The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

By Pushkin Industries

The Happiness Lab is serving up scientifically-backed takes this summer that are so hot, even your SPF 50 won’t protect you.

With the help of behavioral scientists, historians, and cultural

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The podcast currently has 277 episodes available.

Best of The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

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Number 1: Stop Doing Things the Hard Way with Dr. Angela Duckworth
When we’re struggling to reach a goal, most of us assume the answer is to buckle down and try harder. But what if all that white-knuckling is actually making things more difficult than they need to be? Dr. Laurie speaks with psychologist Angela Duckworth, best known for her groundbreaking work on grit, about a surprising new approach to achievement. In her new book, Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best, Angela explains why changing what’s around us can sometimes be more effective than trying to change ourselves. Experts Mentioned: Angela Duckworth, Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania Lee Ross, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University Richard Nisbett, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Michigan James Gross, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University Adrian Ward, Associate Professor of Marketing at University of Texas at Austin Joseph Henrich, Professor of Biological Anthropology and Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University Bob Bowman, Director of Swimming and Diving and Head Men’s Coach at University of Texas at Austin Martin Seligman, Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania Anders Ericsson, Professor of Psychology at Florida State University Walter Mischel, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Columbia University Reinhold Niebuhr, Protestant theologian Viktor Frankl, Austrian psychiatrist and neurologist Resources Mentioned: Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best, by Angela Duckworth (2026) Grit: The Power and Passion of Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth (2016) The Person and the Situation: Perspectives on Social Psychology, by Lee Ross and Richard Nisbett (1991) Frog and Toad Together, by Arnold Lobel (1972) Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl (1946) “The Serenity Prayer,” by Reinhold Niebuhr The Art of War, by Sun Tzu The Golden Rules: 10 Steps to World-Class Excellence in Your Life and Work, by Bob Bowman (2016) “A Stitch in Time: Strategic Self-Control in High School and College Students,” by Angela Duckworth, Rachel White, Alyssa Matteucci, Annie Shearer, and James Gross (Journal of Educational Psychology, 2016) “Self-Control and Academic Achievement,” by Angela Duckworth, Jamie Taxer, Lauren Eskreis-Winkler, Brian Galla, and James Gross (Annual Review of Psychology, 2019) “Self-control and SAT outcomes: Evidence from two national field studies,” by Chayce Baldwin, Kyla Haimovitz, Priya Shankar, Robert Gallop, David Yeager, James Gross, and Angela Duckworth (PLoS One, 2022) “Situational Strategies for Self-Control,” by Angela Duckworth, Tamar Szabó Gendler, and James Gross (Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2016) “Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One's Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity,” by Adrian Ward, Kristen Duke, Ayelet Gneezy, and Maarten Bos. (Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2017) “A 2-Phase Labeling and Choice Architecture Intervention to Improve Healthy Food and Beverage Choices,” by Anne N Thorndike, Lillian Sonnenberg, Jason Riis, Susan Barraclough, and Douglas E Levy (American Journal of Public Health, 2012) “Innovation in the collective brain,” by Michael Muthukrishna and Joseph Henrich (Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2016) Related Episodes: “Your Environment Affects Your Happiness More Than You Think with Dr. Leidy Klotz” “How to Spend Your Time and Money Better (with Nobel Prize Winner Richard Thaler)” “The Man Who Invented Happiness Science: Marty Seligman” “How Our Screen Habits Impact Our Stress Levels” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
September 07, 202659min
Number 2: You're Actually Not Bothering People Enough
Most of us hate asking for favors. We worry about being a burden, coming across as needy, or facing rejection for asking too much. But what if our fear of bothering people is stopping us, and the people around us, from becoming happier? Dr. Laurie explores why our instincts about asking for help are usually wrong. She speaks with psychologist Nicholas Epley about why asking others for help can actually make them like us more. And author and entrepreneur Jia Jiang shares how 100 days of asking for outlandish favors totally transformed his life. Experts Mentioned: Nicholas Epley, Professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Jia Jiang, author, entrepreneur, and expert in “rejection therapy” Resources Mentioned: Rejection Proof: How I Beat Fear and Became Invincible Through 100 Days of Rejection, by Jia Jiang (2015) “What I Learned from 100 Days of Rejection,” by Jia Jiang (TED, 2016) “100 Days of Rejection Therapy,” by Jia Jiang (YouTube series, 2013) RejectionTherapy.com “Surprisingly Happy to Have Helped: Underestimating Prosociality Creates a Misplaced Barrier to Asking for Help,” by Xuan Zhao and Nicholas Epley (Psychological Science, 2022) “Beautiful mess effect: Self–other differences in evaluation of showing vulnerability,” by Anna Bruk, Sabine Scholl, and Herbert Bless (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2018) Related Episodes: “Treating the Pain of a Broken Heart” “Forget Small Talk: Go Deep Instead” “The Surprising Case for Oversharing” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
August 10, 202627min
Number 3: Why Being Alone Might Be Better Than You Think
In recent years, we've heard a lot of unsettling news about the loneliness epidemic and the dangers of social isolation. But could all this talk about loneliness paradoxically be making the problem... worse? Dr. Laurie unpacks what we get wrong about loneliness. Along the way, she speaks with historian Fay Bound-Alberti about why loneliness, as we think of it today, is a surprisingly modern phenomenon. Psychologist Micaela Rodriguez explains why we often confuse loneliness with being alone — and why learning to enjoy solitude can actually make us less lonely. And writer Emma Gannon shares practical tips for embracing the joy of your own company. Laurie discovers why spending time alone is a skill, and how getting better at it can help us regulate our emotions, spark creativity, and strengthen our connections with others. Experts Mentioned: Vivek Murthy, 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States Fay Bound-Alberti, Professor of Modern History at King’s College London Micaela Rodriguez, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Yale University Emma Gannon, author, blogger, and podcaster Matthew Killingsworth, Senior Fellow at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Timothy Wilson, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Virginia Scott Campbell, Professor of Mediated Communication at The Ohio State University Julia Cameron, author, poet, songwriter, filmmaker, and playwright Blaise Pascal, 17th-century French philosopher Resources Mentioned: “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community,” by Office of the Surgeon General (2023) “Social connection linked to improved health and reduced risk of early death,” by World Health Organization Media Team (2025) A Biography of Loneliness: The History of an Emotion, by Fay Bound-Alberti (2019) “Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind,” by Timothy Wilson, David Reinhard, Erin Westgate, Daniel Gilbert, Nicole Ellerbeck, Cheryl Hahn, Casey Brown, and Adi Shaked (Science, 2014) “How people think about being alone shapes their experience of loneliness,” by Micaela Rodriguez, Kathryn E. Schertz, and Ethan Kross (Nature Communications, 2025) “From ‘isolation’ to ‘me-time’: Linguistic shifts enhance solitary experiences,” by Micaela Rodriguez and Scott Campbell (Cognition and Emotion, 2025) “Solitude can be good—If you see it as such: Reappraisal helps lonely people experience solitude more positively,” by Micaela Rodriguez, Samuel Pratt, Benjamin W. Bellet, and Richard J. McNally (Journal of Personality, 2023) A Creative Compass: Finding Your Way to a Creative Life, by Emma Gannon (2026) “A love letter to solitude,” by Emma Gannon (The Hyphen, 2025) “‘Don’t you have friends to go with?’: the stigma and joy of a table for one,” by Emma Gannon (The Guardian, 2026) The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron (1992) Related Episodes: “Beat Your Isolation Loneliness” “Fighting that "Meh" Feeling of Languishing” “Emotions Are Data…So Listen to Them” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
August 03, 202647min
Number 4: What We Still Get Wrong About Happiness (Live at Dartmouth)
In this special live episode, Dr. Laurie takes the stage at Dartmouth College for a conversation with happiness historian Darrin McMahon. Together, they break down some of the biggest misconceptions about happiness in modern life, discuss the most effective (and often counterintuitive) ways to improve our wellbeing, and explore how smartphones, AI, and other new technologies may shape happiness in the years ahead. Experts Mentioned: Darrin McMahon, Professor of History at Dartmouth College Martin Seligman, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania Lorraine Siggins, Director Emeritus of Mental Health and Counseling for Students at Yale Health Ashley Whillans, Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School Sonja Lyubomirsky, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside Carey Morewedge, Chair of the Marketing Department at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business Gabriele Oettingen, Professor of Psychology at New York University and the University of Hamburg David Blanchflower, Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University Jonathan Haidt, Professor of Ethical Leadership and Professor of Business & Society at New York University Stern School of Business Elizabeth Dunn, Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia Manoush Zomorodi, journalist, podcast host, and author Robert Putnam, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy at Harvard University Kostadin Kushlev, Associate Professor of Psychology at Georgetown University Catherine Price, journalist and author Michael Inzlicht, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, with a cross-appointment in the Rotman School of Management Adam Smith, Scottish economist and philosopher Erzo Luttmer, Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science and Director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford Resources Mentioned: The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, by Charles Darwin (1871) “High Income Improves Evaluation of Life but Not Emotional Well-Being,” by Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2010) “Income and Emotional Well-Being: A Conflict Resolved,” by Matthew Killingsworth, Daniel Kahneman, and Barbra Mellers Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life, by Ashley Whillans (2020) The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want, by Sonja Lyubomirsky (2007) The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, by Jonathan Haidt (2006) “Thought for Food: Imagined Consumption Reduces Actual Consumption,” by Carey K Morewedge, Young Eun Huh, and Joachim Vosgerau (Science, 2010) Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation, by Gabriele Oettingen (2014) “Declining Life Satisfaction and Happiness Among Young Adults in Six English-Speaking Countries,” by Jean Twenge and David Blanchflower (NBER Working Paper Series, 2025) “Smartphones Reduce Smiles Between Strangers,” by Kostadin Kushlev, John Hunter, Jason Proulx, Sarah Pressman, and Elizabeth Dunn (Computers in Human Behavior, 2019) Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being, by Manoush Zomorodi (2026) Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, by Robert Putnam (2000) Four Days a Week: The Life-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter, by Juliet Schor (2025) “Do Happy People Care About Society’s Problems?,” by Kostadin Kushlev, Danielle M. Drummond, Samantha J. Heintzelman, and Ed Diener (The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2019) “When Less Is More: Counterfactual Thinking and Satisfaction Among Olympic Medalists,” by Victoria Husted Medvec, Scott Madey, and Thomas Gilovich (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1995) The Theory of Moral Sentiments, by Adam Smith (1759) “Neighbors as Negatives: Relative Earnings and Well-Being,” by Erzo Luttmer (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2005) How to Break Up With Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life, by Catherine Price (2018) “How Does Turning to AI for Companionship Predict Loneliness and Vice Versa?”, by Dunigan Folk and Elizabeth Dunn (Psychological Science, 2026) “Effort Feels Meaningful,” by Michael Inzlicht and Aidan Campbell (Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 2022) Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters: The Science Behind Employee Happiness and Organizational Performance, by Jan-Emmanuel De Neve and George Ward (2025) “Alysa Liu: ‘If I Didn’t Hit Rock Bottom, I Could Not Have Gone Up’,” by Alex Morris (Rolling Stone, 2026) Related Episodes: “Why the ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ Is a Bad Idea” “What Screen Time Is Really Doing to Your Body with Manoush Zomorodi” “What is Social Media Doing to Kids? with Dr. Jean Twenge” “Take a Three-Day Weekend Without Losing Any Pay (with Juliet Schor)” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 06, 202651min
Number 5: Men Don’t Just Need Friends. They Need Bromance.
Men today are spending less time with friends, and many have no close friendships at all. Research shows that this lack of social connection can lead to serious long-term consequences for men's mental and physical health. The answer isn’t just more social interaction. Guys need something deeper: bromance. Dr. Laurie speaks with actor, director, and author Andrew McCarthy about his book, Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America, and what he learned after reconnecting with the men who shaped his life. She also talks with Harvard behavioral scientist Todd Rogers about why sports fandom can be a surprisingly powerful way for men to build deeper relationships. Experts Mentioned: Andrew McCarthy, actor, director, and author Todd Rogers, Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and Director of the Social Connection & Health Lab at Brigham Young University Michael Norton, Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School Sara Algoe, Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Resources Mentioned: Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America, by Andrew McCarthy (2026) The Fandom and Social Connection Initiative Harvard Study of Adult Development The Ritual Effect: The Transformative Power of Our Everyday Actions, by Michael Norton (2024) “Positive Interpersonal Processes,” by Sara Algoe (Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2019) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 20, 202644min