Why More Will Never Make You Happy with Arthur Brooks

Video Description

Stop chasing happiness, start cultivating it, and here is how! Kevin sits down with Arthur Brooks, a renowned social scientist and Harvard professor to talk about the science of happiness. Arthur discusses the elusive nature of happiness, explaining how evolutionary biology and societal expectations shape our pursuit of joy. They cover the concept of the hedonic treadmill, practical strategies to achieve lasting fulfillment, and the four principles of happiness. They also discuss five things you can do with money to increase happiness. Lastly, Arthur emphasizes that true happiness comes from a balance of enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning, all of which require embracing both positive and negative experiences. Guest Bio and Links: Arthur C. Brooks is the Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Public and Nonprofit Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Professor of Management Practice at 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 13 books, including the 2023 #1 New York Times bestseller Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier with co-author Oprah Winfrey, and 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 to audiences all around the world about human happiness and works to raise well-being within private companies, universities, public agencies, and community organizations. Listeners can learn more about Arthur Brooks at https://arthurbrooks.com/ on IG https://www.instagram.com/arthurcbrooks/, and X https://x.com/arthurbrooks Partners: NordVPN: Huge discount + 4 mo. free of Kevin’s favorite VPN - https://kevinrose.com/nordvpn LMNT: Electrolyte drink mix. Grab a free sample pack - https://kevinrose.com/lmnt Manscaped: 20% off precision-engineered grooming tools - https://www.kevinrose.com/manscaped/ Notion: Try Notion AI for free - https://kevinrose.com/notion Resources: Kevin's Newsletter: https://kevin-rose.ck.page/ The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt - https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/book Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck - https://www.kevinrose.com/mark-manson-the-subtle-art-of-not-giving-a-fck-52/ The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/204352/the-miracle-of-mindfulness-by-thich-nhat-hanh/ The Awakened Brain by Lisa Miller - https://www.lisamillerphd.com/ Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke - https://www.annalembke.com/dopamine-nation Show Notes: 0:00 Introduction 5:00 The hedonic treadmill explained 6:00 Hacks to satisfaction 7:30 The concept of the reverse bucket list 11:00 Sponsor break 12:00 Sponsor break 13:30 Arthur on religion and his relationship with Dalai Lama 16:55 Transcendence and the four core practices of happiness 19:30 Forms of transcendence - one hour walk before dawn 24:35 Sponsor break 25:47 Sponsor break 29:50 Fitness and its impact on health and happiness 33:00 Four types of emotional intensity profiles 43:00 “Happiness. It requires and contains unhappiness.” -A. Brooks 48:40 Causes of a downward path of happiness worldwide 52:20 Ways to find happiness in jobs and career paths that are not ‘socially accepted’ 58:00 Three downdrafts of happiness in the last 25 years 58:20 The Anxious Generation By Jonathan Haidt 1:00:20 “Happiness is love and love is instantiated through eye contact and touch.” 1:02:10 Things to complement real-life experiences 1:05:40 Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck 1:06:45 Question: What’s your opinion on doing psychedelics to increase happiness? 1:12:10 Concept of human time travel 1:14:45 The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh 1:17:30 Question: How does an atheist build on the religious practice of happiness? 1:18:57 The Awakened Brain by Lisa Miller 1:20:00 Kevin’s story on bankruptcy & the ultimate question: can money buy happiness? 1:21:20 Chasing behavior explained 1:24:40 Five things you can do with money to increase happiness 1:28:30 How To Not Be Bored When You Have To Wait 1:30:10 Mindfulness by Ellen Langer 1:33:45 How boredom plays on your dopamine 1:35:40 Arthur on his book in the works: All Things New 1:37:10 Recommendations on how to raise conscious kids 1:38:40 The #1 thing to do to take the edge off the “sh*tty day feeling” 1:41:30 Build the Life You Want by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey Connect with Kevin: Website: https://www.kevinrose.com/ Instagram: - https://www.instagram.com/kevinrose/ X - https://twitter.com/kevinrose YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/kevinrose