Dr. Laurie Santos

In many cases, a lot of them really think of their own worth as their academic performance, as with the internships they get into and their performance on the football field or the extracurriculars, right? So much of their self-worth is tied into their achievements writ large. And I think they're supposed to engage in all those amazing achievements without putting in

In many cases, a lot of them really think of their own worth as their academic performance, as with the internships they get into and their performance on the football field or the extracurriculars, right? So much of their self-worth is tied into their achievements writ large. And I think they're supposed to engage in all those amazing achievements without putting in

any work as though it's easy for them, right? So there's this culture of not admitting when you're struggling. I think there's a culture of kind of brushing off all the hard work that has to go into the kinds of achievements they experience. It's just a really stressful, really perfectionist kind of culture on campus.

any work as though it's easy for them, right? So there's this culture of not admitting when you're struggling. I think there's a culture of kind of brushing off all the hard work that has to go into the kinds of achievements they experience. It's just a really stressful, really perfectionist kind of culture on campus.

any work as though it's easy for them, right? So there's this culture of not admitting when you're struggling. I think there's a culture of kind of brushing off all the hard work that has to go into the kinds of achievements they experience. It's just a really stressful, really perfectionist kind of culture on campus.

Well, I think one of the early surprises was just not just how much the class resonated on campus, but how much it resonated off campus. A couple of weeks into the first when I first started teaching the happiness course, there was a New York Times article written about the class.

Well, I think one of the early surprises was just not just how much the class resonated on campus, but how much it resonated off campus. A couple of weeks into the first when I first started teaching the happiness course, there was a New York Times article written about the class.

Well, I think one of the early surprises was just not just how much the class resonated on campus, but how much it resonated off campus. A couple of weeks into the first when I first started teaching the happiness course, there was a New York Times article written about the class.

And I think that's in part because Yale is one of these schools that like something happens at Yale, somebody is going to write a New York Times article about it. But most college classes don't have New York Times articles about that college class. And it wound up being one of the most read articles ever. of the year for the New York Times that year.

And I think that's in part because Yale is one of these schools that like something happens at Yale, somebody is going to write a New York Times article about it. But most college classes don't have New York Times articles about that college class. And it wound up being one of the most read articles ever. of the year for the New York Times that year.

And I think that's in part because Yale is one of these schools that like something happens at Yale, somebody is going to write a New York Times article about it. But most college classes don't have New York Times articles about that college class. And it wound up being one of the most read articles ever. of the year for the New York Times that year.

And I think it was really exciting or interesting to people in part because I think when we think of the typical Yale student or the typical Ivy League student, you think this person has it made, right? They're 19 years old. They're like at the Ivy League. They're going to get a perfect job. They have the academic credentials to get into a place like that. I bet they're happy.

And I think it was really exciting or interesting to people in part because I think when we think of the typical Yale student or the typical Ivy League student, you think this person has it made, right? They're 19 years old. They're like at the Ivy League. They're going to get a perfect job. They have the academic credentials to get into a place like that. I bet they're happy.

And I think it was really exciting or interesting to people in part because I think when we think of the typical Yale student or the typical Ivy League student, you think this person has it made, right? They're 19 years old. They're like at the Ivy League. They're going to get a perfect job. They have the academic credentials to get into a place like that. I bet they're happy.

And I think the article resonated with so many people because people thought, oh my gosh, there's so many unhappy students at Yale that like a quarter of the entire student body is flogging to this happiness class. What is going on? And I think that people were, well, if Yale students need these strategies, then I, in whatever walk of life I'm finding myself, I definitely need them.

And I think the article resonated with so many people because people thought, oh my gosh, there's so many unhappy students at Yale that like a quarter of the entire student body is flogging to this happiness class. What is going on? And I think that people were, well, if Yale students need these strategies, then I, in whatever walk of life I'm finding myself, I definitely need them.

And I think the article resonated with so many people because people thought, oh my gosh, there's so many unhappy students at Yale that like a quarter of the entire student body is flogging to this happiness class. What is going on? And I think that people were, well, if Yale students need these strategies, then I, in whatever walk of life I'm finding myself, I definitely need them.

And so after the article came out, we got a lot of push from people, like just hundreds of emails from folks around the world saying, don't just give these strategies to Yale students. We all, Yale students, with as much privilege as they have, need these kinds of strategies. We all need them. And so that was one of the reasons we decided to put the class online for free.

And so after the article came out, we got a lot of push from people, like just hundreds of emails from folks around the world saying, don't just give these strategies to Yale students. We all, Yale students, with as much privilege as they have, need these kinds of strategies. We all need them. And so that was one of the reasons we decided to put the class online for free.

And so after the article came out, we got a lot of push from people, like just hundreds of emails from folks around the world saying, don't just give these strategies to Yale students. We all, Yale students, with as much privilege as they have, need these kinds of strategies. We all need them. And so that was one of the reasons we decided to put the class online for free.