Dan Harris

I just thought you were super serious, very focused, a little tightly wound, and just like a very serious person.

Yeah.

Well, that's all true, and I fear that it's a little generous, honestly.

And, you know, what I was doing was denying myself of a massive opportunity for well-being.

You know, we...

life is a target-rich opportunity for these little moments of happiness that Dr. Fredrickson calls micro-interactions.

We're just constantly moving through the world and meeting other people, baristas, the people you give your clothes to at the dry cleaner, coming into NPR today.

I

met Summer, who's one of your producers.

And these don't have to be long exchanges.

It's just like a little chit-chat.

Summer grew up in Las Vegas, and I was telling her about how I took my son to Vegas, and he loved it.

And, you know...

neither of us may ever ultimately remember this interaction, but it's a little hit of dopamine that is available to all of us as we move through the world.

So let me answer your actual question about a stranger interaction that made me feel loved.

Just to set this up a little bit, I, notwithstanding the fact that I'm

allegedly some sort of happiness expert, you know, continue to be... Only 10% happier.

Yeah, exactly.

Thank God I called the book 10% Happier.

I have lots of challenges, you know, and one of them is that I have really intense claustrophobia.