Experience emotions in your prefrontal cortex to consciously decide how to react, rather than being solely driven by limbic responses, to become a more evolved human being.
Strive for balance and abundance in enjoyment (pleasure + people + memory), satisfaction (joy after struggle), and purpose (coherence, direction, significance) to achieve lasting happiness.
Answer the diagnostic questions ‘Why are you alive?’ and ‘For what are you willing to die today?’ to find your life’s meaning, which is essential for happiness.
Counter the fleeting nature of satisfaction by adopting a ‘want less’ strategy, viewing your life as a sculpture where you chip away unnecessary desires rather than constantly seeking more.
To be both successful and happy, detach from worldly idols (money, power, fame) and dedicate your success to serving others, which is the ‘glitch’ in the success-unhappiness matrix.
Actively decide to experience transcendence by putting yourself in circumstances that evoke awe (e.g., nature, music, art, meditation), as it makes you feel small and provides peace through perspective.
Understand that enjoyment (pleasure + people + memory) is distinct from fleeting pleasure; avoid pleasure-seeking alone as it can be ’life-ruining advice’ and lead to addiction.
On your birthday or regularly, list your worldly attachments (e.g., strong opinions, material desires) and consciously cross them out to negate their importance and gain freedom.
When holding strong, volatile opinions, process them in your prefrontal cortex to allow for consideration and executive decision-making, rather than axiomatic assumption or limbic disgust.
Create a disciplined daily routine that optimizes both body (e.g., exercise) and soul (e.g., spiritual practice) at the beginning of the day, regardless of how you feel, to stay centered.
Understand that love is a conscious decision and commitment to ‘will the good of the other as other,’ not merely a feeling, and practice this discipline of will in all your relationships.
Manage your life as a CEO manages a startup, making deliberate, strategic decisions based on what is right for your long-term happiness, rather than reacting to momentary feelings.
Create a personal spreadsheet to track ‘micronutrients’ of happiness (e.g., marriage warmth, kid relationships, career value, friendships, philanthropy) and rate your progress twice a year for better solutions.
Cultivate an ‘I self’ state by observing the world more and minimizing self-reflection and concern about others’ opinions, which can be supercharged by technology.
Limit your daily news intake (e.g., 15-30 minutes, all at once) to protect your limbic system from information overload and free up mental bandwidth for productive work.
Disable social media notifications and avoid checking mentions to reduce ‘me self’ obsession and its negative impact on personal happiness.
Do not pursue pleasure alone as a primary goal, as it is temporary, can lead to addiction, and is ’life-ruining advice’.
Understand that satisfaction is inherently temporary due to homeostasis; believing it will last forever is a ‘cruel hoax’ that leads to the ‘hedonic treadmill’.
Recognize that Mother Nature prioritizes biological fitness and gene propagation over individual happiness, leading us to chase fleeting rewards that don’t bring enduring satisfaction.
Understand that faith and reason are reconcilable, not conflicting, and both can contribute to a deeper understanding of life and meaning.
When conducting self-assessments of happiness, avoid doing so during periods of high emotional ’noise’ (e.g., conflict, extreme highs) to ensure a more accurate reflection of your overall state.
Subject yourself to controlled, aversive emotions (e.g., cold plunges, haunted houses) to use stress hormones in an enjoyable way, as it’s under your own power.
It is possible to significantly increase your personal happiness by applying scientific principles and practices, even from a low baseline, as demonstrated by the speaker’s own 60% rise in well-being.