The Art & Science Of Getting Happier | Arthur C Brooks

In today’s episode, we cover the 4 pillars of happiness with Arthur C Brooks. Arthur is the best selling author of 12 books on topics ranging from economic opportunity to human happiness, and his newest book Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier that he co-wrote with Oprah Winfrey.

Happiness is a feeling anyone can cultivate but one that is increasingly difficult in a tech-centric world, so what is the best way to manage your emotions to achieve happiness and success, why are extroverts happier than introverts and what can you do to decrease your unhappiness as an introvert, and what is the difference between pleasure and enjoyment that most people don’t know even though it makes the difference between fulfillment and loneliness?

What to Listen For

• Introduction – 0:00
• When is intolerance and hatred necessary?
• Why do humans crave social interaction with family and friends? 

• The secret to happiness – 14:08
• What is the key to increasing your happiness no matter what is going on in your life?
• How do you manage envy so it doesn’t prevent you from being happy?

• Why you need to feel unhappy – 24:08
• Why is unhappiness just as important as happiness when it comes to managing your mood from day to day?
• What are the 4 pillars of happiness?
• What is the most important thing loners need to understand if they want to be happy in their solitude?

• Real Friends vs Deal Friends – 37:00
• What are the two types of friends we all have and which group contributes to your loneliness?
• What are the 5 challenges we face in building strong and healthy relationships?

• The right choices to build relationships – 50:36
• What two things should you be focusing on to build lifelong relationships with friends, family, and your significant other?
• What is the neurochemical difference between pleasure and enjoyment and why does one make you feel empty and lonely?

Planet Money is a different kind of world where the complex economy actually makes sense; where human stories supersede abstract theories. Listeners can learn, laugh, and be entertained. It’s economics, down to earth.

Tune in to Planet Money every week for entertaining stories and insights about how money shapes our world. Stories that can’t be found anywhere else.

Listen now to Planet Money from NPR -- wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices