logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2023
54m 31s

Happiness 2.0: The Path to Contentment

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
About this episode

Many of us believe that hard work and persistence are the key to achieving our goals. But is that true when it comes to the pursuit of happiness? This week, we kick off a month-long series we're calling Happiness 2.0. We talk with psychologist Iris Mauss, who explains why happiness can seem more elusive the harder we chase it, and what we can do instead to build a lasting sense of contentment. 

Did you catch our two-part series on the science of influence? You can find part 1 here.  And if you enjoy the show and would like to help us make more episodes of Hidden Brain, please consider supporting our work. Thanks! 

Up next
Today
The Trauma Script
When tragedy strikes, it’s natural to be devastated. But psychologist George Bonanno finds that many of us recover from life’s blows more quickly than we might expect. This week, we talk with Bonanno about his research and why it has changed how many scientists think about trauma ... Show More
50m 13s
Aug 18
How Our Brains Learn
Have you ever fallen asleep in school or during a work meeting? Maybe you felt your eyes glaze over as your boss or a teacher droned on and on about a topic that had no relevance to you. What's missing from these classrooms and conference rooms is engagement: A state of being abs ... Show More
1h 22m
Aug 11
The Best Years of Your Life
Aging isn’t just a biological process. Our outlooks and emotions also change as we age, often in ways that boost our well-being. This week, we revisit a favorite conversation with psychologist Laura Carstensen, who helps us unpack the science behind this surprising finding, and s ... Show More
1h 19m
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2017
#109 Happiness - How to Find Happiness
Life can be challenging and hard at times.  How to find happiness, no matter what is going on in our lives, is the focus of this episode.  Learn very specific tools for finding happiness now.   To visit the Happiness Podcast, go to: http://www.HappinessPodcast.org   To learn more ... Show More
13m 7s
Oct 2022
The Secrets To Happiness
Are you happy? 79% of people believe that happiness comes from things like money and fame, but long-lasting happiness is developed from maintaining a higher sense of well-being. Happiness can be challenging to locate and hold onto if it's easily unhinged, so the key is understand ... Show More
22m 44s
Jun 2023
Where Does Your Happiness Come From? (Summer Archive)
Do we ever stop to wonder where our moments of joy and happiness come from during our daily routine? Today's podcast episode aims to explore this thought-provoking question. We're taking a break from the usual rush to understand our emotions better. We'll find out that the source ... Show More
14m 41s
May 2024
Is There A Science To Happiness?
Have you ever wondered: What does it mean to be truly happy? Can our brain chemistry, or even our genetics, determine how we feel about our lives? And, most importantly, can we learn to be even happier? Cognitive scientist and Yale University Psychology Professor Laurie Santos ha ... Show More
31m 57s
Jul 2019
How To Find Happiness with Dr Ray Hinish- Episode 39
Are you trying to find happiness?  What if it does not work like that? In this podcast, we cover the elusive nature of happy and why it is impossible to feel happy all the time. Here we discuss how happiness might actually work and the ways in which we might want to go about feel ... Show More
50m 17s
Feb 2024
3 Questions That Determine 99% of Your Happiness
We all overestimate how much you have to do to actually be happy.But what if I told you that achieving happiness is much simpler than you think? That’s right, the smallest lifestyle changes can have the most unexpected knock-on effects towards positive change. It’s actually quite ... Show More
33m 2s
Mar 2023
Unlock a Happier Life: 3 Research-Backed Secrets
In this episode, you and I are getting intentional about your happiness.Happiness is misunderstood.Fortunately, there’s a ton of research that explains why it can be so elusive and, even better, HOW you can create a happier life, starting today.Our conversation about happiness be ... Show More
54m 14s
May 2024
Rethinking Happiness, What We’re Getting Wrong | Stephanie Harrison
What if everything society told you about how to find happiness was misleading? My guest Stephanie Harrison, author of New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That's Got It Wrong, challenges the cultural conditioning around chasing achievements, wealth, and status as the pa ... Show More
54m 32s
Oct 2022
#517: Permission for Happiness
Your happiness comes from your thoughts. In this episode you'll learn how to create the type of thoughts and type of thinking that creates happiness as a result, no matter what is going on in your life that's challenging, negative or hard. Happiness is a choice, and this episode ... Show More
1h 5m