Dr. Laurie Santos

But he talks about how those folks haven't abandoned this notion that more money will make them happy. They set some standard, like, as soon as I get 50 million, I'll be happy, or as soon as I become a billionaire. But then they get to that point. They're not feeling any more positive emotion. They're not feeling less stressed.

But he talks about how those folks haven't abandoned this notion that more money will make them happy. They set some standard, like, as soon as I get 50 million, I'll be happy, or as soon as I become a billionaire. But then they get to that point. They're not feeling any more positive emotion. They're not feeling less stressed.

But he talks about how those folks haven't abandoned this notion that more money will make them happy. They set some standard, like, as soon as I get 50 million, I'll be happy, or as soon as I become a billionaire. But then they get to that point. They're not feeling any more positive emotion. They're not feeling less stressed.

And rather than saying, well, hang on, maybe that hypothesis was wrong. More money doesn't work. They say, ah, the hypothesis, it's all right. More money will make me happy. It wasn't $50 million. Now it's $100 million or whatever it is. And so I think that that's a lot due to the fact that folks are comparing their wealth levels against others.

And rather than saying, well, hang on, maybe that hypothesis was wrong. More money doesn't work. They say, ah, the hypothesis, it's all right. More money will make me happy. It wasn't $50 million. Now it's $100 million or whatever it is. And so I think that that's a lot due to the fact that folks are comparing their wealth levels against others.

And rather than saying, well, hang on, maybe that hypothesis was wrong. More money doesn't work. They say, ah, the hypothesis, it's all right. More money will make me happy. It wasn't $50 million. Now it's $100 million or whatever it is. And so I think that that's a lot due to the fact that folks are comparing their wealth levels against others.

Our comparison system sucks because we constantly compare ourselves against others, but we never pick people that are doing worse than us. We always pick people who are doing better than us.

Our comparison system sucks because we constantly compare ourselves against others, but we never pick people that are doing worse than us. We always pick people who are doing better than us.

Our comparison system sucks because we constantly compare ourselves against others, but we never pick people that are doing worse than us. We always pick people who are doing better than us.

Well, it fits completely with what a lot of the happiness research suggests, right? Which is that it's much less about our circumstances. than we think when it comes to who's happy and who's not, right? You know, we often think, you know, if I could get more money or if I could get more accolades at work or if I could get a new partner, if I could move somewhere, I'd be happier.

Well, it fits completely with what a lot of the happiness research suggests, right? Which is that it's much less about our circumstances. than we think when it comes to who's happy and who's not, right? You know, we often think, you know, if I could get more money or if I could get more accolades at work or if I could get a new partner, if I could move somewhere, I'd be happier.

Well, it fits completely with what a lot of the happiness research suggests, right? Which is that it's much less about our circumstances. than we think when it comes to who's happy and who's not, right? You know, we often think, you know, if I could get more money or if I could get more accolades at work or if I could get a new partner, if I could move somewhere, I'd be happier.

But exactly what you're saying, if you look at people with all those different life circumstances, both the good version and the bad version, you find some happy folks and some not so happy folks. Now what researchers are starting to think is that it actually doesn't involve our circumstances as much as we think. Again, I like would bracket it, unless those circumstances are really dire.

But exactly what you're saying, if you look at people with all those different life circumstances, both the good version and the bad version, you find some happy folks and some not so happy folks. Now what researchers are starting to think is that it actually doesn't involve our circumstances as much as we think. Again, I like would bracket it, unless those circumstances are really dire.

But exactly what you're saying, if you look at people with all those different life circumstances, both the good version and the bad version, you find some happy folks and some not so happy folks. Now what researchers are starting to think is that it actually doesn't involve our circumstances as much as we think. Again, I like would bracket it, unless those circumstances are really dire.

circumstances don't matter as much as we think. It tends to be the kind of stuff that's much more under our control than our circumstances, right? It tends to be how we behave, what thought patterns we use, the emotions we seek out, the social connection we experience. Those things matter much more.

circumstances don't matter as much as we think. It tends to be the kind of stuff that's much more under our control than our circumstances, right? It tends to be how we behave, what thought patterns we use, the emotions we seek out, the social connection we experience. Those things matter much more.

circumstances don't matter as much as we think. It tends to be the kind of stuff that's much more under our control than our circumstances, right? It tends to be how we behave, what thought patterns we use, the emotions we seek out, the social connection we experience. Those things matter much more.

And so I think, you know, your experience with the happy and not so happy rich folks and the happy and not so happy poor folks kind of bear out what we think, which is like, it's just not your circumstances that doesn't matter as much as you assume.

And so I think, you know, your experience with the happy and not so happy rich folks and the happy and not so happy poor folks kind of bear out what we think, which is like, it's just not your circumstances that doesn't matter as much as you assume.