Don’t chase happiness. Become antifragile | Tal Ben-Shahar | Big Think

The role of the science of happiness is to teach us what conditions we can put in place to increase the likelihood of growing from hardship. Now, there is a paradox when it comes to pursuing happiness. (bright music) On the one hand, we know that happiness is a good thing, whether in and of itself, or as a means toward other ends.

At the same time, we also know from research by Iris Moss and others, that people who say to themselves, "Happiness is important for me, I want to pursue it," those individuals actually end up being less happy. In fact, they're more likely to experience depression. So the paradox is that on the one hand, happiness is clearly a good thing.

SPIRE is an acronym that stands for spiritual, physical, intellectual, relational, and finally, emotional well-being. Spirituality is about finding a sense of meaning and purpose in life, at work and at home. If you wake up in the morning with a purpose, you're more likely to overcome barriers.

It can be text, a work of art, even nature. Relational wellbeing is very important. The number one predictor of happiness is quality time we spend with people we care about and who care about us.