Name: Happiness and its surprises
Uploaded: 2009-06-10T01:00:00Z
Duration: 14 min 4 s
Description: Cognitive researcher Nancy Etcoff looks at happiness -- the ways we try to achieve and increase it, the way it's untethered to our real circumstances, and its surprising effect on our bodies.

Nancy Etcoff: Happiness and its surprises

Happiness and its surprises

Cognitive researcher Nancy Etcoff looks at happiness -- the ways we try to achieve and increase it, the way it's untethered to our real circumstances, and its surprising effect on our bodies.

Humans are hardwired to seek happiness, yet the rate of happiness stays flat even as society chases it through self-help and medication. Depression and anxiety are rising globally, with projections that depression will soon be the second leading cause of disability. Studies reveal that money and material gains have surprisingly little impact on lasting well-being. True happiness often emerges from social connection, flow states, and valuing experiences over possessions.