How to Be Happier - Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar, PhD

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[@cjy8840]

I want to share a personal story I had with Tal. My father has been a long time fan of Tal Ben Shahar's work, in fact that's how I got to know Tal's work in the field of positive psychology. In 2016 my father had a very rough year - relocating to a new country, a challenging separation with my mother, and coping with mild depression. For his 68th birthday my siblings and I decided to gather his friends, ones from the past, as well as ones from different cities to wish him a happy birthday through a video compilation. My sister didn't tell us but she also reached out to Tal to see if he would be willing to participate. 2 minutes into the video, at a gathering of 20 of his closest family and friends, I will not forget my dad's complete jaw dropping suprise and delight to see Tal wishing him personally a very happy birthday. I could see it meant so much to him. Now you have to imagine, Tal has no direct knowledge or connection of my family. So here's a complete stranger, with an incredibly busy schedule between teaching and writing, carving time out of his day to send a personal and uplifting message to a complete stranger on the other side of the continent. It may seem like a small act, but what a spirit of generosity. Tal is not just talking about theories and science, he walks the walk. What a remarkably generous and inspiring person. We are truly grateful. Thank you Tal! (2020 my dad is in a far better place physically, emotionally, and mentally than he was 4 years ago.) Hope this finds you well!

[@FightMediocrity]

Hey guys, Tal's a pretty cool guy. He taught the most popular class in Harvard's history and this book is the backbone of that. Hope you enjoy. Affiliate link to the book: amzn.to/1X0WdCb

[@razarasool_]

Can you please start making videos in old school way? Believe me they are more influential!

[@im_mabe5922]

He said he probably will, but first 1 or 2 more in this style first

[@Celevie]

Well Islamic psychology is far superior to what u realised. Islam forbids wasting time which wint benefit in this world and hereafter

[@AnimatedBibleandTheology]

+Inherent Emperor do you think Islam is correct? Just curious.

[@Fuzzigog]

That "ghost music" I'm the background totally sucks. Got to be super creepy to pick that!

[@bottendaal321]

This is really heplfull. I changed my life and because of that I focused too much time at school. Now I give up some time for friends and because of that I become happier and more succesful at school

[@AbdelMX5]

Ok, I stopped this video midway to write this comment as I don't understand why people are complaining about the channel owner not voicing the book reviews himself. I'm fairly new to this channel, but in the short tie that I have been subsribed I have watched a lot of his book reviews, and I find this new format as entertaining as the old one if not more. You'd expect people to be more excited that they're getting the cliff-notes right from the source (who understands the material much better than our guy for obvious reasons), but screw logic. Let's all be inconsiderate and unappreciative, and bitch about the slighest changes completely diregarding the ***FREE*** content creator's well being and what it means for him to have the production time cut down for him. If only people would be more understanding, and a bit less whiney ...

[@BunnyUK]

I could not agree more.

[@dailyhadithguy]

I completely agree too! His content is gold! At least appreciate it,,

[@AbdelMX5]

I'd understand your dissatisfaction if the narrations were not up to par with how he used to do them, or if he actually gets random people to do the reviews, but he actually manages to get the authors themselves to give you the summary of their books, what's better than that? I can see where you're coming from with the sense of attachement you get to develop for youtubers over time, and I know the feeling, but maybe if people could cut him some slack, he might be able to do more things with the time he's saving with this new format (like his Top X self improvement videos, Q&As .. etc) and everyone gets the best of both worlds.

[@giorgir2334]

Yeah, and it's not like he's having some random guy in 3rd world country narrating it... It's the author himself that does it for him, which is pretty amazing in my humble opinion. :)

[@sagek7949]

Well, I agree that we shouldn’t make a huge fuss about it. The point is that once you are comfortable with a person , it’s much easier to communicate, because everyone has their unique style. About outsourcing, my view is that, yes outsourcing is a great idea but it depends on what part of your enterprise is outsourced. When you buy a product from the US and realize that they have recently outsourced their customer service to a developing nation, it’s cool, because the product itself is still the same. FM has his unique style that grows on you after you watch his videos and now he’s gone. May be the newer videos are better but they are not the same. For eg., if your wife is overworked, you hire help so that someone else can take care of the chores so that she can spend more time with you, you don’t replace your wife! You could get a better wife but she is not the wife you loved and lived with for the past few years. Again, I am not saying it’s a bad idea, it might help him get more subscribers assuming the quality has improved. It’s like a TEd talk channel, different people share a platform here.

[@Ds7nike]

by far the more important channel on KZbin for me this past year

[@igot40movies]

Fight Mediocrity's videos are on my happiness quadrant list

[@carolineashbourne4657]

Really love your style and find these animations so inspirational for helping us aim towards a better (and happier) way to live. Please keep them coming!

[@yehudahamaccabi9420]

The author is speaking!!!!

[@carsonbarlow348]

I hear a lot of complaining about the use of the word nihilism. I'm going to look up its official definition after this comment, but before I do, I'd like to say that I think it is important to focus on the message that is being presented. What ever you call "Good now, bad later" is logically not as good as "Good now, good later." I really liked this video.

[@carsonbarlow348]

I just looked up the official definition. Yeah, he could have picked a different word. But regardless, I still think he has a good message if you can forgive that mistake.

[@walkonthedarxide9399]

I don't think he used the title incorrectly. Existential nihilism is commonly paired with apathy, and has been known to appear as a side affect from this school of philosophy. Granted, barring a psychosis, one isn't truly 100% apathetic. Nevertheless, one may argue that stages of apathy persist as one becomes intrinsically nihilistic. So, it is fitting, as it pertains to the topic. As an aside, those arguing his use of the word are more than likely not nihilist; otherwise, they wouldn't be here. :)

[@bimetsherojne233]

results that i draw from all comment is that our brains like to be entertained not informed and made wiser , if we don't make the commitment to learn we will never grow. I got several of his book, at some point in my life i had everything and i was happy learning about happiness and positive psychology gave me new eyes to see the world. great field to learn

[@MarioTomicOfficial]

Tal is a boss! His book The Pursuit of Perfect was a life-changer for me. Will definitely check out "Happier"!

[@thetruthwillsetyoufree9209]

(A)Tomic is the boss‼☺️ Check out his channel‼😁

[@nullinf]

This video is 75% accurate, because although the focus was on happiness I feel like that more time should've been about addressing your "Nihilist Quadrant." That quadrant is absolutely false in the way it was named, it should've been called "The Pessimist Quadrant." The emphasis on this change would've made much more sense because nihilism is portrayed so much more negatively than it actually is, often done by people who haven't thought about it's legitimacy. It is defined as "a viewpoint that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and that existence is senseless and useless"(Merriam-Webster) as to your conclusion that it's ".. result of a particular disappointment or failure, or because it's just one of those days." Doesn't seem like you spent a whole lot of time researching this idea. Coming from someone who "taught the most popular class in Harvard's history" it seems like it was just lazy, I'm seventeen and have explored this idea many times. But dude, literally google it and you can find the actual meaning in 30 seconds.

[@SonOfMischief]

+Gem Monger epistemology pertains to the study of knowledge & its validity, nihilism is a continental philosophy that seeks to absolve all normative principles. If you plan to attack pseudo intellectuals please don't be one yourself.

[@nullinf]

+Edwin Arriaga what it also does is (metaphorically) light a fire under the asses of those who have the drive to do something meaningful with their lives because they know the time is ticking. what he defines as epistemology is really irrelevant unless you address the other main reason why nihilism isnt a dead philosophy. look at veritasium, he's expressed (i think a few times) why he thinks nihilism is liberating in that sense

[@nullinf]

+Mu Nachtlicht id say the concept to live a certain way, eat certain things, by whatever rules youre bound to otherwise youll die and eventually lead to eternal suffering.. but heh that's just me

[@nullinf]

+Juvia Locksar your argument for defending him half-assing over the nihilism quadrant is pretty half-assed in itself. then backing it up by going to my profile to see what kind of content I havent made in a while, assuming all i do is game? pretty low dude. and no i dont know it all, and i would very much like to find a reason not commit suicide but everything in philosophy pretty much boils down to "why not" so im going to study it and make my own conclusions. not waste time making videos explaining other peoples ideas

[@Bangs_Theory]

+r0oki3 So you think arguing semantics makes you smart, eh? Lol. Grow up kid!

[@Far-Beyond-Ordinary]

Another great one! Someone else suggested that you narrate what the authors write, sounds like the best of both worlds to me. You save time (4 hour work week) and we are happy to hear from you.

[@ShoelessJoeChristian]

FATGUED! Why are people complaining about this video just stating the obvious? Everyone is at a different place, and this is just the right video for people who haven't realized this. Also, for those of us who may already know about these concepts, videos like these still serve as good reminders.

[@paulgolando8368]

Have you thought about covering the 6 moral foundations in The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haight?

[@bdr1414TV]

the 4 seasons of my psychological year 😌 we're all students in the school of life 👍

[@mitos95176]

Right now I`m in the happiness quadrant because I`m watching Fight Mediocrity.

[@emmatodd9796]

So glad you're back dude, I think a lot of people have been waiting for you to return. I hope all is well with you, we appreciate your content so much. I enjoy both formats but especially enjoy your voice. Not only the unique sound but the way you say things frankly and with humor has such a special way to deliver each message, I really enjoy it.

[@1901Hamza]

MAN watching your videos puts me on the top-right quadrant i should spend more time watching your videos !!

[@LennisPerezTV]

So simple and true and yet a lot of people don't follow this principle! Thank you for creating such a great video!

[@singularitymultitude718]

I ENJOY BEING UPSET AND VEGGIE BURGERS ARE AMAZING

[@Paw-wy9bv]

The music from the newest videos invokes sadness in me and so I feel less satisfied watching them, I would suggest finding a new one or reverting to the original. Big fan here! Started to read again because of you.

[@jeshvinvisualgraphic]

i believe it certainly affects your mood while you watch it. Like it's there to make you feel shit about your life haha.

[@InterWarp]

I have 3 questions for anyone to answer: Proportionally, how much time per day do you spend in each one of the four quadrants (Nihilist, Rat Race, Hedonism, Happiness)? What feelings and beliefs do you notice that occur when you spend time in each quadrant? What makes YOU happy (in terms of flourishing in the present and future), and what are some creative ways to nurture this happiness? I ask these questions in order to further engage the community that revolves around intellectual ideas and discussion. Thanks for your answers!

[@arturmo1046]

Deep understanding of this archetypes. They are a part of our life. In my case if got a problem with the new "happy" way of living. Cause I believe happiness, constructed by our mind, is not a thing we humans should desperately seek for. Cause I see a lot of happy-unhappy people who fail to bring this artificial happiness in their life. Luckily this video doesn't focus on this, just makes us aware about the possibility. Thank you!

[@allabout1043]

Dude I am waching your videos and you are saying all things that are in my mind today. And things that happened to you some time ago, the same happened to me today. Great information thanks, I'll go to your channel every morning, you can remind very meaningful things. Thanks.

[@cedjunk]

Hey man, I agree with the comments below. Your voice is epic, it makes the videos so much more authentic. Come back!

[@saucyonePR]

out of the three reviews not from you this is by far the most enjoyable. but like others who share the same opinion, waiting on your narrations. keep up the good work

[@khalidsafir]

i love the new format of your videos. You used to give your own opinions but now you simply put a reading from the book supplemented with artisticly thought out animation. Thank for spreading the wisdom and making the world a little better.

[@adrianaizquierdo6381]

I get so excited when I receive the notification that FightMediocrity has uploaded a new video

[@jessie-sarahshapiro5289]

POSTIVE COMMENT: Hey there, I see there are a lot of negative comments posted here and I just wanted to share some love on this post because no matter what transitions are being made I still feel as if value with enjoyment is being given to me. I really liked this one and its simple explanation as I don't think I would of picked the book off the shelf yet it has much value so THANK YOU!

[@alexbarnea]

Love what you're doing. Have been watching your videos for more then a year now. I find them very insightful and rewarding. You are really spreading great ideas and concepts. Keep doing your thing it is surely helping individuals become more knowledgeable.

[@madhuryamalla9938]

watching fight mediocrity is one of my activities in happiness...worth watching these videos..thanq..

[@mubasheeramg6870]

Thank you for investing your precious time in sharing knowledge!!

[@lollil3395]

This channel changed my life.

[@craigsproston7378]

Whilst I agree with what is said, there is a danger that by making a list that is happy now and future is that one becomes lazy and not accepting that in order to achieve one work hard that things that are challenging and uncomfortable. To get to the top or to succeed in something one has to be intelligent, conscientious. This may mean in the short term (present) it is hard work, challenging and difficult at times with many obstacles to overcome. Happiness I believe comes from acknowledging our short comings and then taking individual responsibility and in small increments work with diligence and conscientiousness. Simply thinking everything should be in the happy area to have a fulfilled life is false and very misleading. The danger of being in the happier box is that as soon as we encounter a barrier or experiment pain to our goal we quit.

[@rogerbrx]

Very good tips to prevent us to become in automatic mode ! Life is short and small changes can do best for our living !

[@soonny002]

Interesting video. You forgot to mention THREE very important factors in all of these quadrants. The factor of "habit", "opportunity", and "perception". Habit: People form habits from a young age. Some people are habitually in the rat race and could not migrate to the other quadrants. They need help to first admit they are entrenched in a habit, break it, before they have more freedom to choose. An alcoholic has formed a deadly relationship with alcohol to the point that he cannot escape nihilism, he needs to break his alcoholic tendencies too. Opportunity: Not everybody can afford to 'eat healthy'. Studies show that people of lower socioeconomic status cannot afford food which are wholesome and nutritious. Some of them don't even have their basic needs met like the bottom rung of the Maslow's triangle. You can't expect people to migrate between quadrants without the right opportunities. Perception: What one perceives as "healthy" is different to what others perceive. We all want to be in "happiness quadrant", but we must first know what "happiness" is. Some people are brought up knowing nothing but nihilism, rat racing, or hedonism, they have very little clue about balance or moderation (which is what the happiness quadrant essentially is). One's perception needs to changed before any change can take place. Imagine a person putting down "eating 4 hamburgers as happiness, and eating 8 burgers as hedonistic". Now what do you do? =) Thanks for the video.

[@Febreezy]

veg burgers taste amazing fyi

[@Herotruth]

I think you mean turkey burgers. The blood of my enemy must be served with cheese.

[@arieledelman4732]

i dont want to be rude but all of them taste like cats piss.

[@rahelkaaya5403]

Not the point. If your vegan burger tastes great and is clearly good for you , that means it belongs in the happiness quadrant. The examples are not synonymous to the quadrants. That is why he concludes that you need to find the things that belong in your happiness quadrant and do them more to be happier.

[@jakewells4874]

Breezy Bree you missed the point

[@andrecato2261]

Breezy Bree depends on the brand

[@JN-ji7sk]

I love Tal Ben-Shahar! Good to see him on this channel 🙌🏼

[@AnimatedBibleandTheology]

I think I'll make my own list to be more happy, and Fight Mediocrity's videos are on it! I do prefer the old voice as well. Keep up the awesome content.

[@yehudahamaccabi9420]

Because you did not make any recent videos, I had to rob a pharmacy, in order to get some Prozac! Now, I am on probation..... I am kidding! Where have you been, Malkhaz? You know we need some Fightmediocrity videos! Malkhaz, did you know my wife wants to have a straight jacket tailored for me? We need your videos! Thank you for your RARE AND AWESOME VIDEOS!

[@divyamarkande35]

Hi I’m very happy to be seeing your videos which indeed, according to me help to Fight Mediocrity 😛 And watching this video is something that gives both present and future benefits so this Channel belongs in the Happiness Quadrant! 👏🏻😊

[@Bhanupriya73]

The best video on happiness i have ever seen. Thank u so much for sharing it on KZbin.

[@anthonyepiphanyrodriguez5901]

I see you actually apply the principles you talk about which was another thing that made me subscribe! It was really fascinating browsing through your earlier videos and seeing how they've grown in style, delivery, and practicality. A ton of previous channels I used to follow fell off because they ran out of that "started from the bottom" drive & uniqueness/creativity. The content you share and the way you present it, from my perspective, isn't a fad... It meets the timeless trend of people desiring holistic success and you present high level concepts in a very grounded way which is rare. I tried to find your email but I just followed you on Twitter @MultiverseCity to try and contact you. You're really inspiring and I see we're driven to do similar things in different ways.

[@liamwixw]

I like it when the author narrates... Keep it up

[@markbond1431]

Wow 3 videos in 2 weeks? Youre spoiling us :$

[@thepursuitofbarakah]

Thanks for taking time doing this! Now I know what to expect from this book. I will be waiting for your next videos!

[@ELEV8_]

Watching your videos is always like visiting the happiness quadrant. Thank you soo much.

[@shaylempert9994]

I am a nihilist. I believe that there is a constant flow of change and evolution. And that we "must"(you dont have to) surrender to the illusion of desires, fears, and morality as they are part of the flow. As I said morality is evolving and as such we evolve socially and physically(instincts) to be "good". Beside that, we must keep to be skeptical in order to allow the evolution to continue(or not if you choose to). These are my philosophies and choices of action. As there is no meaning, you can choose to have any one you want, and Albert Camus even commands you to do so or to commit suicide. I would like to hear other philosophies as I am 15 and Its my period of identity shaping(And I guess I would keep exploring for my entire life, so my age is actually irrelevant).

[@sairaj6644]

You are changing people's lives .... Very good work

[@tctur4691]

Amazing.....all the diverse people and subjects you explore on your channel. I have observed quite a few of them now and I enjoy your pieces very much....

[@Gszada]

The best video of positive psychology i've seen so far! .. Thanks!

[@SashaTylzanowski]

Cool video again! I do prefer when you do the voice over yourself though. I don't know if it's just because I'm used to that or if there's another reason. Anyhow, hope you have a great day!

[@eslamnahla]

It's inevitable that the right thing to do at times is to sacrifice our present experience for an important future outcome

[@cp23523]

This channel is awesome. And I like hearing from different authors and thinkers.

[@camgray94]

Great video - really simple way of realising what DOES and WILL make you happy, both in the moment and in the future. Time to create my list of things that make me happy NOW and IN THE FUTURE! Another great production!

[@anmolchawla6557]

bro , please make a list of all the best podcasts you would listen to with regard to self development.

[@Thatone_Dude21]

Thank you this wonderful Video.

[@prabhjotsinghkainth2282]

GREAT! I love the way things are explained on this channels :)

[@rayaantheawesome10]

thank you so much , wonderful

[@matttalsma721]

Absolutely Love it!! Thank You for the free value!

[@Nkanyiso_K]

Hard not to love these videos

[@MrJamjestteo]

Hello, what is the name of the technique used to make these great presentations? Can anyone tell how to go about making a company advert that way? Rates, tools?

[@rcobo101]

Awesome! Thank you very much.

[@GoatzAreEpic]

nihilism is a bad word for that example. I know nihilists who have become massively succesful in the long run because they didn't give any meaning to the present moment, so they were free to learn from their mistakes

[@SirTwo17]

you have to live for the (now) present because the future(later) might never come

[@GoatzAreEpic]

King Jones i understand your viewpoint but i also think that it is very useful if you have a certain goal in your mind where your subconcious can focus on every day

[@SamSarwat90]

+GoatzAreEpic Maokai totally agree!

[@SirTwo17]

GoatzAreEpic Maokai I can respect that

[@josephang9927]

What's the point if their success is equally meaningless?

[@MindBiscuit]

Il faut d'abord trouver un équilibre au fond de soi-même, être discipliné et gérer son présent et son futur avec justesse ne peut être fait que si l'on vit pleinement son présent tout en faisant une action qui participera à un meilleur avenir.

[@constructionmanagement5661]

Kudos on the burger color choices.

[@bob69711]

The narrator is good imo. I'm a negative guy and I want to be more positive: What book(s) would you recommend to nurture posetive thinking?

[@evindang5004]

thank you

[@AlexanderEmmanual]

Seems quite similar 7 habits of highly effective people time management matrix.

[@infinityassetmanagement5330]

@fightmediocrity you are doing great job. This was a great video too..I loved this video. It took me some time to understand importance of this book. But msg that this book gives is profound. I always read in books, that one can attain success by doing things that makes you happy. And I could not figure out any till date. After watching your video and thinking about the meaning I came to the biggest puzzle of my life. Just to give a example, I always wanted rejoin the gym, but there was no happiness that I could find while in gym. But I figured out that I had enjoyed the gym when there were female members around. And I was always going during wrong time of the day. This is just an example, I found many fascinating ideas to turn my life around.. Thank you so much and god bless you..

[@prashantupadhyay3229]

Thanks

[@himanshusuchak6643]

Sir your old animation style and voice was far better than this new style

[@dlrich7770]

I love your videos. Thanks for posting them!

[@guntherhofer1424]

Hey, one question, what type of whiteboard do you use? It looks great and the erasing of drawings and writing works so great.

[@craeddock]

[@sumitjha392]

Thank you @FightMediocrity, you videos are inspiring as always. keep posting :)

[@dhruvgandhi9685]

very nicely explained

[@MasterOfEverything77]

Wow. this is such a wonderful video. Absolutely fantastic. Thanks! I give 10/10.

[@ignasia7230]

Thanks, I actually needed that.

[@fauzanfaturrahman4671]

simply brilliant

[@TheFanGuy]

Hey he is a great narrator and all. But the thing is your channel's speciality is you narrating it. So you know what I mean.

[@JeremyTsagadar]

Thanks you so much, i needed this.

[@juliajustin1222]

Wow! I am totally hooked on your videos. Thank you so much for the work you put into them. One question...how do you speed up the audio to listen to books at 2x the norm? Do you use an app for that?

[@arthurr1299]

your voice sounds better bro ., from Armenia

[@richardouvrier3078]

An inch in time saves now.

[@NataliaAnayeli]

I enjoyed this video very much thank you for a fresh new perspective!

[@notoriousb.i.z.5342]

sounds like the ability to indentify and choose higher vibrational frequencies?

[@Arielle.likes.stuff.]

Love it!! Thank you so much for this video! I like his voice

[@eravikanthreddy]

its really useful, thanks a lot

[@paulk7895]

Good information put in a very simple way. Great job!

[@awesomelearner7539]

Thanks!

[@AllTotalCoaching]

Very clever how you put a spin on Steven Cubbies 4 quadrants

[@bashayer8928]

Great video and content! Thank you

[@federico83bg]

Very interesting, thanks and a warm welcome to the new narrator!

[@ItalianoBrAJorioBr]

Oohh! A great and single invite for a better life to everybody! Very good!!

[@vinayn8333]

wow great idea,thank u

[@ronniacherry]

This was really good. Thanks for always lacing us :)

[@ujjwalbohara2030]

awesome video . thanks for this

[@serkkay6800]

there is so little to be happy about in this wretched world