Michael Norton, Ph.D. and Sam Sommers, Ph.D. - The Ritual Effect

Our lives are filled with repetitive tasks meant to keep us on track-what we come to know as habits. Over time, these routines (like brushing your teeth or putting on your right sock first) tend to be performed automatically. But when we’re more mindful about these actions-when we focus on the precise way they are performed-they can instead become rituals. Shifting from a “habitual” mindset to a “ritual” mindset can convert ordinary acts from black and white to Technicolor.
Think about the way you savor a certain beverage, the care you take with a particular outfit that gets worn only on special occasions, the unique way that your family gathers around the table during holidays, or the secret language you enjoy with your significant other. To some, these behaviors may seem quirky, but because rituals matter so deeply to us on a personal level, they give our lives purpose and meaning. For his new book, "The Ritual Effect: From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions," Michael Norton, Ph.D. (FAN ’16), the Harold M. Brierley Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, draws on a decade of original research to show that rituals play a role in healing communities experiencing a great loss, marking life’s major transitions, driving a stadium of sports fans to ecstasy, and helping us rise to challenges and realize opportunities.
Norton’s research focuses on behavioral economics and well-being, with particular attention given to happiness and spending, income inequality, and the IKEA effect. He is the co-author of "Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending," and his “How to Buy Happiness” TED Talk has been viewed over 4 million times.
Norton will be in conversation with award-winning social psychologist Sam Sommers, Ph.D., Professor and Chair in the Department of Psychology and director of the Racial Equity and Diversity Lab at Tufts University.