226 ‒ The science of happiness | Arthur Brooks, Ph.D.

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

October 10, 2022

Duration

1h 47m

Channel

Peter Attia MD

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Watch the full episode and view show notes here: https://bit.ly/3CE6DkY Become a member to receive exclusive content: https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/ Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/ Arthur Brooks is a social scientist, professor at Harvard University, a columnist for The Atlantic, and the bestselling author of From Strength to Strength. In this episode, Arthur explains how intelligence changes as we get older, and how to take advantage of this to maximize our happiness and success. He distills truths about the meaning of happiness and its three main components: enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose. He goes into detail about many of the keys to a happy life, including the importance of cultivating virtuous relationships. On the flip side, Arthur warns of the dangers of social comparison, “success addition,” and the four worldly idols—money, fame, power, and pleasure—that drive many of us. Additionally, Arthur provides examples of exercises that can guide one in the right direction, overcome fear, and cultivate habits that can lead to a happier life. We discuss: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:00:08 - Insights from Arthur’s career as a professional French horn player 0:11:17 - A radical shift away from music to a Ph.D. in quantitative policy 0:16:32 - Personal experience with shifting intelligence: fluid vs. crystallized intelligence 0:22:19 - An epiphany from a chance encounter on an airplane that shaped Arthur’s thinking 0:25:45 - The three main “macronutrients” of happiness 0:29:29 - Exploring the “purpose” component of happiness 0:33:43 - The importance of having a partner and true friendships 0:38:55 - The makeup of a true friendship, and why men tend to struggle with making real friends 0:45:10 - The “satisfaction” component of happiness and the importance of “wants management” 0:51:16 - The tyranny of social comparison 0:55:56 - Insights into happiness through Chinese art, and the concept of a “reverse bucket list” 1:00:02 - An exercise demonstrating the importance of relationships with others and the need to work on them 1:06:23 - The four main idols that drive us: money, fame, power, and pleasure 1:09:35 - Success addiction, workaholism, and their detriment to happiness 1:20:45 - A radical approach to overcome fear—the antithesis to love and happiness 1:35:03 - Ancient Hindu advice for the perfect life 1:40:57 - The end result of getting caught in the four idols 1:43:05 - The complexity of happiness -------- About: The Peter Attia Drive is a weekly, ultra-deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing health, longevity, critical thinking…and a few other things. With over 45 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more. Peter is a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (delay the onset of chronic disease), while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life). Learn more: https://peterattiamd.com Connect with Peter on: Facebook: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDTW Instagram: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDIG Subscribe to The Drive: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveApplePodcasts Overcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveOvercast Spotify: http://bit.ly/TheDriveSpotify Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheDriveGoogle Disclaimer: This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor-patient relationship is formed. The use of this information and the materials linked to this podcast is at the user's own risk. The content on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they have, and they should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. I take conflicts of interest very seriously. For all of my disclosures and the companies I invest in or advise, please visit my website where I keep an up-to-date and active list of such companies.

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Peter Attia

  host

  Physician and host of The Drive podcast focused on longevity and health.

• Arthur Brooks

  guest

  Social scientist and Harvard professor known for research and writing on happiness and well-being.

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Peter Attia MD, featuring Peter Attia and Arthur Brooks, 226 ‒ The science of happiness | Arthur Brooks, Ph.D. explores arthur Brooks on Happiness, Love, Wants, Fear and Life's Second Half Brooks recounts his shift from declining professional French horn player to economist, think tank CEO and Harvard professor, and explains how fluid intelligence peaks earlier than crystallized intelligence.

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