Psychologist

Laurie Santos

Professor of psychology at Yale. Created 'The Science of Well-Being,' Yale's most popular course ever (3.5M+ enrolled). Host of The Happiness Lab podcast. Research on what actually makes humans happy vs. what we predict will.

Known For

The Science of Well-Being courseThe Happiness Lab podcastAffective forecasting research

Canon

Beliefs Shape Perception and Define Possibility

Canon

Dopamine Reward Prediction Error

Curious

Environment Shapes Behavior More Than Willpower

Canon

The Hedonic Treadmill — Happiness Returns to Baseline

Canon

Idleness Is Essential for Creativity and Integration

Canon

The Illusion of Moral and Generational Decline

Novel

Implementation Intentions (If-Then Plans)

Curious

Meaning Comes from Responsibility, Not Happiness

Canon

Meditation Is Mental Training, Not Relaxation

Canon

Mental Contrasting: Imagining Obstacles to Achieve Goals

Curious

Mimetic Desire: The Invisible Adoption of Others' Goals as Your Own

Novel

Close Relationships Are the Strongest Predictor of Life Satisfaction

Canon

Resistance (from The War of Art)

Curious

Revealing Is a Learnable Skill: Strategic Vulnerability as Relational Competence

Novel

Self-Compassion, Not Self-Esteem, Is the Foundation of Resilience

Novel

Sports Fandom as Secular Religion

Curious

Episodes

#You Don’t Need More Willpower: Change Is a Skill You Can Learn | Eric on The Happiness Lab with Laurie SantosOct 23, 2026 #Why Happiness Experts Still Struggle to Be Happy with Dr. Ethan KrossOct 19, 2026 #Why Smaller Goals Can Lead to Bigger Changes with Eric ZimmerSep 21, 2026 #Why Being Alone Might Be Better Than You ThinkAug 3, 2026 #Are Kids Today Really Worse Off?Jun 15, 2026 #The Surprising Case for OversharingJun 8, 2026 #The Hidden Beliefs That Shape Your Happiness with Shawn AchorMay 18, 2026 #The Art of Doing NothingMay 11, 2026 #Think About Death. Science Says You'll Be Happier.Jul 12, 2025 #Dr. Laurie Santos on Group Psychology, the Teen Brain, and HappinessFeb 4, 2025 #224How to Achieve True Happiness Using Science-Based ProtocolsDec 23, 2024 #You 2.0: Fighting DespairSep 16, 2024 #You 2.0: Remember More, Forget LessSep 9, 2024