“Happier: Harvard’s Happiness Course” by Tal Ben-Shahar

Among the three iconic lectures of the Ivy League, the first is “Justice” by Professor Michael Sandel of Harvard University, the second is “Death” by Professor Shelly Kagan of Yale University, and the third is “Happier” by Professor Tal Ben-Shahar of Harvard University.

Among the three iconic lectures, the one that gained popularity first seems to be “Happier,” a course by Professor Tal Ben-Shahar at Harvard University, focusing on the topic of happiness. It became the most enrolled course at the university with a staggering 855 students registering for it.

“The Pursuit of Happiness Lies Within Human Psychology”

The theme of “happiness” is something that everyone is curious about and wants to understand better. Ultimately, we all strive day by day to live a happier life.

Moreover, compared to the other three iconic lectures of the Ivy League, the theme of “happiness” can be considered somewhat lighter. It is much more cheerful and optimistic compared to Professor Michael Sandel’s “Justice” or Professor Shelly Kagan’s “Death.”

“What Is Happiness?”

The lecture discusses what happiness is and explains the directions one should take to achieve happiness. To become happier, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the abstract concept of “happiness.”

Unlike other Ivy League lectures that begin by defining or indirectly exploring a topic through various questions, Professor Tal Ben-Shahar’s lecture on “Happiness” starts by stating that one cannot precisely define what happiness is. Even the professor himself admits he cannot definitively solve this question. Therefore, rather than asking, “Am I happy?” it’s wiser to ask, “How can I become a bit happier?”

“How Can We Become a Bit Happier?”

Ultimately, the emphasis of this book or lecture is on how we can lead slightly happier lives. Hence, rather than presenting the content in a heavy or difficult manner, it offers practices like “training” that we can apply and implement in our lives.

“The Hamburger Model of Defining Life”

The hamburger model of defining life is a concept coined by the author. It’s a life model that uses a hamburger as a metaphor to categorize life into four quadrants based on the concepts of “future gains and losses” and “current gains and losses.”

Hedonism: Veggie Burger (Pursuit of current loss, pursuit of future gain)
Nihilism: Worst Burger (Pursuit of current and future loss)
Hedonism: Junk Food Burger (Pursuit of current gain, pursuit of future loss)
Happiness: Ideal Burger (Pursuit of current and future gain)

Among the four burger models, the author considers the “Ideal Burger” model as the ideal one. It pursues current gains while also seeking future gains. Ultimately, to get closer to happiness, it’s important to make choices that bring benefits both in the present and the future.

As an example of this model, the author mentions studying for the future while finding joy in the act of studying in the present.

Which quadrant of life do we belong to? The book encourages readers to draw each quadrant, write down their experiences in each quadrant, and take time to reflect on them. Through this process, one can maintain both physical and mental health.

“Why Do We Want to Become Happier?”

Why do we want to become happier? Philosophical questions like this are challenging to answer. However, asking “why” is considered the essence of humanities. Most disciplines have developed through asking “why.”

We want to become happier simply because it’s inherent in human nature to pursue happiness. British philosopher David Hume once said, “The ultimate goal of all human endeavors is the attainment of happiness. For happiness, we invent technologies, cultivate knowledge, create laws, and form societies.”

“Happiness Is a Combination of Current Pleasure and Meaning in Life”

When do we feel the emotion of happiness? The author defines happiness as a comprehensive experience that combines pleasure and meaning in life. It’s not just about current pleasure but also about future benefits reflecting onto the present.

If we only pursue current pleasure, for example, by neglecting to study for an upcoming exam and simply having fun, it may seem enjoyable, but without the future benefits of good exam grades, it cannot be considered “happiness.” Conversely, if we invest only for the future but cannot enjoy the present, that too cannot be defined as happiness.

Ultimately, happiness can be seen as a combination of “current pleasure accompanied by a comprehensive sense of meaning in life.”

“If You Want to Be Happier…”

How can we become happier? Through research on goals and happiness, Ken Sheldon and his colleagues concluded that those who want to become happier should focus on goals related to growth, connection, and contribution rather than goals related to money, attractiveness, and popularity. Also, focusing on personal interests rather than tasks imposed or unavoidable is important.

Having self-selected and pursued self-concordant goals, it’s beneficial to differentiate between “things you want to do” and “things you have to do.” Choosing what you want to do among what you can do and, more importantly, selecting what you really want to do among what you want to do can lead to a happier life.

One can draw a venn diagram of “things you want to do” and “things you are good at” to find things you enjoy and are good at. Exploring common areas among the three domains of “meaning,” “pleasure,” and “strengths” through the venn diagram can also be meaningful.

Through such processes, finding something to do with children can be a way to become “happier,” the author says.

“Pursue a Simple Life!”

Pursuing a simple life can also reduce stress. Henry David Thoreau, the author of “Walden,” urged contemporary people to live simply.

“Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! Instead of a hundred or a thousand things, we need only two or three, and these things need only to be genuine!”

In today’s society, where there are many things to do and many choices to make, it is important to take a break from the weight of those things. Psychologist Tim Kasser says that the abundance of time can make us happier than the abundance of material wealth. Furthermore, being busy under pressure can reduce creativity and, paradoxically, reduce the efficiency of work.

“The Paradox of Capitalism and Socialism”

Winston Churchill once mentioned the paradoxes of capitalism and socialism:

The inherent weakness of capitalism is the unfair distribution of happiness.
The inherent weakness of socialism is the fair distribution of unhappiness.

These succinct expressions of each system’s attributes could be considered examples. Modern society has become materially affluent compared to the past. Therefore, rather than striving to accumulate more like in the past, living a “one-by-one discarded life” could be helpful.

Material abundance can bring a certain level of happiness, but beyond a certain level, it no longer contributes to “happiness.” Of course, reaching the minimum requirement for happiness is not easy, but perhaps practicing “becoming happy” before reaching such material abundance can be beneficial. Ultimately, happiness can be defined as experiencing “current pleasure along with future benefits.” It’s important to reflect on how we can pursue both present and future benefits and strive for a better “present” to live a happier day.

“Happier: Harvard’s Happiness Course”