The Best TED Talk Happiness Topics
In 1984, Richard Saul Wurman, architect and graphic designer, founded and chaired the TED Conferences 1984 to celebrate the convergence of technology, entertainment, and design. The TED conferences occurred every year in Monterey, California, with speakers who were invited from diverse backgrounds of disciplines.
TED conferences
Twenty years after the creation of TED conferences, TED Talks was released free online as an audio and video podcast series with a central focus under the slogan: "Ideas worth spreading." This Silicon Valley initiative focused first on technology and design but later expanded to include other topics, such as culture, science, research, and popular events. TED Talk has no commercial, political, or religious agendas, making it an inclusive event and idea platform worldwide.
The conference is held annually, moving from Long Beach, California, to Vancouver, Canada. Its format and style are different from usual conferences, as speakers have approximately 20 minutes to speak, which can make for a concise presentation. These talks can also be viewed online via Youtube or the TED Talk website. One of the popular topics discussed through this platform is happiness. Looking at TED Talks on happiness may offer the chance to widen your view on this emotion and state of being.
TED talk: happiness
Philosophers, psychologists, and individuals have long studied what makes people happy and what constitutes true happiness. With the advent of the internet came a growing public awareness of worldwide events. While this awareness led to a significant understanding of psychology, it also led to increasing anxiety over the current state of events in the world and a drop in happiness.
Awareness of negative and traumatizing events can cause a lapse in well-being and contentment that may reduce happiness if not balanced with moments of reflection. If you feel it would benefit you to contemplate how you can increase happiness in your life, you might enjoy a few TED Talks on the research and dissemination of the topic, including the following.
If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.
The surprising science of happiness - Dan Gilbert
If you aren't sure what makes you happy, you might enjoy The Surprising Science of Happiness. Gilbert, a high school dropout and Ph.D. psychologist from Harvard University, explains how your brain may trick you about what makes you happy. Gilbert claims that the brain misjudges what truly brings happiness, making assumptions about bliss that aren't accurate. He backs these ideas with research done by himself and his Harvard team. Since he gave this talk in 2004, it has become a blockbuster garnering millions of views and continuing to change how people think about happiness. Ten years after giving the talk, Gilbert wrote a blog post about this event.
He states, "I thought I was speaking to a small group of people who'd come to a relatively unknown conference in Monterey, California, and had I realized that ten years later, more than eight million people would have heard what I said that day, I would have (A) rehearsed and (B) dressed better." Gilbert also wrote a book, Stumbling on Happiness, a humorous read on the topic of finding happiness.
What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness - Robert Waldinger
In his 12-minute talk on the longest study of happiness, Waldinger, psychiatrist, psychologist, Zen priest, and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, discusses one of the longest studies in human history on happiness. In this talk, he explains the background of the study about what makes humans happy and briefly discusses its findings.
The study tracks the lives of 724 male Harvard college sophomores from 1928, focusing on all aspects of their lives, asking them, "What makes life good?" Some subjects from the study are still alive and participating in it in the 21st century. They were chosen from all income brackets, including boys living in poverty and the wealthiest, most privileged individuals. Years later, some of the wives of these men joined in the study. Short and focused, this talk discusses the results of this study.
Happiness and its surprises - Nancy Etcoff
Nancy Etcoff is another Harvard researcher and psychologist whose research centers on the science of beauty, also called neuroaesthetics. Etcoff is the instructor of The Science of Happiness class at Harvard Medical School and the program director in Aesthetics and Well-Being at Massachusetts General Hospital.
In her talk, Nancy answers riddles, like why people find some aspects of life and how we have evolved to notice beauty. Her research shows beauty is not a social construct but a function of evolution and survival. Her talk, Happiness and its Surprises, discusses this topic further.
Happiness in body and soul - Eve Ensler
Best known for her controversial show, The Vagina Dialogues, Eve Ensler relates a gently humorous and personable account of how these dialogues and her journey changed her ideas and views about happiness. In her talk on happiness in the body and soul, she states, "I think that before the Vagina Dialogues, I didn't believe in happiness. I thought that only idiots were happy." In this talk, she continues to raise awareness of violence against women through her accounts of how courageous women worldwide find happiness through service.
The habits of happiness - Matthieu Ricard
French biochemist-turned-Buddhist monk, author, and photographer Matthieu Ricard is sometimes called the happiest man in the world. His move to the Himalayas to become a monk was done to find happiness for himself and to study the subject scientifically. This associate of the Dalai Lama subjected himself to intensive clinical tests at the University of Wisconsin so the brain science behind happiness could be better understood.
In this informative Ted Talk on happiness, he explains how individuals can teach themselves to be more serene by cultivating habits of well-being. He also published a book called Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill.
How to buy happiness - Michael Norton
According to social science researcher and Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton, you may be able to buy positive feelings and a sense of contentment due to over a decade of research on the topic.
This humanitarian academic spent a decade analyzing information about global economic equality. He states, "While we might expect that the rich and poor, or liberals and conservatives, would hold different beliefs about their ideal distributions, we observe striking consensus across the political and economic spectrum. Every group reported ideal distributions far more equal than their estimated distributions (or the actual distribution)."
Other TED talks on the happiness topic from the TED blog and local Tedx events
Deliberately focusing on positive news instead of looking at distressing topics may be beneficial in increasing daily joy. If you're looking for positive topics to listen to, consider the following TED Talks on happiness:
There Are No Scraps of Men - Alberto Cairo
How Ideas Trump Crises- Alex Tabarrok
Flow, The Secret to Happiness - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Love Letters to Strangers - Hannah Brencher
Love, No Matter What - Andrew Solomon
The New Bionics That Let Us Run, Climb, and Dance - Hugh Herr
The Story of a Girl - Rick Smolan
How The Arts Help Homeless Youth Heal and Build - Malika Whitley
A Practical Way to Help the Homeless Find Work and Safety - Richard J. Berry
How To Fix a Broken School? Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard - Linda Cliatt-Wayman
Why Open a School? To Close a Prison - Nadia Lopez
My Philosophy for a Happy Life - Sam Berns
Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe - Simon Sinek
My Stroke of Insight - Jill Bolte Taylor
The Happy Secret to Better Work - Shawn Achor
The Puzzle of Motivation - Dan Pink
It's OK to Feel Overwhelmed. Here's What to Do Next - Elizabeth Gilbert
Fighting With Non-Violence - Scilla Elworthy
Play Is More Than Just Fun - Stuart Brown
How to find professional support
It can be commendable to support yourself in increasing moments of happiness. However, many factors can make it difficult to feel happiness without support. You can fine-tune your approach to happiness through therapy sessions with professional guidance. Licensed professionals can offer resources to understand what might keep you from happiness.
If you have a busy work schedule or personal life and do not have the time to attend in-person sessions, you may also consider online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp. Online therapists often offer a diverse variety of schedules and treatment plans. Plus, clients can choose between phone, video, or live chat sessions.
A growing body of evidence has revealed that online therapy is an effective option for mental health treatment. A study published in the peer-reviewed research Journal of Clinical Psychology examined information from several online counseling trials. Researchers found that overall attitudes between counselors and participants were positive in both in-person and online sessions. Clients felt comfortable and content with the video format of sessions.
Takeaway
What is the most famous TED Talk?
According to a playlist on ted.com, the most famous TED Talk is “Do schools kill creativity?” by Ken Robinson. However, when it comes to TED Talks specifically focused on happiness, the most popular by view count is “My philosophy for a happy life” by Sam Berns.
What is the most important thing in life for happiness?
Different TED speakers have highlighted various factors that may contribute to happiness. For example, in his famous TED Talk “What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness,” psychologist Robert Waldinger discusses how quality relationships can play a key role in happiness. Other common factors that may contribute to a happy life include:
- Accomplishing goals
- Having enjoyable hobbies
- Practicing self-care, like nutrition and exercise
- Practicing gratitude
- Practicing mindfulness
However, it may be worth remembering that definitions of happiness can vary from person to person, so there may not be a single most important ingredient for a happy life.
Why is happiness so important?
Being happy can provide a sense of well-being and improve life satisfaction. Happiness can motivate people to pursue their goals, help others, and work to improve the world. It can also contribute to positive social interactions and make it easier to navigate challenges.
Happiness may also have physical health benefits, such as lower blood pressure, better eating habits, better sleep, and lower overall stress.
These examples all illustrate why happiness can be important for health and well-being.
What is the overall message of the TED talk?
Most TED talks are concerned with topics related to science and human thriving. TED talk presenters discuss topics like nature, medicine, psychology, and technology. Some talks are meant to be inspiring, offer tools to help individuals achieve success, or present interesting research. Others are framed more as warnings that illustrate potential pitfalls humanity needs to address to ensure the health and well-being of the earth and society.
What is the TED talk The Happy Secret to Better Work?
“The Happy Secret to Better Work” is a TED talk by Shawn Achor, an author and proponent of positive psychology. In the presentation, Shawn discusses the power of a positive mindset when pursuing goals and striving for success. In his experience counseling college students, he found that many new students could work hard and remain content for a few weeks. However, as stress and obligations built, happiness and contentedness were soon absent.
Shawn recognized that, in the first few weeks of classes, new students were bolstered by the happiness they felt from being admitted to a prestigious university. As that happiness faded, they became increasingly focused on the negative aspects of their education. Shawn saw that negativity was inversely correlated with how productive the students were; as negativity went up, their productivity went down.
In his TED talk, Shawn introduces the concept of practicing gratitude to boost productivity. He indicates that only 25% of success is attributable to intellect, while 75% comes down to optimism and resilience. Shawn highlights the importance of introducing positivity before achieving goals, noticing that many students adopt a negative perspective until they have reached their personal standard of achievement.
Are TED speakers paid for Talks?
TED does not pay speakers for their presentations. However, the presenter’s travel costs and hotel accommodations are covered by TED. Presenters are also granted access to all five days of the TED conference at no cost.
Why TED Talk happiness is so powerful?
TED talks that focus on psychology and human well-being often discuss how happiness can be achieved and how finding happiness might be counterintuitive to what many people expect. Presenters might speak of the happiness advantage - the influence a positive attitude has on hard work and productivity - or they might focus on self-fulfillment and finding joy in everyday life. Many people consider achieving happiness a central goal in their lives, and the TED talk presentations surrounding happiness are likely well-attended and discussed because the search for happiness is a powerful force for many.
Do TED speakers memorize their talks for local TEDx events and TED conferences?
Each TED presenter likely has their own method of preparation for their presentation. Given the scope of TED events, it is likely that most presenters rehearse their presentations thoroughly to avoid errors. Most presenters are probably not reading a word-for-word script of their presentation, and doing so might affect their ability to make the presentation engaging for the audience. However, they likely have notes they can reference during the presentation, meaning very few presenters are likely to memorize their entire presentation in its entirety.
What is the TED Talks motto?
Until 2025, the TED talk motto was “Ideas worth sharing.” Recently, the organization updated its slogan. It is now “Ideas change everything.”
What is the overall message of the TED talk, according to the blog?
The overall message and mission of TED is to spread information that is worthy of being known by everyone. Topics like nature, success, achieving wealth, finding happiness, and global issues like climate change are common. By disseminating the knowledge learned through empirical research and scientific observation, TED helps humanity imagine a more peaceful, unified future.
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