Wisdom of the Sages
Wisdom of the Sages
Raghunath Cappo & Kaustubha Das
1659: 4 Counterintuitive Secrets of Happiness — From Yale to Vedānta
55 minutes Posted Aug 20, 2025 at 1:37 pm.
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What really makes us happy? In this episode, we draw from Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos’ research — featured on the Rich Roll Podcast — to uncover four surprising truths about happiness: the arrival fallacy, the bronze medal effect, how comfort can backfire, and why giving beats self-focus.

What’s remarkable is how these modern insights echo wisdom preserved in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The yogic texts long ago revealed that happiness and distress both come to us inevitably, and that wise souls redirect their energy toward devotion. In bhakti, this opens the door to a transcendental joy far beyond worldly ups and downs — most beautifully seen in the eternal love between Krishna and the residents of Vrindavan.

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.8.46-52

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