Happiness Expert Dr. Arthur C. Brooks
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How much of happiness is genetic and what can habits do about it?
My guest today is, as I told him, he's one of my algorithmic leading men.
You need to be bored. You will have less meaning and you will be more depressed if you never are bored.
He's up there with Scott Galloway. The wrong decision is bad. No decision is worse. Don't get paralyzed. Sam Harris. Meditation. Who else on my algorithm? We're all kind of the same guy, you know. Theo Vaughn. I think they should have like, you know, word limits on spouses. He's on my algo. I'll get a lot of NBA stuff. Who's on my, oh, Gilbert Arenas is huge. I was manscaping. Cameron is the king of my algorithm. You wouldn't know nothing about Cameron. It's like if you watch National Geographic and you see the hyenas. He's an author. He's a professor. He studies happiness, guys. So it's all been leading up to this. Finally, some actionable advice instead of this constant fucking complaining that happens on this podcast.
He's got a book, The Meaning of Your Life. He's got a podcast called Office Hours. I just listened to one this afternoon, sent it to my wife. And what was the other book that you were recommending? In 2022, I wrote a book called From Strength to Strength. From Strength to Strength. He's got that as well. It's Arthur Brooks, guys. I like to bring them in for the intro. Help me. I underwrite it and then they...
And by the way, you're in my algorithm too. Thank you. You are. I mean, you show up and when people say, I don't know why stuff shows up in my algorithm. I don't even like it. Like, you know, young girls are showing up in your algorithms. It's because you like them. If you don't linger on it, they won't show up in your algorithm.
That's correct. Thanks for lingering. Somebody actually one time, this is like four years ago, I was on an elevator and he goes, he looks at me, he goes, You're on my algorithm, huh? Yeah. And I was supposed to go, yeah, I'm on there. Yeah, that's right. That's me. Yeah, it's me from your algorithm. Okay, here's what I like about you. Arthur, is that you do give actionable advice. It's not prescriptive, it's suggestive, right?
Stop thinking critically so much about other people. Get more physical exercise. Rebel against your shame. It's based on studies, right? Based on the best research and you know that on neuroscience and behavioral science and The whole idea is that you can be happier, but you have to understand, you have to change your habits, and you have to share it with others. It's like anything else. Like if you go to medical school, they always say, watch one, do one, teach one to become a surgeon. Explain. So the whole idea is that you watch people do surgery, you do some surgery, you teach people how to do surgery, and you're a surgeon. And the same thing is true with almost anything.
Is that what they do? That's literally what they do. So last year med students are teaching?
Not last year med students, but in the residency, they're teaching medical school students how to do surgery. Oh, that's interesting. And that's the algorithm. If you want to be a really, really great golfer- You should learn about golf. You should golf a lot. And then you should explain golf because when you explain it, use your brain in a different way. My father was a math professor and he used to say that the way he really learned math was by deeply understanding it, doing a ton of problems and most importantly, teaching it to students. And then he truly understood math. Then he was a mathematician. So this is the same thing with happiness. You need to understand the science. You need to commit to certain habits in your life, living differently and propulsively.
And then you need to explain it to other people, which is why I'm a teacher, because I want to be happier.
Graph your unhappiness for me. Like what was it? Well, I'm naturally an unhappy person.
And part of that is because about 50% of happiness can be explained genetically. So the difference between people is about 50% a genetic phenomenon.
And again, that could be such a cause for despair.
It could be, except that... See, I knew I could... It's like my mom's fault.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
How much of happiness is genetic and what can habits do about it?
0:00–11:27
2
Why do men and women need different things in love — adoration vs. admiration?
11:27–45:02
3
How do dating apps amplify the dark triad/tetrad and why is that dangerous?
45:02–56:52
4
How does attending Mass and unplugging from devices improve focus and creativity?
56:52–58:53
5
Why can SSRIs reduce creativity and affect falling in love?
58:53–1:00:47
6
What neuroscience explains changes in personality and happiness as we age?
1:00:47–1:03:26
7
How can the ‘Reverse Bucket List’ and lowering resistance reduce suffering and improve relationships?
1:03:26–1:50:08