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TED Talk: The Happy Secret to Better Work

September 9th, 2014 by Ashley Buckley

Our August TED Talk from Shawn Achor, Harvard lecturer and CEO of Good Think, Inc., challenges the assumption that we work to achieve happiness. He flips the equation and argues that being happy in the first place actually makes us more productive. The combination of Achor’s casual speaking style and expert analysis made this talk entertaining, engaging, and thought-provoking. If you have 12 minutes to spare- this TED talk is one to watch!

This hilarious and inspiring talk begins with a personal anecdote that sets up the entire topic, and the outcome of the story is an example of how we choose to feel based on what we want to experience. Achor also brings up a valid point about studies and how they are only geared to create a process for the norm, or the majority of the group; any out-liers (whether they excel or fall short) are discarded. He argues that steering people towards being “average” will only result in average outcomes.

His most interesting point was on the common belief that happiness is the result of success. Achor states that when a success is reached then a new success is instated, and with success never truly occurring neither will happiness. Achor counters this belief with the proposition that if we are happy then we will be more successful; he gives many different examples of how to implement small changes in our lifestyles to increase happiness.

“[It’s] the lens through which your brain views the world that shapes your reality. And if we can change the lens, not only can we change your happiness, we can change every single educational and business outcome at the same time.”