Mastering Happiness
Happiness—everyone wants it, but according to national statistics, not everyone gets it. Luckily, Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, a world leader and true pioneer in the science of happiness, sought and found new evidence-based tools and techniques that led to increased levels of wellbeing. Passionate and driven, the waves he’s creating are fast becoming a tsunami of thought transformation, changing the very landscape of how we live and work. Brilliantly funneled into a Master of Arts in Happiness Studies program available to all, whether you’re looking for skill enhancement or a new career, his practices are quickly becoming the new norm. Here, he shares his journey and a fresh approach to what matters most.
By Hayley Hill
There’s new evidence revealing Americans are the unhappiest they’ve been in 50 years. Interestingly, most polls were conducted prior to the pandemic. Weighing in as our new resident happiness expert, Tal adds, “Levels of anxiety and depression were extremely high leading up to the pandemic and became significantly higher as a result of it. Why were they high before? Much of it is a result of social media—the focus on likes rather than deep relationships, on the virtual rather than the real, and on being sedentary at home rather than moving in the world.”
Tal doesn’t just talk the talk. In fact, he’s walking us right into a happiness revolution. How? The simple answer is by creating an accredited Master’s in Happiness Studies program to provide students with evidence-based tools and techniques for increasing levels of wellbeing, both on and off the job. Additionally, new jobs are being created to ensure staff happiness, as it’s no longer just a futuristic idea. But there’s so much more—we’re all being called upon to rethink current norms and definitions.
On the topic of happiness, I’ll be the first to admit I can’t help thinking of a Jerry Garcia look-alike leading the charge, big yellow smiley faces, the “Come on Get Happy” theme song from The Partridge Family, and my parents rolling their eyes at what they’d surely call new-age, self-centered gibberish. My first thoughts on happiness are a bit cynical, no? Tal is changing my (and my generation’s) mindset.
Kind, clean cut, and whip-smart, Tal is a thought leader. Born and raised in Israel and currently residing in New Jersey, his long list of accomplishments would appear to check all the personal and professional happiness boxes. For example, Tal is a graduate of Harvard University, he’s penned several best-selling books that have been translated into 30-plus languages, he’s an established lecturer, and, as an avid sportsman, won the U.S. Intercollegiate and Israeli National Squash Championships.
Yet his journey into the field of happiness started with his own lack of it. “Initially, what got me interested in studying happiness was my own unhappiness. I was doing well as an undergraduate at Harvard, I was a top athlete, I had a well-paying job, and good professional prospects. And I was unhappy,” he explains. “Halfway through my second year, on a very cold Boston morning, I got up, went to my academic advisor and told her I wanted to switch majors. Surprised, she wanted answers and I responded, ‘Well, I’m leaving computer science and moving into philosophy and psychology because I have two questions: First, why am I not happy? Second, how can I become happier?’ With those two questions, I proceeded to earn my undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Psychology and my PhD in Organizational Behavior. And I actually did become happier through my studies, especially in positive psychology, and wanted to share what I learned, so I started teaching.”
Tal became a revered Harvard lecturer, teaching two of the largest classes in the University’s history—Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership. From there, he became a leading consultant and lecturer to executives in multi-national corporations, the general public, and at-risk populations, covering topics like leadership, education, ethics, politics, happiness, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, and mindfulness. The result? These experiences led Tal to question society’s approach to happiness.
After all, how can one person effect profound change alone? Realizing there’s a universal need for a new approach to happiness in both personal and professional realms, Tal quite brilliantly saw an opportunity to create just that and founded The Happiness Studies Academy. Bringing together the thinking of the world's leading scholars and the latest scientific research, Tal went on to create the world’s first accredited Master’s Degree in Happiness Studies in collaboration with New Jersey’s Centenary University, launching online this October.
His lightbulb moment? Tal paints a picture in his reply. “In 2015, I was on a flight from London to New York City,” he begins. “The monotonous hum of the plane and the tranquil expanse of water soothe me into a state of calm repose. And in this meditative state a question strikes me: How are there fields of study dedicated to psychology, physics, business, and dozens of other subjects, yet none are dedicated to the study of happiness?”
Continuing, he adds, “There is positive psychology, a field I immersed myself in for almost two decades, but that’s just the psychology of happiness. What about an interdisciplinary field that takes what psychologists have to say about happiness and combines it with what philosophers, economists, theologians, artists, biologists, and others have to say about the good life? There was not a single institution of higher learning anywhere in the world that offered a degree in happiness studies. While there were a handful of programs that took a very specific and narrow approach to cultivating wellbeing, when contrasted with programs in economics, for instance, no academic program in happiness focused on both micro happiness (individuals and relationships) as well as macro happiness (organizations and nations). No academic program in happiness compared to a rigorous medical school curriculum, in which different fields merge to shed light on a particular subject. So I created the Happiness Studies Academy to fill the gap. From there, I outlined the master’s degree program based on scientific, evidence-based interventions that will provide students with the tools and techniques to increase levels of wellbeing and, by extension, raise innovation levels, productivity, and improve teamwork and retention rates.“
Ready, he started looking for an academic partner, an academically forward-thinking, innovative, agile, and flexible university. “Centenary University is all that and more,” Tal summarizes. “For over 155 years, Centenary University has committed to providing dynamic learning experiences to prepare their students with regional and global opportunities. With students from the states and countries such as Brazil, Israel, China and Canada, President (and professor) Dr. Bruce Murphy tells us, “The Master’s Degree in Happiness Studies is the first, and so far, the only one of its kind in the world. This gives an incredible advantage to the university, students, and graduates of the program. The early success of the rollout is unparalleled in university history.”
Asked how he got behind this idea, he states, “Like most people who first hear about a master’s degree in happiness, I was skeptical. My questions included ‘What is it?’ and ‘What will graduates do with it?’ Upon further research, I learned the field is not as new as it seems. The content areas in the program are all legitimate research-based fields of inquiry including psychology, public policy, sustainability, economics, ethics, and human health. Positive Psychology is a closely related field widely taught, most notably at the University of Pennsylvania, whose founding director I had the pleasure to consult. Working with Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar for the past year and a half, I’ve come to know his keen intellect, gift for teaching, and determination to create a high quality, accredited degree program and realized the potential to reach and serve a market previously untapped by Centenary.”
Expanding on the ways students will benefit, Dr. Murphy explains, “The students for this online 30-credit program will largely be working professionals seeking to enhance their skill set in various fields like education, healthcare, business, and industry, whose jobs are to transform people and organizations to a higher level. Think of an HR director conducting workshops and seminars on enhanced wellbeing and a CEO working with other organizations to create a more authentic, more responsible industry or community. The Chief Happiness Officer position has already begun to sprout up in organizations and the pandemic caused us to reflect on who we are as an institution and how we make good on our mission in a post-pandemic world. I can think of no better qualification for the job than our Master of Arts in Happiness Studies.”
Obviously, I have to ask Tal what is happiness, anyway? “My definition of happiness expanded from being based on meaning and pleasure to one that is more complex. There are many definitions and one I find most useful draws from the words of Helen Keller: ‘To me, the only definition of happiness is wholeness.’ Inspired by her, I melded the words “wholeperson” and “wellbeing” to create “wholebeing.” Happiness is about the experience of wholebeing. Whether it’s individuals, groups, or societies, there are five wellbeing elements, including spiritual, physical, intellectual, relational and emotional wellbeing.
It seems logical, but I can’t help ask how we’re getting it so wrong, especially as it relates to work. “Most people don’t understand how happiness relates to work. They believe getting a raise or a promotion will make them happier, when at best, they lead to a temporary high. After our basic needs are met—which is the top priority—the most important aspect of work is the meaning it provides. If people understand that, they'll look for, and possibly find, work that provides them with the ultimate currency—the currency of happiness.” Dr. Murphy agrees, adding, “This program has developed a culture of service since its inception—service to self, service to others, service to the community.”
While some of the solutions seem simple, if there were professionals prompting these actions and weaving them into the workday, maybe we wouldn’t be in the midst of what’s been coined The Great Resignation. Given the fact that many millennials (and now Gen Z) are charged with expectations of happiness and the earlier generations aren’t, perhaps this is the place where everyone meets? “Most leaders don’t recognize that happiness is a good investment. Organizations should invest in their employees' happiness as an end in itself, and as a means toward higher creativity, productivity, engagement, as well as higher profits. Happiness pays!” Tal beams.
His teachings include everything from creating safety nets for failure to encouraging employees to exercise regularly. “Regular physical exercise has the same effect as our most powerful psychiatric medication. The workplace will be happier, more creative, and less stressful if the employees start an exercise regimen with time to recover at home. Being ‘on’ all the time is not helpful for employee or for the organization. We need to recharge our psychological batteries,” Tal tells us.
Addressing the naysayers, Tal shares, “Ever since that transatlantic flight, I’ve been tirelessly advocating for the study of happiness. The question I’m often asked is: Why? Why spend time and effort pursuing this degree? My answer would be, for the same reason you would study any other field or discipline, namely to become happier and to help those you care about become happier." For example, If you asked an MBA candidate why she chose to pursue a business degree, she might say, ‘So I can become a better businesswoman.’ If you probed further and asked her why she would want to become a better businesswoman, she could respond, ‘So I can make more money.’ Continue with another why or two, she will ultimately arrive at, ‘So that I (and those I care about) can be happier.’ You would arrive at the same answer from students in any field. As the ultimate currency—the highest on the hierarchy of goals, the end toward which all other goals lead—happiness is the justification for investing time and effort in any pursuit.”
Leading this cultural sea change, Tal declares, “The purpose of the field of happiness studies is to inspire and support a happiness revolution—a large-scale, society-wide shift from a material perception to a happiness perception. Material perception is about seeing the material—in the form of wealth and prestige—as the ultimate currency. The happiness revolution is about dethroning the material from being the highest on the hierarchy of values, replacing it with happiness—with spiritual, physical, intellectual, relational, and emotional wellbeing. Old habits die hard—and the habit of seeing the material as the end-all was formed over thousands of years of material scarcity and then reinforced by the tangible successes of the industrial revolution. The happiness revolution will take place when enough people internalize the fact that the end toward which all others lead is wholeperson wellbeing.”
Tal practices what he preaches, and states, “I do not teach anything I don’t apply. I exercise regularly, express gratitude daily, spend quality time with my family and friends, strictly limit technology consumption, keep a journal, and work in a field that is personally meaningful to me. From the moment I set my heart and mind on creating an academic degree in Happiness Studies, I’ve been a great deal busier, and at the same time infinitely inspired and motivated.” Now in possession of all the reasons I need, I find myself wondering if I could hitch a ride to New Jersey on that famed Partridge Family bus to join the happiness revolution. Care to join me?
Centenary University | 400 Jefferson Street Hackettstown NJ 07840 | https://centu.org/access-happiness
Dawn Homer Sr. Enrollment Counselor | 908-852-1400 ext. 5035 | Dawn.Homer@CentenaryUniversity.edu
