Happier

Happier argues that happiness is not a single achievement or permanent mood. It’s a lifelong practice of balancing enjoyment now with purpose over time. When we chase only pleasure, life becomes hollow. When we chase only achievement or meaning, life becomes exhausting. When we reject both, life becomes bleak. The “happy camper” approach is the middle path: savor what’s good in the present while steadily investing in what matters for the future.

Ben-Shahar’s practical message is that happiness is influenced by what you repeatedly do: setting authentic goals, shaping work into something meaningful, nurturing relationships, building rituals that restore you, slowing down to reclaim time, and believing you deserve well-being. The happiest people aren’t those who avoid pain—they’re those who learn to carry pain without surrendering joy, meaning, and connection.

Tal Ben-Shahar is a lecturer and writer known for teaching positive psychology, including a widely popular course at Harvard. He studied philosophy and psychology as an undergraduate and later earned a Ph.D. in organizational behavior. After Happier, he continued writing about well-being and personal development, publishing books such as The Pursuit of Perfect, Choose the Life You Want, and Happier No Matter What. He also co-founded the Happiness Studies Academy, an online organization aimed at expanding education and research in happiness studies.