The 3 Macronutrients of Happiness, and How to Measure Yours

Everyone wants to be happier—but too often we go chasing things that make us miserable instead.
In this episode of Office Hours, I break down the three big elements—what I call “macronutrients”—that you must have to live a happy life: enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning. I offer practical ways to strengthen each macronutrient in your own life and revisit the concept of emotional profiles. I help you think about your unique experience of positive and negative emotions, how to lean into your strengths, and how to manage your weaknesses.
And one exciting bonus: My team and I have developed a survey that measures both your unique macronutrient composition and your emotional profile. I hope you can use it to start getting happier today. Take the Happiness Scale at learn.arthurbrooks.com/the-happiness-scale.
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Where to find Arthur Brooks:
• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠arthurbrooks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (arthurbrooks.com)
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• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠officehours@arthurbrooks.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(03:28) How genetics influences happiness
(08:36) Why pursuing happiness isn’t selfish
(09:23) Why we long for happiness and why we make mistakes trying to find it
(10:54) Misconception #1: Happiness isn’t a destination; it is a direction
(14:30) Misconception #2: Happiness isn’t a feeling
(18:24) The three macronutrients of happiness
(20:11) Macro #1: Enjoyment (versus pleasure)
(24:45) Macro #2: Satisfaction
(28:44) Macro #3: Meaning
(33:36) The role of unhappiness
(37:04) Misconception #3: Trying to eliminate all suffering
(38:17) The four combinations of affect profiles and how to measure your happiness
(49:40) Q&A: Being happier with type 1 diabetes
(51:09) Q&A: How to get better at public speaking
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Referenced:
• Take the Happiness Scale test: learn.arthurbrooks.com/the-happiness-scale
• How to Build a Life: theatlantic.com/projects/how-build-life
• The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life: amazon.com/Happiness-Files-Insights-Arthur-Bro…
• Peter Drucker’s website: peter-drucker.com
• Twin Studies: A Unique Epidemiological Tool: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4919929
• Genetic Influences on the Development of Alcoholism: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4159132
• 3 Steps to Managing Your Emotions: arthurbrooks.com/podcast/3-steps-to-managing-y…
• The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (Official Lyric Video): youtube.com/watch?v=nrIPxlFzDi0
• The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness: amazon.com/Meaning-Your-Life-Finding-Emptiness…
• Meaning of Life Questionnaire: michaelfsteger.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/…
• The three meanings of meaning in life: Distinguishing coherence, purpose, and significance: psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-30427-009
• Introduction to the Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex (VLPFC): sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/ventrola…
• ...References continued at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠arthurbrooks.com/office-hours⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (arthurbrooks.com/office-hours)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (theatlantic.com/projects/how-build-life)
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