Whoa — surprising facts about happiness from a brilliant guy who spends his life studying it

Ever wonder about the science of happiness? This Harvard professor’s here to tell it all.

I know it starts off a bit slow, but within three minutes, he’s already delivering some shocking data — and explaining why that breakup (or bad grade, or lack of promotion, or fave TV show being canceled) won’t be nearly as bad as ya think it will. At 8:10, he 100% accurately reads my mind. And the experiment he describes at 11 minutes in? Totally effing ridiculously cool.


I know there are a lot of factors that influence happiness (or lack thereof), many of which aren’t mentioned here. Mental health is complex! And I’m not tryin’ to suggest otherwise. But if you’re as mesmerized as I am by the science in this talk, maybe you could share it with your friends using the buttons below?

People Skills

Researchers changed one word in a request for feedback. The responses became more useful.

Mental Health

Darkness before 5 p.m. got you down? You might accidentally be doing fall and winter all wrong.

Nature

Ireland seized a ship carrying 32 million cigarettes. Now it’s home to a growing reef.

Nutrition

This wartime cake skips eggs, milk, and butter and starts with a pot of boiling raisins