5 Happiness Myths Keeping You Miserable | Laurie Santos' Last Meal (Live at SXSW 2025)

Yale happiness expert Dr. Laurie Santos reveals why everything you think about happiness is wrong - and what actually works.In this live conversation from SXSW Austin 2025, psychology professor and Happiness Lab podcast host Laurie Santos breaks down the biggest myths keeping you miserable:1) Why money stops making you happier at $100k (not $10 million)2) How spending on others beats spending on yourself3) Why rumination and worrying actually make problems worse4) How your phone is stealing 30% of your social connections5) The counterintuitive way thinking about death improves your lifeDr. Laurie Santos is a Yale psychology professor, host of The Happiness Lab podcast, and researcher specialising in human happiness and wellbeing. Santos shares research-backed strategies that actually move the happiness needle, from her "junior faculty lasagna" last meal choice to practical tips for breaking phone addiction.Key Topics:* Happiness science and psychology* Money and materialism myths* Social connection and loneliness* Technology's impact on wellbeing* Mortality and meaning*Evidence-based happiness strategiesFollow Laurie: https://www.instagram.com/lauriesantosofficial/Follow Tom:https://www.instagram.com/djhookie/Chapters: 0:00 Introduction at SXSW 5:10 Laurie's Last Meal choice 8:12 Death anxiety and happiness 15:30 Money can buy happiness (Kinda)22:00 How phones can make us miserable29:00 The biggest happiness myths 37:00 Why rumination fails 45:00 Personal Deep Dive#HappinessScience #Yale #Psychology #SXSW #LastMeal #WellbeingResearch