The Science of Well-Being ©2018
THE SCIENCE OF WELL-BEING
WHAT PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
SAYS ABOUT THE GOOD LIFE
LET’S TAKE A MOMENT
Annoying Features of the Mind TO REFLECT ON ALL THIS…
LAURIE SANTOS
YALE UNIVERSITY
X
GOOD JOB
LOTS OF MONEY
AWESOME STUFF
TRUE LOVE
THE PERFECT BODY
THE PERFECT GRADES
WHY DON’T THESE THINGS
MAKE US HAPPY?
1
The Science of Well-Being ©2018
ANSWER #1:
“HAPPINESS IS JUST SET
GENETICALLY SO CAN’T REALLY
BE CHANGED”
ANSWER #2:
“STUFF HAPPENS AND MESSES
THINGS UP”
GENES & CIRCUMSTANCES DON’T
MATTER AS MUCH AS WE THINK!
THOSE TWO ANSWERS
ARE WRONG
SONJA LYUBOMIRSKY
2
The Science of Well-Being ©2018
GENES & CIRCUMSTANCES DON’T GENES & CIRCUMSTANCES DON’T
MATTER AS MUCH AS WE THINK! MATTER AS MUCH AS WE THINK!
GENES & CIRCUMSTANCES DON’T GENES & CIRCUMSTANCES DON’T
MATTER AS MUCH AS WE THINK! MATTER AS MUCH AS WE THINK!
UNDER
ACTIONS/ OUR
THOUGHTS GENETIC CONTROL! GENETIC
(40%) SETPOINT (40%) SETPOINT
(50%) (50%)
“Our intentional, effortful
activities have a powerful effect THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN
on how happy we are, over and DO TO BECOME HAPPIER
above the effects of our set points
and the circumstances in which
we find ourselves.”
BUT MOST OF THE GOALS
- Sonja Lyubomirsky
WE THINK WILL MAKE US HAPPY
DON’T REALLY MAKE US HAPPY
3
The Science of Well-Being ©2018
“OK, THAT SCIENCE STUFF MIGHT
BE TRUE FOR EVERYBODY ELSE
AN ANNOYING FEATURE OF
BUT I REALLY WILL BE HAPPY IF I THE MIND THAT’S
HAVE THE PERFECT LEADING YOU ASTRAY
JOB/SALARY/BODY/GRADES”
ANNOYING FEATURE #1:
OUR MINDS’ STRONGEST
INTUITIONS ARE OFTEN
TOTALLY WRONG
If a baseball and a bat cost $1.10
together, and the bat costs $1.00
more than the ball, how much
does the ball cost?
X
ANSWER = 10¢
CORRECT ANSWER = 5¢
4
The Science of Well-Being ©2018
ANNOYING FEATURE #1:
OUR MINDS’ STRONGEST MOST OF THE GOALS
INTUITIONS ARE OFTEN WE THINK WILL MAKE US HAPPY
TOTALLY WRONG DON’T REALLY MAKE US HAPPY
