In this episode, we discuss: 0:01:11 - Happiness vs. happy feelings, and how happiness and unhappiness can coexist 0:04:55 - The six fundamental emotions 0:15:29 - The evolution and heritability of happiness, and the four personality patterns with respect to positive and negative emotions 0:22:15 - Navigating relationships: the power of complementarity over compatibility 0:24:28 - The importance of self-managing your mental habits 0:31:31 - Enjoyment: one of the three macronutrients of happiness 0:44:25 - Satisfaction: one of the three macronutrients of happiness 0:52:14 - The reverse bucket list, metacognition, and other techniques to protect yourself from your limbic system 0:59:15 - Meaning: one of the three macronutrients of happiness 1:07:55 - The four quarters of your life and how that relates to the meaning of your life 1:12:03 - Putting metacognition into practice 1:20:55 - What might explain the societal downdrift in happiness over the last few decades? 1:36:07 - Taking charge of your happiness: discipline, transcendent experiences, and other deliberate actions for happiness 1:49:17 - Tracking happiness: biomarkers and micronutrients behind the macronutrients of happiness 1:57:52 - The value in minimizing the self and looking outward 2:02:23 - How Arthur surprised himself with his ability to improve his happiness
Don’t think too hard Peter you are on a wonderful mission to help the people who care grow old healthy in the last decade of their life you have many devoted followers like me and more will join us! I love and appreciate you.
This guy speaks so fast and yet so clearly. It's funny how brilliant it is to break down a word like "happiness" and not conflate it with similar terminology like "The act of feeling Happy"
This is one of the channels that gave me the courage to start my TH-cam channel 9 months ago about self development. Now I have 1,452 subs and > 1,000 hours of watch time. I know it’s not comparable with others but I’m still proud I started because I’ve been learning so many lessons that I could haven’t learned without getting started in the 1st place.
@@lianasipos5832 Whoever you are, I don't know you personally but I can say that you're one of the non-judgmental and open-minded people who is not fixated on tangible or external factors in order to learn from someone like me. Just because someone doesn't have a piece of paper as a credential, doesn't mean that person is not entitled to share personal experiences with the hope & intention to inspire others. Keep up with whatever it is that you're doing to improve mankind or improving your life even to a slight degree each day. This is just one part of a bigger puzzle for creating my TH-cam channel about holistic health. I literally could have died back when I was 14 years old due to major depression but here I am right now replying to you, a TH-camr, who's full of fulfillment and dedication to help others to be a better version of themselves. I ain't better than anyone else but my old self. That's all that really makes this TH-cam thing more meaningful and enjoyable. Thanks so much for your support! I am hoping that you can join me with this endless personal development journey! :)
As a long time journaler (not a proper word, but go with it), I have discovered that I often times don't even know how I truly feel about events or circumstances until I'm freely writing in my journal. I switch to the subconscious as I write then my conscious state is informed of what was hidden. It's WILD!
Firstly, thankyou! I listened to this podcast with rapt attention and really felt I was learning something of extraordinary value from Prof Brooks. But then, about halfway through, the wheels came off. This happened at about the point that the importance of answering two questions came up, The first question was was “what am I here for (ie why am I alive?)” and the second is “what would I die for?”. My answer to the first question is that I am not here for anything! Life exists, including my own life, because of random processes taking place in the universe. My life, life in general, has no meaning. The second question, was what would I die for? The answer is; I wouldnt die for anything! My death would serve no purpose whatsoever in an infinite universe. The second answer follows on from the first. By the way, neither answer cause me any shred of angst; I am not sad about either answer. Nor do I feel those answers are in any sense bleak (in the way that some, particularly those of a religious persuasion, might). To my mind, that’s just the way things are. Nonetheless, the answers to those questions (both blank) leave me with nowhere to go from a psychological perspective. Peter was far too diplomatic to say anything, but I feel those questions perplexed him too (?). To be frank, what really jarred was the story of Prof Brooks’s son, a marine sniper, who would die for God and country. If that attitude nourishes his soul then good for him. This may be a cultural thing, but what I found disturbing was that somebody trained, basically to kill other people, would feel he was doing God’s work in support of his country (whatever one’s ‘country’ means). That just struck me as naive, and, forgive me, from an englishman’s perspective, SO MAGA. In the UK that attitude became very unfashionable after 1918 when millions of young Europeans killed millions of other young Europeans in the most brutal manner imaginable for God, King and Country, for no net result. In the words of Rudyard Kipling “If any question why we died, Tell them, because our fathers lied”. Anyhow, these are observations, decidedly not criticisms (let’s not get all limbic about this). I only make these comments because those two questions stopped me in my tracks. Despite that, thankyou Peter and Arthur for bringing some of these concepts to light. I learned a great deal from what preceded those two questions, and will continue to listen to the last half in the hope of adding yet more skills to my life’s treasury. And, who knows, deeper introspection on my answers to those two questions, if even possible given their nihilistic leanings, might bear fruit. Kind Regards, Martin
Your answers remind me of myself when I was in my twenties. I am now in my thirties and think differently. I can't say for certain that there's a concrete way to think about this unless you're focused on a specific goal. Making a distinction between the bigger picture and the present could lead to different outcomes. For example, in the case of willpower, technically all of our actions are a result of past experiences so there is no such thing as willpower. When you're making a decision you also call upon those past experiences although you may come up with something novel or ask for someone else's opinion so maybe there is willpower. It seems to me that meaning is much the same. If you consider the grand scheme and scale of the universe it may look like you're nothing but if you consider your actions in this moment or the actions of others, those surely have meaning. If I were to rob you or punch you in the face you'd want to seek some form of justice for those actions. If you're asking why, then there must be an answer and that answer has to have some sort of meaning, otherwise there's no point to anything. Duality is inescapable since there are always different perspectives, so there can be no one answer to important questions in life. "To my mind, that's just the way things are." Well, that's probably why people feel differently about things. For instance, openness is my highest personality trait and I love hearing people's perspectives and empathizing with them. Of course different people would see things differently. When I think about when my answers to those questions were closer to your answers, it reminds me of my younger, nihilistic mentality. My parents would move a lot, and I felt like nothing had any meaning because we'd just pick up and reset all the time. If I tried to justify your answers for myself now, I couldn't imagine being a very productive person, personally, of course. The thing about fighting for one's country and God, Gold/King, Glory was something I used to think about as well. How socially engineered that mentality was, and of course they had to put God first to make it work, right? I grew up going to church. I stopped going to church in my twenties. Now I go to church even though I don't consider myself to be a Christian or religious for that matter. I go just to learn and hear the perspectives of others. I actually just got back from Sunday service and wouldn't you know... the pastor was talking about discipleship and service. You can definitely see the Christian influence in Arthur's thinking. My answer to the first question is that the meaning of life is whatever the individual that's asked this question makes it out to be, so there isn't just one meaning, there are many. What gives my life meaning are the things I'm passionate about. My answer to the second question is that no one should be asked to die for anything but I would die for family or other human beings. Unlike your answer, I used to be willing to die for anything, since I had suicidal ideations - the exact opposite. I can relate to the fact that these questions stopped you in your tracks, or I wouldn't be here commenting right after that part. I could also expand on my answers to those two questions but that would take up way too much space. I could also go into my midlife crisis and psychotic breakdown but that's a whole different story. I spent a lot of time after that discovering myself and being very introspective. In conclusion, I expect my answers to these questions to change, otherwise I wouldn't be growing intellectually. Thanks for the self reflection, sir.
I can stress enough how much I appreciate the existence of your podcast. I discovered you from being on Joe Rogan and always hope you would start your own. Really appreciate you and your guest’s knowledge.
A timely episode, just watched Huberman's podcast on journaling about negative/traumatic events to better mental and physical health..so glad the mental/physical connection is finally being taken seriously by the medical community! Great episode!
@@paulbrowning1758 have to ask, did you watch that video? And what does age or gender have to do with journaling? It seems that you might equate journaling with a teenage girl’s diary. Writing out your thoughts and reflecting on them is helpful to very many people. Authors call it “writing.”
A must listen episode for anyone wishing to attain lasting happiness (not pleasure). A certain degree of metacognition is required to fully appreciate this episode :)
This has been one of the most important podcasts I’ve listened to all year. I can’t thank you both enough for this episode. I’ll be listening to it again and again. I’ve shared it with peers and hope they glean as much from it as I have. Thank you
It feels even more debilitating hearing that joy and happiness come from having experiences with others when so many of us are alone and without good friends....
Maybe you have a neighbor who needs company. If you are able do a Google search, look for volunteer opportunities locally or through online organizations. I have a friend that helps organize volunteers transport rescued pets from one part of the country to another. There are organizations that help you find volunteering opportunities locally.. Or you can be an encouragement to others via various means of communication, writing letters, calling, or emailing. If your crafty, your skills maybe useful.. Some groups meet together to make things for the ill or homeless. My aunt helps a group that uses plastic grocery bags into mats for the homeless. There are seasonal opportunities during holidays.
Or we could look at it as in when you look back at some good memories they are based on times with others. I like to be alone too but I don't have memories of remember when I..... taking trips alone, going to dinner alone is possible to be happy don't' get me wrong but I look back memories with others more.
@dyannechristensen7445 ,you make the best of any situation, I've always enjoyed solo time, which, is preferred time spent for the folks in the creative field of arts,which I am not, I'm a numbers guy,lol,just cited that as another population which is completely excluded,nothing remotely resembles science regarding this guy's sample population s , just guy with an opinion, hawking a book is all, although I'm flying solo ,I agree,also reflect nostalgicly on memories which included others, maybe that's a topic for another book lol, apply the " science "
@@fistfull1folks can’t run solo, we’re social creatures that depend on one another for a lot of our health. And I don’t mean dating, I mean needing other people in our life.
The segment about putting metacognition into practice was particularly useful. I enjoyed this podcast immensely and have shared it with my loved ones. I also loved the remark about the donut 🍩!
- Spend time with loved ones. Strong social connections are essential for happiness. Make time for the people who are important to you, and nurture those relationships. - Take care of your physical health. Eating healthy, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep are all important for your physical and mental health. - Practice gratitude. Take some time each day to reflect on the things you are grateful for. This can help you to focus on the positive aspects of your life. - Give back to others. Helping others is a great way to boost your own happiness. Volunteer your time, donate to charity, or simply do something nice for someone else. - Learn to forgive yourself and others. Holding on to grudges can weigh you down and make it difficult to be happy. Learn to forgive yourself and others for past mistakes. - Live in the present moment. Don't dwell on the past or worry about the future. Focus on enjoying the present moment.
1:35:08 Idk I got happier, and so did my whole family, because we finally got to spend time together. Even just working in the same room or making each other tea at break was amazing.
Very actionable. I love the failure journal tied to three and six month reviews. Perspective is one of great gifts of aging, and this process seems to me to accelerate/broaden acquiring perspective. Thank you.
I appreciate the evidence-based approach to cultivating happiness shared here, emphasizing the role of gratitude and mindfulness in promoting a positive mindset.
Really great podcast. Esp. appreciate the test to see if you have a meaning crisis. I think this is right on. 1. Why are you alive? and 2. What are you willing to die for? The complete answers that we tell ourselves might be the most important answers to any question that we can ever ask.
Loved this and have listened to it numerous times! It's unfortunate my experience in the Catholic Church was not as positive as his because I miss having that spiritual connection. Between you and Huberman, I'm convinced you are helping me to extend my life living it more with agency and gratitude. Concepts I never thought of before. thank you Dr Attia! 💖🌻
All Your podcast are good and I am always glad that I have teken one afternoon to listen, but this one is other level... Seems so transcendental knolage you are passing. Thank you
Great nod to Dacker Keltner at 1:04:45. Another brilliant line of research that dovetails into Arthur’s work! Dacker would be a great guest on this podcast!
Gurdejieff, Ouspensky, and Maurice Nicoll have developed a system for understanding and mastering many of the concepts that Arthur has so skillfully laid out (and expanded upon) for us here.
I took copious notes from this episode. Such an interesting and flowing conversation. I hope Arthur Brooks follow up on sharing the scoring spreadsheet. That would be a valuable tool!
At 19:05, he says that by construction each group has to have 25%. Mathematically, that is not correct. By construction, half of the population has to have high intensity positive emotions and half the population has to have low intensity positive emotions. And the same for negative emotions. But that doesn't mean each combination has to have 25%. For example, hypothetically, it could be that all of the people that experience high intensity positive emotions (half of the population), also experience high intensity negative emotions, and thus half of the population experiences low intensity for both positive and negative emotions. That would mean that the 4 quadrants would have 50%, 50%, 0%, 0%. I'm surprised that Peter doesn't catch the math error :)
I would expect that the results would be heavily skewed towards the mad scientists and the judges. Although personally, I view most of psychology as a pseudoscience, the literature posits that mania doesn't exist outside of bipolar disorder. Unipolar mania isn't even recognized in the most recent DSM. This would suggest that the people who experience the most intense positive emotions also experience the most intense negative emotions, at least at the extremes. And based on anecdotal evidence, I would expect that to hold throughout the intensity spectrum of positive and negative emotions. Personally, I believe that people can experience mania without depression. So, take my previous conclusions with a grain of salt.
That's right 😂 When I did the test and saw my result I wondered how the heck he came up with 4 types, as the outcome is a scale. The actual PANAS test has a scale of positive affect PA and negative NA. Scores range from 10 - 50 for both sets and questions are based on a likert scale. On the one I did each scale was sectioned into: low, average and high (it wasn't all the same for PA and NA). For example scores 27 and higher on NA scale were high negative affect.
Very interesting interview of two people that know their fields. Pointed questions from Peter led to great answers. Arthur really seems like a person on the right path of happiness!
Thank you Peter as always! Hope to shake your hand one day and say thanks for all the years of digital mentorship and free learning. Am down 18 pounds the past two months thanks to a lot of information and motivation yo make change I've gotten back. Thank you Peter. Blessings to you, the wife, and your kids my friend 🙏
As a Christian, I take exception to Dr. Attia’s statement about his audience being agnostic . . The question at the hour mark about how does one reconcile the need for significance through the sense of purpose when the creation makes you feel so insignificant . Why do you matter ? For me this is answered with Dr. Brooks purpose question : why am I alive? : to be a conduit of God’s love to others . With love , because by nature, it’s transcendent because God is love, this creates multi-level impact across time which can never be totally known by us. This is how our minuscule blip of a life across all human existence can live on through our impact of love after we’re gone.
The section of pleasure vs enjoyment was so insightful and had even helped me look at the return to office policies as something much more useful and positive on the job. I loved the quiz; it confirmed that I'm a mad scientist too! 😅
The novelty of unexpected rewards and anticipation reminds me of the growing popularity of advent calendars... you can get advent calendars for everything now and they are extremely popular with adults. Including coffee, skincare, candles, alcohol, sweets, chocolates, jewellery, makeup, socks, stationary and homeware!
Peter, the insignificance one feels when standing in front of truth, in front of the underlying reslity of our experience, is not small, it is limitless, we are that limitless potential. Happiness is understanding that you can never be truly happy by being bound by the desires you put in front of you because whatever you try to grasp, it grasps simultaneously towards you so you are caught. Pure enjoyment is without an object in mind or in space. It just is.
As always Peter, an interesting and exciting conversation. Especially appreciate the honesty. A suggestion , invite someone who is committed to faith and science on your podcast. So much of your focus touches on spiritual, such as mortality. But an intelligent discussion on say abiogenesis would be enriching. Although I am not personally affiliated with the Discovery Institute people they have published the most on that particular subject. Thx
This is So Far your Best Podcast ever! … I can’t wait how you guys will merge your knowledge at q biomarkers levels! .. You guys are my inspiration, but at the same time I want to become Arthur student !.. but I’m 51.. and I am a scientist.. the part that says that learning brings en enjoyment to certain people made me understand why This type of podcast are among the top 3!!, I almost have the same order as Peter ! Thank you so much … I am subscriber to Peter but I’m never been able to comment on any podcast on the Spotify or podcast platform!
Other than the unfortunate brush with political false equivalence, this broad reaching conversation brings to the front the formidable intellectual threadpulling and individual humanity for which Peter and Arthur are renown. Sharing this is a gift to the recipient.
I disagree on compatibility. I guess everyone is different but when I was dating I looked for someone who lived a very similar lifestyle and liked almost the same things I enjoy doing. I wanted to make sure that as we grow old together, we still have things in common and we won’t gradually go our separate ways. Of course LOVE being the foundation.
You have a very good point! You must have things in common to keep you together such as goals, interests, way of life, dreams, core principles. I do think they have a point as well. You don’t want someone exactly like you, sharing temperament, introversion, etc. My wife and I certainly appreciate our strengths that balance out each others weaknesses.
Awesome conversation! I made notes and learned so much! Thank you gentlemen very much for this video!! ❤ Btw I cancelled my facebook account a few years ago and I never had any Instagram, Twitter or TicToc account and I have to say I became a lot happier since. I keep just TH-cam, because there are so many interesting videos to learn from. Like this one! ❤ And I am a mad scientist, too 😂
He said he crosses out half of his political opinions which negated their moral importance in his life because he needed more friends. So he became less moral in order to feel less lonely. This is just what the world needs! But why not keep your moral code and learn to accept people for their flaws as long as they don’t hurt you? This way you could be less lonely without becoming more amoral.
I have really enjoyed this podcast so much, that I have been trying to buy you book, but have not been able to find it anywhere. Would love to know where I could get it.
Awesome Podcast. Watched it twice. Gonna read the book. Would like to see this be part of compulsory school curriculum. Some of the content sounds like it relates to the Japanese/Okinawan Concept of “Ikigai.” “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.”
This started well in neuroscience and then drifted into eastern mysticism. The problem is that science can't give meaning and thus drifting into some form of religion becomes inevitable it would seem, even for these hard-core science types.
Science can give meaning. Especially when you discover new medication, therapy or treatment that helps a lot of people. For example. Stop generalising. The guest is a Christian since he was young.
@peter there is a test and a site of Arthur in the podcast but I can not find the link. Could you please put it to the discrption of the video? And maby put links like that in the future? Thanks
Loved the episode and the work you do Peter! Know i’m a bit late to the party, but I’ve got a question: (for anyone reading in the comments as well, of course) Arthur mentions Jonathan Haidt, which leaves me to believe he’s read his work. Yet, his statistic on age related happiness decline completely contradicts the work of Haidt in the “happiness hypothesis”. Haidt states a general increase in happiness, up until the age of about 65 (if I recall correctly)? Anyone know something about this? Why the sudden change of trajectory?
I hear a lot of Martin Seligman here "Authentic Happiness". Long-term happiness is the pursuit of gratification (not related to the senses), not pleasure (sensory).
I just did the test and i'm a mad scientist.. I've always wanted to be the creative, free flowing type lol.. but makes sense that i"m the mad scientist.
We shouldn't ignore our child mind/emotions (limbic system). We should try bringing that information into the real world for our CEO mind (prefrontal cortex) to process, review, and collaborate together with our child mind. - Arthur Brooks
i feel i only get more unhappy when trying to be part of some social group.... i guess i get more happiness from family interactions, it feels more natural cuz its family ... rather than random cuz u just picked strangers out for a social group...family members never feel like random strangers
1:21:21 id argue that some of the decrease in happiness is by design by our policy designers. I would have returned to work if i had the opportunity but i lost my job due to the vaccine mandate and i had to change workplace and i lost all of the previous connections i had made at the prior workplace. I was more forced to leave than i chose to leave
39:54 Bingo! This combination of factors is rarely if ever discussed. The (sad?) fact is moderate alcohol consumption is fun! Many of my fondest/funnest memories involve alcohol, whether it's idiotic high school/college/early adult nonsense or superfun concerts or vacations.
Yes, but what else do they involve? Friends, music, relaxing, interests :) you wouldn't have all those experiences without the above, especially other people, but you could have those good experiences without alcohol.
"The CEO doesn't do what feels good all the time, the CEO does what's right!" - If we ran our bodies like CEOs ran companies we would live on ramen noodles and run a marathon each day, all while guilt-tripping ourselves for not running further.
In this episode, we discuss:
0:01:11 - Happiness vs. happy feelings, and how happiness and unhappiness can coexist
0:04:55 - The six fundamental emotions
0:15:29 - The evolution and heritability of happiness, and the four personality patterns with respect to positive and negative emotions
0:22:15 - Navigating relationships: the power of complementarity over compatibility
0:24:28 - The importance of self-managing your mental habits
0:31:31 - Enjoyment: one of the three macronutrients of happiness
0:44:25 - Satisfaction: one of the three macronutrients of happiness
0:52:14 - The reverse bucket list, metacognition, and other techniques to protect yourself from your limbic system
0:59:15 - Meaning: one of the three macronutrients of happiness
1:07:55 - The four quarters of your life and how that relates to the meaning of your life
1:12:03 - Putting metacognition into practice
1:20:55 - What might explain the societal downdrift in happiness over the last few decades?
1:36:07 - Taking charge of your happiness: discipline, transcendent experiences, and other deliberate actions for happiness
1:49:17 - Tracking happiness: biomarkers and micronutrients behind the macronutrients of happiness
1:57:52 - The value in minimizing the self and looking outward
2:02:23 - How Arthur surprised himself with his ability to improve his happiness
😊😊😊😊😊😊 2:57 😊
Lo máximo
Gracias 🙏🏽
As a Christian, I absolutely love this podcast. I don't find faith to be in opposition to science. Truth is truth wherever it is found.
Don’t think too hard Peter you are on a wonderful mission to help the people who care grow old healthy in the last decade of their life you have many devoted followers like me and more will join us! I love and appreciate you.
"I need fewer opinions because I need more friends." Brilliant 😁
This guy speaks so fast and yet so clearly. It's funny how brilliant it is to break down a word like "happiness" and not conflate it with similar terminology like "The act of feeling Happy"
i am religious and still like this . I throw out what doesn’t apply to my faith. I listen to the science. God created it all.
arthur's eloquence is really something admirable tbh
This is one of the channels that gave me the courage to start my TH-cam channel 9 months ago about self development. Now I have 1,452 subs and > 1,000 hours of watch time. I know it’s not comparable with others but I’m still proud I started because I’ve been learning so many lessons that I could haven’t learned without getting started in the 1st place.
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😅😊😊😊😊
@@lianasipos5832 Whoever you are, I don't know you personally but I can say that you're one of the non-judgmental and open-minded people who is not fixated on tangible or external factors in order to learn from someone like me. Just because someone doesn't have a piece of paper as a credential, doesn't mean that person is not entitled to share personal experiences with the hope & intention to inspire others. Keep up with whatever it is that you're doing to improve mankind or improving your life even to a slight degree each day. This is just one part of a bigger puzzle for creating my TH-cam channel about holistic health. I literally could have died back when I was 14 years old due to major depression but here I am right now replying to you, a TH-camr, who's full of fulfillment and dedication to help others to be a better version of themselves. I ain't better than anyone else but my old self. That's all that really makes this TH-cam thing more meaningful and enjoyable. Thanks so much for your support! I am hoping that you can join me with this endless personal development journey! :)
Arthur Brooks is a beast. I recommend his book - it's a very comprehensive approach to happiness. Both inspiring and actionable.
This may be the best video I've watched in a long time. Incredible. Thank you.
As a long time journaler (not a proper word, but go with it), I have discovered that I often times don't even know how I truly feel about events or circumstances until I'm freely writing in my journal. I switch to the subconscious as I write then my conscious state is informed of what was hidden. It's WILD!
Firstly, thankyou! I listened to this podcast with rapt attention and really felt I was learning something of extraordinary value from Prof Brooks. But then, about halfway through, the wheels came off. This happened at about the point that the importance of answering two questions came up, The first question was was “what am I here for (ie why am I alive?)” and the second is “what would I die for?”.
My answer to the first question is that I am not here for anything! Life exists, including my own life, because of random processes taking place in the universe. My life, life in general, has no meaning. The second question, was what would I die for? The answer is; I wouldnt die for anything! My death would serve no purpose whatsoever in an infinite universe. The second answer follows on from the first. By the way, neither answer cause me any shred of angst; I am not sad about either answer. Nor do I feel those answers are in any sense bleak (in the way that some, particularly those of a religious persuasion, might). To my mind, that’s just the way things are. Nonetheless, the answers to those questions (both blank) leave me with nowhere to go from a psychological perspective. Peter was far too diplomatic to say anything, but I feel those questions perplexed him too (?).
To be frank, what really jarred was the story of Prof Brooks’s son, a marine sniper, who would die for God and country. If that attitude nourishes his soul then good for him. This may be a cultural thing, but what I found disturbing was that somebody trained, basically to kill other people, would feel he was doing God’s work in support of his country (whatever one’s ‘country’ means). That just struck me as naive, and, forgive me, from an englishman’s perspective, SO MAGA. In the UK that attitude became very unfashionable after 1918 when millions of young Europeans killed millions of other young Europeans in the most brutal manner imaginable for God, King and Country, for no net result. In the words of Rudyard Kipling “If any question why we died, Tell them, because our fathers lied”.
Anyhow, these are observations, decidedly not criticisms (let’s not get all limbic about this). I only make these comments because those two questions stopped me in my tracks.
Despite that, thankyou Peter and Arthur for bringing some of these concepts to light. I learned a great deal from what preceded those two questions, and will continue to listen to the last half in the hope of adding yet more skills to my life’s treasury. And, who knows, deeper introspection on my answers to those two questions, if even possible given their nihilistic leanings, might bear fruit.
Kind Regards, Martin
Your answers remind me of myself when I was in my twenties. I am now in my thirties and think differently. I can't say for certain that there's a concrete way to think about this unless you're focused on a specific goal. Making a distinction between the bigger picture and the present could lead to different outcomes. For example, in the case of willpower, technically all of our actions are a result of past experiences so there is no such thing as willpower. When you're making a decision you also call upon those past experiences although you may come up with something novel or ask for someone else's opinion so maybe there is willpower. It seems to me that meaning is much the same. If you consider the grand scheme and scale of the universe it may look like you're nothing but if you consider your actions in this moment or the actions of others, those surely have meaning. If I were to rob you or punch you in the face you'd want to seek some form of justice for those actions. If you're asking why, then there must be an answer and that answer has to have some sort of meaning, otherwise there's no point to anything. Duality is inescapable since there are always different perspectives, so there can be no one answer to important questions in life.
"To my mind, that's just the way things are." Well, that's probably why people feel differently about things. For instance, openness is my highest personality trait and I love hearing people's perspectives and empathizing with them. Of course different people would see things differently. When I think about when my answers to those questions were closer to your answers, it reminds me of my younger, nihilistic mentality. My parents would move a lot, and I felt like nothing had any meaning because we'd just pick up and reset all the time. If I tried to justify your answers for myself now, I couldn't imagine being a very productive person, personally, of course. The thing about fighting for one's country and God, Gold/King, Glory was something I used to think about as well. How socially engineered that mentality was, and of course they had to put God first to make it work, right? I grew up going to church. I stopped going to church in my twenties. Now I go to church even though I don't consider myself to be a Christian or religious for that matter. I go just to learn and hear the perspectives of others. I actually just got back from Sunday service and wouldn't you know... the pastor was talking about discipleship and service. You can definitely see the Christian influence in Arthur's thinking.
My answer to the first question is that the meaning of life is whatever the individual that's asked this question makes it out to be, so there isn't just one meaning, there are many. What gives my life meaning are the things I'm passionate about. My answer to the second question is that no one should be asked to die for anything but I would die for family or other human beings. Unlike your answer, I used to be willing to die for anything, since I had suicidal ideations - the exact opposite. I can relate to the fact that these questions stopped you in your tracks, or I wouldn't be here commenting right after that part. I could also expand on my answers to those two questions but that would take up way too much space. I could also go into my midlife crisis and psychotic breakdown but that's a whole different story. I spent a lot of time after that discovering myself and being very introspective. In conclusion, I expect my answers to these questions to change, otherwise I wouldn't be growing intellectually. Thanks for the self reflection, sir.
I can stress enough how much I appreciate the existence of your podcast. I discovered you from being on Joe Rogan and always hope you would start your own. Really appreciate you and your guest’s knowledge.
A timely episode, just watched Huberman's podcast on journaling about negative/traumatic events to better mental and physical health..so glad the mental/physical connection is finally being taken seriously by the medical community! Great episode!
I did the journaling Dr. Huberman recommended, it is absolutely life changing experience ❤
Journaling? I mean, does anyone really want to do that? Especially if you’re a middle-aged man.
@@paulbrowning1758 have to ask, did you watch that video? And what does age or gender have to do with journaling? It seems that you might equate journaling with a teenage girl’s diary. Writing out your thoughts and reflecting on them is helpful to very many people. Authors call it “writing.”
A must listen episode for anyone wishing to attain lasting happiness (not pleasure). A certain degree of metacognition is required to fully appreciate this episode :)
This has been one of the most important podcasts I’ve listened to all year. I can’t thank you both enough for this episode. I’ll be listening to it again and again. I’ve shared it with peers and hope they glean as much from it as I have. Thank you
It feels even more debilitating hearing that joy and happiness come from having experiences with others when so many of us are alone and without good friends....
Seems like mostly this guy's opinion based on his own experience, I agree he excludes folks running solo
Maybe you have a neighbor who needs company. If you are able do a Google search, look for volunteer opportunities locally or through online organizations.
I have a friend that helps organize volunteers transport rescued pets from one part of the country to another. There are organizations that help you find volunteering opportunities locally.. Or you can be an encouragement to others via various means of communication, writing letters, calling, or emailing. If your crafty, your skills maybe useful.. Some groups meet together to make things for the ill or homeless. My aunt helps a group that uses plastic grocery bags into mats for the homeless. There are seasonal opportunities during holidays.
Or we could look at it as in when you look back at some good memories they are based on times with others. I like to be alone too but I don't have memories of remember when I..... taking trips alone, going to dinner alone is possible to be happy don't' get me wrong but I look back memories with others more.
@dyannechristensen7445 ,you make the best of any situation, I've always enjoyed solo time, which, is preferred time spent for the folks in the creative field of arts,which I am not, I'm a numbers guy,lol,just cited that as another population which is completely excluded,nothing remotely resembles science regarding this guy's sample population s , just guy with an opinion, hawking a book is all, although I'm flying solo ,I agree,also reflect nostalgicly on memories which included others, maybe that's a topic for another book lol, apply the " science "
@@fistfull1folks can’t run solo, we’re social creatures that depend on one another for a lot of our health. And I don’t mean dating, I mean needing other people in our life.
The segment about putting metacognition into practice was particularly useful. I enjoyed this podcast immensely and have shared it with my loved ones. I also loved the remark about the donut 🍩!
- Spend time with loved ones. Strong social connections are essential for happiness. Make time for the people who are important to you, and nurture those relationships.
- Take care of your physical health. Eating healthy, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep are all important for your physical and mental health.
- Practice gratitude. Take some time each day to reflect on the things you are grateful for. This can help you to focus on the positive aspects of your life.
- Give back to others. Helping others is a great way to boost your own happiness. Volunteer your time, donate to charity, or simply do something nice for someone else.
- Learn to forgive yourself and others. Holding on to grudges can weigh you down and make it difficult to be happy. Learn to forgive yourself and others for past mistakes.
- Live in the present moment. Don't dwell on the past or worry about the future. Focus on enjoying the present moment.
❣️
1:35:08 Idk I got happier, and so did my whole family, because we finally got to spend time together. Even just working in the same room or making each other tea at break was amazing.
And I bet it counts for my cats too btw lol
They were so happy
That’s one family out of 7 billion people though. Everyone had different experiences and were impacted in many different ways.
The new editing looks great with the dual screens at once every so often. Excellent, thought-provoking philosophical conversation.
Thank for your time and for helping us understand and improve our lives. Much love.
Merci from France Monsieur Attia. Your podcasts are very interesting and usually do fill our mental pantry with a fair amount of food for thought.
Wow Peter and Arthur, this is life changing. thank you!
First time hearing Arthur speak and I'll be searching for more content!
Just discovered this podcast and randomly picked an episode. Extremely large well of knowledge, thank you for the work
Very actionable. I love the failure journal tied to three and six month reviews. Perspective is one of great gifts of aging, and this process seems to me to accelerate/broaden acquiring perspective. Thank you.
Peter is a self-proclaimed rage monster, so there’s a real good chance that much of what he projects as his own happiness is an act.
Great episode. I usually only listen to episodes once... this one I will listen to a second time.
I appreciate the evidence-based approach to cultivating happiness shared here, emphasizing the role of gratitude and mindfulness in promoting a positive mindset.
Really great podcast. Esp. appreciate the test to see if you have a meaning crisis. I think this is right on. 1. Why are you alive? and 2. What are you willing to die for? The complete answers that we tell ourselves might be the most important answers to any question that we can ever ask.
Loved this and have listened to it numerous times! It's unfortunate my experience in the Catholic Church was not as positive as his because I miss having that spiritual connection. Between you and Huberman, I'm convinced you are helping me to extend my life living it more with agency and gratitude. Concepts I never thought of before. thank you Dr Attia! 💖🌻
All Your podcast are good and I am always glad that I have teken one afternoon to listen, but this one is other level... Seems so transcendental knolage you are passing. Thank you
Great nod to Dacker Keltner at 1:04:45. Another brilliant line of research that dovetails into Arthur’s work! Dacker would be a great guest on this podcast!
Gurdejieff, Ouspensky, and Maurice Nicoll have developed a system for understanding and mastering many of the concepts that Arthur has so skillfully laid out (and expanded upon) for us here.
I took copious notes from this episode. Such an interesting and flowing conversation. I hope Arthur Brooks follow up on sharing the scoring spreadsheet. That would be a valuable tool!
This is absolutely AMAZING! I am so full of information and questions, questions, questions!!!
Get into your hobbies & lavish your friends....this brings happiness !
At 19:05, he says that by construction each group has to have 25%. Mathematically, that is not correct. By construction, half of the population has to have high intensity positive emotions and half the population has to have low intensity positive emotions. And the same for negative emotions. But that doesn't mean each combination has to have 25%. For example, hypothetically, it could be that all of the people that experience high intensity positive emotions (half of the population), also experience high intensity negative emotions, and thus half of the population experiences low intensity for both positive and negative emotions. That would mean that the 4 quadrants would have 50%, 50%, 0%, 0%. I'm surprised that Peter doesn't catch the math error :)
I would expect that the results would be heavily skewed towards the mad scientists and the judges.
Although personally, I view most of psychology as a pseudoscience, the literature posits that mania doesn't exist outside of bipolar disorder. Unipolar mania isn't even recognized in the most recent DSM. This would suggest that the people who experience the most intense positive emotions also experience the most intense negative emotions, at least at the extremes. And based on anecdotal evidence, I would expect that to hold throughout the intensity spectrum of positive and negative emotions.
Personally, I believe that people can experience mania without depression. So, take my previous conclusions with a grain of salt.
That's right 😂 When I did the test and saw my result I wondered how the heck he came up with 4 types, as the outcome is a scale. The actual PANAS test has a scale of positive affect PA and negative NA. Scores range from 10 - 50 for both sets and questions are based on a likert scale. On the one I did each scale was sectioned into: low, average and high (it wasn't all the same for PA and NA). For example scores 27 and higher on NA scale were high negative affect.
Very interesting interview of two people that know their fields. Pointed questions from Peter led to great answers. Arthur really seems like a person on the right path of happiness!
Thank you Peter as always!
Hope to shake your hand one day and say thanks for all the years of digital mentorship and free learning. Am down 18 pounds the past two months thanks to a lot of information and motivation yo make change I've gotten back.
Thank you Peter. Blessings to you, the wife, and your kids my friend 🙏
This is awesome 👌 👏 👍 I love your questions and how stimulating it is. Thanks so much 🙏
Excellent show, thanx. I took his test, and as expected, I'm a Poet. I found the results of the test accurate as to reflecting my personality.
Brilliant conversation!!!! Thanks from the bottom of my heart
Peter, one of the better and sooooooo interesting interviews. Thank you.
As a Christian, I take exception to Dr. Attia’s statement about his audience being agnostic . .
The question at the hour mark about how does one reconcile the need for significance through the sense of purpose when the creation makes you feel so insignificant . Why do you matter ? For me this is answered with Dr. Brooks purpose question :
why am I alive? : to be a conduit of God’s love to others .
With love , because by nature, it’s transcendent because God is love, this creates multi-level impact across time which can never be totally known by us. This is how our minuscule blip of a life across all human existence can live on through our impact of love after we’re gone.
Literally Worth the time
The section of pleasure vs enjoyment was so insightful and had even helped me look at the return to office policies as something much more useful and positive on the job. I loved the quiz; it confirmed that I'm a mad scientist too! 😅
Such a brilliant man, best guest speaker for me, thanks ❤🙏🏽
wow so many gems for life here, fantastic
It felt like a nice conversation between old friends. Really enjoyed it
The novelty of unexpected rewards and anticipation reminds me of the growing popularity of advent calendars... you can get advent calendars for everything now and they are extremely popular with adults. Including coffee, skincare, candles, alcohol, sweets, chocolates, jewellery, makeup, socks, stationary and homeware!
than you so much for this episode Peter and Arthur. It illuminated so much for me. Thank you for your work! best
Life is free choice. We either choose to will the Good and His many goods or lack, privation, evil, corruption and ultimately death. Thank you both.
Begin again @1:29:00
Because YTs watch later tracking is hit or miss on when or if it will track how far along I am in listening to this.
A lovely conversation and yes I do sit at the feet of the holy gurus.
Peter, the insignificance one feels when standing in front of truth, in front of the underlying reslity of our experience, is not small, it is limitless, we are that limitless potential. Happiness is understanding that you can never be truly happy by being bound by the desires you put in front of you because whatever you try to grasp, it grasps simultaneously towards you so you are caught. Pure enjoyment is without an object in mind or in space. It just is.
Isn’t it both small and limitless at the same time?
@@RootBound505 it is the capacity to see all, in one gaze.
Living in the beating heart of a great city like NYC can be very transcendent.
Brilliant .. very happy and thankful to you two 😊
Dr. Brooks is AMAZING!!
I already know I have to listen to this one again.
Thank you for this awesome interview 🙏
This explains so much. Thank you.
Thank you Peter and Arthur 🙏
As always Peter, an interesting and exciting conversation. Especially appreciate the honesty. A suggestion , invite someone who is committed to faith and science on your podcast. So much of your focus touches on spiritual, such as mortality. But an intelligent discussion on say abiogenesis would be enriching. Although I am not personally affiliated with the Discovery Institute people they have published the most on that particular subject. Thx
This is So Far your Best Podcast ever! … I can’t wait how you guys will merge your knowledge at q biomarkers levels! ..
You guys are my inspiration, but at the same time I want to become Arthur student !.. but I’m 51.. and I am a scientist.. the part that says that learning brings en enjoyment to certain people made me understand why This type of podcast are among the top 3!!, I almost have the same order as Peter !
Thank you so much … I am subscriber to Peter but I’m never been able to comment on any podcast on the Spotify or podcast platform!
Pair this gentleman with Dr Adam Grant !!!
I’m alive to have as much fun as possible before I die. I can’t think of anything for which I would die today, though!
Where can I find the self assessment for my mood temperament? Fellow mad scientist here
Other than the unfortunate brush with political false equivalence, this broad reaching conversation brings to the front the formidable intellectual threadpulling and individual humanity for which Peter and Arthur are renown. Sharing this is a gift to the recipient.
I disagree on compatibility. I guess everyone is different but when I was dating I looked for someone who lived a very similar lifestyle and liked almost the same things I enjoy doing. I wanted to make sure that as we grow old together, we still have things in common and we won’t gradually go our separate ways. Of course LOVE being the foundation.
You have a very good point! You must have things in common to keep you together such as goals, interests, way of life, dreams, core principles.
I do think they have a point as well. You don’t want someone exactly like you, sharing temperament, introversion, etc.
My wife and I certainly appreciate our strengths that balance out each others weaknesses.
@@IsaiahDCthanks for sharing your thoughts. If he had articulated his point of view the way you stated yours - I would have agreed 💯.
Awesome conversation! I made notes and learned so much! Thank you gentlemen very much for this video!! ❤ Btw I cancelled my facebook account a few years ago and I never had any Instagram, Twitter or TicToc account and I have to say I became a lot happier since. I keep just TH-cam, because there are so many interesting videos to learn from. Like this one! ❤
And I am a mad scientist, too 😂
He said he crosses out half of his political opinions which negated their moral importance in his life because he needed more friends. So he became less moral in order to feel less lonely. This is just what the world needs! But why not keep your moral code and learn to accept people for their flaws as long as they don’t hurt you? This way you could be less lonely without becoming more amoral.
Loved this!
I did the test. But I already knew I was a Mad Scientist. Probably like most viewers of this show. 😂
What does research show on male vs female on these questions
Seems like all new happiness paths include autonomy, self mastery, physical health, struggle and face to face with others.
I have really enjoyed this podcast so much, that I have been trying to buy you book, but have not been able to find it anywhere. Would love to know where I could get it.
Awesome Podcast. Watched it twice. Gonna read the book. Would like to see this be part of compulsory school curriculum.
Some of the content sounds like it relates to the Japanese/Okinawan Concept of “Ikigai.” “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.”
This started well in neuroscience and then drifted into eastern mysticism. The problem is that science can't give meaning and thus drifting into some form of religion becomes inevitable it would seem, even for these hard-core science types.
Science can give meaning. Especially when you discover new medication, therapy or treatment that helps a lot of people. For example. Stop generalising. The guest is a Christian since he was young.
Terrific discussion!
@peter there is a test and a site of Arthur in the podcast but I can not find the link. Could you please put it to the discrption of the video? And maby put links like that in the future? Thanks
I loved this
You can Google PANAS and there are multiple sites that have the questions.
Loved the episode and the work you do Peter!
Know i’m a bit late to the party, but I’ve got a question: (for anyone reading in the comments as well, of course)
Arthur mentions Jonathan Haidt, which leaves me to believe he’s read his work. Yet, his statistic on age related happiness decline completely contradicts the work of Haidt in the “happiness hypothesis”. Haidt states a general increase in happiness, up until the age of about 65 (if I recall correctly)?
Anyone know something about this? Why the sudden change of trajectory?
Great episode. Thx
Great video and tips!
Thank you!
I have pulled the pump also; so embarrassing. It had an auto release so it just pops on and off, thank goodness!
I hear a lot of Martin Seligman here "Authentic Happiness". Long-term happiness is the pursuit of gratification (not related to the senses), not pleasure (sensory).
Is this conversation also transcribed for use as study material? Thank you in advance!
I just did the test and i'm a mad scientist.. I've always wanted to be the creative, free flowing type lol.. but makes sense that i"m the mad scientist.
What is the name again of the “Awe” book’s author he mentioned ? Thanks
I’m a poet…. Not really surprised lol. I love the clip with the results!
We shouldn't ignore our child mind/emotions (limbic system). We should try bringing that information into the real world for our CEO mind (prefrontal cortex) to process, review, and collaborate together with our child mind.
- Arthur Brooks
i feel i only get more unhappy when trying to be part of some social group.... i guess i get more happiness from family interactions, it feels more natural cuz its family ... rather than random cuz u just picked strangers out for a social group...family members never feel like random strangers
1:21:21 id argue that some of the decrease in happiness is by design by our policy designers.
I would have returned to work if i had the opportunity but i lost my job due to the vaccine mandate and i had to change workplace and i lost all of the previous connections i had made at the prior workplace.
I was more forced to leave than i chose to leave
39:54 Bingo! This combination of factors is rarely if ever discussed. The (sad?) fact is moderate alcohol consumption is fun! Many of my fondest/funnest memories involve alcohol, whether it's idiotic high school/college/early adult nonsense or superfun concerts or vacations.
Yes, but what else do they involve? Friends, music, relaxing, interests :) you wouldn't have all those experiences without the above, especially other people, but you could have those good experiences without alcohol.
❤ Great job!
Make the App!!!!
"The CEO doesn't do what feels good all the time, the CEO does what's right!" - If we ran our bodies like CEOs ran companies we would live on ramen noodles and run a marathon each day, all while guilt-tripping ourselves for not running further.