TED Tuesday— Nancy Etcoff: Happiness and its surprises

"We are wired to pursue happiness, not only to enjoy it, but to want more and more of it."

Good Morning Folks,

At FSO we are constantly learning new things and inspired to want to be better at everything we do. That's why every Tuesday I present some of the best and most popular TED talks on the planet.

Today, cognitive researcher Nancy Etcoff looks at happiness — the ways we try to achieve and increase it, the way it's untethered to our real circumstances, and its surprising effect on our bodies. This Harvard psychologist argues that we ogle such features because they radiate the health and fertility our species needs to survive. Have a look:


In her book Survival of the Prettiest, Nancy Etcoff refutes the social origins of beauty, in favor of far more prosaic and evolutionary explanations. Looking for a partner with clear skin? You're actually checking for parasites. And let's just say there's a reason high heels are always in fashion.

Her recent research into the question of happiness exposes results that not only are surprising but reinforce things we should've known all along: like the fact that having flowers in the house really does make us happier. As the instructor of "The Science of Happiness" at Harvard Medical School and the director of the Program in Aesthetics and Well Being at Massachusetts General Hospital, Nancy Etcoff is uniquely qualified to solve the mysteries of contentment.

Have a GREAT Day! 

 Mitch

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"Begin by always expecting good things to happen.”

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Ideas are not set in stone. When exposed to thoughtful people, they morph and adapt into their most potent form. TED Tuesdays on MitchWeiner.com highlights some of today's most intriguing ideas. Look for more talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more— HERE.  

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Recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest growing companies for the fourth consecutive year, and lead by industry pioneer, Mitch Weiner, FSO's growth and success can be attributed to making a positive and powerful impact on their clients' bottom lines, as well as their employees' careers and lives.