What We Still Get Wrong About Happiness (Live at Dartmouth)

In this special live episode, Dr. Laurie takes the stage at Dartmouth College for a conversation with happiness historian https://darrinmcmahon.com/. Together, they break down some of the biggest misconceptions about happiness in modern life, discuss the most effective (and often counterintuitive) ways to improve our wellbeing, and explore how smartphones, AI, and other new technologies may shape happiness in the years ahead. Experts Mentioned:  - https://faculty-directory.dartmouth.edu/darrin-m-mcmahon, Professor of History at Dartmouth College - https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/people/martin-ep-seligman, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania - https://emeritus.yale.edu/fellows/lorraine-siggins, Director Emeritus of Mental Health and Counseling for Students at Yale Health - https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=943704, Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School - https://sonjalyubomirsky.com/, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside - https://www.careymorewedge.com/, Chair of the Marketing Department at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business - https://woopmylife.org/en/contact, Professor of Psychology at New York University and the University of Hamburg - https://economics.dartmouth.edu/people/david-graham-blanchflower, Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College - https://www.jeantwenge.com/, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University - https://www.jonathanhaidt.com/, Professor of Ethical Leadership and Professor of Business & Society at New York University Stern School of Business - https://dunn.psych.ubc.ca/, Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia - https://www.manoushz.com/, journalist, podcast host, and author - https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/robert-d-putnam, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy at Harvard University - https://www.kushlev.com/, Associate Professor of Psychology at Georgetown University - https://catherineprice.com/, journalist and author  - https://michaelinzlicht.com/about, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, with a cross-appointment in the Rotman School of Management - https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/smith-moral-political/, Scottish economist and philosopher - https://economics.dartmouth.edu/people/erzo-fp-luttmer, Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College - https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/about-us/people/jan-emmanuel-de-neve, Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science and Director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford Resources Mentioned:  - https://www.amazon.com/Descent-Selection-Relation-Princeton-Science/dp/0691023697, by Charles Darwin (1871) - “https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1011492107?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21506599862&gbraid=0AAAAAqiPmCwrrBiN17xYWfJKFFM4_falq&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9ZLSBhCcARIsAEhGKgMg372wt7-O0WFwLAO6tZmuxJ47C2gaB6JCM7QVczHQp0gJhe7RojQaAqWrEALw_wcB,” by Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2010) - “https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2208661120,” by Matthew Killingsworth, Daniel Kahneman, and Barbra Mellers - https://www.amazon.com/Time-Smart-Reclaim-Your-Happier/dp/1633698351, by Ashley Whillans (2020) - https://www.amazon.com/How-Happiness-Approach-Getting-Life/dp/0143114956, by Sonja Lyubomirsky (2007) - https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Hypothesis-Finding-Modern-Ancient/dp/0465028020, by Jonathan Haidt (2006) - “https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21148388/,” by Carey K Morewedge, Young Eun Huh, and Joachim Vosgerau (Science, 2010) - https://www.amazon.com/Rethinking-Positive-Thinking-Science-Motivation/dp/1617230235, by Gabriele Oettingen (2014) - “https://www.nber.org/papers/w33490,” by Jean Twenge and David Blanchflower (NBER Working Paper Series, 2025) - “https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563218304643,” by Kostadin Kushlev, John Hunter, Jason Proulx, Sarah Pressman, and Elizabeth Dunn (Computers in Human Behavior, 2019) - https://www.amazon.com/Body-Electric-Digital-Science-Well-Being/dp/1250411203, by Manoush Zomorodi (2026) - https://www.amazon.com/Bowling-Alone-Collapse-American-Community/dp/0743203046, by Robert Putnam (2000) - https://www.amazon.com/Four-Days-Week-Life-Changing-Well-Being/dp/0063382431, by Juliet Schor (2025) - “https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57a40c19414fb54f51f8095f/t/64931bd01d517e1d9f25fa83/1687362512991/2019+Kushlevetal-Happy-People-Care.pdf,” by Kostadin Kushlev, Danielle M. Drummond, Samantha J. Heintzelman, and Ed Diener (The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2019) - “https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7473022/,” by Victoria Husted Medvec, Scott Madey, and Thomas Gilovich (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1995) - https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Moral-Sentiments-Adam-Smith/dp/1614279985, by Adam Smith (1759) - “https://academic.oup.com/qje/article-abstract/120/3/963/1841496,” by Erzo Luttmer (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2005) - https://www.amazon.com/How-Break-Up-Your-Phone/dp/039958112X, by Catherine Price (2018) - “https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09567976261427747”, by Dunigan Folk and Elizabeth Dunn (Psychological Science, 2026) - “https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36272939/,” by Michael Inzlicht and Aidan Campbell (Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 2022) - https://www.amazon.com/Why-Workplace-Wellbeing-Matters-Organizational/dp/1647826357, by Jan-Emmanuel De Neve and George Ward (2025) - “https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/alysa-liu-olympic-gold-medalist-interview-1235525804/