 352 00:21:53,396 --> 00:21:55,876 Speaker 1: or at least way lower on the priority list than 353 00:21:55,916 --> 00:21:58,996 Speaker 1: they really should be according to the science. And if 354 00:21:58,996 --> 00:22:01,196 Speaker 1: you'll listen to the rest of the episodes in this season, 355 00:22:01,596 --> 00:22:04,836 Speaker 1: you'll see the same pattern time and time again. Our 356 00:22:04,876 --> 00:22:07,356 Speaker 1: minds just suck at predicting the kinds of things that 357 00:22:07,396 --> 00:22:10,036 Speaker 1: will really make us happier, and that means we end 358 00:22:10,076 --> 00:22:12,436 Speaker 1: up putting a lot of time and effort into improving 359 00:22:12,436 --> 00:22:16,036 Speaker 1: our happiness using strategies that just aren't going to succeed. 360 00:22:17,716 --> 00:22:20,276 Speaker 1: I can't stress enough how amazing the Harvard study is. 361 00:22:20,716 --> 00:22:23,076 Speaker 1: It delved deeply into the lives of some of America's 362 00:22:23,116 --> 00:22:26,556 Speaker 1: most privileged and some of its most vulnerable, and pretty 363 00:22:26,636 --> 00:22:29,436 Speaker 1: much proved that the rich and powerful have no monopoly 364 00:22:29,476 --> 00:22:34,076 Speaker 1: on well being. That may go against your intuition, but 365 00:22:34,156 --> 00:22:36,956 Speaker 1: it's true. Though there is a caveat. When I ask 366 00:22:37,036 --> 00:22:40,556 Speaker 1: Sonia Lubramerski to weigh in on I would add that 367 00:22:40,636 --> 00:22:43,316 Speaker 1: everything that I say applies to let's say, the average 368 00:22:43,356 --> 00:22:45,716 Speaker 1: listener of this podcast. That's you know, people who are 369 00:22:45,756 --> 00:22:49,876 Speaker 1: already relatively comfortable. You know they're not in dire straits. 370 00:22:50,356 --> 00:22:53,676 Speaker 1: If your situation is very bad, if you live in poverty, 371 00:22:54,036 --> 00:22:56,716 Speaker 1: or if you're in an abusive relationship, or if you 372 00:22:57,036 --> 00:22:59,716 Speaker 1: live in a war zone and Yemen, then of course 373 00:22:59,836 --> 00:23:02,396 Speaker 1: changes your life. Circumstances are going to make a huge 374 00:23:02,396 --> 00:23:06,436 Speaker 1: difference to your happiness. If you're a circumstances are truly awful, 375 00:23:06,876 --> 00:23:09,516 Speaker 1: then fixing them really will improve your well being. But 376 00:23:09,596 --> 00:23:13,396 Speaker 1: I'm guessing your circumstances really aren't all that bad. You 377 00:23:13,636 --> 00:23:16,956 Speaker 1: average podcast listener probably aren't in the kinds of awful 378 00:23:16,996 --> 00:23:20,356 Speaker 1: situations Sonya is talking about, and that means that changing 379 00:23:20,396 --> 00:23:24,316 Speaker 1: your circumstances won't help in the way you think. Note 380 00:23:24,356 --> 00:23:27,476 Speaker 1: that this doesn't mean your circumstances are perfect. All of 381 00:23:27,556 --> 00:23:30,276 Speaker 1: us have situations we want to change, ones we think 382 00:23:30,316 --> 00:23:33,036 Speaker 1: will make us happier. I'm not happy now, but I'll 383 00:23:33,076 --> 00:23:36,436 Speaker 1: be happy when I moved to that city I've always 384 00:23:36,436 --> 00:23:38,876 Speaker 1: wanted to live in, or when I get married, or 385 00:23:38,876 --> 00:23:40,556 Speaker 1: when I have a baby, or when I get that 386 00:23:40,636 --> 00:23:42,476 Speaker 1: job I've always wanted, or when I get a raise. 387 00:23:42,716 --> 00:23:45,476 Speaker 1: The idea that happiness lies in money or sort of 388 00:23:45,556 --> 00:23:47,796 Speaker 1: changing your life in some way, doing something new in 389 00:23:48,156 --> 00:23:49,516 Speaker 1: your life, I mean, I think that is a very 390 00:23:49,516 --> 00:23:52,356 Speaker 1: strong idea again, kind of rooted in this this concept 391 00:23:52,356 --> 00:23:55,036 Speaker 1: that we always want change in progress, even if we 392 00:23:55,116 --> 00:23:59,076 Speaker 1: really know that it's a myth. Overcoming the strong but 393 00:23:59,196 --> 00:24:03,116 Speaker 1: mistaken idea is what this podcast is all about. But 394 00:24:03,196 --> 00:24:06,956 Speaker 1: the second step is harder. Happiness doesn't evolve changing everything 395 00:24:06,996 --> 00:24:09,956 Speaker 1: in your life around. That's the good news, But as 396 00:24:09,996 --> 00:24:13,436 Speaker 1: we'll explore after the break, there is some bad news too. 397 00:24:13,796 --> 00:24:16,076 Speaker 1: It's not easy. It takes work. It's kind of like 398 00:24:16,076 --> 00:24:18,116 Speaker 1: if you want to lose weight or would be healthier, right, 399 00:24:18,156 --> 00:24:20,116 Speaker 1: you need to change your diet or go to the gym, 400 00:24:20,396 --> 00:24:23,476 Speaker 1: and same thing with happiness. The happiness lab will be 401 00:24:23,556 --> 00:24:36,996 Speaker 1: right back. Right now, I'm out of breath because I'm 402 00:24:36,996 --> 00:24:39,476 Speaker 1: on my daily hike at a local state park. I 403 00:24:39,516 --> 00:24:41,636 Speaker 1: always love going on the hike. After the fact, it's 404 00:24:41,676 --> 00:24:43,756 Speaker 1: usually not what I'm thinking when my alarm goes off 405 00:24:44,436 --> 00:24:47,356 Speaker 1: every morning when I throw my sneakers on, my brain 406 00:24:47,436 --> 00:24:50,196 Speaker 1: tells me that I'd be happier staying in bed or 407 00:24:50,236 --> 00:24:54,076 Speaker 1: even sitting on the couch or watching the news. But 408 00:24:54,156 --> 00:24:56,876 Speaker 1: I know the science, and the science shows that I'll 409 00:24:56,916 --> 00:25:00,596 Speaker 1: be healthier, more fit, and probably even happier if I 410 00:25:00,636 --> 00:25:03,036 Speaker 1: get a bit of cardio and every morning. So I 411 00:25:03,116 --> 00:25:05,196 Speaker 1: try to get in a hike every day, or at 412 00:25:05,276 --> 00:25:08,356 Speaker 1: least as often as I can, even though my mind 413 00:25:08,636 --> 00:25:13,276 Speaker 1: often otherwise. The science of happiness works a lot like 414 00:25:13,276 --> 00:25:16,156 Speaker 1: the science of exercise. It's not enough to know what 415 00:25:16,236 --> 00:25:19,076 Speaker 1: you need to do. You've got to go and do it. 416 00:25:19,836 --> 00:25:22,996 Speaker 1: You need to put that science into practice, and you 417 00:25:23,076 --> 00:25:28,756 Speaker 1: need to practice it regularly. I generally say that I'm 418 00:25:28,756 --> 00:25:31,276 Speaker 1: about an eight on a ten point scale. I think 419 00:25:31,316 --> 00:25:34,796 Speaker 1: I'm pretty happy. Even a happiness expert like Sony Lubra 420 00:25:34,836 --> 00:25:38,156 Speaker 1: Murski knows firsthand that reaching an eight and staying there 421 00:25:38,436 --> 00:25:40,796 Speaker 1: takes conscious effort. I do have to work at it. 422 00:25:40,836 --> 00:25:43,436 Speaker 1: I mean, a classic example is sometimes I get together 423 00:25:43,476 --> 00:25:46,276 Speaker 1: with friends and it's so great, it's so much fun, 424 00:25:46,756 --> 00:25:48,676 Speaker 1: and we think, why don't we do this more often? 425 00:25:48,716 --> 00:25:50,596 Speaker 1: You know? But then it takes like months for us 426 00:25:50,596 --> 00:25:52,676 Speaker 1: to sort of get together again and to plan it. 427 00:25:52,956 --> 00:25:55,236 Speaker 1: And so even when we know what will make us 428 00:25:55,276 --> 00:25:57,196 Speaker 1: really happy, we still kind of don't do it as 429 00:25:57,196 --> 00:25:58,796 Speaker 1: often as we should. I have to kind of put 430 00:25:58,836 --> 00:26:01,556 Speaker 1: it in my to do list to make sure that 431 00:26:01,676 --> 00:26:04,716 Speaker 1: I create times that I spend with those people. So 432 00:26:04,756 --> 00:26:08,036 Speaker 1: it's a very deliberate act. It'd be so nice if 433 00:26:08,036 --> 00:26:10,676 Speaker 1: happiness came easily, like we hang out with a friend 434 00:26:10,756 --> 00:26:13,356 Speaker 1: once and we're happy for good. But that's just not 435 00:26:13,476 --> 00:26:16,956 Speaker 1: how human wellbeing works. Women's magazines will often call me 436 00:26:16,996 --> 00:26:19,516 Speaker 1: and they'll say, can you give me some five minute 437 00:26:19,516 --> 00:26:22,836 Speaker 1: happiness strategies? And I'm like, there are no five minute 438 00:26:22,836 --> 00:26:26,036 Speaker 1: happiness strategies. It's true with any kind of goal in life, right, 439 00:26:26,436 --> 00:26:29,316 Speaker 1: it's not going to happen in five minutes on Thursday, right, 440 00:26:29,356 --> 00:26:32,236 Speaker 1: It's going to be you know, maybe a lifelong effort 441 00:26:32,396 --> 00:26:34,876 Speaker 1: and so yeah. So like creating habits, I guess would 442 00:26:34,876 --> 00:26:37,836 Speaker 1: be one way to put it that it's important to 443 00:26:37,836 --> 00:26:40,796 Speaker 1: create habits that you maintain over the course of your life. 444 00:26:41,036 --> 00:26:44,156 Speaker 1: There's no quick fix for happiness, but science shows there 445 00:26:44,236 --> 00:26:46,716 Speaker 1: is a fix if you put in consistent time and 446 00:26:46,756 --> 00:26:50,156 Speaker 1: effort if you want to become happier. There now a 447 00:26:50,276 --> 00:26:52,996 Speaker 1: number of sort of strategies are different kind of daily 448 00:26:53,036 --> 00:26:55,796 Speaker 1: activities that people can engage in that they've been tested 449 00:26:55,836 --> 00:26:58,236 Speaker 1: in research. We just need to pick the strategy that 450 00:26:58,316 --> 00:27:00,796 Speaker 1: works for us. If you listen to the rest of 451 00:27:00,796 --> 00:27:03,556 Speaker 1: the episodes in this season, you'll learn a bunch about 452 00:27:03,596 --> 00:27:07,356 Speaker 1: these sorts of activities what my students and I call rewirements, 453 00:27:07,356 --> 00:27:10,196 Speaker 1: habits that science has shown really can change your well 454 00:27:10,236 --> 00:27:13,036 Speaker 1: being over time. The ones that I tend to focus 455 00:27:13,076 --> 00:27:15,076 Speaker 1: on and actually quite a bitter we start just focusing 456 00:27:15,156 --> 00:27:18,996 Speaker 1: on our gratitude and kindness or what's called pro social behavior. 457 00:27:19,196 --> 00:27:22,756 Speaker 1: Those are two activities or you can call them strategies 458 00:27:22,796 --> 00:27:26,076 Speaker 1: that have been shown to make people happier. But it's 459 00:27:26,116 --> 00:27:29,516 Speaker 1: not just gratitude and kindness. Science shows us lots of 460 00:27:29,596 --> 00:27:31,916 Speaker 1: really simple habits we can add to our lives to 461 00:27:31,956 --> 00:27:34,316 Speaker 1: feel better. We can take more time to connect with 462 00:27:34,356 --> 00:27:36,276 Speaker 1: the people we care about, or just chat with a 463 00:27:36,316 --> 00:27:38,476 Speaker 1: stranger we meet on our commute. We can try to 464 00:27:38,476 --> 00:27:41,596 Speaker 1: reduce the exhausting choices we make on a daily basis. 465 00:27:42,076 --> 00:27:45,076 Speaker 1: We can count our blessings. We can become more accepting 466 00:27:45,236 --> 00:27:47,916 Speaker 1: both of the bad emotions we feel and the obstacles 467 00:27:47,916 --> 00:27:50,556 Speaker 1: we face in life. We can stop focusing on the 468 00:27:50,676 --> 00:27:54,196 Speaker 1: end goal and think more about the journey. Now, if 469 00:27:54,236 --> 00:27:57,316 Speaker 1: you're like me when I first encountered these ideas, you 470 00:27:57,436 --> 00:27:59,596 Speaker 1: might have the same reaction that our friend Clement had 471 00:27:59,596 --> 00:28:02,076 Speaker 1: in his letter. You might think these strategies I just 472 00:28:02,156 --> 00:28:06,036 Speaker 1: mentioned sound like hippie dippy crap, because to be fair, 473 00:28:06,556 --> 00:28:09,796 Speaker 1: they do sound like hippie dippy crap. You gradudate seems 474 00:28:09,836 --> 00:28:11,956 Speaker 1: really hokey. You know, counting your blessings, Oh, I'm so 475 00:28:11,956 --> 00:28:15,756 Speaker 1: grateful for XYZ. The problem is, as hokey as these 476 00:28:15,796 --> 00:28:19,876 Speaker 1: strategies sound, they work. That's what the science shows it 477 00:28:20,036 --> 00:28:21,636 Speaker 1: used to be why I started out. You know, there 478 00:28:21,676 --> 00:28:23,556 Speaker 1: are all these selful books that are'm based on nothing 479 00:28:23,636 --> 00:28:26,916 Speaker 1: like they're just based on anecdotal evidence and people's opinions. 480 00:28:27,156 --> 00:28:29,356 Speaker 1: We can't just look at anecdotal evidence, right, You know, 481 00:28:29,516 --> 00:28:32,636 Speaker 1: your cousin told you that they tried it and it works. 482 00:28:32,916 --> 00:28:35,876 Speaker 1: And they're now tons and tons of experiments, randomized control 483 00:28:35,956 --> 00:28:38,156 Speaker 1: trials that are sort of trying to test whether you 484 00:28:38,196 --> 00:28:40,356 Speaker 1: can get people to kind of change their thinking or 485 00:28:40,436 --> 00:28:43,996 Speaker 1: change their behaviors in some smaller medium ways in daily 486 00:28:44,036 --> 00:28:50,196 Speaker 1: life that could impact happiness. The problem is most people 487 00:28:50,196 --> 00:28:52,756 Speaker 1: on the street don't know this stuff, and I wanted 488 00:28:52,796 --> 00:28:55,356 Speaker 1: to change that. I wanted people to hear what pure 489 00:28:55,356 --> 00:28:59,996 Speaker 1: reviewed scientific research shows about becoming happier. Starting with my 490 00:29:00,076 --> 00:29:03,596 Speaker 1: Yale students. All right, let's get started. In the spring 491 00:29:03,636 --> 00:29:06,676 Speaker 1: of twenty eighteen, I had a chance to see if 492 00:29:06,716 --> 00:29:09,716 Speaker 1: teaching my students about the science of happiness could lead 493 00:29:09,756 --> 00:29:13,716 Speaker 1: them to live happier life. Welcome everybody to Psychology and 494 00:29:13,756 --> 00:29:16,356 Speaker 1: the Good Life. I expected about thirty people to take 495 00:29:16,396 --> 00:29:18,476 Speaker 1: the class, but I wound up with a lot more 496 00:29:18,476 --> 00:29:20,916 Speaker 1: guinea pigs than I expect it. I'm a little bit 497 00:29:20,996 --> 00:29:23,276 Speaker 1: surprised to see as many of you are here as 498 00:29:23,276 --> 00:29:26,156 Speaker 1: our here, but that's made almost twelve hundred students enrolled 499 00:29:26,156 --> 00:29:28,956 Speaker 1: in the class nearly one out of every four students 500 00:29:28,956 --> 00:29:31,516 Speaker 1: at Yale. The class was so big we had to 501 00:29:31,516 --> 00:29:34,916 Speaker 1: teach it in the university concert hall. That tiny polite 502 00:29:34,956 --> 00:29:36,796 Speaker 1: ripple of applause you might get at the end of 503 00:29:36,796 --> 00:29:46,796 Speaker 1: a lecture, well it turned into this. It was an 504 00:29:46,796 --> 00:29:50,876 Speaker 1: amazing experience, but it was also a logistical nightmare. I 505 00:29:50,916 --> 00:29:53,636 Speaker 1: had to find twenty eight graduate students just to help 506 00:29:53,636 --> 00:29:56,076 Speaker 1: me grade the student exams, and we needed to book 507 00:29:56,156 --> 00:29:59,396 Speaker 1: thirteen different classrooms all over campus just to host a 508 00:29:59,476 --> 00:30:03,076 Speaker 1: simple midterm. I jogged over two miles just to get 509 00:30:03,076 --> 00:30:06,636 Speaker 1: to all the students before the exam ended. And that 510 00:30:06,876 --> 00:30:09,676 Speaker 1: was the commotion that came before all the us started. 511 00:30:10,036 --> 00:30:14,236 Speaker 1: Each night, students have happiness, homework, meditate for ten minutes, 512 00:30:14,596 --> 00:30:18,756 Speaker 1: sleep eight hours, do something kind, and write down five 513 00:30:18,836 --> 00:30:21,916 Speaker 1: things that you're grateful for. But don't think it's an 514 00:30:21,956 --> 00:30:25,676 Speaker 1: easy egg. By midterm, I had a major television news 515 00:30:25,676 --> 00:30:28,476 Speaker 1: crew filming each and every one of my lectures. It 516 00:30:28,516 --> 00:30:30,796 Speaker 1: was a lot of pressure, But I bet I know 517 00:30:30,836 --> 00:30:35,036 Speaker 1: what you're asking. Did it work? Did the students get happier? Well? 518 00:30:35,236 --> 00:30:38,596 Speaker 1: The answer is I don't know. At least I'm not 519 00:30:38,636 --> 00:30:43,076 Speaker 1: sure from a scientific perspective. Anecdotally, I have dozens of 520 00:30:43,116 --> 00:30:45,956 Speaker 1: emails from students telling me the class changed their lives. 521 00:30:46,556 --> 00:30:49,396 Speaker 1: But the honest truth is that I was completely blindsided 522 00:30:49,436 --> 00:30:51,836 Speaker 1: by the size of the class, which means I didn't 523 00:30:51,836 --> 00:30:54,516 Speaker 1: get the logistics in place to do the rigorous surveys 524 00:30:54,596 --> 00:30:58,276 Speaker 1: that would really nail my students progress down. In retrospect, 525 00:30:58,436 --> 00:31:01,676 Speaker 1: I can say that this oversight was really, really freaking dumb. 526 00:31:02,276 --> 00:31:05,596 Speaker 1: Life doesn't usually give second chances for a scientific opportunity 527 00:31:05,716 --> 00:31:08,076 Speaker 1: like this, but Yale decided there was a need for 528 00:31:08,116 --> 00:31:10,796 Speaker 1: this class to be shared even more broadly, so we 529 00:31:10,876 --> 00:31:13,956 Speaker 1: put it online completely for free. This time, we could 530 00:31:13,996 --> 00:31:17,356 Speaker 1: track people's progress a bit more rigorously, but the question 531 00:31:17,396 --> 00:31:21,276 Speaker 1: remained would it work. My manager said, hey, we have 532 00:31:21,356 --> 00:31:23,836 Speaker 1: this new course with Lori Santo. She's working on it. 533 00:31:23,836 --> 00:31:25,756 Speaker 1: It's going to be about wellness. What do you think 534 00:31:25,756 --> 00:31:28,556 Speaker 1: about working on it? And of course I felt like 535 00:31:28,556 --> 00:31:30,396 Speaker 1: I had no choice in the matter, but even if 536 00:31:30,396 --> 00:31:34,676 Speaker 1: I did, I willingly and gladly accepted. This is Belinda Platt, 537 00:31:34,876 --> 00:31:36,876 Speaker 1: my colleague at the Yale poor Vous Center for Teaching 538 00:31:36,876 --> 00:31:39,796 Speaker 1: and Learning. Belinda has been my partner for the past 539 00:31:39,836 --> 00:31:42,156 Speaker 1: two years as I've tried to figure out the best 540 00:31:42,196 --> 00:31:44,636 Speaker 1: way to teach people around the world about the science 541 00:31:44,636 --> 00:31:48,076 Speaker 1: of happiness. Belinda's amazing. Her hard work is a lot 542 00:31:48,076 --> 00:31:51,156 Speaker 1: of what's made the online class so successful, but neither 543 00:31:51,196 --> 00:31:54,116 Speaker 1: of us expected the response we got. I had no 544 00:31:54,276 --> 00:31:58,116 Speaker 1: idea how popular it would become at all, just because 545 00:31:58,196 --> 00:32:01,796 Speaker 1: none of the other courses that we've worked on made 546 00:32:01,876 --> 00:32:06,236 Speaker 1: such a splash. The enrollment is well above three hundred thousand, 547 00:32:06,436 --> 00:32:09,716 Speaker 1: which is super cool. Yeah, that's pretty crazy, but like 548 00:32:09,796 --> 00:32:12,476 Speaker 1: with my nerdy scientists had, I really want numbers. And 549 00:32:12,556 --> 00:32:15,236 Speaker 1: one of the craziest things about the course is actually 550 00:32:15,316 --> 00:32:18,756 Speaker 1: like the data that we're getting. When students enroll in 551 00:32:18,756 --> 00:32:21,396 Speaker 1: our online class, they take a standard well being survey. 552 00:32:21,716 --> 00:32:24,436 Speaker 1: The specific one we use is called Perma. It's a 553 00:32:24,476 --> 00:32:28,116 Speaker 1: twenty three question survey that measures people's overall happiness, their 554 00:32:28,156 --> 00:32:31,156 Speaker 1: mood levels, their sense of accomplishment, and even their sense 555 00:32:31,196 --> 00:32:34,636 Speaker 1: of meaning. Students are asked to take the Perma quiz 556 00:32:34,796 --> 00:32:36,836 Speaker 1: before they start the class, and at the end of 557 00:32:36,836 --> 00:32:39,836 Speaker 1: the course ten weeks later, excitingly, we just got our 558 00:32:39,916 --> 00:32:43,076 Speaker 1: first round of data in over a thousand subjects. We 559 00:32:43,236 --> 00:32:46,356 Speaker 1: finally have a scientific measure of whether learning about the 560 00:32:46,356 --> 00:32:49,796 Speaker 1: science of happiness can change people's well being? What did 561 00:32:49,836 --> 00:32:53,876 Speaker 1: we find? We just have the graphs here, the papers 562 00:32:54,316 --> 00:32:58,716 Speaker 1: moving around, and the data are amazing, frankly, so on 563 00:32:58,796 --> 00:33:03,316 Speaker 1: every different measure, from positivity to engagement to meaning to 564 00:33:03,436 --> 00:33:07,596 Speaker 1: just general happiness, people get better. The gains are really huge. 565 00:33:07,876 --> 00:33:09,916 Speaker 1: Like on a ten point scaleple are going up an 566 00:33:10,036 --> 00:33:12,156 Speaker 1: entire whole point in terms of how much meaning they 567 00:33:12,156 --> 00:33:13,676 Speaker 1: feel like they have in their life. But on the 568 00:33:13,676 --> 00:33:16,796 Speaker 1: happiness measure, people are starting it about you know, a 569 00:33:17,196 --> 00:33:20,236 Speaker 1: six point five on the happiness measure, which is you know, reasonable, 570 00:33:20,356 --> 00:33:22,116 Speaker 1: and then after the class people are saying, I'm about 571 00:33:22,116 --> 00:33:24,876 Speaker 1: a seven point nine, which is so cool. The awesome 572 00:33:24,916 --> 00:33:27,156 Speaker 1: thing about these data is it suggests people can change. 573 00:33:27,396 --> 00:33:29,716 Speaker 1: Like this is a ten week class and people are 574 00:33:29,756 --> 00:33:32,196 Speaker 1: bumping up a whole point on a happiness measure, which 575 00:33:32,236 --> 00:33:35,756 Speaker 1: is incredible. Yeah, but why is the course changing people's lives. 576 00:33:36,116 --> 00:33:38,276 Speaker 1: It's not just that people learn about the science of 577 00:33:38,316 --> 00:33:40,876 Speaker 1: well being. Like when we first started teaching the live 578 00:33:40,996 --> 00:33:43,516 Speaker 1: version of the class at Yale, the Yale students had 579 00:33:43,516 --> 00:33:45,756 Speaker 1: this hashtag hardest class at Yale, And that was not 580 00:33:45,796 --> 00:33:48,476 Speaker 1: because the class was hard, like in terms of degrading 581 00:33:48,636 --> 00:33:50,516 Speaker 1: but it was really hard in terms of actually doing 582 00:33:50,516 --> 00:33:52,756 Speaker 1: the practices, because like, it's one thing to know that 583 00:33:52,796 --> 00:33:54,636 Speaker 1: you're supposed to do this stuff, but it's another to 584 00:33:54,796 --> 00:33:56,996 Speaker 1: actually put it into practice. I think that's one of 585 00:33:57,036 --> 00:33:59,036 Speaker 1: the ironies. Well, what I want to know what you're 586 00:33:59,036 --> 00:34:04,156 Speaker 1: working on. Yeah, but Linda's question caused me to stammer 587 00:34:04,196 --> 00:34:07,316 Speaker 1: a bit. I've been so busy with this podcast. I've 588 00:34:07,356 --> 00:34:10,596 Speaker 1: been slipping in my own practices. Even that daily hike 589 00:34:10,636 --> 00:34:14,876 Speaker 1: had turned into a weekly hike or bi weekly. I mean, 590 00:34:14,916 --> 00:34:16,436 Speaker 1: this is the challenge, is the thing we talked about 591 00:34:16,476 --> 00:34:17,716 Speaker 1: in the course. I know all the stuff that I'm 592 00:34:17,756 --> 00:34:20,356 Speaker 1: supposed to do, but I'm definitely not the like poster 593 00:34:20,556 --> 00:34:23,556 Speaker 1: child for like putting into practice all the time, which 594 00:34:23,556 --> 00:34:26,116 Speaker 1: is embarrassing as the person who's teaching the course and 595 00:34:26,196 --> 00:34:29,436 Speaker 1: like now running this new podcast. That's right, that's the 596 00:34:29,476 --> 00:34:32,836 Speaker 1: dirty secret. Even yours truly has trouble sticking to these 597 00:34:32,836 --> 00:34:36,316 Speaker 1: new positive habits. Human nature and our lying minds makes 598 00:34:36,396 --> 00:34:40,596 Speaker 1: changing our behavior super super hard. That's also why Belinda 599 00:34:40,596 --> 00:34:43,196 Speaker 1: and I spend so much time chatting about all the 600 00:34:43,236 --> 00:34:46,516 Speaker 1: reviews from the class, to keep reminding ourselves that this 601 00:34:46,556 --> 00:34:49,756 Speaker 1: stuff works if you stick with it. I love the 602 00:34:49,756 --> 00:34:53,276 Speaker 1: ones where they're like, I didn't really believe this, but 603 00:34:53,356 --> 00:34:56,276 Speaker 1: then it totally worked. Those are the best. Don't you 604 00:34:56,356 --> 00:34:58,876 Speaker 1: have a favorite one that said, like I thought this 605 00:34:58,996 --> 00:35:02,596 Speaker 1: was like hippie dippy. Yeah, that's actually one from a 606 00:35:02,676 --> 00:35:05,436 Speaker 1: letter I got from a learner named Clement. I think 607 00:35:05,436 --> 00:35:10,076 Speaker 1: he said it was like hippie dippy crap. But you know, right, Clement. 608 00:35:10,796 --> 00:35:13,036 Speaker 1: It had been a few months since I'd received his letter, 609 00:35:13,236 --> 00:35:16,236 Speaker 1: and I put off contacting him because I know how 610 00:35:16,236 --> 00:35:18,276 Speaker 1: hard it's been for me to stick with these habits. 611 00:35:18,636 --> 00:35:21,156 Speaker 1: Given where Clement started off, I was worried he might 612 00:35:21,196 --> 00:35:23,836 Speaker 1: have fallen back into some negative stuff, But in the 613 00:35:23,956 --> 00:35:30,316 Speaker 1: end I decided to phone him up. Hello, Hello, is 614 00:35:30,316 --> 00:35:35,276 Speaker 1: this Clement? Hello Loie. The international connection was kind of crappy. 615 00:35:35,756 --> 00:35:38,156 Speaker 1: I had to shout a lot, how are you? Can 616 00:35:38,196 --> 00:35:40,716 Speaker 1: you hear me? I can hear you better? Yeah, I'm good, 617 00:35:40,876 --> 00:35:45,396 Speaker 1: very good, very good. But despite the connection, our chat 618 00:35:45,436 --> 00:35:49,236 Speaker 1: was fantastic. Clement had stuck to his new habits, mostly 619 00:35:49,276 --> 00:35:53,236 Speaker 1: because he got the important message of this episode, happiness 620 00:35:53,556 --> 00:35:58,796 Speaker 1: takes work, good never keep off. But you're calls really 621 00:35:59,076 --> 00:36:06,476 Speaker 1: helped me. Mercy, Mercy, we appreciate it. Thank you, talk 622 00:36:06,476 --> 00:36:11,076 Speaker 1: to you soon, Bye bye, bye bye. I spoke with 623 00:36:11,156 --> 00:36:14,116 Speaker 1: Clement for probably half an hour, and we covered a 624 00:36:14,156 --> 00:36:16,836 Speaker 1: lot of ground in our conversation. But the thing he 625 00:36:16,916 --> 00:36:19,396 Speaker 1: said that stayed with me the most was that he 626 00:36:19,476 --> 00:36:21,956 Speaker 1: knew being happy wasn't going to be easy. It was 627 00:36:21,996 --> 00:36:24,236 Speaker 1: going to take a lot of effort to maintain, but 628 00:36:24,436 --> 00:36:27,316 Speaker 1: he didn't plan to give up trying, and that, for me, 629 00:36:27,396 --> 00:36:37,556 Speaker 1: at least, was pretty inspirational. If you're now ready for 630 00:36:37,596 --> 00:36:40,196 Speaker 1: the specifics, if you want to learn more about what 631 00:36:40,236 --> 00:36:42,996 Speaker 1: those happy people really are doing to feel better, then 632 00:36:43,036 --> 00:36:45,396 Speaker 1: I hope you'll come along for a journey over this season. 633 00:36:45,876 --> 00:36:48,476 Speaker 1: In each of the episodes that follow, we'll take a 634 00:36:48,556 --> 00:36:51,236 Speaker 1: deep dive into a single mistake that our minds make 635 00:36:51,556 --> 00:36:54,876 Speaker 1: about how to really achieve happiness. We'll explore lots and 636 00:36:54,956 --> 00:36:57,956 Speaker 1: lots of simple habits you can begin now to improve 637 00:36:57,996 --> 00:37:00,556 Speaker 1: your well being. We'll get to nerd out together and 638 00:37:00,636 --> 00:37:02,956 Speaker 1: learn more about all the studies that show why these 639 00:37:02,956 --> 00:37:05,916 Speaker 1: habits work. Plus you'll meet lots of folks who put 640 00:37:05,956 --> 00:37:09,676 Speaker 1: these tips into practice, an Olympic medalist who didn't fall 641 00:37:09,716 --> 00:37:13,156 Speaker 1: prey to social comparison, an advertising exect who got healthier 642 00:37:13,236 --> 00:37:16,316 Speaker 1: by ditching the silly choices she makes every day, a 643 00:37:16,356 --> 00:37:18,916 Speaker 1: Grammy winning musician who's fighting to make our lives more 644 00:37:18,956 --> 00:37:22,476 Speaker 1: social again, a star golfer with the secret to avoiding 645 00:37:22,556 --> 00:37:25,876 Speaker 1: unwanted thoughts, and a Navy seal who realized that her 646 00:37:25,916 --> 00:37:29,796 Speaker 1: training and negative thinking might be more powerful off the battlefield. 647 00:37:30,396 --> 00:37:33,116 Speaker 1: Simply put, it's going to be awesome. So I hope 648 00:37:33,156 --> 00:37:35,396 Speaker 1: I'll see you back here for the second episode of 649 00:37:35,476 --> 00:37:45,556 Speaker 1: The Happiness Lab with me Doctor Laurie Santos. If you 650 00:37:45,676 --> 00:37:47,916 Speaker 1: enjoyed the show, I'd be super grateful if you could 651 00:37:47,916 --> 00:37:50,556 Speaker 1: spread the word by leaving a rating and a review. 652 00:37:50,876 --> 00:37:53,876 Speaker 1: It really does help other listeners find us, and don't 653 00:37:53,876 --> 00:37:56,756 Speaker 1: forget to tell your friends. If you want to learn 654 00:37:56,796 --> 00:37:58,756 Speaker 1: more about the science you heard on the show, then 655 00:37:58,876 --> 00:38:01,916 Speaker 1: check out our website Happiness Lab dot fm. You can 656 00:38:01,956 --> 00:38:04,516 Speaker 1: also sign up for our newsletter to get exclusive content. 657 00:38:05,596 --> 00:38:08,476 Speaker 1: The Happiness Lab is co written and produced by Ryan Dilley. 658 00:38:08,756 --> 00:38:11,156 Speaker 1: The show was mixed and mastered by Evan Viola and 659 00:38:11,356 --> 00:38:15,236 Speaker 1: edited by Julia Barton, fact checking by Joseph Friedman, and 660 00:38:15,556 --> 00:38:19,836 Speaker 1: our original music was composed by Zachary Silver. Special thanks 661 00:38:19,996 --> 00:38:24,236 Speaker 1: to Mia La Belle, Carly mcgliorre Heather Faine, Maggie Taylor, 662 00:38:24,636 --> 00:38:28,316 Speaker 1: Maya Kanig, and Jacob Weisberg. The Happiness Lab is brought 663 00:38:28,356 --> 00:38:31,676 Speaker 1: to you by Pushkin Industries and ME doctor Laurie Sanders