Dr. Laurie Santos

So controlled for income, people who donate more money to charity wind up being happier than those that don't, right?

So controlled for income, people who donate more money to charity wind up being happier than those that don't, right?

Controlled for the amount of free time that people have, people who spend that free time volunteering wind up being happier than those who spend it.

Controlled for the amount of free time that people have, people who spend that free time volunteering wind up being happier than those who spend it.

doing selfish things the key is that other people matter a lot for our happiness and that's other people like our friends and family members it's people who are in need across on the other side of the world right just doing for others winds up making us happier but we absolutely don't realize that

doing selfish things the key is that other people matter a lot for our happiness and that's other people like our friends and family members it's people who are in need across on the other side of the world right just doing for others winds up making us happier but we absolutely don't realize that

When you have a crappy day at work, it's very easy to think, oh, I'm just going to buy myself this little treat.

When you have a crappy day at work, it's very easy to think, oh, I'm just going to buy myself this little treat.

I'm going to go out for a drink myself or I'm going to get a massage or a manicure or something.

I'm going to go out for a drink myself or I'm going to get a massage or a manicure or something.

But actually what would make you happier is to spend that equivalent amount of money on a friend.

But actually what would make you happier is to spend that equivalent amount of money on a friend.

Buy a massage for your coworker.

Buy a massage for your coworker.

or donate that money to people in need somewhere around the world.

or donate that money to people in need somewhere around the world.

That's not what our minds predict, but that's what the research really shows.

That's not what our minds predict, but that's what the research really shows.

A second thing that especially the kind of thing that you did can do for happiness, which I think is so important right now, is that what you find is that we often think of hope as something that you have or you don't have, like you're either a hopeful person or not.

A second thing that especially the kind of thing that you did can do for happiness, which I think is so important right now, is that what you find is that we often think of hope as something that you have or you don't have, like you're either a hopeful person or not.