The happiness we seek can require investing earlier than we think—and may help us align our expectations and reality at the end of life.
When parents avoid the complexities of independent decision making, they may fail to understand where analysis remains crucial.
Subtraction can be an overlooked solution in a culture of accumulation. But having less can create the space we didn’t know we needed.
We use our time to race against the clock of productivity—which may be the one thing that holds us back from enjoying the free time we crave.
Tech may not be responsible for all the woes of modern love and human connection—but it may reflect our innate desire to find simple solutions to complex problems.
When addictive behaviors override our desires, it may be a sign to investigate the gap between what we crave and what’s really good for us.
The building blocks for realigning expectations and reality in happiness
The things we can’t change often come back to haunt us. But our capacity to change the future may come from what we can’t change about the past.
The term social distance has come to characterize our times, with fewer chances to socialize and make friends. But for many, opportunities for friend-making and socialization have always been limited—veiled by the subjective rules of social inclusion.
Knowing when to end a long-term relationship starts with knowing why things aren’t working.
In a society designed for romantic couples, singlehood can be seen as an unwelcome circumstance. For some, being single is not a matter of rebellion, but an irrefutable nature—worthy of its own social standing.
As family norms evolve from generation to generation, so do parent-child dynamics. Changing our relationship with the people who raised us requires not only action but a consideration of whether it’s even possible.
Starting over can feel impossible when it involves a sunk cost—an investment with no returns. But when it comes to your career, is it ever too late to start over?
Your one-stop shop for navigating the challenges of changing your life
We asked. Here’s what you told us.
Arthur C. Brooks and Lori Gottlieb discuss the importance of fun, the cultural distortion of emotions as “good” or “bad,” and how envy points you in the direction of your deepest desires.
Arthur C. Brooks and BJ Miller, a palliative-care physician, explore the difference between “necessary” and “unnecessary” suffering, and the paradoxical realities of human joy.
Arthur Brooks and Jenn Lim, the CEO of Delivering Happiness, analyze the barriers to feeling that your work serves a higher purpose.
Arthur Brooks and the Harvard psychology professor Dr. Ellen Langer discuss the importance of curiosity and living in the moment—and how an illusion of stability may be holding you back from exactly that.
Arthur Brooks and Dr. Shefali, a clinical psychologist and mindfulness expert, discuss the definition and dangers of self-objectification—and what it really means to be yourself.