How To Finally Let Yourself Be Happy

Everyone’s obsessed with being happy—but what if that obsession is the very thing making us miserable? In this episode of Solved, Drew and I explore what actually makes us feel good—and why most of us are chasing it in all the wrong ways.

We unpack what philosophers like Aristotle and the Buddha got right thousands of years ago—and how modern science is just now catching up. We talk about hedonic vs. eudaimonic happiness, why more money and status don’t necessarily move the needle, and why most self-help advice completely misses the point. Happiness isn’t something you get. It’s a side effect of doing the right things for the right reasons.

So, if you're tired of chasing "more" and ready to actually feel a little less miserable, this one’s for you.

We also put together a free companion guide for this episode with all the takeaways, references, and tools to help you get your sh*t together once and for all. Download it here: https://solvedpodcast.com/happiness

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Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

10:42Chapter 1: The Origins of Human Happiness

11:04Hedonia vs Eudaimonia

15:11Epicureanism

23:20Eastern Perspectives

27:15Modern Happiness Research

29:30Chapter 2: The WEIRD Problem: When Happiness Research Goes West

40:47Chapter 3: The Three Components of Happiness

46:44Hedonic Adaptation

59:53Chapter 4: What Does—and Doesn't—Make Us Happy

1:00:35Drugs and Alcohol

1:07:23Sex

1:15:09Money

1:23:10Fame and Status

1:37:26Geography and Environment

1:39:51Love and Relationships

1:41:19Friendships

1:44:04Having Children

1:49:10The Experiencing vs. Remembering Self

1:52:53Chapter 5: Baseline vs. Circumstantial vs. Intentional Happiness

1:53:35Genetics

1:59:50Circumstances

2:02:16Intentional Actions

2:06:13Relationships

2:10:51Gratitude

2:13:13Altruism

2:18:47Experiences vs. Stuff

2:22:12Implementing Intentional Happiness

2:24:21Chapter 6: Don't Pursue Happiness; Remove Unhappiness

2:29:05Social Comparison

2:31:30Maximizers vs. Satisficers

2:34:19Chapter 7: How Happiness Changes Across the Lifespan

2:51:44Chapter 8: Happiness Myths

3:04:47Chapter 9: The 80/20 Guide to Happiness

3:16:22Lessons Learned