Arthur Brooks · Health

Office Hours with Arthur Brooks

Hi Friends, I’m Arthur Brooks, a social scientist, Vanderbilt professor, and columnist at The Free Press. I write, speak, and teach about the science of human happiness, blending neuroscience, behavioral science, philosophy, and religion for insights on how to live better and be happier. Each week on Office Hours, you’ll get a glimpse into the research on happiness and explore how to use it to improve your life—and share what you learn with those you love. Join me in the movement to build a happier world–starting with you. Production by penname.co. Photography by www.calebhargett.com.

Episodes

The "self-esteem movement" and the cultural insistence that individuals are "perfect just the way they are" foster cognitive dissonance, bitterness, and helplessness. This pervasive illusion prevents necessary self-improvement and creates a fragile sense of self-worth that collapses when confronted with reality. Instea...

How to Enjoy Your Life

04 May 2026

36m

AI processed

Savoring life’s experiences—whether neutral, positive, or negative—serves as a powerful mechanism for enhancing well-being and finding meaning. By consciously paying attention to the present moment, individuals stimulate the brain’s reward centers, effectively overriding the evolutionary negativity bias that prioritize...

How to Manage Grief

27 Apr 2026

40m

Why You Literally Need to Touch Grass

20 Apr 2026

33m

AI processed

Modern life’s heavy reliance on technology and urban environments creates an evolutionary mismatch, trapping individuals in a digital "matrix" that fuels stress, anxiety, and social comparison. Humans are biologically adapted to natural settings, and reconnecting with the outdoors is essential for restoring mental clar...

6 Big Lessons to Build Your Dream Life with Sahil Bloom

13 Apr 2026

49m

AI processed

Defining a successful life requires shifting focus from external status and financial accumulation toward intentional, value-aligned action. True success involves creating a life that reflects one's ideal self, a process that necessitates auditing personal desires to ensure they are not merely products of mimetic influ...

How to Create Your Calling

06 Apr 2026

36m

AI processed

Finding a professional calling relies on cultivating a specific orientation toward work rather than searching for a rare, talent-based vocation. True fulfillment stems from a "subjective career," where intrinsic meaning—coherence, purpose, and significance—outweighs extrinsic rewards like prestige or pay. Rather than s...

6 Protocols to Find Meaning and Build a Happier Life

30 Mar 2026

40m

How the Meaning of Life Affects Your Brain: Part 2 of 3

23 Mar 2026

41m

AI processed

Young adults face an unprecedented crisis of depression and anxiety, driven by a pervasive sense of existential emptiness and a lack of purpose. This crisis stems from a cultural obsession with "complicated" problems—solvable through technology and logic—at the expense of "complex" problems, which involve mysteries lik...

Find the Meaning of Your Life Part 1 of 3: Get Better at Boredom

16 Mar 2026

46m

AI processed

Boredom serves as a vital catalyst for self-reflection and the discovery of life’s meaning. By activating the brain’s default mode network, periods of inactivity allow individuals to contemplate coherence, purpose, and significance—the three pillars of a meaningful existence. Modern reliance on digital devices creates ...

3 Steps to Embracing Your Fears

09 Mar 2026

37m

AI processed

Modern culture’s obsession with safetyism—the tendency to shield individuals from all discomfort—stunts psychological development and prevents the cultivation of essential resilience. True happiness requires the deliberate pursuit of controlled danger, acting as a catalyst for personal growth and meaning. By confrontin...