For today's story, we are lucky enough to be joined by Gretchen Rubin to tell us a story

about happiness.

Gretchen is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, podcaster, and speaker.

She is the creator of the Happiness Project, but also most appropriately to Harry Potter,

which I'm really excited to talk to her about.

She's the creator of the four tendencies framework.

Which Gretchen I know that you have said is similar to the Hogwarts houses.

Is that correct?

Well, it's similar in that it divides people into four categories.

I'm kind of like the Muggle sorting hat, but it's very important to understand that the

four tendencies do not track the houses of Hogwarts.

Because Hermione is probably the most famous upholder in the world right now, and there

is no way that Fred and George are upholders.

Yet, they're all three of them proud Gryffindor.

The houses of Hogwarts do not match up to the four tendencies.

Can you just walk our listeners through the four tendencies and how it's a helpful tool?

So the four tendencies has to do with how a person meets expectations and all of us face

two kinds of expectations, outer expectations like a work deadline or a request from a friend

and inner expectations like our own desire to keep a New Year's resolution, our own desire

to practice guitar more.

So there are upholders, questioners, obligers and rebels.

This is the sorting hat part of it.

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