HAPPINESS PROFESSOR: How to Discover the Meaning of Your Life with Oprah and Arthur C. Brooks

What is the true meaning of your life? Does your life have purpose?

Are you living a life you love? These are questions many people quietly wrestle with in a time when more individuals report feeling lonely, anxious and uncertain about their place in the world.

Oprah is back with the Harvard Happiness professor and #1 New York Times bestselling author Arthur C. Brooks.

They explore his latest book The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness. Arthur explains why so many people today feel stuck in what he calls an “age of emptiness,” and reveals the modern traps that can make life feel like a simulation of endless distraction, doom scrolling and procrastination.

These leave people disconnected from their deeper purpose. Oprah and Arthur take questions from listeners including a college freshman caught in what Arthur Brooks calls “the doom loop" struggling to break free from constant scrolling while searching for a sense of direction.

The episode also checks in with several of Arthur Brooks’ former students who share how they found meaning through serving others, pursuing achievement with intention and redefining success beyond personal gain. BUY THE BOOK!

To buy Arthur Brooks’ new book The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness and to take the quizzes discussed in this episode go to During his conversation, Arthur Brooks stated that “animals like Koko never ask questions,” however The Gorilla Foundation / has brought to our attention that Koko frequently asked questions. This video, titled “Koko Has a Question,” shows her curiosity and her ability to communicate using ASL to seek new information. 00:00:00 - Welcome Arthur Brooks, author of ‘The Meaning of Your Life’ 00:03:40 - Why he took on the meaning of life 00:04:30 - How campus life changed 00:05:29 - Happiness is a combination of 3 things 00:06:20 - The meaning of the meaning of life 00:09:40 - 5 explanations for why things happen 00:16:28 - What is a doom loop 00:17:50 - Finding meaning and happiness 00:24:26 - Creating impact outside of your own life 00:30:50 - Using success in service to others 00:33:00 - How the sides of our brains work 00:38:15 - Redefining your meaning 00:40:10 - How to use your suffering as part of your calling 00:43:25 - What is moral beauty 00:49:00 - How to stay present to the big questions 00:52:00 - How meaning found Arthur Brooks Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: Listen to the full podcast: Learn more about your ad choices.

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