The How of Happiness
Sonja Lyubomirsky · 2008
The How of Happiness (2008) is a book by Sonja Lyubomirsky on Positive psychology & well-being. Positive-psychology researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky uses decades of studies to show that 40% of happiness is within your control, then lays out twelve science-tested activities, and how to make them stick, to durably raise your own baseline.
A leading happiness researcher hands you the evidence-based verdict: 40% of your happiness is yours to build, and here are the exact activities that build it.
Two of the ideas you’ll keep
The Clif summary of The How of Happiness pulls out 7 insights. Here are the first two.
- Lyubomirsky's happiness pie chart splits well-being three ways: roughly 50% genetic setpoint, only 10% life circumstances, and a full 40% intentional activity. That 40% is your leverage, so pour energy into what you do, not into changing your situation.
- Circumstances barely move the needle because of hedonic adaptation: you quickly get used to raises, homes, and new relationships, and your mood drifts back to baseline. Chasing better conditions is running on a treadmill.
The other 5 — and the full 11-minute summary — are in the app.
What’s inside: 9 chapters
The whole summary runs about 11 minutes, read or listened to.
- The 40% Solution
- Why Circumstances Fail You
- Finding Your Fit
- Gratitude and Positive Thinking
- Investing in Other People
- Coping and Forgiveness
- Living in the Present
- Goals, Meaning, and the Body
- Making Happiness Stick
Finish The How of Happiness tonight.
Read or listen to the full summary in about 11 minutes, then keep the ideas with a minute of review a day. Start with the 2-minute quiz — no card required.
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