How the Meaning of Life Affects Your Brain: Part 2 of 3

How the Meaning of Life Affects Your Brain: Part 2 of 3

Don’t miss The Meaning of Your Life Virtual Experience, my free live global book launch event this Friday (3/27), where I’m joined by an extraordinary lineup of guests to dive into all things meaning. Learn more at themeaningofyourlife.com.

This is Part Two of my series on meaning, where I explore the science behind the meaning crisis, a central theme in my upcoming book, The Meaning of Your Life (out March 31).

In the last episode, we looked at boredom. Today, I dive into the link between a lack of meaning and rising anxiety and depression—and why avoiding life’s biggest questions may be part of the problem. Why do we avoid the questions that matter most? Easy: These questions are uncomfortable—they don’t have clear answers and can’t be solved “once and for all.” However, the process of asking these unanswerable, ineffable questions changes the way we understand our lives, even if we cannot neatly articulate that understanding. As always, I share practical steps to get you to the “right” side of your brain, so that you can start building a life with greater meaning.

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: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠officehours@arthurbrooks.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(04:59) The link between meaning and well-being

(07:04) Lessons from Zen Buddhism

(13:44) Two big questions for meaning

(16:00) Hemispheric lateralization

(19:43) Complicated vs. complex problems

(25:33) Why left-brain logic fails for complex problems

(26:54) Using questions to find meaning

(33:20) Step #1: Schedule your mental workout

(34:50) Step #2: Go for a long walk

(37:25) Q&A: Combating contempt

(39:55) Q&A: Travel protocols

Referenced:

• The Meaning of Your Life Virtual Event: themeaningofyourlife.com

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

• Why Your Perfect Life Feels So Empty (Sneak Peek): https://www.thefp.com/p/arthur-brooks-why-your-perfect-life-feels-so-empty

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

• The Pursuit of Happiness with Arthur Brooks: https://www.thefp.com/s/the-pursuit-of-happiness-with-arthur

• Zen in the Art of Archery: https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Archery-Eugen-Herrigel/dp/0375705090

• Hakuin Ekaku: What is the Sound of One Hand Clapping?: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373390412_Hakuin_Ekaku_What_is_the_Sound_of_One_Hand_Clapping

• Carl Jung’s quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/723830-the-greatest-and-most-important-problems-of-life-are-all

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

Production and marketing by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://penname.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(45)

How to Stop Dating the Wrong Person

How to Stop Dating the Wrong Person

Finding the right person is hard. Being attracted to the wrong one is just as common.In this episode of Office Hours, I explore why some people find themselves stuck in the same dating patterns over a...

8 Jun 42min

The Real Cost of Family Estrangement

The Real Cost of Family Estrangement

Family estrangement is strangely common—affecting one-third of American adults today. While cutting ties can bring temporary relief, research suggests that, over time, it often resembles grief.In this...

1 Jun 49min

The Diet Protocols for Happiness

The Diet Protocols for Happiness

We obsess over diets, fasting, and weight-loss drugs in the name of health. But we rarely ask a more important question: what kind of eating actually makes us happier?In this episode of Office Hours, ...

25 Mai 45min

4 Ways to Get Better at Friendship

4 Ways to Get Better at Friendship

We spend much of our lives building our careers. We chase success, recognition, and expansive networks—yet despite all of it, many of us still experience a quiet, persistent loneliness.In this episode...

18 Mai 47min

Stop Trying to be Perfect

Stop Trying to be Perfect

Sometimes, the most insidious thing someone can tell you to make you feel better is the age-old phrase, “but you’re perfect!” While research suggests this may ease emotional pain temporarily, it might...

11 Mai 43min

How to Enjoy Your Life

How to Enjoy Your Life

Want to miss (or forget) life’s sweetest moments? Easy: don’t savor anything. My late mother, an artist, knew this was a terrible strategy for happiness. Through her art, she was an expert at savoring...

4 Mai 36min

How to Manage Grief

How to Manage Grief

Grief is part of the human experience. If you love, you will lose. And when you do, the pain is inescapable. It can be disorienting, overwhelming, and in the case of acute grief, the symptoms can even...

27 Apr 40min

Why You Literally Need to Touch Grass

Why You Literally Need to Touch Grass

In a previous episode on leisure, I talked about how fewer and fewer people are spending time outdoors. Today, the average child spends just minutes outside each day, a dramatic shift from how most of...

20 Apr 33min

Populært innen Helse

fastlegen
rss-gukild-johaug
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
psykodrama
hvordan-har-du-det-mann
leger-om-livet
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
rss-garne-damer
foreldreradet
rss-skravla-gar
bak-fasaden-en-reise-i-livet-med-sykepleier-ine
morten-ramm-lar-kakla-ga-til-du-sovner
klimaks
rss-lopedrommen
hjernesterk
g-punktet
rss-loping-for-nybegynnere
sinnsyn
treningsprat
rss-maren-mina