# happiness
16 moments across 8 episodes. Click any moment to jump straight to that part of the episode.
4:40The 5 needs: Safety, Community, Autonomy, Growth, PurposeAl Elliott: Let's talk about happiness. I sense that you've got a very good idea of what makes people happy, not just fluffy stuff, but you've got some kind of like codification or some framework for it. So should we kicEP 317 · 9 Jul 2026·interview· 4:40–8:238:23Which need matters most? Richard's controversial pickAl Elliott: Now I have a question. In the Richard Clarke hierarchy of happiness that we've just created there, Yeah. You did say that they flux, but is there one particular thing that you think is the foundation for it pEP 317 · 9 Jul 2026·interview· 8:23–12:1612:16The misconception of what happiness actually isRichard Clarke: I think there's a misconception of what happiness is. So, my theory is that you've got this base level of, well, let's say contentment, right? You wake up in the morning and you think, do you know what? MEP 317 · 9 Jul 2026·interview· 12:16–17:3135:22Was Patrick actually happier after a year of novelty?Leanne Elliott: I have to ask you about your whole experience and kind of its impact on your happiness. Were you happier? Patrick Fagan: Well, I mean, I was very unhappy to begin with. So yeah, in that sense, yeah, definEP 227 · 28 Aug 2025·interview· 35:22–37:1319:55Redefining joy beyond the big smilesLeanne Elliott: I'm busy. She's right. People do say that all the time. It is our default response, and she's connecting it to this need to belong, to be loved. But Al, I'm thinking about our listeners who genuinely are EP 221 · 7 Aug 2025·interview· 19:55–23:5529:27Surprising findings: happiness, surveys, and predictionsAl Elliott: You see the precursor behaviour typically before you see the big moment that, you know, You said very early on, you said it was counterintuitive and you gave me a result. I think it was the bank that was counEP 98 · 16 May 2024·interview· 29:27–31:547:45News: Finland's happiness secrets and the happiest Gen Z countriesLeanne Elliott: What have you got, Al? Al Elliott: Okay, so Finland is the world's happiest country according to a World Happiness Report. A Finnish psychologist thinks this is down to the 4 phrases that people of FinlanEP 84 · 26 Mar 2024·news roundup· 7:45–11:5035:43Money, happiness, and the $20,000 questionLeanne Elliott: Let's talk about financial well-being. Yeah, so I think, I think, yeah, I think it's tough, isn't it? I think there's also this point of, again, a point of privilege where, you know, finding roles that wiEP 60 · 12 Oct 2023·other· 35:43–44:3044:36The one thing that keeps us healthier and happier for longerLeanne Elliott: You know that longitudinal study? What's the one thing that, that keeps us going healthier, happier, and longer? It's relationships Al Elliott: Mm-hmm Leanne Elliott: That is the one thing. And that is— aEP 60 · 12 Oct 2023·other· 44:36–47:519:28Listener comments on the psychology of happinessLeanne Elliott: Well, you will remember from not too long— was it last week? I feel like my weeks are rolling into— was it last week we talked about— no, it's birthday last week, wasn't it? Al Elliott: I have no idea. NoEP 54 · 31 Aug 2023·panel interview· 9:28–13:2213:07What is happiness? State vs. wellbeing, and why contentment can be dangerousAl Elliott: Okay, Leah. So the meat and potatoes of the episode, I think it is— did we, did we say this was the definition of happiness? Leanne Elliott: I worry that we're excluding vegetarians and vegans by calling it tEP 51 · 10 Aug 2023·other· 13:07–17:2117:21The psychology of happiness: positive psychology, Seligman & the shift from deficitAl Elliott: Yeah Leanne Elliott: And, and, and a condition of mental health. So in terms of, of the focus of psychology shift— shifting to more positive emotions, that really kind of gained a lot more traction in the latEP 51 · 10 Aug 2023·other· 17:21–17:2124:04Happiness vs. wellbeing — why leaders should focus on wellbeingAl Elliott: So we've got these 4 chemicals. I think I understand them. Um, what's the difference between happiness and wellbeing? You said at the beginning that, that one's a state, but you didn't really go into what welEP 51 · 10 Aug 2023·other· 24:04–27:4627:46Can we increase happiness? Research, money & the £20k vs £80k divideAl Elliott: So can we increase— so if we, if we assume that we've nailed the wellbeing and everyone's happy— sorry, that was a bad, bad choice of words. If we assume that we've nailed the wellbeing, then can we actually EP 51 · 10 Aug 2023·other· 27:46–32:2450:20The commuting conundrum — how travel time wrecks happinessLeanne Elliott: I think leaders should care about happiness and positive wellbeing But that is kind of the outcome, isn't it? It's like saying, you know, should leaders care about being profitable? Of course. But caring EP 51 · 10 Aug 2023·other· 50:20–55:5862:12Closing thoughts — happiness is learnableAl Elliott: Fabulous. So I hope we've comprehensively covered happiness. Is there anything we've left out, Leanne? Leanne Elliott: I think the last thing I would say is that happiness is definitely something that can be—EP 51 · 10 Aug 2023·other· 62:12–66:00
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