Live Like the Ancient Cynics
Modern cynicism traps you in an unhappy cycle. The original version will set you free.
How to Succeed at Failure
Sometimes you just can’t win. Make the most of it.
Listen to Your Own Advice
Guilt, fear, and low self-esteem can stop you from living by your own wisdom. Here’s how to overcome them.
Give Your Money. Give Your Time. Don’t Tell Anyone.
You can find deep, lasting happiness in a good deed that no one knows you did.
The Cure for Holiday Blues
You’ll enjoy the season more if you lower your expectations.
When’s the Last Time You Felt Truly Happy?
We asked. Here’s what you told us.
Procrastinate This, Not That
Putting things off can improve your performance—if you do it right.
What You’re Really Worried About When You’re Worried About Money
Once you’ve met your most basic needs, an obsession with your bank account might be hiding deeper anxieties.
When You Can’t Change the World, Change Your Feelings
Adjusting your attitude is easier than you think.
How to Be Thankful When You Don’t Feel Thankful
Even if you think you have little to celebrate this year, you can—and should—practice gratitude.
How to Identify What You Enjoy
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.
Quit Lying to Yourself
Real happiness starts with telling yourself the truth, even when it hurts.
No One Cares!
Our fears about what other people think of us are overblown and rarely worth fretting over.
How to Live When You’re in Pain
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.
What Winter-Haters Get Wrong
Chasing the sun usually isn’t worth it. Learn to like the climate you’ve got instead.
How to Find the Secret to Meaningful Work
Arthur Brooks and Jenn Lim, the CEO of Delivering Happiness, analyze the barriers to feeling that your work serves a higher purpose.
The Disguises We Wear Every Day
Hiding your feelings can be freeing. But eventually you have to take off the mask.
How to Know That You Know Nothing
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.
The Meaning of Life Is Surprisingly Simple
You can make your quest for meaning manageable by breaking it down into three bite-size dimensions.
How Not to Be Your Own Worst Enemy
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.
To Be Happy, Hide From the Spotlight
Even if you have no interest in being a pop star or the president, beware the siren song of prestige.
How to Know You’re Lonely
Dr. Vivek Murthy and Arthur Brooks discuss loneliness—what it feels like, how difficult it is to identify, and the remedies to alleviate its impact on our daily lives.
How to Break a Phone Addiction
You can forge a happier relationship with your devices by using them more mindfully.
How to Be Self-Aware
Manage your feelings so they don’t manage you.
A Profession Is Not a Personality
Reducing yourself to any single characteristic, whether it be your title or your job performance, is a deeply damaging act.
The Difference Between Hope and Optimism
For starters, hope is better.
Go for a Walk
What I learned about transcendence from a very boring 100-mile trek
Stop Waiting for Your Soul Mate
Love isn’t destiny. That’s what makes it so sweet.
The Secret to Happiness at Work
Your job doesn’t have to represent the most prestigious use of your potential. It just needs to be rewarding.
The Real Reason Kids Don’t Like School
Loneliness is a far bigger problem than a distaste for hard work.
Fake Forgiveness Is Toxic for Relationships
Accepting an apology or brushing off a slight can benefit the offender and the offended alike—but only if you really commit to it.
The Link Between Happiness and a Sense of Humor
A little laugh goes a long way.
Which Pet Will Make You Happiest?
A pandemic puppy can increase your well-being—if you choose one for the right reasons.
What Immigrants Know About Happiness
The act of migration involves taking risks in pursuit of a meaningful reward and having faith in the future. Everyone should try to live more like that.
Those Who Share a Roof Share Emotions
Feelings are contagious—but you can help your loved ones when they’re sad without sacrificing your own good mood.
Different Cultures Define Happiness Differently
Well-being is far from universal. Here are four models to help you understand the world—and your own mind.
The Link Between Self-Reliance and Well-Being
Individualism is about having the freedom to be who you are—not going it alone.
The Happy Patriot, the Unhappy Nationalist
Having pride in your country can lead to greater well-being, but only if you do it right.
Plan Ahead. Don’t Post.
And seven other rules for a happy vacation
Dads Just Want to Help
Sacrificing for their kids makes fathers happier. Acknowledging that sacrifice will make everyone happier.
The Lie We Tell Ourselves About Going to Bed Early
To get better sleep, stop treating it like a chore.
How to Escape the Happiness Guilt Trap
There’s plenty wrong in the world. Acting gloomy won’t fix any of it.
Don’t Approach Life Like a Picky Eater
Try new things. Not too much. Mostly experiences.
What Introverts and Extroverts Can Learn From Each Other
Going against your instincts can help make you happier.
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Chance to Start Over
It’s time to prepare for a new and better normal than your pre-pandemic life.
How Adult Children Affect Their Mother’s Happiness
Plenty of moms feel something less than unmitigated joy around their grown-up kids. Make sure yours feels that she’s getting as much out of her relationship with you as she gives.
Stop Spending Time on Things You Hate
Your time on Earth is precious and limited. Here’s how to waste it.
Don’t Wish for Happiness. Work for It.
If you want to improve your well-being, you need to make a plan and act on it.
How to Buy Happiness
The joys of money are nothing without other people.
The Best Friends Can Do Nothing for You
If your social life is leaving you unfulfilled, you might have too many deal friends, and not enough real friends.
The Hidden Toll of Remote Work
Switching to Zoom forever might be convenient, but it’s a recipe for loneliness.
Are You Dreaming Too Big?
Lifelong, hard-to-achieve goals might not make you happier. Small steps will.
Here’s 10,000 Hours. Don’t Spend It All in One Place.
Evidence shows that hyper-specialization is not the best strategy for happiness.
Changing Your Mind Can Make You Less Anxious
Humans are programmed to think we’re right at all costs. Fighting that instinct will set you free.
A Counterintuitive Way to Cheer Up When You’re Down
When you most need to get happier, try giving happiness away.
Go Ahead and Fail
Perfectionism can make you miserable. Here’s how you can muster the courage to mess up.
What You Gain When You Give Things Up
Voluntarily sacrificing pleasurable things resets your senses and makes you master of yourself.
The Type of Love That Makes People Happiest
When it comes to lasting romance, passion has nothing on friendship.
The Subtle Mindset Shift That Could Radically Change the Way You See the World
The Dalai Lama teaches that we are all interconnected and inseparable from one another. Acknowledging that can make us less lonely, more compassionate, and better investigators of the truth.
There Are Two Kinds of Happy People
Some of us strive for a virtuous life. Others strive for a pleasant one. We could all use a better balance.