#110 How To Build Lasting Happiness | Dr. Arthur Brooks

#110 How To Build Lasting Happiness | Dr. Arthur Brooks

From FoundMyFitness by Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D.

March 24, 2026 · 2h 36m

About this episode

Dr. Arthur Brooks discusses the misconceptions about happiness and offers a five-step protocol for managing negative affect.

Get access to more than 200 episodes of my premium podcast (The Aliquot) when you sign up as a FoundMyFitness Premium Member Most of us are pursuing happiness exactly the wrong way. Overuse of technology is creating a meaning deficit, rewiring our brains away from purpose. In this episode, Dr. Arthur Brooks explains why relentless device use prevents us from asking the critical questions that define our lives, why high achievers often feel profoundly empty, and how the "striver's curse" makes satisfaction fleeting. He also shares his five-step protocol for managing negative affect and explains why suffering, when approached correctly, is a potent catalyst for personal growth. Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (06:44) The three macronutrients of happiness (08:37) Why chasing pleasure alone won't make you happy (12:48) The role of struggle in achieving satisfaction (15:56) Why happiness requires unhappiness (18:18) The Pleistocene brain—why pleasure is meant to be shared (20:57) Does avoiding boredom rob you of meaning? (25:27) Why satisfaction doesn't last—the striver's curse (28:59) The four idols that won't make you happy (32:19) How to uncover what's secretly driving you (41:50)…

People in this episode

Host: Rhonda Patrick

Guest: Dr. Arthur Brooks

Topics covered

  • happiness
  • technology
  • personal growth
  • satisfaction
  • struggle

Keywords

  • happiness
  • technology
  • personal growth
  • satisfaction
  • striver's curse
  • gratitude
  • meaning

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