In this episode of the Joy Lab podcast, hosts Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek delve into the concept of sympathetic joy, a concept that encourages joy in others' well-being. That alone is a powerful tool to help combat feelings of isolation and build a more interconnected, joyful life. Aimee will also explain some of the science of emotional contagion, exploring how our emotions and physiological states are unconsciously influenced by those around us. And of course, Henry and Aimee will talk about the obstacles to sympathetic joy, like the fallacy of fairness and scarcity. With some science, personal anecdotes, and even some poetry, this episode will help you gain an understanding of the transformative potential of sympathetic joy.

  

Sources and Notes:

• This episode is part of our Podcourse! To get the most of the course, you may want to follow along in order, beginning with episode #78 and you can visit the Podcourse Page to find all the episodes. However, these episodes can be listened to in any order and you can take action with any strategy that you feel connected to. 
• Naomi Shihab Nye: Everything Comes Next: Collected and New Poems
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Key Moments:

00:28 Revisiting the Concept of Sympathetic Joy 01:06 Understanding the Elements of Joy 01:25 Exploring the Buddhist Concept of Sympathetic Joy 01:52 The Role of Sympathetic Joy in Buddhist Psychology 04:14 The Connection Between Sympathetic Joy and Gratitude 04:48 Obstacles to Sympathetic Joy 07:10 The Power of Emotional Contagion 07:55 Understanding Emotional Contagion through Research 10:53 The Impact of Emotional Contagion on Our Lives 11:40 The Difficulty of Practicing Sympathetic Joy 15:09 Cognitive Roadblocks to Sympathetic Joy 19:38 The Shared World: A Vision of Sympathetic Joy

 

Full transcript available at: https://www.naturalmentalhealth.com/podcasts/joy-lab-podcast/episodes/2148264664

 

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