The secret to happiness

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How much control do you really have over your happiness, and how effectively are you pursuing it? American Enterprise Institute President Arthur Brooks distills 40 years of social science research into a surprising set of answers.
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#politics #news #government #education #happy #happiness #philosophy #psychology
Partial transcript:
If I do my job in the next few minutes, I'm going to give you the secret to happiness so that when you go home tonight you can
start living a happier life, and you can start sharing with more
people so that they can have a happier life too. So let's start with
what we know about happiness. There have been hundreds, literally hundreds, of studies by economists and social scientists and psychologists about happiness, hundreds over the past thirty and forty years. And basically they all start by asking the question: who's happy? In the United States we know that all the way back to the 1970s a very stable proportion of the population is very happy. About a third of Americans say anonymously and in accurate tests an accurate surveys that they're very happy people.
Okay, we have no reason to doubt that this is true. A little over fifty percent say they're somewhat happy, about 10 to 15 percent of the population is chronically depressed and say they're not very happy. Okay now, that's actually not the most interesting question. The most interesting question is what brings happiness. And we know the answer to that too. It's three things, three things bring happiness: genetics, big life events, and choices. And I'm going to tell you about all three, starting with genetics. Now, a few years ago social scientists at the University of Minnesota constructed a wonderful database that included seventy five pairs of identical
twins born between the mid-1930s and the mid 1950s. Now they were separated at birth and adopted by separate families. It's like a social scientist's dream it's almost as if the government had done this. And at age 40 they were reunited and they were given a personality test, so they were asked about the things that were
going on their lives and the way that they viewed their lives. This is really interesting because you've got DNA carbon copies of each other and they have different upbringings so you can net out the parts that are nature and the parts that are nurture, statistically, and what did they find? They found that 48 percent of their happiness is genetic. As a matter of fact they found that more
of their personality was genetic than they ever understood before. Forty percent of how you vote is genetic, forty percent of how you worship is genetic, so this explains some things. Do you have
someone in your life who is chronically happy? Do you have a coworker who's happy all the time? It's very irritating, by the way, and so it sometimes you wonder, that person is just happy all the time. What are they doing right? What's their secret? Their secret is their DNA. Are you a grumpy person? Are you dark and brooding. It's your DNA it's not your fault, you have lousy parents
is basically what it comes down to. So if that's the case does it really matter what we do? The answer is yeah because if half of it is taken away from you you better get the other half right. Now forty-percent is genetic but there are other innate qualities, other innate characteristics that are really important, the most interesting of which is gender. Who's happier, men or women?
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#news #politics #government #education

[@keirarose4765]

a few weeks ago i started acting happy which made the people around me happier. and when my peers are happy it comes off on me, endless cycle of positivity

[@janscott602]

While I don't have the science to back it up I believe that gratitude, humility and a sense of humour go a long way to making one happy. But that could just be my genes talking.

[@comptonopolis]

Robin Williams had a sense of humour.

[@BeyondtheTempleVideos]

They do. Gratitude stops us being dissatisfied and constantly chasing after things we think will make us happy

[@thisisntallowed9560]

I believe gratitude yes, but only towards things you should feel grateful for. Don't beat yourself up cause you don't feel gratitude cause that makes you less happy, I'd say focus more on positive things. Humility, what is humility? Here's google's answer to this ''a modest or low view of one's own importance; humbleness'' I don't believe humility makes people happy, it makes them believe that they are bad if they have a high esteem of themselves. The key is that you can still recognize your own value and still recognize other's value, at the same time. Or I have another answer to this. Imagine a boy winning a run competition thinkin he's better than everyone. He looks at his friend who's in wheelchair and he think that he's better than that person. We all have different circumstances in our life which make us unable to achieve the same goal, which makes no one better than anyone. Everyone's equal. Sense of humor, yes, maybe.

[@renehenriksen1735]

No science can ever tell you to really live and really feel that you do. ;)

[@michaelshannon9169]

Gratitude is the 'Beggars Mindset'.

[@all1videoproductions]

it all begins with loving yourself. always hold on to a strong sense of self-love

[@muditjain8784]

The real Guru, saying it like it is

[@lovemecom3832]

The secret to happiness is to live life to the fullest. Don't mind other's, just keep doing things that could make you happy.

[@elboertjie]

Skip to 14:10 to find the 'key' to what he says happiness is.

[@AAKRITIANANDOfficial]

Happiness is a state of mind😊

[@ferdinandalexander8053]

As long as you know happiness you'll know unhappiness. One cannot survive without the other. Your demand for happiness it making you unhappy. If you are fortunate enough to reach point where you really don't know what happiness is then you'll never know unhappiness.

[@jerryutah4]

This is a great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@OwenReefin]

I just love this video. I could watch it over and over again.

[@trevbeats77]

Thank you, mind lifting. My faith in me has increased.

[@JosePerez-tk8dc]

Hey I'm nothing like my parents they stress And anger all the time I was raised with abuse and bullying but I've always wondered to why I haven't been able to hate life My mom expects something else from me. Always focusing on money I'm different I plan on being a social activist I'm completely different than my parents I come from Guatemala in Central America and its very very violent. Happiness is what you make of it This guy can't tell you how to get it You have to go on your own journey on life and find it out yourself Look for it until you feel right. I respect this guy Not insulting him Bytheway

[@djangounchained2562]

+Jose Perez I know what you mean man.

[@mabeklvista]

Jose Perez Do what you wanna do, don't worry about your parents. they just want you to have a good live but having a good life is different for Everyone. I made a personal view about happiness in a video, if you want to check it out its on my channel.

[@rastaballet]

Actually happiness is not something you can be or have. The human being experiences many emotions at many times for many reasons. Happiness is simply one of them. What most people refer to as happiness is really satisfaction. Primarily satisfaction with oneself. True and complete satisfaction should be the goal, and yes. it is very hard to obtain. So many of us fake it, often with trying to be happy. It really doesn't work. The simple rule is this: less regrets = more satisfaction, no regrets = complete satisfaction. It's unfortunate that we rely so much on words to communicate. Words are the bane of communication. They are limited by time, education, culture, age, experience, etc. It's simply too limiting, and, as such, it is very hard to communicate, because even the word satisfaction is open to so many interpretations and translations. Like love, which we wrongly believe is an emotion that we can give or receive, when in fact it is part of a state of being. You can either have love in you or not. Choose love. It actually will set you free. Happy Holidays!

[@TheMichaelStott]

i believe there is a great irony in Happiness. We spend so much time believing that Happiness is the norm and other emotions when we feel them are abnormal that we will expend so much time and energy trying to be happy that eventually we get stressed out, create more anxiety and become depressed. Life isn't always happy, it doesn't always go your way and the the biggest happy killer is when someone's life's ends. We get upset, we get frustrated, we get angry. We get Sad, we become overwhelmed, we get tired both emotionally and physically but we try so hard to put on that brave face and say we are happy. wouldn't things turn around a bit at work if asked are you happy with your job you say "not really and here's why" but instead we will choose to "suck it up" and maybe when nothing is done quit to find that happiness we were longing for? most people at 40+ are starting to go through a life phase where they have become comfortable and more likely really good at what they do. They have achieved great deal of things but it's also a time where self reflection comes into play "have I done enough?, could I have done better?" which leads us to think we haven't so we become unhappy and because being unhappy is "Not Normal" we start to think of the what if's. I'm 40 years old now but in 2012 I was medically discharged from a very happy career in the medical corps in the Army. suddenly i was faced with one of those life changing events but it wasn't what I wanted. Many people go through being retrenched, fired what about them? "Suck it up and put on a brave, happy face" if you look at that from reality; what happened was a gut wrenching, soul crushing event. the emotion of sadness allows us to stop, take note of the situation because when you're sad you don't feel like doing anything, why would we have that emotion? so our body and mind can stop us from jumping into something else too quickly. it gives us some time to recharge and hopefully focus us towards things that do matter more in the long run. bit like a failed relationship and the grief a person goes through "oh there's plenty more fish in the sea, gotta get back on the horse etc" that's where we can get a Re-bound affect happen. great you just fell into a relationship to gain gratification that you moved on but it doesn't last. You gained some resilience to breaking up with people but that other person goes through the same process you did. I believe that the Secret to Happiness is that it is not the only emotion you have that can bring you benefits. I understand though that if you are Sad for too long this maybe Depression or if you're too easily angered at many things there maybe problems but in those cases, professionals can help guide you through that, just that we don't always learn the best parts of us from our happiest moments. Instant gratification is the new happiness trap and I agree that hard (but smart and realistic)work is much better for the person but sometimes that means you are not going to be happy about what you have to do or give up and being mindful of the other feelings you will go through will most certainly mitigate the risks of giving up.

[@earthmoon003]

Felt like this started off kinda good but then it went on huge tangent. What didn't make sense to me is that if 89% of people are currently satisfied with work then why act like that's the cause of where people's unhappiness comes from. He decided to focus on that as if that is the key. Yeah free market and entrepreneurship is all good, but how about we address the barriers to that for people who aren't in the middle or upper class. The key to happiness does seem to be finding meaning in your life (not necessarily your job), doing things to help others, and having good relationships with family and friends. So many people have no friends, or friends who aren't really that supportive. Others have family that they don't get along with and are in toxic marriages. Many are too busy trying to survive financially that we feel like we don't have time or the ability to help others. So although I agree with his four things that build happiness, I don't agree with him focusing on the work part. That seems the least relevant for most people in terms of what we can control.

[@toffeetarfa8285]

wow i'm really lucky to watch this video , one of the best ever !

[@GerardoBlancoDean]

Thank you very much. I think we have been working hard since birth to be happy, and enjoy the happiness that little things give us.

[@happierdaybyday-dominiksku7460]

+Gerardo Blanco Hi Gerado, if you are interested in happiness topics I think my videos can bring you a value in to your life especially happiness psychology lessons I am producing :-)

[@LearnEnglishESL]

"Man is, in reality, a spiritual being, and only when he lives in the spirit is he truly happy." - Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 24.

[@amgtv3487]

This is awesome, thanks for this.

[@NilouTx]

Excellent speaker! I COMPLETELY agree with everything he says!

[@itzkkkkkkaiman]

This is gold.

[@tridentjohn]

Great work. I have observed that investing or working at making people happy in the workplace does not help make them more productive. However, investing or working at helping or making them more productive does make them happier. Earning brings self esteem and reduces emotional dependence on approval or being liked. It's the genius of the Declaration of Independence illuminating the Pursuit of Happiness, the pursuit brings the happiness.

[@FAST-WeightLossSecrets]

This is awesome. Thanks so much. Super motivated now :)

[@acajudi100]

Treating others, the way you want to be treated is happiness, and avoid all negative demons. I always packed up my stuff, labeled the container with a number, and used index cards to write down the stuff in the container. I paid to have my apartment of almost 24 years emptied, Since age 15, I have done written, audio and video journaling, and I am now in my 81st year. I wear Hawaiian shirts, dark pants od black dresses no underwear since retirement. lol It is70% less expensive living in Queretaro, safer and cooler. Karma never loses an address, and you will reap what you sow.

[@shyaaammeneen63]

Excellent talk. Meditation is also a fantastic way to find inner peace of mind and happiness because a person reaches a state of mind where nothing external disturbs him..

[@LearnEnglishESL]

What % is spiritual? "..man’s supreme honor and real happiness lie in self-respect, in high resolves and noble purposes, in integrity and moral quality, in immaculacy of mind." ~ Abdu’l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization

[@BettyKrocker]

amazing I'm pumped up thank u

[@Licmigguel]

excellent video, thanks for the information

[@DaveLotito]

Doing what your passionate about is what makes you happy!

[@lisarochester2978]

My husband is happy most days, and he's been through many challenging events.

[@najialhani]

Really interesting presentation.. I enjoyed it very much..

[@Tory-JJ]

lol the windowed woman part.. you got a chuckle out of me

[@gretelhance]

State of mind!

[@jennmonson1712]

I'd love to send this to my husband that just ran away from his family after 20 years. He said he is not happy. I'm sad for his foolish decision to dump what we have built. for???? not sure what he is going for.. I love this video, I agree with having all four of these. Good luck to the soon to be divorced man that is running!! One day you will get tired and you will be wondering where it is you can rest your head.

[@creature09]

🤣

[@user-re7lk2yd5y]

Absolutely convincing!

[@DoctorJanakaWannaku]

8:42 see some action..someone is having fun

[@exnihilonihilfit6316]

Naughty boy. Smooth shaved. I'm envious.

[@BroVinTV]

Thanks for sharing

[@AEI]

Marvin Porciuncula We're glad you enjoyed the video, Marvin! We'd love to share more of Arthur Brooks' ongoing project on happiness with you. Sign up to receive updates on Arthur Brooks' Facebook page: ow.ly/rZBtc

[@shadyghalab]

Thank you

[@makdavian3567]

8:41 wooooooo looks like someone was going to be happy that night!

[@rutimizrachi]

Wow. Thank you for this. I'm gift-wrapping it as a present to my sons. :-)

[@AEI]

Ruti Mizrachi Thanks for your feedback on the video! If you'd like to learn more about Arthur Brooks' project on happiness, check out his Facebook page and sign-up for updates: ow.ly/rV4ON

[@ForeignOr]

He was heading in the right direction but he missed the point. Instead of focusing on happiness, that even comes with little simple things, you should focus on the contrast that helps you feel it. The reason a lot of successful people burn out too quickly is because they lack the contrast to enjoy what they have. That's also why people who have nothing appreciate the little things so strongly, they have that contrast. It's something that's cyclical and literally in everything, there's cycles in our heart beats, breathing, the seasons, our life styles and emotions. Its a necessity. Yet we constantly strive to only feel bliss without realizing that it's impossible and fleeting without the necessary contrast. We're very ambitious by nature but that can make things difficult for us when we've already reached the tippy tippy top. I would say the key to happiness isn't pushing away the bad entirely, but embracing it occasionally, as it's often what provides you with your contrast. Appreciate the void that comes and goes.

[@m.heyatzadeh]

Well said :)

[@leonardnystrom5293]

Greatest app.I have Seen FOR Positive thinking so far!

[@thisisntallowed9560]

gratitude (when it's well-placed, like don't feel gratitude towards things that makes you sad)

[@summondadrummin2868]

Being free to enterprise, exchanging value, earned success and being of service are indeed great wisdoms. One significant place our system of enterprise goes off the rails though is by allowing money to become a God. Money a symbolic tool, a measure of value is not what is of real value but in our ignorance we have allowed the system to be structured as if it is real value. Value added is countered by value subtracted and much of finance is likely the latter. If we as a society dont have a very good idea what is of real value or real wealth (what creates real happiness?)and our mal adjusted system points us in the wrong direction $$$$$... we end up creating illth rather than wealth....Food for thought.Good talk thanks Arthur!

[@louisswitzer538]

Thank you, Sam

[@albertgrimsley50]

If we take the time to examine our feelings - gratitude certainly brings happiness - gratitude for accomplishments is high on that list - the bigger the challenge the greater the rewards - yet we can celebrate the small wins on the path to the big wins and thus win frequently. I am most grateful when I help others achieve their goals - that is why I do what I do.

[@gc6497]

AWESOME!

[@CoachShanesDailyDictation]

Such a fantastic video. It all bears out.

[@TheMissEnergy]

You know that this guy is so amazing that he even included the "rules of the law" in the recipe of happiness. It's true, we need stability and solid foundations to be able to build our life and to build a happy life!

[@VicodinMA]

Where the heck did my comment go?!!! *scratching my head*

[@filologkenan]

Speaks just like you shane. Very understandable :)

[@cornighterfilms579]

Amazing speech

[@fatmaannoune8843]

thanks for this great video

[@happierdaybyday-dominiksku7460]

+fatma fati Hi Fatmati ,if you are interested in happiness topics I think my videos can bring you a value in to your life especially happiness psychology lessons I am producing :-)

[@mikeaguero2875]

When you show up at work make sure you have a big smile on your face

[@SloveintzWend]

Just have low expectations. That's the secret.

[@samiralatchison9636]

Loved it

[@mindfulnessasia1082]

Loving Service is the Highest Happiness. Material pleasure in this world can be compared to broken glass. Lasting spiritual happiness is like a diamond. From a distance they may look like the same thing. Under the nice light glass can look attractive. But you cut yourself when you try to pick it up and play with it. So, we have to learn the difference between material and spiritual. Material is temporary, ever changing and full of problems. Spiritual is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. The abode of the Supreme Lord is spiritual and is always full of happiness. All of us want to be happy. The Supreme Lord is always happy, and the living beings in this material world are always struggling with unhappiness. Practically speaking, the highest happiness we know is when the pain temporarily disappears. We are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Just like these twigs are part of the tree. Why are they green? They are happy leaves because they are hooked onto the tree. The leaves on the ground are dry unhappy leaves. Likewise, we will be full of life and happiness when we are connected to the Supreme Lord.

[@zaidradwan4000]

You're very nice and funny guy .. thank you very much

[@1119jblack]

Over my life I've been generally happy but a few years ago I was in a funk. In my 40's. Unhappy with life. I had an internal monologue. I could be happy if I wanted to be. But I don't want to be. I deserve to be unhappy because of my life. This is really psychotic thinking. I realized if I want to be happy all I need to do is choose to be happy. So that's what I did. I just chose to be happy. Now I have the best life possible, and all I changed was my perspective.

[@jovandavidovic1]

The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Scatter sunshine, forget self, think of others. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.

[@NeverZitrone]

I've been loving advertisements on youtube recently.

[@AEI]

NeverZitrone Thanks for watching the video! If you'd like to learn more about Arthur Brooks' multiyear project on happiness, check out his Facebook page and sign-up to receive updates: ow.ly/rV4ON

[@haman7227]

Happiness is progress, growing,… Work harder on yourself development (evenings & weekends & audio book in car, etc.) than your job. Make yourself more valuable (“attractive”) person, you will get higher income and success. Think - ‘you are always working for yourself even when someone else writes the paycheck’, treat your work as if it’s your own business - this will not only increase your paycheck but you will enjoy your work more. You have to become a better person before money or success will follow.

[@ConsciousFamilyHome]

I enjoyed this video. Where did you (or can I ) find the research on buying a home having a six month window of increased happiness? I am a real estate Broker looking to improve on how people select homes.

[@fronthandbackhand9804]

Be stable, comfortable, and do great things for others. It's as simple as that.

[@mitzoss]

Faith, family, community and work! (Note for me!)

[@bjuliene]

You get your motorcycle Arthur Brooks!!

[@SKF358]

40 percent of happiness being driven by big events contradicts that big events lose their effect in 6 months. That would require a big event every 15 months, though they don't occur that frequently.

[@mariamawitmary8559]

Tnx very much

[@msorobia]

Good Stuff!!!

[@TeresaProctor1230]

This is so typical, faith, family, community and work really. What about self acceptance, what about love, what about loving yourself without attachment. Attachment is so strong here. Faith, generally come with separation and judgment, families, communities and work situations are entrenched in old wounds, patterns and fear, judgment, jealousy, guilt.... When you truly step into your own self accept, you no longer base your happiness on outside factors and you naturally move in a state of being of happiness. Faith, family, community and work can encourage your happiness, but they can not provide you with self acceptance, unconditional love, freedom, peace of mind,or happiness,etc., that is an inside job.

[@avigreenvideo]

The ideal free enterprise system, worshipped here by Mr. Brooks, is more hypothetical than real, at least in the United States. People may feel rewarded by their work, but that doesn't mean people are actually being fairly rewarded. Nepotism, elitism, and class stratification are real, significant barriers to true free enterprise.

[@korgy321]

Totally agree. There is a huge wealth inequality along with classism running rampart here. Tell the poor single mother who has to work two jobs just to survive. I doubt her work is rewarding in any sense.

[@FeliciaCravens]

'The free enterprise system is a moral imperative' - Arthur Brooks

[@javiersds8081]

This is the best advocacy of free market ever.

[@ManuelRodriguezsite]

Awesome video. worthwhile up to 15:00. After that is a sales pitch for pyramid schemes.

[@atheismisawesomesmith4541]

Pyramid schemes? Where exactly?

[@0inspiration0]

This is great

[@ajmarr5671]

A simple procedure for self-control and wellbeing or 'happiness derived from the simple act of resting, and explained through basic affective neuroscience The neuropsychology of resting states is generally neglected in cognitive and affective neuroscience as both use methodologies (e.g. brain scans; ‘in vivo’ or direct manipulations of brain cells), that cannot account for afferent inputs from the musculature that induce affective states. Yet a neuroscientific explanation of rest is arguably key to our capacity for self-motivation and a sense of purpose and positive feeling or happiness. This can be explained through elementary observations from affective neuroscience and demonstrated procedurally. Rest, or the generalized inactivity of the covert musculature, is simple to describe as a somatic or bodily state, but is much more complex as a neurophysiological state. For one thing, it is pleasurable. The reduction of perseverative cognition (worry, regret, distraction) through meditation, eyes closed rest, or just walking on a beach thinking of nothing gives the musculature the time to completely relax, and this state of persistent or profound relaxation elicits a state of pleasure or mild euphoria due to the concomitant and sustained elicitation of endogenous opioids (or endorphins) in the brain. The sustained increase of endogenous opioids also down regulates opioid receptors, and thus inhibits the salience or reward value of other substances (food, alcohol, drugs) that otherwise increase opioid levels, and therefore reduces cravings. Profound relaxation also mitigates our sensitivity to pain and inhibits tension. In this way, relaxation causes pleasure, enhances self-control, counteracts and inhibits stress, reduces pain, and provides for a feeling of satisfaction and equanimity that is the hallmark of the so-called meditative state. However, pleasure from a neural viewpoint is not a simple thing. Groups of opioid neurons or ‘nuclei’ populate a tiny region of the neural real estate in the midbrain, and as ‘hot spots’ are collectively no larger than the eraser on a pencil. Yet they are highly sensitive to inputs from different sources in the brain. One of the primary inputs come from dopaminergic neurons, whose nuclei are adjacent to opioid neurons. The axons for dopaminergic neurons project from the midbrain to the cortex, and dopamine systems are highly sensitive to cortically processed information, namely novel and positive act-outcome expectancies or surprises that populate our days. Dopamine is a neuromodulator, or a type of neurotransmitter that activates arrays of neurons in the cortex, and is responsible for learning and motivation. Dopamine induces attentive arousal, but not pleasure, but it can indirectly increase pleasure if it occurs concurrently with the co-activation of opioid systems. For example, eat a very tasty treat, and dopamine activity will increase as you snap to attention in response to the pleasure. Conversely, the florid description of a bottle of wine will make the wine taste better because of an increase in dopaminergic activity that in turn increases opioid levels in the brain (this is also the mechanism behind the placebo effect where positive expectations change affect). In sum, opioid and dopamine systems are synergistic, and if concurrently activated will co-activate each other. So what does this have to do with resting and motivation? Since resting protocols (e.g. mindfulness, eyes closed rest, meditation) induce opioid activity, that activity will be accentuated if an individual concurrently and persistently thinks of and pursues meaningful behavior (meaning will be defined as thinking of or doing actions that have branching novel positive implications, or a variant of positive thinking). Since meaningful behavior induces dopamine release, this establishes a ‘virtuous’ neurological circuit, when rest can be merged with meaning and lead to pleasurably aroused states or even ecstasy. We can infer these processes from variants of meditation such as ‘loving kindness’ meditation and savoring, as well as peak and ‘flow’ experiences where highly meaningful activity is coupled with non-stressed or resting states. Above all, meaningful behavior is productive behavior that has positive novel and unfolding implications, and when persistently associated with positive affect from rest, can become in a sense ‘autotelic’ or rewarding in itself, allowing us to control our behavior through self-induced positive affect. By coming to terms with the neurologic reality of relaxation, we can realize it’s possibilities as essential to daily life and to self-control that make life worthwhile, pleasurable, productive, and ‘happy’. Authors Note You can pursue a much more expansive argument for a lay audience in my two open-source books and journal article below on the psychology of rest and the psychology of incentive motivation. Also, my arguments above are not new science, but a new interpretation of the research of the distinguished affective neuroscientist Kent Berridge of the University of Michigan, who was kind to vet my books for accuracy and to provide endorsements in their preface. Meditation and Rest- The American Psychologist/David Holmes www.scribd.com/document/291558160/Holmes-Meditation-and-Rest-The-American-Psychologist The Psychology of Rest and Meditation, from the International Journal of Stress Management, by this author www.scribd.com/doc/121345732/Relaxation-and-Muscular-Tension-A-bio-behavioristic-explanation For an excellent take on opioid and dopamine systems and how they act and interact, see The Joyful Mind: Kringelbach and Berridge sites.lsa.umich.edu/berridge-lab/wp-content/uploads/sites/743/2019/10/Kringelbach-Berridge-2012-Joyful-mind-Sci-Am.pdf A more formal explanation of this procedure from affective neuroscience is provided on pp. 44-52 in a little open-source book on the psychology of rest linked below. Flow is discussed on pp. 82-87 www.scribd.com/doc/284056765/The-Book-of-Rest-The-Odd-Psychology-of-Doing-Nothing ‘A Mouse’s Tale’ Learning theory for a lay audience from the perspective of modern affective neuroscience www.scribd.com/document/495438436/A-Mouse-s-Tale-a-practical-explanation-and-handbook-of-motivation-from-the-perspective-of-a-humble-creature Berridge Lab sites.lsa.umich.edu/berridge-lab/

[@Mursaat100]

14.00 - Most important takeaway: Earned success is the most important key to happiness. What matters is that you genuinely believe that you are creating value in other people's lives. Remember this. Don't just watch the video and let it be forgotten without any action taken.

[@LearnEnglishESL]

Rather than comparing myself to everyone else, I'll wotk on my relationships with all men, God, the environment, my dog, society, etc.etc. ... love, love unity, unity, peace,.. "...human happiness is founded upon spiritual behaviour." - ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

[@bryanjarrin1150]

I absolutely agree with the thought of money not being able to bye happiness... money CAN buy things that MAKE YOU happy but it itself doesn’t buy happiness. Never focus on the money, it’s a bad way to choose a future, if you have goals and persue them, money will come by itself.

[@josefserf1926]

Yes but the lack of money will make you very unhappy.

[@lisarosch7312]

i had to double check the date on this ... because i don't remember a time when there weren't starving kids in the world. And i know plenty of people that slave away for the free enterprise system and are buried in debt. Obviously, supports the corpocracy.

[@CrazyChaosClara]

yes very interesting.. thumb up!

[@TOMMMME]

What about raw, living food nutrition, and meditation/yoga? I eat a highly raw food diet with lots of fresh, organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and it makes my body feel good, which in turn makes me happier. Everyone needs to experiment with eating clean food. Once the body detoxifies, a new clarity comes about and we're able to feel a new sense of self.

[@carmenfontes]

Your video is wonderful, but I haven't found any version with Portuguese (BR) subtitles. I wonder if I could add subtitles in Portuguese, and if I need special authorization to do so, because I believe many people could benefit from watching it.

[@alexwinter666]

"Literally the best thing that can happen to you if you buy a lottery ticket is that you don't win." LIES!!!!

[@carmenfontes]

Fantastic!

[@AEI]

Carmen Fontes Thanks for the feedback, Carmen! For more information on Arthur Brooks' project on happiness, check out his Facebook page and sign-up to receive the latest news: ow.ly/rV4ON

[@francismausley7239]

"We must be like the fountain or spring that is continually emptying itself of all that it has and is continually being refilled from an invisible source. To be continually giving out for the good of our fellows undeterred by fear of poverty and reliant on the unfailing bounty of the Source of all wealth and all good - this is the secret of right living." ~ Shoghi Effendi, Baha'i Faith

[@hcjordan1]

How to be happy from a 1 percenter: Stop whining about your lack of money and get back to work. Work makes you happy. Your work makes me happy because your work makes me money.

[@yourfreementor7]

hahaha bingo! also notice the emphasis he put on work over family, community, and faith. Those 3 things to him only deserved a 1-2 sentence explanation each...

[@Anesidemus]

I'm all for earned success. Is free enterprise the only system where earned success is possible? It would seem to me that socialism and collectivism would be very well aligned with the idea of contributing value to others and to the community as a whole.

[@scorpiovanna]

thank you, menumas!

[@aMpeDDUp]

I really just watched that whole thing

[@liangQ1]

Just take what life give you. Doesn't matter good or bad. You never feel stress , you won't know what is happy .

[@HancoandKaytie]

Great video! Love thinking about this topic. Just had to do a vlog about it and asked people what their definition of happiness is. #WTF HAPPINESS

[@neilthin1023]

There's nothing intrinsically wrong in embarking on numerical routes to understanding happiness, provided that you don't forget that the numbers are really just thought experiments, not factual representations of real substances. Brooks claims confidently that scientific studies have proved that 48% of our happiness is ‘genetically determined’, 40% is caused by ‘things that have occurred in our recent past’, and 12% by factors that ‘we can bring under our own control’ (especially ‘faith, family and friendships’). This is a prime example of fatuous use of statistics, based on three extremely shaky assumptions: 1.that is is useful to pretend that happiness is a single quantifiable entity - i.e. to use a 'substance' metaphor to imagine highly complex thoughts, conversations, stories, and experiences 2. That we can accurately measure this entity to say how happy people are at least at the level of population generalisations; and 3. That we can say with confidence what percentage of this measured quantity (or what percentage of the variation in it?) is caused by ‘genes’, by ‘events’ (beyond our control) and by those choices that are within our control. To make such evidently ludicrous assumptions, Brooks needs to studiously ignore several possibilities (actually rather more than just possibilities - certainties would be more accurate): 1.that happiness may just be too complex to reduce meaningfully to any single scale (i.e. that any single measure, though perhaps interesting and in some ways useful, can only ever be seen as a very partial take on happiness) 2. That even if there were such a theoretically measurable entity, our actual measures (self-reports elicited by specific kinds of wording, in specific contexts, by specific interviewers) may not accurately reflect that reality, even at the level of aggregated populations. 3. That even if we could believe that survey self-reports accurately represented a real measurable entity called ‘happiness’, the ongoing interactions between genes, events, and intentional choices may be so complex that it simply makes no sense at all to talk of how much percent of this entity is attributable to any one of these interdependent causes. A further thing he ignores is that if you are going to make such bold claims about what percent of happiness is attributable to which category of cause, you need to say something intelligible about what your imagined ‘0-100 scale of causation’ is actually representing. Does it represent all of happiness, as Brooks implies? If so, it would be rather weird to say that genes and environmental factors are separable causes, since they are evidently both 100% essential for our existence, let alone our survival and happiness. Or does he mean the variation in happiness between all individuals in the world? Or the variation in happiness between all individuals in a given population? Or the variation in happiness that is possible in one individual? Brooks simply ignores all these issues.

[@mavmi1]

This was an ad THAT I COULD NOT SKIP on a 3:00 video.needless to say,I was not happy.

[@TheDirthound]

My happiness is relative and my life feels meaningless; I find my job boring, I feel no sense of community because I travel a lot for my work and I'm not married and my relationship with my family is rather estranged. I just turned 44. I'm doomed.

[@mcsmama]

@TheDirthound - You are not doomed. If you TRULY tap into Faith it can transform you, bringing an amazing level of peace & happiness into your life. Wishing you peace... God bless! xo

[@Hammett175]

Nice talk. A lot of truth in it. However, I think St. Augustine had it right, and much more simply: "God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you." -- Confessions of Saint Augustine (397 A.D.) I am glad I stopped long enough in my life to see exactly what he did about it. He sought the "peace that surpasses all understanding." That is the secret to my happiness.

[@thewalker124]

I found happiness is more about a "who" then a "what". I just did a video on my channel about this!

[@Hana-uy1wi]

It's different for every person . And it's pretty much always the superficial things that give you happiness , as sad as it is. If the stuff he is talking about really Worked for a human brane - That's what most people would do already ! Do you really believe Nobody tried that ??? It doesn't last ... ! You'll still want something More ! Here is the secret to you People - the human brane is designed to never feel satisfied and completely happy ! You have to go from one happy project to another ! And that's how you always work at it ! You're welcome .

[@r.a.h.175]

If one could walk and eat, that’s happiness.

[@enrichingexchanges]

So, 88% of "happiness" is out of control. Yet, there are speakers like this who are able to market "happiness" for a lot of money. It is worth keeping in mind that this speech is given to the American Enterprise Institute. The content of this speech is a "thank you" to the sponsors rather than an actual discussion of what makes people happy. The most enduring findings in serious happiness research is kindness and giving, things that are antithetical to the intellectuals bred on a daily dose of Ayn-Rand. Yet, he cannot say that with a straight face. Instead, he is reduced to a puppet of talking about individual pursuit. In fact, the more self-focused you are, the more likely you are to be unhappy. The best happiness interventions (based on, serious research) are helping others and being thankful. This speech, and many such speeches on happiness, are standing evidence of the phrase attributed to P. T. Barnum, "there is a sucker born every minute". Looks like a bunch of suckers out there willing to gobble up this brand of seemingly happy but fundamentally incoherent balderdash.

[@dorisaz3509]

true

[@super-ajuda]

Happiness is a spiritual state. Further than have success or the appropriate age or gender or DNA even, is to have mental health. People that have healthy mind is evidently happier.