Arthur C. Brooks — How to Be Happy, Reverse Bucket Lists, The Four False Idols, Muscular Philosophies, Practical Inoculation Against the Darkness, and More (#692)

“Intention is fine, but attachment is bad.”

— Arthur C. Brooks

Arthur C. Brooks (@arthurbrooks) is the Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Public and Nonprofit Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School, where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. He is also a columnist at The Atlantic, where he writes the popular “How to Build a Life” column. Brooks is the author of 13 books, including the 2022 #1 New York Times bestseller From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life and his newest Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier with co-author Oprah Winfrey. He speaks to audiences all around the world about human happiness and works to raise well-being within private companies, universities, public agencies, and community organizations.

Please enjoy!

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Want to hear another episode with someone who leads the world toward greater kindness by example? Have a listen to my most recent conversation with Jack Kornfield in which we discussed the point of consciousness, yogic swoons and anesthetic autopiloting, how the Buddha might deal with anxiety, the dimensions of meditation, reliably eliciting the non-self, cultivating a more joyful mind, and much more.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

• Connect with Arthur C. Brooks:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

• Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey | Amazon
• From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life by Arthur C. Brooks | Amazon
• How to Build a Life by Arthur C. Brooks | The Atlantic
• The Secret to Happiness, According to This Harvard Professor: A Reverse Bucket List | Inc.com
• The 3 Equations for a Happy Life, Even During a Pandemic by Arthur C. Brooks | The Atlantic
• Why Are Rhumb Lines (Loxodromes) a Constant Track Direction? | GIS Geography
• How Thich Nhat Hanh Taught the West about Mindfulness by Arthur C. Brooks | The Washington Post
• Festschrift | Etymonline
• Three Different Paths of Buddhism | The Namchak Community
• Catholicism: Beliefs, Practices, History | Learn Religions
• The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thích Nhất Hạnh | Amazon
• Memories from the Root Temple: Washing Dishes | Plum Village
• How to Pray the Rosary | Rosary Center & Confraternity
• What Is Transmission Meditation? How Meditation Moves Between Us | About Meditation
• Build Strength and Muscle Fast with Occlusion Training | Scientific American
• Are There Benefits with Occlusion Training? | Mind Pump Show
• Occlusion Training Cuffs | Amazon
• Your Body, Your Health, and Your Happiness | The Art of Happiness with Arthur C. Brooks
• Arthur Brooks: French Horn Taught Me Everything I Needed to Know | Surtil
• Confessions of a Catholic Convert to Capitalism | America Magazine
• Basilica of Saint Mary of Guadalupe
• The Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe | The Catholic Company
• Arthur Brooks | Harvard University
• Wheaton College, IL
• Complicated and Complex Problems In The Conservative Heart | What Would Spidey Do?
• Three Identical Strangers | Prime Video
• Roots of Major Depression Revealed in All Their Genetic Complexity | Yale News
• Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey and Eric Hagerman | Amazon
• Exercise Promotes the Expression of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Through the Action of the Ketone Body β-Hydroxybutyrate | eLife
• Changing Our Brains, Changing Ourselves | APA
• Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) | Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness
• Measuring Your Happiness Can Help Improve It by Arthur C. Brooks | The Atlantic
• PANAS Lesson Plan and Questionnaire | Arthur Brooks
• Oprah Winfrey and Arthur Brooks on Social Media’s Destructive Power | CBS
• How to Stop Being So Envious by Arthur C. Brooks | The Atlantic
• The Three Macronutrients of Happiness | Arthur Brooks, TikTok
• Is Pornography Addictive? | APA
• Choose Enjoyment Over Pleasure by Arthur C. Brooks | The Atlantic
• How Wanting Less Leads to Satisfaction by Arthur C. Brooks | The Atlantic
• The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss | Amazon
• Rolling Stones: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction | The Ed Sullivan Show
• The Neurobiology of Homeostasis | Knight Lab, UCSF
• The Hedonic Treadmill — Are We Forever Chasing Rainbows? | Positive Psychology
• The Four Idols: Money, Power, Pleasure, and Fame | The Curiosity Chronicle
• The Happiness Revolutionary | Harvard Magazine
• Hedy Lamarr (Mar 31, 1957) | What’s My Line?
• The Summa Theologiæ of St. Thomas Aquinas | New Advent
• Fame is Prison | Lady Gaga, Twitter
• The Demon Mara, Who Challenged the Buddha | Learn Religions
• Tim Ferriss on How He Survived Suicidal Depression and His Tools for Warding Off the Darkness | The Marginalian
• Fentanyl Awareness | DEA
• Better Call Saul | Prime Video
• Finding Nemo | Prime Video
• The Benefits of ‘Forest Bathing’ | TIME
• Meditation, Mindset, and Mastery | The Tim Ferriss Show #201
• When Working Harder Doesn’t Work, Time to Reinvent Your Career | HBS Working Knowledge
• What is Stoicism? | Daily Stoic
• Kings of Kings | Hardcore History
• Ashes to Ashes Dust to Dust: Behind the Saying | LoveToKnow
• How to Find Good Places to Stargaze | NASA Solar System Exploration
• The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky | Amazon
• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius | Amazon
• Money (Actually) Can Buy Happiness | Harvard Business School
• High Income Improves Evaluation of Life but Not Emotional Well-Being | PNAS
• Income and Emotional Well-Being: A Conflict Resolved | PNAS
• Give Your Money. Give Your Time. Don’t Tell Anyone. by Arthur C. Brooks | The Atlantic
• Opinion: Let’s Restart the Adoption Movement by Arthur C. Brooks | The New York Times
• Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Sanhedrin | Jewish Virtual Library
• “These Go to 11.” | Spinal Tap
• Losing Their Religion? New Report Shows Spaniards Are Turning Their Backs on Faith | El País English
• The Silence of the Lambs | Prime Video
• The Science of Happiness and Wellbeing | Harvard University
• How Does Jewish Matchmaking Work? | My Jewish Learning
• The One Ring | Tolkien Gateway
• The Paradox of Choice | The Decision Lab
• Do Opposites Attract? Here’s What Science Says | BetterHelp
• Young Love | Arthur Brooks, Instagram
• The Kind of Love That Makes People Happiest by Arthur C. Brooks | The Atlantic
• Love, Actually: The Science behind Lust, Attraction, and Companionship | Science in the News
• Think About Your Death and Live Better by Arthur C. Brooks | The Atlantic
• Shining the Light of Death on Life: Maranasati Meditation (Part I) | Barre Center for Buddhist Studies
• Shining the Light of Death on Life: Maranasati Meditation (Part II) | Barre Center for Buddhist Studies
• Nine Stages of Decay | Wikipedia
• History of Memento Mori | Daily Stoic
• Premeditatio Malorum | Daily Stoic
• Meaning and Purpose in Life and Work | The Art of Happiness with Arthur Brooks
• What Is Nihilism? | Verywell Mind
• Existentialism | Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Tabula Rasa | Wikipedia
• The Gay Science by Friedrich Nietzsche | Amazon
• What an Ayahuasca Retreat Showed Me about My Life | Vox
• Start With Why by Simon Sinek | Amazon
• Opinion: The Father’s Example by Arthur C. Brooks | The New York Times
• Does Arthur Brooks Have the Secret to Happiness? | GQ
• How to Get Ahead: Faith, Friends, Family and Work | Independent.ie
• The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
• Reached Your Peak? Now Teach and Be Happy, Says Arthur Brooks | 24Life
• Happiness in This Life is Impossible — Arthur Brooks Explains Why That’s Actually the Best News Ever | The Sunday Paper
• Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
• The Leadership and Happiness Laboratory | Center for Public Leadership — Harvard Kennedy School
• The Twelve Steps | Alcoholics Anonymous
• A Higher Power for Atheists and Agnostics: Six Alternatives to God | The Freedom Center
• Aristotle’s 10 Rules for a Happy Life | The Atlantic
• Quit Lying to Yourself by Arthur C. Brooks | The Atlantic
• The Best Friends Can Do Nothing for You by Arthur C. Brooks | The Atlantic
• YPO Forum | YPO
• Why So Many Men Feel Lonely Today | Psychology Today
• Surprising Differences between Lonely Women and Lonely Men | PsychCentral
• Simon Sinek: Feedback is a Gift | FourBlock
• Don’t Objectify Yourself by Arthur C. Brooks | The Atlantic
• Arthur Brooks: Strength to Strength | Super Soul
• The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression by Andrew Solomon | Amazon
• Winston Churchill and His ‘Black Dog’ of Greatness | The Conversation
• Clif Bar Variety Pack | Amazon
• Brazil Nuts and Testosterone: Is There a Link? | Healthline
• What Is Exposure Therapy? | APA
• Isaiah 50:7 | Bible Gateway
• How to Be Happy After You Fail by Arthur C. Brooks | The Atlantic

SHOW NOTES

Editor’s Note: Timestamps will be added shortly.

• The reverse bucket list.
• Intention without attachment.
• Writing Thích Nhất Hạnh’s obituary.
• Buddhist views through a Catholic lens.
• Occlusion training and physical fitness over 40.
• Arthur’s semi-mystical teenage experiences in Mexico.
• Arthur’s academic dad on complex vs. complicated.
• Happiness hygiene for genetically baseline gloominess.
• Happiness and unhappiness: hand in hand.
• Being effective with one’s affects.
• The three macronutrients of happiness.
• Identifying (and learning to live with) our idols.
• Secularly securing transcendent perspective.
• Money doesn’t buy happiness — it lowers unhappiness.
• Tithing and adoption.
• How Arthur and his wife met, and how their values aligned over time.
• Advice for seeking love in the modern world.
• Death meditation.
• Finding personal purpose and meaning.
• Four fundamental micronutrients of happiness.
• Translating a need for change into action.
• Aristotle’s secrets to happiness.
• Real friends help us put the kibosh on self-deception.
• Reflecting on the repercussions of living for the mirror’s approval.
• Collaborating with Oprah on Build the Life You Want.
• The point Arthur hopes people don’t miss in Build the Life You Want.
• Reading recommendation: The Noonday Demon.
• Exposure therapy: making pain part of one’s medicine.
• A practical way to be grateful for life’s bad things.
• Parting thoughts.

MORE ARTHUR C. BROOKS QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“Happiness is not the goal and unhappiness is not the enemy. Getting happier is the goal.”

— Arthur C. Brooks

“Physical fitness, for me, is a way to manage my negative affect. It’s actually a happiness technique for me. It doesn’t make me happier. It makes me less unhappy. That’s what physical fitness will do — it’ll buy you less unhappiness.”

— Arthur C. Brooks

“The best marriages are completely honest, but the honesty is a gift and never a weapon.”

— Arthur C. Brooks

“Most learning doesn’t happen when the professor talks about something. If you understand everything the professor says, it’s not a hard enough class, and you don’t have a very good professor. He has to blow your mind with something, and you’ve got to go away and think about it. And then you learn it through your own thinking. That’s analytical meditation, or mental prayer.”

— Arthur C. Brooks

“The number one thing that Oprah and I will be very disappointed about is that people don’t actually become more fully alive through the transcendent passage of both happierness and the unhappiness that is a part of what it means to be a real person.”

— Arthur C. Brooks

“My goal is training [people] to be happiness teachers. … Understand, change your habits, share with others.”

— Arthur C. Brooks

“Intention is fine, but attachment is bad.”

— Arthur C. Brooks

“It is the voyage itself that is the adventure of life, not actually reaching the particular destination — whether it’s the original one or one that turns out to be better or worse or wherever you wind up. And that’s the way you’ve got to live your life.”

— Arthur C. Brooks

“One of the things that I teach my students at HBS is that I would never invest in the firm of an entrepreneur who’s unwilling to give her or his heart away. Because it’s the single most risky entrepreneurial thing that you can do, putting every bit of capital at risk. If you’re not willing to give your heart away, I’m not going to put my money in your fund.”

— Arthur C. Brooks

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