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Every episode
Office Hours with Arthur Brooks
30 episodes
Success Secret: Finding People Who Disagree With You
Aug 17, 2026 · 49 min
Most of us prefer spending time with people who are like us. They think like us, share our values, and make us feel comfortable. But while similarity may be easy, it isn't always what helps us grow. In this episode of Office Hours, I explain why some of the greatest benefits in life come from building relationships with people who think, believe, and live differently from us. I explore the science behind why diversity of thought can make us wiser and more successful, and share three practical wa…
One Year of Office Hours: Lessons on Love and Friendship
Aug 10, 2026 · 1 hr 18 min
In this special one-year anniversary episode of Office Hours, I'm joined by six young adults to discuss the modern crisis of meaning and why so many people feel disconnected despite having more ways to connect than ever. Together, we explore why friendship and romantic love seem harder to find and maintain, what gets in the way of deep connection, and what young adults are actually looking for in relationships, community, and life. Along the way, the participants share their experiences navigati…
Why You Should Let People Help You More
Aug 3, 2026 · 37 min
We usually think generosity means helping other people. But what if accepting help is generous, too? In this episode of Office Hours, I explore why letting others help us can be a gift. We’ll look at the science of why helping makes people happier, why others enjoy doing us favors more than we expect, the four rules for asking well, and how receiving with grace creates a virtuous cycle of generosity. — Brought to you by: • Noble Mobile—With Noble, there is only one plan: The No-Bull Plan. It’s s…
The Power of Sunlight: Protocols for Better Mood, Sleep & Happiness
Jul 27, 2026 · 45 min
It's easy to assume that we'd be happier if we lived somewhere with more sunshine. But how much does sunlight actually matter? In this episode of Office Hours, I examine what the research says about the relationship between sunlight and happiness, why some people benefit more than others, and how much sunlight you really need. I also share three practical ways to build healthier light habits. — Brought to you by: • Noble Mobile—With Noble, there is only one plan: The No-Bull Plan. It’s simple. I…
How Lying Sabotages Your Happiness
Jul 20, 2026 · 50 min
Most people don't start with huge lies. They start with little white lies meant to avoid conflict, spare someone's feelings, or make life a little easier. But what if those small compromises are quietly making us less happy? In this episode of Office Hours, I make the case that honesty is one of the deepest expressions of love. I explore why we're afraid to say what we really think, why even well-intentioned lies can undermine trust and happiness, and how practicing radical honesty—with compassi…
Use Music to Change Your Brain and Get Happier
Jul 13, 2026 · 44 min
There's a reason music has mattered to people for thousands of years. Across cultures and generations, we’ve treated it as more than entertainment—as a kind of language that can express what words can’t and help us connect with the meaning and mystery on the right side of our brain. In this episode of Office Hours, I explore why that idea has endured and what modern science has to say about it. I also share two simple ways to amplify music’s positive effects, plus four practical strategies for b…
How to Stay in Love with Your Soul Mate, with Special Guest Ester Brooks
Jul 6, 2026 · 1 hr 9 min
Thirty-five years ago, I somehow convinced an extraordinary woman to marry me. Our relationship began like any other—attraction, a leap of faith, and eventually the decision to embark on the unknown journey ahead of us together. In this episode of Office Hours, my wife, Ester Munt-Brooks, and I reflect on what we’ve learned over 35 years of choosing each other—from the risks we took early on, to why love is much more than a feeling. Drawing on the wisdom of Thomas Aquinas, we explore what it tru…
Why Success Never Feels Like Enough
Jun 29, 2026 · 45 min
Do you find yourself chasing success, working long hours, doing far more than is required, and thinking about work all the time? Congratulations—you might be a workaholic. (There’s no trophy for this, by the way. I checked.) In this episode of Office Hours, I dig into what workaholism is, where it comes from, and why it can be so damaging to your happiness and relationships. We discuss the connection between work addiction and the belief that love has to be earned (which turns out to be a surpri…
How to Beat Burnout
Jun 22, 2026 · 53 min
If you feel emotionally exhausted, cynical about your work, or like you’re no longer enjoying parts of the job you used to, you may be experiencing burnout. In this episode of Office Hours, I explain what burnout is, how psychologists define it, and what the research shows about its effects on the brain and body. We discuss the workplace conditions most likely to cause burnout, why some occupations experience it more than others, and the self-reinforcing cycle that makes even meaningful work fee…
9 Rules for a Happier Vacation
Jun 15, 2026 · 42 min
Many people come home from vacation feeling disappointed. Not because the trip was bad, but because they expected it to do more than any vacation possibly can. In my previous episode on leisure, I discussed its importance to happiness and well-being. A vacation, done well, is really an opportunity to practice leisure more intentionally—whether that means a chance to reconnect with the people you love, lose yourself in nature or culture or read a book you've been meaning to for three years. In th…
How to Stop Dating the Wrong Person
Jun 8, 2026 · 42 min
Finding the right person is hard. Being attracted to the wrong one is just as common. In this episode of Office Hours, I explore why some people find themselves stuck in the same dating patterns over and over again, pursuing partners who are unavailable, manipulative, emotionally destructive, or struggling with addiction. I explain why attraction can override good judgment, why certain personality types are especially alluring, and how to learn from past mistakes and create healthier patterns in…
The Real Cost of Family Estrangement
Jun 1, 2026 · 49 min
Family estrangement is strangely common—affecting one-third of American adults today. While cutting ties can bring temporary relief, research suggests that, over time, it often resembles grief. In this episode of Office Hours, I explore why family, one of the four pillars of happiness, is central to meaning, what is driving the rise in estrangement, and why conflicts over values and identity have become so difficult to repair. Most importantly, I discuss what it actually takes to mend broken rel…
The Diet Protocols for Happiness
May 25, 2026 · 46 min
We obsess over diets, fasting, and weight-loss drugs in the name of health. But we rarely ask a more important question: what kind of eating actually makes us happier? In this episode of Office Hours, I explore what the science say about the relationship between food and well-being. Eating gives us pleasure, but meals bring deeper enjoyment when they also combine people and memories. I explore what that means in practice along with seven other practical rules for “happy eating.” In the end, happ…
4 Ways to Get Better at Friendship
May 18, 2026 · 48 min
We spend much of our lives building our careers. We chase success, recognition, and expansive networks—yet despite all of it, many of us still experience a quiet, persistent loneliness. In this episode of Office Hours, I turn to Aristotle and his work, the Nicomachean Ethics, to ask an age-old question: what makes a good friend? I’ll explore Aristotle’s three types of friendship, and suggest something that sounds counterintuitive: the best of friends are perfectly useless. I also share four prac…
Stop Trying to be Perfect
May 11, 2026 · 44 min
Sometimes, the most insidious thing someone can tell you to make you feel better is the age-old phrase, “but you’re perfect!” While research suggests this may ease emotional pain temporarily, it might actually be holding you back from growth and, consequently, satisfaction. In this episode of Office Hours, I explore why we avoid uncomfortable truths when feeling down, and why the better path towards fulfillment is honest self-acceptance—embracing your imperfections, and taking on the challenge t…
How to Enjoy Your Life
May 4, 2026 · 36 min
Want to miss (or forget) life’s sweetest moments? Easy: don’t savor anything. My late mother, an artist, knew this was a terrible strategy for happiness. Through her art, she was an expert at savoring—and the first to teach me its benefits. In this episode of Office Hours, I connect her lesson to what we now know from behavioral science: because of our built-in negativity bias, we tend to overlook positive experiences unless we make an effort to notice them. I’ll share three simple ways to do th…
How to Manage Grief
Apr 27, 2026 · 41 min
Grief is part of the human experience. If you love, you will lose. And when you do, the pain is inescapable. It can be disorienting, overwhelming, and in the case of acute grief, the symptoms can even resemble something like psychosis. In this episode of Office Hours, I explore what grief actually is, how it is lived and felt by those who are bereaved, and why these reactions—however unsettling—are not signs of dysfunction. They are, in fact, evidence of something profoundly good: the depth of o…
Why You Literally Need to Touch Grass
Apr 20, 2026 · 33 min
In a previous episode on leisure, I talked about how fewer and fewer people are spending time outdoors. Today, the average child spends just minutes outside each day, a dramatic shift from how most of us grew up and from how humans have lived for thousands of years. In today’s episode of Office Hours, I explain why reconnecting with nature is essential for your happiness and well-being. Drawing on research from psychology and neuroscience, I show how time outdoors can reduce anxiety and depressi…
6 Big Lessons to Build Your Dream Life with Sahil Bloom
Apr 13, 2026 · 50 min
Sahil Bloom is an entrepreneur and investor, and the author of the New York Times bestselling book The 5 Types of Wealth. Most of us chase success that doesn’t reflect what we truly value. In this episode, Sahil and I explore how to close that gap and live more intentionally—starting with the bold decision he made to move his family for more time with loved ones. We unpack the difference between what you want and what you wish you wanted, dive into the five types of wealth, and end with six prac…
How to Create Your Calling
Apr 6, 2026 · 37 min
Your professional calling is a mysterious idea. It’s the ineffable sense that you are meant to do something. Many people get tripped up in their pursuit of their calling, because they conceive of it like buried treasure—something hidden that they must find. In truth, your calling can be built no matter your present circumstances. So, how do you do it? In this episode, I explain how to move from chasing an objective career—titles, status, money—to building a more subjective one based on what you…
6 Protocols to Find Meaning and Build a Happier Life
Mar 30, 2026 · 40 min
Pre-order The Meaning of Your Life (out March 31). This is the final episode in my 3-part series on meaning, and it begins with a question I couldn’t ignore when I returned to campus five years ago: why do so many successful, driven people feel anxious, depressed, and lonely? In this episode, I share three real-life stories from my new book, The Meaning of Your Life. These stories reveal what’s missing—and why the problem isn’t a lack of enjoyment or satisfaction, but rather the third macronutri…
How the Meaning of Life Affects Your Brain: Part 2 of 3
Mar 23, 2026 · 42 min
Don’t miss The Meaning of Your Life Virtual Experience, my free live global book launch event this Friday (3/27), where I’m joined by an extraordinary lineup of guests to dive into all things meaning. Learn more at themeaningofyourlife.com. This is Part Two of my series on meaning, where I explore the science behind the meaning crisis, a central theme in my upcoming book, The Meaning of Your Life (out March 31). In the last episode, we looked at boredom. Today, I dive into the link between a lac…
Find the Meaning of Your Life Part 1 of 3: Get Better at Boredom
Mar 16, 2026 · 46 min
Most of us hate waiting. Whether it’s standing in line, sitting in traffic, or waiting for a delayed flight, those idle moments feel irritating and pointless. Our instinct is to escape them as quickly as possible, almost always by reaching for our phones. But what if those moments of boredom are actually valuable? Today’s episode of Office Hours is the first of my three-part series on The Meaning of Your Life, about boredom and how learning to sit with it can help us reconnect with reflection, i…
3 Steps to Embracing Your Fears
Mar 9, 2026 · 38 min
Some of the experiences that scare us most are also the ones that can change us for the better. The right kind of challenge increases confidence, deepens courage, helps us feel more fully alive, and connects us to a deeper sense of meaning. But not all risk is the same, and learning the difference matters. In this episode of Office Hours, I explore why deliberately stepping outside your comfort zone is almost always beneficial when approached wisely. I discuss how to distinguish bravery from rec…
How to find your faith
Mar 2, 2026 · 38 min
Faith and spirituality are on the decline—but what does that mean for our happiness and sense of meaning? In this episode of Office Hours, I approach that question not as a theologian, but as a social scientist. I explore a fundamental truth: human beings are wired to seek meaning beyond themselves. The problem today is that we're missing out on this essential part of human life. I’ll share a three-part plan to help you transcend yourself—one that helps you manage anxiety and loneliness—and invi…
The Science Behind Being Good at Leisure
Feb 23, 2026 · 52 min
Not all leisure is created equal—some of it feels good in the moment (pleasure) but leaves you depleted afterward. Other forms of leisure actually restore you (enjoyment). They lift you up, deepen your sense of meaning, and make you more fully alive. The difference matters, and leisure well used is a skill—and it’s one you can cultivate. In this episode of Office Hours, I explore what leisure truly is and why it’s essential to happiness. Drawing on both philosophy and modern behavioral science,…
How to Live Your Life Like a Start-up with Codie Sanchez
Feb 16, 2026 · 1 hr 14 min
Codie Sanchez (founder of Contrarian Thinking and author of Main Street Millionaire) believes ownership changes lives. Her mission is bold and specific: create one million business owners. But beneath that mission is a deeper argument about how taking control of your life can help you not only be more successful, but happier. In this episode of Office Hours, Codie and I explore her philosophy of happiness, built around three requirements: progress, freedom, and ownership. We explore what those i…
How to Find Love in 2026
Feb 9, 2026 · 59 min
Today’s topic: love. Forget Valentine’s Day—where romance only happens once a year. Try my new book, The Meaning of Your Life, out March 31, where I describe how to make love lifelong. Many people today feel discouraged about love. Fewer people are getting married, fewer are falling in love, and more are opting out of romance altogether. This isn’t just a personal problem—it’s a cultural one. In this episode of Office Hours, I explore what’s happening to romantic love and why it matters so deepl…
4 Ways to Be Less Lonely
Feb 2, 2026 · 38 min
If you’ve been feeling empty or lonely and are looking for immediate solutions, I hope today’s episode helps—and if you want to go deeper, you can order my new book, The Meaning of Your Life, out March 31. Today’s topic: the loneliness epidemic. We know more people than ever before, but do we actually know them? In a world of constant connection, many people still feel unseen, unknown, and disconnected from those around them. In this episode of Office Hours, I explore why loneliness has become s…
6 Financial Rules for Greater Happiness with Dave Ramsey
Jan 26, 2026 · 56 min
I’ve hinted at this before, but in my new book, The Meaning of Your Life, I explore where meaning actually comes from—one place, for example, is by serving others with our time and treasure. However, you certainly won’t find it in the worldly idols we so often chase. This all brings us to today’s topic—money. Most people assume that having more money will make them happier. The research suggests something more subtle. What matters is not how much money you have, but how you use it. In this episo…
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