About this episode

Arthur Brooks discusses the science of happiness and the importance of struggle in finding purpose.

Why does struggling for something make it more satisfying? And why can getting what you want leave you feeling flat? In this episode, I sit down with Arthur Brooks, one of the world's leading voices on the science of happiness, for a conversation that might change how you feel about your life. Arthur is a professor at Vanderbilt University, senior fellow of Harvard Business School and bestselling author of multiple books, including new title, The Meaning Of Your Life. He walked away from a successful career when he realised that despite a happy marriage, strong faith and good income, he struggled to feel happy. That personal reckoning led him to years of research into what really makes people thrive – and in this conversation, he shares the framework he developed to explain it. Using an analogy from nutrition science, Arthur describes happiness as requiring three macronutrients: enjoyment, satisfaction and meaning. We talk about why so many high achievers get the first one wrong. Suffering and struggle, he says, aren’t obstacles to a fulfilling life but essential ingredients of it – hence removing all friction from our lives can leave us feeling empty rather than content. We also…

People in this episode

Host: Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Guest: Arthur Brooks

Topics covered

• happiness
• purpose
• struggle
• relationships
• goals
• satisfaction

Keywords

• happiness
• purpose
• struggle
• satisfaction
• goals
• relationships
• arrival fallacy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Vanderbilt University, Harvard Business School

Books & works: The Meaning Of Your Life

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