Understanding how happiness and meaning differ

It's a perennial discussion: How do I find meaning in my work? Visionaries attest to the value of aligning your passions with your paycheck, but it isn't always possible. This podcast weighs the pros and cons of such a pursuit.

Rafa Euba, a retired consultant psychiatrist, argues that happiness is a vague and abstract concept that is hard to quantify. He suggests accepting that suffering and pain are a normal part of life. An attainable goal for one's life is to attempt to minimize pain, and pursue balance and contentment rather than a false ideal of permanent bliss.

Writer James Bailey repeated philosopher Will Durant's 1932 project soliciting opinions on the meaning of life from a variety of luminaries. In this article, read the fascinating responses people gave to the all-important question, from renowned author Hilary Mantel to a seasoned palliative care supporter who had witnessed dozens of deaths.

Psychedelics produce powerful emotions in its users, including a profound sense of meaningfulness. The philosopher William James called this sense "noetic" in the late 19th century, but for decades researchers avoided studying the effects of such drugs on the brain. However, the recent resurgence in psychedelic research has heightened interest in the relationship between this noetic sense resulting from the therapeutic use of drugs. Learn what researchers have found out here.

This video argues that Eastern philosophy tends to emphasize that contentment comes from maintaining control over our minds and reducing mental disturbances, while Westerners tend to believe happiness comes from conquering the world and building capital.

Can someone be happy at work? Harvard Business School professor and co-author (with Oprah Winfrey) of “Build the Life You Want” attempts to answer the enduring question in this video. Brooks strays from measuring one’s power, income, or title and instead emphasizes the importance of believing in one’s work and positively impacting others.

Stoics define being virtuous as living according to human nature, which involves being social and thinking well. One of the most important lessons is that we should focus on matters we can control and accept matters we can't control for our own mental health. We cannot always control how much money we have or what others think of us, but we can control how we treat ourselves and others.

The study form Pew Research Center found richer countries on average tend to be happier. However, after a certain point, wealth matters less for satisfaction. Other matters, such as strong health, education, and social and political stability play important roles in individuals' life satisfaction.

Perhaps you've heard of a 2010 study that found more money actually does correlate with an increased level of happiness, but after $75K per year, the happiness level didn't significantly increase. As it turns out, new research has complicated those findings. Listen to this podcast episode for more information.

Dr. Laurie Santos from Yale University explains that our brains aren't necessarily wired to keep us happy. We tend to incorrectly assume that fame or money will bring us satisfaction, when in reality, factors such as being social, generous, and physically active are the better practices to focus on to feel good in life.

Despite this host's attempts, it seems unlikely to prove that money buys happiness. However, there are interesting studies that suggest increased wealth can, on average, improve one's satisfaction.

Researchers asked 10,000 participants to list 10 things that recently made them happy. One author broke down the responses into subject-verb-object categories, isolating the people and events that made responders satisfied. The result highlights how simple things like having dinner or watching a movie made someone happy. Dive in and look for some ideas or tips on feeling happy today with this fascinating visualization.

They provide distraction, foster self-determination, and promote personal transformation. Purposeful engagement with games builds the capacity to face real-life problems.

Psychiatrist Robert Waldinger breaks down findings from research following the lives of 724 men for decades, beginning in 1938. The sample included both Harvard students and young boys in poor areas of Boston who continuously participated in interviews and medical studies. Waldinger shares that the strongest takeaway is that good relationships keep us happier and healthier.

Analysis of findings from a long-term study of older couples first interviewed in 1987 and then followed for the next five years found that individuals who lend support to friends, neighbors, and relatives live longer. Non-helpers were more than twice as likely to die as helpers during the five-year period. That's even after controlling for factors including age, gender, and physical and mental health.

Humans have been interpreting dreams as signs from deities, spirits, or the psyche for ages, and research shows that reflecting on and analyzing one's dreams can be beneficial. In alignment with dreams' elusive nature, they have no objective or clearly assigned meaning. However, variations of common dreams, such as a surprise exam in a forgotten class, are rife with shared primal fears.

One can experience loneliness even in a crowded room. Isolation refers to social disconnection whereas loneliness is the distress that comes from lacking human connection and perceived isolation.

Psychological research presents some unsurprising wisdom about how to make big decisions without regret: focus on people, don’t miss opportunities, and stay true to yourself.

The writers and thinkers often characterized as “existentialist” sometimes contradict one another. Considering that, boiling the philosophy down to a set of tenets can be difficult. Generally, those associated with existentialism were inspired by the 19th-century works of Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche, and they believed that individuals needed to defy conformity and define the meaning of life for themselves.

The understanding that comes from meeting others who have similar experiences can provide hope that life can get better, the solace of affirmation, and make navigating a new diagnosis or a rare illness, in particular, much easier.

The perennial debate on how to be happy involves various aspects of life, and one of the most essential is our psychological attitudes toward experiences. This piece lists and explains four basic tools to strengthen your "psychological immune...

If you could plug into an Experience Machine that gave you total pleasure all the time, would you do it? Philosopher Robert Nozick thinks you wouldn't, using this as evidence against hedonism, the view that life is all about pleasure. Explore the nuances of the argument and counterarguments with this accessible article.

-Writer J.D. Salinger (1919-2010)

An analysis of a survey from Pew ResearchCenter indicates that people who are active in a religious community tend to be happier and more civically engaged than their religiously unaffiliated or inactive counterparts. Studies show that Americans who regularly attend religious services also tend to live longer, however, other studies have indicated higher rates of obesity among highly religious Americans.

Worrying about past events and upcoming challenges is not a pleasant experience, but a reasonable amount of stress can bring a lot of good into our lives. In this episode of "The Happiness Lab" with Dr. Laurie Santos, two psychology experts offer tips for resetting one's relationship with stress. Listen and learn how to make stress a positive tool rather than a debilitating emotion.

Developing psychological flexibility, or an ability to adapt during change and stressful situations, can help leaders manage pressure while maintaining their wellbeing. A leader who can embrace discomfort and navigate hard times can earn greater respect, increase team satisfaction, manage distress effectively, and stay focused on priorities. Read this article for a further understanding on how to develop and sharpen this skill.

Based on data collected from over 38,000 participants across 75 countries, spending time appreciating Earth's beauty appears to increase one's satisfaction with life. Whether it's a hike in the woods, a dip in the ocean, or time spent watching the sunset, the findings held true across a wide range of economic, cultural, and environmental contexts. The findings also indicate that connection to nature fosters experiences of being present and attentive, which are strongly linked to mental health.

"The cleanest way to describe the gap is that $75K is often about stability, while $150K can be about optionality, but only if fixed expenses do not expand to consume the raise," said one finance professor.

The existentialist figurehead argued that humans are not born with an identity or purpose; instead, they develop them throughout their lives. For Sartre, this meant making meaning for oneself rather than relying on authorities (like religion or government) to provide it.

It may not be rocket science, but a lifetime partnership could still use some study. This quick list of smart traits gets into key traits that typically help a marriage remain happy ever after. Using studies from trained therapists and researchers, the article explains how really knowing each other, accepting bids for attention, seeking resolution to conflict, and more are essential to durable marriages. Read it here.

While many perceive stress as solely negative, stress can in fact be divided into two categories: distress (negative stress) and eustress (positive stress). Moderate levels of stress are positive in that they can boost motivation and promote resilience, which have positive mental health benefits.

This podcast discusses research that indicates stress perception may drastically affect how we respond to it. In research exploring if our stress is presented as diminishing our health versus if we're told it enhances our performance, it will lead to differences in how successful participants are at performing tasks—with the enhancers doing better.

The new year practice of making resolutions is so popular it can often inspire ironic dismissal from those all-too-aware of how many fail. This piece argues failure doesn't matter: Making the resolution itself helps define one's focus in life, arguably more important than racking up achievements.

Major depressive disorder is a clinical diagnosis and is not a lifestyle choice. Those who struggle with depression can express persistent feelings that are difficult to process and make sense of for friends and family. This guide walks through some counterintuitive perspectives, including resisting the urge to force a depressed person to do the things that would make them feel better.

This common symptom—a flat affect—results in previously enjoyable hobbies no longer bringing pleasure. People with anhedonia may also avoid social situations because they anticipate they'll bring no joy, not because of anxiety or fear.

The biggest difference between the two is how long they cover the life of the insured person and how much they cost. This guide can help you learn more about term and permanent life insurance, plus their different variations, to choose the right policy for you.

Funding for policy resources often hinges on measuring the scale of a problem and then being able to measure the effectiveness of interventions, requiring data. Yet defining and measuring loneliness at a country-scale remains challenging. Typically, the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale is sometimes used worldwide or adapted to measure loneliness.

While they both stick with you for your whole life, they vary when it comes to added benefits, overall cost, and changes you can make to an active policy. The biggest difference between the two is that universal insurance lets you make changes to an active policy, whereas whole insurance is fixed.

Digging into your immediate senses is shown to benefit your overall psychological well-being, from the happy memories evoked by familiar scents or through the transformative power of birdsong. This episode from the Science of Happiness podcast highlights insights from Gretchen Rubin, an author who has written books on the importance of engaging your senses for a happy life.

Novels are often characterized as a form of cultural escape, but psychologists argue there are health benefits to the many elements comprising fiction. The Greek philosopher Aristotle explored this in his "Poetics," asking if literature was something meant to make us happier. This article highlights eight different innovations common to literature that provide psychological benefits, including the plot twist and more.

As scientific advances continue to extend the average human lifespan, many are now turning their attention toward extending "health span." The ultimate goal would be to extend one's health span to match one's lifespan, which would necessitate a shift in focus toward the pursuit of healthy aging.

Differences in the type of fame, such as movie stardom, sports, and internet virality, can produce varying degrees of dependence on individuals based on their age and background. Some individuals—particularly children—can develop drug-seeking behavior as they pursue continuous dopamine spikes if they lack an existing sense of fulfillment from elsewhere.

While people-pleasers tend to be kind and thoughtful, researchers say they are at risk of burnout at work because they are unable to set boundaries and disregard their own feelings when asked to complete a task. Read this brief, helpful article on the signs of people-pleasing and how to overcome the tendency.

Across interviews and in his books, Dalio often emphasizes the importance of learning as much as possible to avoid making bad decisions. However, Dalio also often speaks about failure being a great teacher. One of his core principles is "Pain + Reflection = Progress."

People differ in how they respond to setbacks. Famed psychologist Martin Seligman outlines three key pillars for resilience: developing mental toughness by interpreting failures as external and temporary, recognizing and using one’s signature strengths, and cultivating strong relationships that offer support and meaning.

The Freakonomics team explored loneliness in this 2020 podcast episode and discussed how volunteering can be a powerful way to make lonely individuals feel needed, like they have a purpose, and combat feelings of isolation.