Dr. Laurie Santos

You know, I didn't like being in this culture where so many students were stressed and depressed and just kind of not enjoying their time in college. And so I thought, well, let me, you know, figure out what my field of psychology says about this. And psychology gives us so many tips that we can use to feel better. And so I thought. All right, great. I'll, you know, I'll do what professors do.

You know, I didn't like being in this culture where so many students were stressed and depressed and just kind of not enjoying their time in college. And so I thought, well, let me, you know, figure out what my field of psychology says about this. And psychology gives us so many tips that we can use to feel better. And so I thought. All right, great. I'll, you know, I'll do what professors do.

I'll make a whole class on this. So, you know, I prepped this class that I christened psychology in the good life and, you know, slapped it together thinking, you know, 30 or so students would take it. And you can imagine my surprise when a quarter of the entire campus enrolled the first time I taught it. Yeah, we couldn't we couldn't fit the class anywhere.

I'll make a whole class on this. So, you know, I prepped this class that I christened psychology in the good life and, you know, slapped it together thinking, you know, 30 or so students would take it. And you can imagine my surprise when a quarter of the entire campus enrolled the first time I taught it. Yeah, we couldn't we couldn't fit the class anywhere.

I'll make a whole class on this. So, you know, I prepped this class that I christened psychology in the good life and, you know, slapped it together thinking, you know, 30 or so students would take it. And you can imagine my surprise when a quarter of the entire campus enrolled the first time I taught it. Yeah, we couldn't we couldn't fit the class anywhere.

We had to teach it in a concert hall on campus because that was the only place it would fit. But, you know, that showed me students are voting with their feet. They don't like this culture of feeling so overwhelmed and stressed. And I think they really wanted, you know, science based strategies they could use to feel better.

We had to teach it in a concert hall on campus because that was the only place it would fit. But, you know, that showed me students are voting with their feet. They don't like this culture of feeling so overwhelmed and stressed. And I think they really wanted, you know, science based strategies they could use to feel better.

We had to teach it in a concert hall on campus because that was the only place it would fit. But, you know, that showed me students are voting with their feet. They don't like this culture of feeling so overwhelmed and stressed. And I think they really wanted, you know, science based strategies they could use to feel better.

Exactly. And, you know, I mean, I think, you know, what one of the things that's interesting is we learn as you look into the science, you learn that, you know, some of those ancient pieces of wisdom were quantified. quite accurate. Some of the platitudes we see are quite accurate, but some not so much. And I think that's why we need an empirical approach.

Exactly. And, you know, I mean, I think, you know, what one of the things that's interesting is we learn as you look into the science, you learn that, you know, some of those ancient pieces of wisdom were quantified. quite accurate. Some of the platitudes we see are quite accurate, but some not so much. And I think that's why we need an empirical approach.

Exactly. And, you know, I mean, I think, you know, what one of the things that's interesting is we learn as you look into the science, you learn that, you know, some of those ancient pieces of wisdom were quantified. quite accurate. Some of the platitudes we see are quite accurate, but some not so much. And I think that's why we need an empirical approach.

We can just ask scientifically, okay, if we find happy people, what are they doing differently? What are their strategies? How are they spending their time? And then We can let the not so happy people copy that and really test. Are they feeling happier? Are they feeling less depressed?

We can just ask scientifically, okay, if we find happy people, what are they doing differently? What are their strategies? How are they spending their time? And then We can let the not so happy people copy that and really test. Are they feeling happier? Are they feeling less depressed?

We can just ask scientifically, okay, if we find happy people, what are they doing differently? What are their strategies? How are they spending their time? And then We can let the not so happy people copy that and really test. Are they feeling happier? Are they feeling less depressed?

And, you know, these days we have almost, you know, two decades worth of scientific work that's done that in this field of positive psychology. And, you know, we've learned a lot. There's lots of evidence based tips out there for what you can do to feel better.

And, you know, these days we have almost, you know, two decades worth of scientific work that's done that in this field of positive psychology. And, you know, we've learned a lot. There's lots of evidence based tips out there for what you can do to feel better.

And, you know, these days we have almost, you know, two decades worth of scientific work that's done that in this field of positive psychology. And, you know, we've learned a lot. There's lots of evidence based tips out there for what you can do to feel better.

Well, it's interesting. The work I was doing with dogs and monkeys was more kind of figuring out, you know, how they decide what they know about the world.

Well, it's interesting. The work I was doing with dogs and monkeys was more kind of figuring out, you know, how they decide what they know about the world.

Well, it's interesting. The work I was doing with dogs and monkeys was more kind of figuring out, you know, how they decide what they know about the world.