A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment
About this course: What
are the determinants of a happy and fulfilling life?
This is surely one of life’s biggest questions, and a question that has
interested many of our ancestors. Buddha famously gave up his kingdom in
search of happiness. Several Greek philosophers (from Aristotle to
Epicurus and Plato to Socrates) had their own views on what it takes to
be happy. And of course, we all have our own theories about happiness
too.
How valid are our theories?
Until recently, if you wished for an answer to this question, you
would've been forced to base it on discussions with spiritual leaders.
Or, if you were lucky, you could've based it on late-night (and perhaps
intoxicant-fueled) conversations with friends and family. Happily, all
that has changed now. Over the past decade-and-a-half, scientists have
gotten into the act big time. We now have a pretty good idea of what it
takes to lead a happy and fulfilling life.
This course, based on the award-winning class offered both at the Indian
School of Business and at the McCombs School of Business at The
University of Texas at Austin, developed by Prof. Raj Raghunathan (aka
"Dr. Happy-smarts") draws content from a variety of fields, including
psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral decision theory to offer a
tested and practical recipe for leading a life of happiness and
fulfillment.
Although not mandatory, reading Prof. Raj's forthcoming book, titled If
you're so smart, why aren't you happy? can help you review and
assimilate the material covered in this book at your leisure.
For Coursera learners alone, the hardcover version of the book is
available for a deep discount of 50%, plus shipping and handling. You
can order the hardcover for 50% off by writing to Aaron at:
Aaron@800ceoread.com. Please mention that you are a student of the
"coursera happiness course" in your email.
The course will feature guest appearances by several well-known thought
leaders, including:
-
- Dan Ariely (author of Predictably Irrational and, soon to be released, Irrationally Yours), -
- Ed Diener (“Dr. Happiness”),
- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (author of Flow),
By taking this course, you will discover the answers to questions such
as:
- Why aren’t the smart-and-the-successful as happy as they
could—or should—be
- What are the “7 Deadly Happiness Sins” that even the smart and
the successful commit?, and
- What are the “7 Habits of the Highly Happy” and how can you
implement them in your life?
By the end of the course, I expect students who have been diligent with
the lectures and exercises to not just gain a deeper understanding of
the science of happiness, but to also be significantly happier.
For details see A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment
No comments:
Post a Comment