The word 'happiness' came into common usage in around the 17th century, but the concept has a much longer history. So how have people conceptualised happiness over time – and how have they sought to attain it? Historian Katie Barclay is one of the editors of The Routledge History of Happiness, and she joins Ellie Cawthorne to explore historical ideas about t ... Show More
Aug 2019
The history of human emotions | Tiffany Watt Smith
The words we use to describe our emotions affect how we feel, says historian Tiffany Watt Smith, and they've often changed (sometimes very dramatically) in response to new cultural expectations and ideas. Take nostalgia, for instance: first defined in 1688 as an illness and consi ... Show More
14m 29s
May 2023
Helping You Find Happiness: Insights from Psychology and Anthropology
In this episode, Rebecca and Mike, an anthropologist, discusses the topic of happiness and its relationship to humans as a species. The conversation touches on the evolution of humans and their pursuit of happiness. The concept of happiness is explored, including a discussion on ... Show More
25 m
Jun 2024
The New Happy with Stephanie Harrison
Sharon is joined today by author Stephanie Harrison to discuss her international best selling book, New Happy. In this book, Stephanie explores why we often get happiness wrong and how we can get it right. She reminds us not to get trapped into what she calls the Old Happy, which ... Show More
37m 30s
Aug 2024
30 | Smile | For Real, For Real
You ever see someone laugh so hard it makes you crack a smile? Even though you’ve got no idea what they are laughing about? Contagious joy helps people survive. Especially Black people, because Black joy is a revolutionary act. In this bonus episode, Franchesca and Conscious disc ... Show More
35m 50s