If you’re an introvert, you might not like what the research has to say: Extroverts tend to be happier. But before you start striking up conversations with strangers in the elevator, there’s more to the story.
In this episode of Office Hours, I explore how your personality might shape your happiness, what introverts and extroverts can learn from each other, and why understanding your natural tendencies can help you cultivate habits towards a more connected and, therefore, happier life.
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Where to find Arthur Brooks:
• Website: https://arthurbrooks.com/
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• Email: officehours@arthurbrooks.com
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(09:00) Personality traits and genetics
(10:47) Jung’s work on personality
(12:54) The Big Five personality traits (OCEAN)
(20:55) Eysenck’s theories on introversion and extroversion
(23:26) Why extroverts tend to have a happiness advantage
(32:02) What introverts can learn from extroverts
(38:44) What extroverts can learn from introverts
(43:04) Happiness homework for introverts and extroverts
(45:01) Q&A: Budgeting, vacations, and happiness
(47:02) Q&A: Dealing with romantic failure
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Referenced:
• The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness:themeaningofyourlife.com
• Meaning Membership: https://hub.arthurbrooks.com/the-meaning-membership
• Arthur’s newsletter: https://www.arthurbrooks.com/newsletter
• The Happiness Scale: https://learn.arthurbrooks.com/the-happiness-scale
• The development of markers for the Big-Five factor structure: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1992-25730-001
• Carl Jung: https://www.thesap.org.uk/articles-on-jungian-psychology-2/carl-gustav-jung/
• Extraversion and happiness: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1991-12567-001
• Intelligence assessment: a theoretical and experimental approach: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5341403
• Happiness, introversion-extraversion and happy introverts: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232553189_Happiness_introversion-extraversion_and_happy_introverts
• Hans Eysenck's interface between the brain and personality: Modern evidence on the cognitive neuroscience of personality: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886916302628
• ...References continued at: https://www.arthurbrooks.com/office-hours
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