Arthur Brooks has studied and shared information about happiness for quite awhile. In his book “The Happiness Files,” and TED talk The art and science of happiness, he describes three elements from the work of Michael Steger, author of “Purpose and Meaning in the Workplace,” TED talk: What makes life meaningful. [Amazon affiliate links provide a small commission that helps to support the Daily PlanIt] Arthur Brooks calls this the Happiness equation: happiness = meaning + enjoyment + satisfaction.
• Meaning (Coherence + Purpose + Significance): This involves understanding why things happen, having a sense of direction, and believing your life has significance.
• Enjoyment (Pleasure + People + Memory): Enjoyment comes from shared activities that are intentionally chosen and savored.
• Satisfaction (The Joy of Struggle): This is the fulfillment derived from working hard to achieve a goal. Satisfaction comes from effort and the joy of accomplishment after struggle.
Meaning is the main focus of his new book, “The Meaning of Your Life.” He outlines three elements from the work of Michael Steger, author of Purpose and Meaning in the Workplace, TED talk: What makes life meaningful.
↳ Coherence is the feeling that your life makes sense. Learn more about gaining coherence at MAPS to a meaningful life.
↳ Purpose involves having goals and a guiding direction.
↳ Significance is about the value of your life to yourself and others, not just accomplishments, but the positive impact you have. [Youtube short]
Enjoyment is about shared and savored experiences. [Youtube short] To increase enjoyment, the next element of the happiness equation:
↳ Savor: appreciation with awareness. [How to enjoy your life Office Hours]
↳ Active: fully engage in experiences and intentionally seek flow. [How to be good at leisure Office Hours]
↳ Social: increase enjoyment by interacting with others.
A key distinction to understand is the difference between enjoyment and pleasure. [Arthur Brooks on the difference between enjoyment and pleasure] True enjoyment is SPECIAL:
• Social (birthday party, game night)
• Produces serotonin (feel-good chemical that stabilizes and produces contentment)
• Ethereal (felt in spirit)
• Conscious (mindfully chosen with thought)
• Isn’t addictive or achievable through substances
• Active (creative challenges, movement)
• Long term results (learning, mastering a skill)
Dopamine is a chemical reward that drives goal accomplishment. Pleasure is felt in the body, can be addictive, and is achievable through substances like drugs, nicotine, and alcohol. Pleasure can be achieved in isolation with short term results. Pleasure is often unconsciously and passively sought. Dopamine can be derived from healthy behaviors like exploring hobbies, and task accomplishment. But unhealthy sources come with negative effects. [See the video from Robert Lustig. He also has a book “Fat Chance,” and TED talk: Sugar: the elephant in the kitchen ]
Satisfaction comes from accomplishing meaningful goals. You can’t keep satisfaction, but you can GET some with:
↳ Goals: move toward intrinsic goals [How to set the right goals Office Hours]
↳ Effort: seeking goals involves struggle [Do hard things Office Hours]
↳ Task Accomplishment: arrange rewards for small steps – beware the lie of dopamine that it lasts forever, the joy is in the journey. Satisfaction = Haves ÷ Wants: manage your wants.
It was an earth-shaking moment for me when I first heard him describe the importance of satisfaction. Satisfaction is gained with effort, not from choosing the easiest path and seeking comfort. Watch Martina Lofqvist’s TED talk Why hard challenges are good for you, and read more at Develop Agency. [satisfaction short]
It is so easy to be distracted from the important. The addictive technology that surrounds us in today’s world, is always available to reach for an easy dopamine hit when meaningful pursuits become challenging or a little boring. Be aware and be strong to guide your own life in the direction you choose. Being aware of the doom loop and gaining insight into how to deal with it will help us in the pursuit of meaning.
Resources: Video on the formula for happiness from the Well (7:04) Arthur Brook’s online meaning in life quiz, Michael Stegner’s online tools. Matt Killingsworth TED talk Want to be happier? Stay in the moment
Learn more about Happiness. Find more TED talks by speakers who are also authors at TED talk book discussion.
I seek to create order from the chaos of complex information. Join me at the Daily PlanIt to gain insights, inspiration, and information to increase skills for a better life. I unlock the power of teaching reading with phonics in the pursuit of literacy at www.phonicspow.com. In my spare time I explore books and movies, often choosing titles available on both screen and page.
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