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Happiness Expert Speaks at Convocation
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he author of this year’s all-school read spent a day on campus in September discussing her research into the psychology of happiness, including what makes people happy and how they can increase their enjoyment of life, topics in line with this year’s school theme, “The Pursuit of Happiness.” As the first convocation speaker of the year, psychology professor Sonja Lyubomirsky delved into the science of happiness, citing findings from studies and examples from her book, The How of Happiness. Through her research and writing, Ms. Lyubomirsky has identified and described both the immediate and long-lasting impact of happiness in people’s lives. “Happy people experience frequent positive emotions, and they feel a sense that their life is good,” Ms. Lyubomirsky told the audience of students, faculty, and staff. People who report being happy in their lives and with their lives tend to be physically healthier, be better leaders and negotiators, have stronger social support, contribute more to charity, and bounce back quicker from adversity than those who are less happy, she said. Ms. Lyubomirsky also has studied ways that people develop happiness. We are more likely to find happiness by connecting with people in our families and communities and expressing our gratitude for people in our lives who connect with us, she said. “Other people matter,” she concluded. “If you want to be happy and if you want to enjoy the benefits of happiness, ... you need to focus, not on yourself, but on other people, on supporting other people and recognizing how other people have supported you.” She warned against looking for happiness through indirect personal connections, such as social media. People tend to be happier when they are not on social media and are instead spending time with other people or helping others directly. After the convocation, Ms. Lyubomirsky continued the discussion with a smaller group of students and faculty, and she met with a Neuropsychology class and with students in the Chaffee Leadership Institute. Ms. Lyubomirsky received her undergraduate
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Loomis Chaffee Magazine Winter 2022
degree in psychology from Harvard University and her doctorate in social/personality psychology from Stanford University. She teaches courses in social psychology and positive psychology and serves as the Department of Psychology’s vice chair at the University of California, Riverside. According to her biography, she has been recognized with the Faculty of the Year Award twice and has received the Faculty Mentor of the Year Award for her work with students. Ms. Lyubomirsky’s visit to campus was part of the Hubbard Speakers Series, made possible by a gift from Robert P. Hubbard '47.
“If you want to be happy and you want to experience the benefits of happiness, … you need to focus, not on yourself, but on other people, on supporting other people and recognizing how other people have supported you,” Ms. Lyubomirsky said. Psychology professor and author Sonja Lyubomirsky Photo: Cassandra Hamer
