April 23, 2006
Happiness

As Oscar Wilde put it … “some cause happiness wherever they go. Others, whenever they go.”

This week on Tapestry — some of the great teachings about happiness — wisdom that’s been handed down through the ages from Plato to Harold Arlen to Ned Flanders.

Mary Hynes' guide is Jonathan Haidt, the author of a book called The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom. Not that all the wisdom is so ancient. After all, it was scarcely a century ago that Edith Wharton nailed it: “If only we’d stop trying to be happy,” she said, “we’d have a pretty good time.”

The world’s spiritual traditions have all weighed in on this too. Some of them say being happy really isn’t the point — that living a meaningful life is what it’s all about. Others will tell you the two can’t really be separated.

To learn more about Jonathan Haidt and his Happiness Hypothesis visit his website.

Listen to part one of the interview with Jonathan Haidt
(runs: 26:09)

Listen to part two of the interview with Jonathan Haidt
(runs: 24:40)

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