Home / Office Hours with Arthur Brooks / The 3 Macronutrients of Happiness, and How to Measure Yours

The 3 Macronutrients of Happiness, and How to Measure Yours

Dec 08, 2025

56 min

Description

Everyone wants to be happier—but too often we go chasing things that make us miserable instead.In this episode of Office Hours, I break down the three big elements—what I call “macronutrients”—that you must have to live a happy life: enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning. I offer practical ways to...

Everyone wants to be happier—but too often we go chasing things that make us miserable instead.

In this episode of Office Hours, I break down the three big elements—what I call “macronutrients”—that you must have to live a happy life: enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning. I offer practical ways to strengthen each macronutrient in your own life and revisit the concept of emotional profiles. I help you think about your unique experience of positive and negative emotions, how to lean into your strengths, and how to manage your weaknesses.

And one exciting bonus: My team and I have developed a survey that measures both your unique macronutrient composition and your emotional profile. I hope you can use it to start getting happier today. Take the Happiness Scale at learn.arthurbrooks.com/the-happiness-scale.

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Where to find Arthur Brooks:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://arthurbrooks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.arthurbrooks.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/arthurbrooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/arthurcbrooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ArthurBrooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGuyFRjJQFGCKzfHTBvWM6A⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-c-brooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(03:28) How genetics influences happiness

(08:36) Why pursuing happiness isn’t selfish

(09:23) Why we long for happiness and why we make mistakes trying to find it

(10:54) Misconception #1: Happiness isn’t a destination; it is a direction

(14:30) Misconception #2: Happiness isn’t a feeling

(18:24) The three macronutrients of happiness

(20:11) Macro #1: Enjoyment (versus pleasure)

(24:45) Macro #2: Satisfaction

(28:44) Macro #3: Meaning

(33:36) The role of unhappiness

(37:04) Misconception #3: Trying to eliminate all suffering

(38:17) The four combinations of affect profiles and how to measure your happiness

(49:40) Q&A: Being happier with type 1 diabetes

(51:09) Q&A: How to get better at public speaking

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Referenced:

• Take the Happiness Scale test: https://learn.arthurbrooks.com/the-happiness-scale

• How to Build a Life: https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/how-build-life/

• The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Files-Insights-Arthur-Brooks/dp/B0F4MFQ6VN

• Peter Drucker’s website: https://peter-drucker.com

• Twin Studies: A Unique Epidemiological Tool: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4919929

• Genetic Influences on the Development of Alcoholism: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4159132

• 3 Steps to Managing Your Emotions: https://www.arthurbrooks.com/podcast/3-steps-to-managing-your-emotions

• The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (Official Lyric Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrIPxlFzDi0

• The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness: https://www.amazon.com/Meaning-Your-Life-Finding-Emptiness/dp/0593545427

• Meaning of Life Questionnaire: http://www.michaelfsteger.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/MLQ.pdf

• The three meanings of meaning in life: Distinguishing coherence, purpose, and significance: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-30427-009

• Introduction to the Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex (VLPFC): https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/ventrolateral-prefrontal-cortex

• ...References continued at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.arthurbrooks.com/office-hours⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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