The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

The Surprising Case for OversharingWe’re kicking off a new season of The Happiness Lab with some happiness hot takes — bold claims that challenge conventional wisdom about what it really takes to feel happier. Today's hot take is all about oversharing. We’re usually told that revealing too much is cringe-worthy. That it demonstrates social ignorance. That when it comes to overly personal information, save it for your therapist, because less is usually more. Dr. Laurie argues that revealing more than feels comfortable can actually strengthen our social connections and boost our wellbeing. She speaks with Harvard Business School professor Leslie John, author of Revealing, about why TLI (too little information) is often more dangerous than TMI, and chats with University of Chicago psychologist Nick Epley, author of A Little More Social, about what “embracing the cringe” can teach us about connection, vulnerability, and trust. Together, they explore the line between sharing and oversharing, and explain why what feels like “too much information” is often just information. Experts Mentioned: Leslie John • , James. E. Burke Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School Nick Epley • , John Templeton Keller Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Faculty Director of the Roman Family Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Bronnie Ware • , author and palliative carer Resources Mentioned: Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing • , by Leslie John (2026) • “ Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling as implicit emotion regulation • ” by Jared Torre and Matthew Lieberman ( Emotion Review • , 2018) The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing • , by Bronnie Ware (2011) A Little More Social: How Small Choices Create Unexpected Happiness, Health, and Connection • , by Nick Epley (2026) • “ Undervaluing gratitude: Expressers misunderstand the consequences of showing appreciation • ,” by Amit Kumar and Nick Epley ( Psychological Science • , 2018) • “ Insufficiently complimentary?: Underestimating the positive impact of compliments creates a barrier to expressing them • ” by Xuan Zhao and Nick Epley ( Journal of Personality and Social Psychology • , 2021) Related Episodes: “The Secret to Making Friends as an Adult • ” • “ Why Giving is a Great Daily Habit • ” • “ Caring What You’re Sharing • ” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

268|39M

The Art of Doing NothingStruggling to find free time? Feeling constantly busy or burned out? This episode is for you. Dr. Laurie explores the science behind “time famine,” the nagging sense that there’s never enough time in the day. Writer Tom Hodgkinson, author of How to Be Idle, makes a provocative case that doing nothing (napping, daydreaming, even staring out the window) isn’t laziness, but a powerful path to greater happiness and creativity. Plus, Harvard professor Ashley Whillans explains why we keep prioritizing money over time and what that trade-off is really costing us. Experts Mentioned: Tom Hodgkinson • , founder and editor of The Idler • and author of How to Be Idle Ashley Whillans • , Harvard Business School professor and author of Time Smart Cassie Mogilner • , UCLA professor of marketing and behavioral decision making Michael I. Norton • , Harvard Business School professor of business administration John M. Darley • and C. Daniel Batson • , psychologists behind the Good Samaritan helping study. Resources Mentioned: The Idler • , founded by Tom Hodgkinson How to Be Idle • , by Tom Hodgkinson (2004) Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life • , by Ashley V. Whillans ( Harvard Business Review Press, • 2020) “Time, Money, and Subjective Well-Being” • , by Cassie Mogilner, Ashley V. Whillans, and Michael I. Norton ( Handbook of Well-Being • , 2018) “Buying Time Promotes Happiness” • , by Ashley V. Whillans, Elizabeth W. Dunn, Paul Smeets, Rene Bekkers, and Michael I. Norton ( Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences • , 2017) “From Jerusalem to Jericho: A Study of Situational and Dispositional Variables in Helping Behavior” • , by John M. Darley and C. Daniel Batson ( Journal of Personality and Social Psychology • , 1973) “Valuing Time Over Money Is Associated With Greater Happiness” • , by Ashley V. Whillans, Aaron C. Weidman, and Elizabeth W. Dunn ( Social Psychological and Personality Science • , 2016) “Valuing Time Over Money Is Associated With Greater Social Connection” • , by Ashley V. Whillans and Elizabeth W. Dunn ( Journal of Social and Personal Relationships • , 2018) “Thinking About Time As Money Decreases Environmental Behavior” • , by Ashley V. Whillans and Elizabeth W. Dunn ( Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes • , 2015) “Time Affluence as a Path Toward Personal Happiness and Ethical Business Practice: Empirical Evidence From Four Studies” • , by Tim Kasser and Kennon M. Sheldon ( Journal of Business Ethics • , 2008) Related Episodes: • “ Are We Born to Work? Or Born to Live? • ” • “ Working Your Way to Happiness • ” • “ Stop Wasting Your Energy — Here’s What to Do Instead • ” • “ The Happiness Lessons Helping Win Olympic Medals • ” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

264|38M

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