The happy secret to better work | Shawn Achor

Summary

In this engaging talk, the speaker recounts a childhood story involving his sister, leading to a discussion on positive psychology. He challenges the traditional formula for success and happiness, advocating for the 'happiness advantage' where positivity enhances performance and intelligence. The speaker suggests practical methods to train the brain to be more positive, such as gratitude journaling and acts of kindness, to improve overall well-being and success.

Takeaways

• 👫 The story of the siblings playing on the bunk bed illustrates the power of positive thinking and the concept of reframing a negative situation into a positive one.
• 🦄 The 'unicorn' incident highlights the idea that a simple shift in perspective can change someone's emotional state from pain to joy and curiosity.
• 📈 The speaker introduces the concept of positive psychology, which is the scientific study of positive human functioning and is central to the talk.
• 📊 The speaker critiques the focus on averages and outliers in traditional research, arguing that it limits our understanding of human potential and happiness.
• 🧐 The importance of studying positive outliers is emphasized, suggesting that understanding their success can help elevate the average and improve overall outcomes.
• 🌐 The speaker discusses the negative bias in news and its impact on our perception of reality, leading to a skewed view of the world.
• 🤔 The idea that our internal lens shapes our reality more than external events is presented, suggesting that changing our mindset can alter our happiness and success.
• 🏆 The speaker challenges the traditional formula for success, which is based on the idea that success leads to happiness, and instead proposes that happiness can lead to success.
• 💡 The 'Happiness Advantage' is introduced, stating that a positive brain performs better in various tasks compared to a negative, neutral, or stressed state.
• 🧠 The talk suggests that training your brain through gratitude, journaling, exercise, meditation, and acts of kindness can lead to a more positive outlook and improved success.
• 🌟 The conclusion calls for a reversal of the happiness and success formula, advocating for the cultivation of positivity to unlock our full potential in both personal and professional life.

Q & A

What was the childhood incident involving the speaker and his sister?

The speaker and his sister were playing on a bunk bed, with the speaker's G.I. Joe soldiers on one side and his sister's My Little Ponies on the other. The speaker's sister, Amy, fell off the bunk bed without any push from him and landed on the floor, which the speaker described as a clumsy accident on her part.

How did the speaker prevent his sister from crying after she fell?

The speaker told his sister not to cry and suggested that her landing on all fours meant she was a unicorn, which was something she would have wanted to be more than remaining as the hurt five-year-old little sister.

What scientific concept did the childhood game of being a unicorn inadvertently introduce the speaker to?

The childhood game introduced the speaker to the concept of positive psychology, which focuses on the study of positive human behaviors and states of mind.

Why did the speaker start his talk with a graph, despite being advised against it?

The speaker started with a graph to challenge the conventional approach of eliminating outliers in data analysis, which he believes can lead to a better understanding of potential and happiness, rather than just focusing on the average.

What does the speaker criticize about the traditional approach to education and therapy?

The speaker criticizes the traditional approach for focusing on the average and for creating a 'cult of the average' with science, which can lead to overlooking individual potential and happiness.

How does the speaker describe the impact of focusing on negative news on one's perception of reality?

The speaker describes that focusing on negative news can create a skewed perception of reality, making one believe that the negative aspects are the accurate ratio of occurrences in the world, which can lead to a pessimistic outlook.

What is the 'medical school syndrome' mentioned by the speaker?

The 'medical school syndrome' refers to the phenomenon where medical students, after learning about various symptoms and diseases, start to believe they have all the symptoms and diseases they are studying, highlighting the power of perception over reality.

What is the speaker's view on the formula 'If I work harder, I'll be more successful, and if I'm more successful, then I'll be happier'?

The speaker believes this formula is scientifically broken and backwards. He argues that happiness should come first, which can then lead to greater success, rather than the other way around.

What is the 'happiness advantage' as described by the speaker?

The 'happiness advantage' is the concept that a positive brain performs significantly better in terms of intelligence, creativity, and energy levels compared to when it is negative, neutral, or stressed.

What are some of the activities the speaker suggests to train the brain to be more positive?

The speaker suggests activities such as writing down three new things one is grateful for each day for 21 days, journaling about a positive experience, exercising, meditating, and performing random acts of kindness.

What is the ultimate goal of the speaker's research and teachings in positive psychology?

The ultimate goal of the speaker's research and teachings is to reverse the traditional formula for happiness and success, to help individuals and organizations understand and leverage the power of positivity to improve performance, productivity, and overall well-being.