The Surprising Case for Oversharing
In this episode of The Happiness Lab, host Dr. Laurie Santos challenges the common belief that oversharing is socially harmful, arguing that sharing more personal information can actually strengthen connections and improve outcomes. Behavioral scientist Leslie John, a Harvard Business School professor and author of *Revealing*, shares research and personal anecdotes showing how strategic oversharing—whether in job interviews, friendships, or medical settings—can lead to better support, trust, and opportunities. The discussion introduces the concept of "Too Little Information" (TLI), highlighting how withholding details often causes greater harm than revealing too much, due in part to the brain's omission bias. Listeners walk away with a new framework for evaluating disclosure dilemmas, encouraging a balanced, evidence‑based approach to sharing.
How to Feel Happier in Your Body with Jessamyn Stanley
In this episode of The Happiness Lab, host Dr. Laurie Santos talks with yoga teacher and author Jessamyn Stanley about shedding body shame and finding joy in movement. Jessamyn shares her journey from feeling like a "fat, awkward weirdo" who...
What Your Negative Emotions Are Trying to Tell You
In this episode of The Happiness Lab, host Laurie Santos talks with Harvard psychologist Susan David about how to handle negative emotions more skillfully. David explains that people typically either bottle up feelings or brood over them, both of which...
The Hidden Beliefs That Shape Your Happiness with Shawn Achor
In this episode of The Happiness Lab, host Dr. Laurie Santos talks with happiness researcher Shawn Achor about the hidden beliefs that shape our well‑being. Achor explains that beliefs act as a lens that influences everything from academic performance to...
Why More Stuff Doesn’t Make You Happier
In this throwback episode of The Happiness Lab, host Dr. Laurie Santos explores why accumulating material possessions rarely leads to lasting happiness. She interviews writer Kate Flanders, who fell into debt buying clothes, books, and gadgets, only to discover that...
Your Environment Affects Your Happiness More Than You Think with Dr. Leidy Klotz
In this episode, Dr. Leidy Klotz, a professor at the University of Virginia and author of *In a Good Place*, explains how the physical spaces we inhabit shape our happiness by fulfilling three core psychological needs: agency, competence/growth, and connection....
Why You're Still Using Social Media (Even If You Want to Stop) with Dr. Cass Sunstein
In this episode, behavioral scientist Cass Sunstein discusses his new concept of the "product trap"—a situation where people continue using products like social media because not using them incurs social costs, even though the products reduce their well‑being. He explains...
How to Stop Work From Taking Over Your Life
In this episode, host Pushkin and psychologist Guy Winch discuss how work can infiltrate every aspect of life, leading to burnout, and share evidence‑based strategies for setting healthier boundaries. They explore the science of stress, emphasizing the difference between threat...