September 14, 2026

The Art of True Happiness | Dr. Arthur Brooks

Dr. Arthur Brooks, PhD, professor at Vanderbilt University and senior fellow at Harvard Business School, is an expert on the science of happiness. He shares the three “macronutrients” of true happiness and tools for you to understand what specifically is in the way of you accessing more happiness and a sense of purpose. Dr. Brooks’ work goes beyond stories and observations by offering potent self-discovery tools for you to identify what truly matters most to you and how to shape your life around those things, and doing so, experience more joy and fulfillment. Show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/298-arthur-brooks Pre-order Andrew's book Protocols: https://protocolsbook.com Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Our Place: https://fromourplace.com/huberman Helix Sleep: https://helixsleep.com/huberman David: https://davidprotein.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Arthur Brooks (00:02:40) Public Science Education (00:04:18) Happiness, Unhappiness, Tool: 3 Macronutrients of Happiness (00:07:44) #1: Enjoyment, Pleasure; Animal Impulses vs Moral Aspirations; Exercise (00:17:35) Sponsors: OurPlace & Helix Sleep (00:20:41) Positive Self-Reflection, Public Commitments & Declare Moral Aspiration (00:26:45) Moral Differences, Politics (00:34:02) Tool: Proper Leisure & Values; Enrichment (00:41:47) Deepening Relationships & Shared Suffering (00:48:50) Sponsor: AG1 (00:50:08) #2: Satisfaction, Struggle & Purpose (00:56:32) Struggle & Leisure, High Achievers; Happier with Age, Retirement (01:03:26) #3: Meaning, Regret, Idols (01:10:10) Sponsor: David (01:11:20) Regret, Tool: Identifying Your Idol, Four Idols (01:29:29) Vices & Virtues, Resisting Vices & Pursuing Moral Aspirations (01:35:50) Admiration & Unique Self-Expression; Heroes (01:44:43) Teaching & Sharing Knowledge (01:49:55) Sponsor: LMNT (01:51:15) Idols & Hedonic Treadmill, Addictive Behaviors & Quantification (01:58:26) Life Meaning & Fundamental Experiences, Tool: Break Technology Addiction (02:07:02) Faith, Gradual Exploration, Desire for the Divine (02:12:20) Atheism, Death & Nonexistence; Practice Before Feeling (02:18:18) Practicing Faith, Aging & Deepening Faith; Prayer Practice (02:26:53) Spouse Relationship; Addiction, Workaholism (02:35:06) Meaning of Your Life, Tool: 3 Questions of Meaning (02:43:25) Acknowledgments, Pilgrimages (02:47:23) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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About this Show

Huberman Lab

The Huberman Lab podcast is hosted by Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the department of neurobiology, and by courtesy, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. The podcast discusses neuroscience and science-based tools, including how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health, as well as existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works. Huberman has made numerous significant contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function, and neural plasticity, which is the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills, and cognitive functioning. He is a McKnight Foundation and Pew Foundation Fellow and was awarded the Cogan Award, given to the scientist making the most significant discoveries in the study of vision, in 2017. Work from the Huberman Laboratory at Stanford School of Medicine has been published in top journals, including Nature, Science, and Cell, and has been featured in TIME, BBC, Scientific American, Discover, and other top media outlets. In 2021, Dr. Huberman launched the Huberman Lab podcast. The podcast is frequently ranked in the top 10 of all podcasts globally and is often ranked #1 in the categories of Science, Education, and Health & Fitness.