A Week of Happiness with Arthur Brooks, Ph.D.

Last week Peter Attia, MD drew me into an episode of The Drive with a title: The Science of Happiness. The podcast guest, Arthur Brooks, Ph.D., was new to me, but I enjoyed their conversation so much that I decided to read one of Dr. Brooks’ books, From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.

Now contrary to what it may seem like, I actually wasn’t looking for advice on how to be happy and succesful in the second half of my life. I chose this book because it was the most reviewed of the 6 he’s written. And it’s a good thing I did, because as it turns out, according to Dr. Brooks, the sun has already started to set on the first half of my life.

Arthur Brooks starts the clock on the second half of life when fluid intelligence reaches its peak, and begins to decline, which occurs around the same time that crystallized intelligence begins to eclipse fluid intelligence in its abundance. Fluid intelligence, the ability to reason, and think flexibly, peaks on average 20 years after career inception and begins declining between the ages of thirty-five and fifty. Conversely, crystallized intelligence, the ability to use a stock of knowledge, and share accumulated information, continues to increase well past your 60s and remains steady late into life.

It’s hard to admit, but if the science is right, then my days of high performance problem solving are behind me. Which actually correlates to the exact way I’ve been feeling. My inclination lately has been more towards sharing, and away from solving. 

But the former high performer in me had to ask the question: Does fluid intelligence really peak at a certain age, or is the onset of the “decline” a choice (whether consciously or not). Or is it just the age, on average, where you’ve earned enough, worked enough, and problem solved enough to want to begin your descent. I know I felt it after 10 years. I couldn’t imagine 15 or 20. It certainly seems plausible. Research however has shown that there is a correlation between declining fluid intelligence, cortical thickness and regional volume in the brain. Sounds like a chicken or egg situation to me.

Knowing that you’re past your prime is only half the work. The other half involves embracing it. He’s found that many people get caught up in the success and acclaim they find earlier in life, and for those people stuck looking back, it’s more difficult to move forward. Which is the problem with all of change. It’s scary to embrace what’s unfamiliar. 

It doesn’t even have to be something as big as a mid-life realization that your peak years are behind you. It could be a new job. Moving to a new city. Or starting a new hobby. It could be finally committing to taking your website serious and expressing yourself. Scary stuff!

So how do you do it? Figure out what makes you happy and and devoid yourself of everything that doesn’t service it. Or as Simon Sinek puts it:

“To unlock your true potential and happiness, you need to articulate their deep purpose in life and shed the activities that are not in service of that purpose.”

First, Dr. Brooks says, get to “know your tendency, because once you know your tendency you manage your habits.” Practice metacognition, defined as developing an awareness of one’s thoughts and processes and an understanding of the patterns behind them, to maximize your ability to think, learn and evaluate.

A good place to start is this short personality test on his website, which will tell you if you’re one of four personality types: a cheerleader, poet, mad scientist or judge. My girlfriend and I took the test and were frightened, but not surprised, to find we’re both mad scientists (Yikes!).

Then once know your tendency, focus on achieving the three macros to happiness; enjoyment, satisfaction and meaning, not the three macros of nutrition; carbohydrates, protein and fat (and limit your opinions, the number one source of misery according to Dr. Brooks). Simply put, indulge in the things that fill you up, and separate from all the things that don’t.

Next, Make A To Don’t List. Instead of worrying about what you want to add to your life that you think will bring you joy, “Write down the things you do out of habit or obligation,” he says, “even though they lower your spirits.” And then, avoid them. 

Over the years I’ve acquired a similar technique that has helped me focus on what fills me up and avoid what doesn’t. I learned it from a guest (who’s name I can’t recall) on the Tim Ferriss Show. When faced with a yes or no question I ask myself, “is it yes because I want to, or is it yes because I should?” When it’s the latter, my answer is invariably a no (exceptions do apply). It does require practice to be able to discern the difference between the two, but based on a study of one, I’ve found that strict adherence to this rule results in a 10x better life.

The point Dr.s Brooks makes throughout the book, podcast and article are the same. Achieve happiness by getting to know yourself and eliminating what’s not serving your purpose.

I’m a mad scientist. Is that as bad as it sounds? It depends on my mood. In short, my deep emotion produces feelings of exhilaration, drives my work ethic, and makes me deeply curious, but it also leads to unnecessary misery and volatile mood swings at times, which can exhaust friends, family, myself, and my loved one. (She’s hanging on).

To give my tendency a name is new to me, but the resulting emotions and actions are not. Over the last few years I’ve become all too aware of my thoughts, processes and habits, and, as a result, I’ve implemented a number of practices aimed at maintaining homeostasis between the ups and downs. But before I ever knew that, all my efforts to mitigate my tendency were futile.

When I was a kid G.I. Joe’s were very popular. My brother and I used to play with them all the time. They had a saying that I repeat to myself almost daily.

“Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. G.I. Joe!”

Now you know. The other half is up to you.

This is a great book, podcast, and article with Arthur Brooks, Ph.D., and a short video on happiness. Enjoy one. Enjoy all.

Book: From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life, Arthur Brooks, Ph.D.

Podcast: The Science of Happiness, with Arthur Brooks, Ph.D.

Article: Make A To-Don’t List, Arthur Brooks, Ph.D.

Video: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness. (also worth watching)

Finding The Positive

I jacked up my back today at the gym. I felt it when I was doing bent over reverse flyes (a nice exercise). All of a sudden my back got real tight, like it was right about to spasm and I froze. For anyone that’s ever thrown their back out knows there is nothing scarier than that moment. 

All day since, I’ve been worried about my back, weighting for it to go. 

That’s the bad side. 

The positive side is that it made me realize that I have not thought about my back pain in months. Something that used to consume my mind day and night. I injured myself running, never rehabbed the injury, and ended up with 3 years of miserable back and hip pain. By the end, it had basically taken over my life, and it’s only recently begun to subside. 

That’s the good side. It’s been months since I remember being worried about my back, and that’s progress.

So what actually happened to my back? Very rarely does one just wake up and throw their back out. Usually it’s the result of a handful of small errors that lead to it.

I’ve been working out hard everyday (with few exceptions) over the last month. Yesterday I spent too much time on the stair climber at too high of a speed. And today I worked out 4 hours earlier than I usually do. Those three things, coupled with some tough inch worm sets, I believe is what almost put me over the edge today.

My next rest day isn’t until Sunday, so the next few days need to be light.

Happy or Stuck

You either have to be happy or have your back against the wall to be productive. Or both. But if neither of those two things are true. If you’re unhappy and comfortable, then you’re not going to get much accomplished. You need an incentive.

Happiness and joy is a good one. So is needing to survive. That’s why you need at least one.

I’ve fallen into that trap. Having enough, not needing more, but also just feeling mildly content enough to where doing more work felt counter productive. There was an inverse relationship (or so it appeared) between work and return on that work.

Now I’m trying to stir up both. I’m trying to stay happy, while also forcing my back to the wall.

Being Happy

I’ve been happy now for the longest period of my life. And I’m not used to it. I hope that changes over time.

In prior periods of happiness, I just waited for them to end. Because inevitably they did. But this time it’s been different.

I’m not sure if my sustained happiness is because of a change in mindset. Rooting for it to continue instead of waiting for it to end. Or because I’ve begun to find things in my life I’ve been searching for. A partner. A home. A creative outlet.

Either way, I’m wishing it to continue and hope it will. Know it will.