
Joy or Happiness? (with Kate Bowler)
From Choice Words with Samantha Bee by Lemonada Media
May 21, 2026 · 58 min
About this episode
Kate Bowler joins Samantha Bee to discuss the differences between joy and happiness, exploring various cultural and personal insights.
Professor, author, and podcast host Kate Bowler joins Sam to talk about her new book Joyful Anyway, and what the difference between joy and happiness really is. They talk about why happiness is circumstantial but joy is big and bright and hits your reward system. They talk about the Prosperity Gospel, Christian amusement parks, and what on earth the Pope must be feeling right now. They talk about taking wisdom from Taylor Swift, an aversion to gardening, and the need to sometimes take a walk around the block for a quick cry. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Host: Samantha Bee
Guest: Kate Bowler
Topics covered
- joy
- happiness
- Prosperity Gospel
- Christian amusement parks
- emotional well-being
Keywords
- joy
- happiness
- Kate Bowler
- Prosperity Gospel
- emotional health
- Taylor Swift
- Christianity
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Lemonada Media
Books & works: Joyful Anyway
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