The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos
By Pushkin Industries
The Happiness Lab is serving up scientifically-backed takes this summer that are so hot, even your SPF 50 won’t protect you. With the help of behavioral scientists, historians, and cultural critics, Yale psychologist Dr. Laurie Santos challenges some of our biggest assumptions about what it takes to live a good life. Dr. Laurie explores topics like why we should forget about TMI and lean into oversharing, how dumping small talk makes for better conversations, why the kids these days are actually doing just fine, and how men can establish strong bromances. Each episode unpacks a bold, counterintuitive claim — using research, data, and expert insight to question the conventional wisdom around happiness and wellbeing.
28 episodes
All Episodes
Why Oversharing Builds Stronger Trust Than Withholding
Oversharing isn’t the problem--holding back is. Revealing more than feels comfortable builds trust, deepens connections, and unlocks unexpected emotional and strategic advantages. The real risk? Saying too little.
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Reframing Exercise from Self-Criticism to Self-Compassion
Exercise becomes a punitive ritual fueled by body shame, disconnecting us from joy. Reframe movement as self-compassion to find lasting happiness and challenge conventional wisdom.
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Embrace Negative Emotions as Signals for Meaningful Life
Negative emotions are vital signals, not enemies. Embrace them to build resilience and navigate life with a clearer compass toward your true values.
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Beliefs as Invisible Architects of Performance and Well-being
Your deepest beliefs are invisible architects shaping your reality. Re-engineer them to unlock significant advantages in performance, resilience, and well-being.
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Busyness Erodes Happiness and Kindness by Causing Time Famine
Relentless productivity pursuit erodes happiness, making us less kind and connected. Reclaim time for well-being and genuine living, not just busyness.
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The Unseen Physical Toll of Digital Engagement and How to Counteract It
Digital habits cause profound physical degradation, impacting posture, senses, and sleep. Simple, frequent movement breaks and mindful posture can counteract these chronic ailments and boost vitality.
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Consumerism's Paradox--Dopamine, Diderot, and Lasting Joy
Discover why possessions trap you in a cycle of desire and comparison, and unlock lasting happiness through experiences and mindful living.
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Spaces Actively Architect Happiness by Fulfilling Core Needs
Your environment actively shapes your happiness, often unconsciously. Learn how to intentionally design your surroundings to foster agency, growth, and connection for a more intentional life.
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Habits Are Environmental Responses--Not Willpower Tests
Habits are not about willpower, but environmental responses. Engineer your surroundings to make desired behaviors automatic and undesired ones difficult for lasting change.
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Forgiveness Reclaims Well-Being and Offers Strategic Advantage
Holding grudges erodes your well-being, creating a hidden cost. Forgiveness is not condoning harm, but a radical act of self-care that offers a competitive advantage in resilience.
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Product Trap: Social Media Exploits Social Pressures, Not Intrinsic Value
Social media traps us by exploiting social pressures, making us consume products we deplore. Understand this "product trap" to reclaim your time and happiness.
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Social Media's Paradox: Connection Undermines Adolescent Well-being
Social media's promise of connection may be undermining adolescent well-being, with data showing a sharp rise in loneliness and depression correlating with smartphone adoption.
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How Work Stress Hijacks Life and How to Reclaim It
Work stress numbs emotions, blunting joy and connection. Reclaim your life by managing stress perception, not just enduring it, to move beyond survival and truly thrive.
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Gottman Research: Conflict Management Builds Relationship Resilience
Understand how the *way* couples fight, not the topic, predicts relationship health. Uncover hidden needs and practice yielding to build lasting connection.
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Proactive Connection Building--Not Conflict Resolution--Creates Enduring Love
Lasting love thrives on daily positive connection, not just conflict resolution. Cultivating curiosity and gratitude builds deeper intimacy than you might imagine.
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Debunking Mate Value: Attraction Is Built Through Compatibility
Attraction isn't a fixed score but a dynamic process built through interaction. Discover how compatibility, not "mate value," drives meaningful connections.
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Strategic Action and Embracing Discomfort Improve Dating Outcomes
Reclaim your dating agency: Embrace rejection as data, prioritize strategic action over fate, and optimize both online and offline efforts to find genuine connection.
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Shift Conversation to Make Others Feel Loved First
Shift conversations to make others feel loved first. This counterintuitive approach, not self-improvement, unlocks deeper connections and transforms relationships from the inside out.
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Design Meaningful Life Through Intentional Experience, Not Grand Purpose
Stop chasing grand purpose. Discover profound meaning in everyday moments by intentionally designing your experiences and embracing the "scandal of particularity."
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Creativity as Archaeological Discovery: Systematic Exploration and Refinement
Creativity is discovery, not inspiration. Explore external ideas systematically, embrace constraints, and refine through subtraction to unlock novel solutions.
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Cultivating Character and Connection Over Resume Virtues
Prioritizing job skills over character leads to fear of failure and isolation, as 89% of firings stem from being a "jerk." Cultivate humility and attention to build genuine connection and fulfillment.
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Unexpected Change Accelerates Personal Transformation Through Proactive Strategies
Unexpected change reveals hidden abilities and perspectives, transforming you into a more resilient and capable person by embracing your evolving self.
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Wise Effort: Aligning Energy With Values For Vitality
Stop exhausting yourself on ineffective strategies. Align your energy with core values and embrace discomfort to unlock true purpose and vitality.
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Midlife Happiness: Cultivating Connection, Time Affluence, and Self-Compassion
Midlife happiness hinges on social connection and "time affluence," not wealth. Cultivate well-being by intentionally scheduling free time and prioritizing relationships.
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Prioritizing Presence Over Materialism for Deeper Holiday Connection
Prioritize presence over gifts and strategically remove obligations to combat holiday overwhelm and foster genuine connection, decoupling fulfillment from consumerism.
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Strategies for Authentic Holiday Well-Being and Connection
Transform holidays from stress to joy by managing expectations, limiting social media, and fostering deep conversations. Embrace emotions, practice service, and connect authentically to combat loneliness and comparison.
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The Power of Giving: Overcoming Biases for Personal and Societal Well-being
Small acts of kindness create profound, long-lasting positive ripple effects, shaping life trajectories and inspiring future generosity. Capitalize on immediate gratitude to maximize giving's happiness boost.
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Gratitude: A Science-Backed Alternative to Willpower for Goal Achievement
Gratitude primes patience and self-control, offering a science-backed alternative to willpower for achieving long-term goals and enhancing well-being.
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