What Laurie Santos thinks about happiness
Cognitive scientist and Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology at Yale University, whose course Psychology and the Good Life became Yale's most popular class, and host of the podcast The Happiness Lab.
Laurie Santos did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
3 dated positions, 2021, in their own words. Our reading of what Laurie Santos has said — not written or endorsed by them.
The line under a date shows how recently it was said: empty within a month, full after three years.
-
Our readingPeople seek solitude to lift their mood, but connecting with a friend would make them happier.
Their wordsWe avoid social situations, thinking alone time is the cure for our blues, but research shows we’d be happier if we connected with a friend.
↗I teach a course on happiness at Yale: this is how to make the most of your resolutions, The Guardiantheguardian.com 2nd of 4 in this piece
-
Their wordsWe also assume that happiness involves changing our circumstances: losing weight, getting buffer and earning more money. But as someone who teaches an entire course on the science of happiness, I know the research shows most of these popular January goals don’t improve our happiness as much as we assume.
↗I teach a course on happiness at Yale: this is how to make the most of your resolutions, The Guardiantheguardian.com 3rd of 4 in this piece
-
Their wordsFinally, consider switching from a selfish me-me-me mindset to one that’s a bit more focused on others. Study after study shows that people are happier when they’re helping people in need.
↗I teach a course on happiness at Yale: this is how to make the most of your resolutions, The Guardiantheguardian.com 4th of 4 in this piece
The line under a date fills as the words age, a quarter at a time: past a month, six months, a year, and three years. Empty means said within the last month; full, more than three years ago. It says when, not whether it still holds — a change of mind is marked on the claim itself.
Dashed means we only know the words existed by that date; they may be older.