Today we welcome Dr. Laurie Santos, psychology professor and Head of Silliman College at Yale University. Her course, “Psychology and the Good Life,”is Yale’s most popular course in over 300 years and has been adapted into a free Coursera program that has been taken by over 3.3 million people to date. Dr. Santos is a winner of numerous awards both for her science and teaching from institutions such as Yale and the American Psychological Association. She is also the podcast host of The Happiness Lab.
In this episode, I talk to Dr. Laurie Santos about happiness. People are unhappy not for lack of trying, but it’s because they’re applying ineffective strategies. Dr. Santos identifies some of the cognitive biases that can hinder our happiness. There is no magical antidote to our problems, but there are ways to boost well-being in small but significant ways. We also discuss resilience, social justice and mindfulness.
Website: drlauriesantos.com
Twitter: @lauriesantos
Topics
03:04 Laurie’s interest in well-being
06:54 Our expectations about happiness
09:44 Defining and measuring happiness
13:59 Predictors of resilience
15:43 Laurie’s happiness score
17:39 “Self-care is a political act”
22:39 The Feel Good, Do Good Effect
24:11 The role of culture, environment, genes
27:55 Contributions to the science of happiness
32:13 The impact of Laurie’s research
35:19 Cognitive biases that influence happiness
38:16 Do mindfulness interventions work?
44:37 The Happiness Lab’s new season
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Right Brain, Creativity, and Meaning in Life w/ Iain McGilchrist
New Year, New Personality: Science-Backed Tips to Actually Change Yourself
A Message To Our Listeners
Best of Series: The Latest science of Growth Mindset With Carol Dweck
Best of Series: Inside Consciousness with Antonio DiMasio
Best of Series: On Human Nature and Human Progress With Noam Chomsky
Best of Series: Where Does Greatness Come From? With David Epstein
Best of Series: The New Science of Resilience With George Bonanno
Best of Series: The Power of Passion and Perseverance With Angela Duckworth
Best of Series: A Remarkable Life, Fast and Slow With Daniel Kahneman
Best of Series: Surprising Truths about the Human Brain with Lisa Feldman Barrett
The Secret to a Happy Life || Robert Waldinger
The New Science of Flow || Orin Davis
The Psychology of Secrets || Michael Slepian
The Power of Wonder || Monica Parker
Life Without Free Will || Robert Sapolsky
The Psychology of Humor || Bob Mankoff
Buddhism and the Impermanence of Life || Joseph Goldstein
Expand Your Self || Dan Siegel
Human Flourishing in Education || Nick Holton
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Poetry of Science
Behavioral Grooves Podcast
Hidden Brain
Mysterious Radio: Paranormal, UFO & Lore Interviews
The Science of Happiness