We're sunsetting PodQuest on 2025-07-28. Thank you for your support!
Export Podcast Subscriptions
cover of episode We’re wrong about what makes us happy with Dan Gilbert

We’re wrong about what makes us happy with Dan Gilbert

2025/4/8
logo of podcast WorkLife with Adam Grant

WorkLife with Adam Grant
AI Chapters Transcript
Chapters
This chapter explores the challenges of accurately predicting what will make us happy in the future. It discusses research on affective forecasting and the common mistakes people make, such as underestimating their ability to adapt to negative events.
  • People are not good at predicting what will make them happy.
  • Adaptation to negative events is faster than anticipated.
  • Negative events have lasting effects, but less than initially expected.

Shownotes Transcript

What do you think will make you happy next year? According to Dan Gilbert’s research, your guess is probably wrong. Dan is a Harvard psychologist, bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness, and popular TED talker, and he and Adam discuss why it’s so difficult to make accurate predictions about our own future and how to figure out what actually makes us happy. The two also chat about Dan’s experience as a high school dropout-turned-professor, examine why small annoyances might hang around longer than major gripes, and determine the best way to end a conversation.

Follow

Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant) | LinkedIn: @adammgrant) | Website: adamgrant.net/))

Guest: Daniel Gilbert (X: @DanTGilbert)) 

Links

Stumbling on Happiness)

Subscribe to TED 

Instagram: @ted)

YouTube: @TED)

TikTok: @tedtoks)

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences)

Website: ted.com)

Podcasts: )ted.com/podcasts)

For the full text transcript, visit )ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy) for more information.