Can You Trust Happiness Studies?

The Art of Manliness

Society & Culture, Education, Philosophy

4.7 • 14.5K Ratings

🗓️ 25 September 2023

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

How to be happier is a topic covered in countless books, blogs, and podcasts. Consume enough of this content and you repeatedly come across the same recommendations that have purportedly been proven to increase happiness: exercise, spend time in nature, meditate, socialize, and practice gratitude. But is there actual scientific evidence that these strategies work? Today on the show, we'll find out what professor of social psychology Elizabeth Dunn discovered when she did a study of happiness studies, and what the surprising findings have to do with the "replication crisis" that's occurred in science. In the second half of our conversation, Elizabeth shares the takeaways of a few well-vetted happiness studies she's done herself, including how to spend your money and use technology to increase happiness. And we discuss how to apply these findings, and the findings of all happiness studies, in a wise way that takes into account your unique personality and peculiarities. After the show is over, check out the show notes at aom.is/happinessstudies

Transcript

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0:00.0	Brut McKay here and welcome to another edition of the Art of Manliness Podcast.
0:11.7	How to be happier is a topic covered in countless books, blogs and podcasts.
0:15.9	Consume enough of this content and you repeatedly come across the same recommendations that have
0:20.5	reportedly been proven to increase happiness.
0:23.4	Exercise, spend time in nature, meditate, socialize, and practice gratitude.
0:28.9	What is their actual scientific evidence that these strategies work?
0:32.7	Stay in the show, we'll find out what Professor of Social Psychology Elizabeth Dunn discovered
0:37.3	when she did a study of happiness studies, and what the surprising findings have to do with
0:41.4	the replication crisis that's occurred in science.
0:44.7	In the second half of our conversation, Elizabeth shares the takeaways of a few well-vetted
0:48.8	happiness studies she's done herself, including how to spend your money and use technology
0:53.0	to increase happiness.
0:55.0	We discuss how to apply these findings and the findings of all happiness studies in a wise
0:59.3	way that takes into account your unique personality and peculiarities.
1:03.4	After the show's over, check out our show notes at aawim.is slash happiness studies.
1:10.3	All right, Elizabeth Dunn, welcome to the show.
1:21.7	Thanks so much for having me.
1:23.3	So you are a social psychologist and you research how money, time, and technology shape
1:29.7	our happiness.
1:31.0	And recently, you and your colleagues did a study and you looked at the most frequently
1:35.7	recommended strategies on how to be happier that we see in blog posts, magazine articles,
1:42.3	podcasts, etc.
	...

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