Tal Ben Shahar and Happiness

Posted by Jerry Lopper Oct 6, 2007

Tal Ben Shahar

What's the most popular class at Harvard? If you guessed a business class or even a Freshman introductory English or Economics class you'd be wrong. The most popular class at Harvard is Tal Ben Shahar's Positive Psychology class. Shahar is essentially teaching Harvard students how to be happier.

Learning to be happier at Harvard? You might think anyone rich enough and smart enough to go to Harvard would already be happy. You also might think that upon graduation with six figure job offers, students would already be happy. But that's not true.

The Money-Happiness Myth

What many know by common sense, what lottery winners learn by experience, and what psychological research proves, is that people who have a lot of money aren't any happier than the rest of us.

Per capita wealth in the Western nations is higher than it has ever been. So are rates of depression. Even students have higher rates of depression.

So they flock to Shahar's classes by the hundreds, over 800 students took his Positive Psychology class last year. I've just finished his latest book, Happier, and will be writing the review in the next few days.

Wouldn't you love to ask a modern-day happiness expert a burning question about how to be happier? Perhaps you can. I'm working to arrange an interview with Shahar and I'd love to include your question.

Submit your happiness question here. I can't promise to use it, nor that Shahar will answer it, but I will promise to do my best at both. Meanwhile, listen or watch one of Shahar's lectures.

For a preview, read Positive Psychology and Happiness