The following is an encore presentation of an especially popular Depression Mode episode,

originally airing in September of 2022.

Yale University was founded in 1701. It's the third oldest institution of higher learning in the country behind Harvard and William and Mary.

In the 321 year history of Yale, the most popular class ever is called psychology and the good life.

Out of every single class ever at Yale, this is the one the

most people have wanted to take. It's a class about happiness, designed and taught by Dr. Lori

Santos. She's a cognitive scientist, director of Yale's comparative cognition laboratory,

and director of Yale's canine cognition center. The class started in 2018 and was

hugely popular right out of the gate. So popular, Yale now offers the class online to anyone for

free. And Lori, Dr. Santos said I could call her Lori. Lori is a great professor. Presents fascinating stuff in a clear, understandable way.

But the popularity of the class is about more than her.

It's about people being really, really hungry to find a way to be happier in the world today,

especially college-age students.

We're in a mental health crisis in this country, and young people are getting slammed

particularly hard. And we're at a bit of a nexus point, too, where there's a desperate

desire for better mental health and a greater willingness than ever to speak out about that desire,

to pursue a better life. Things suck and we're talking about it more. Like here, it's

depressed mode. I'm John Moe. I'm glad you're here. This class on happiness led to a podcast that

Lori hosts called The Happiness Lab. And what impresses me about Lori's work

is that it's not cheerleading. It's not vapid platitudes of daffodils and rainbows. It's real

information and insight, practical stuff on how to better position yourself to feel better, to feel happier.

I was happy to talk to her.

...