#1331 George Loewenstein - The Opposite of Happiness: How Bad Feelings Make and Break Us
RECORDED ON AUGUST 6th 2026.
Dr. George Loewenstein is Herbert A. Simon University Professor of Economics and Psychology in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. His research focuses on applications of psychology to economics and, more recently, applications of economics to psychology (e.g., economic analyses of boredom, insecure self-esteem, and of the reluctance to thank and apologize). He is the author of The Opposite of Happiness: How Bad Feelings Make and Break Us.
In this episode, we focus on The Opposite of Happiness. We talk about the problem with self-help books. We discuss why misery is so central to human life, and the issue of empathy gaps. We explore self-esteem, and emotions like shame, guilt, envy, jealousy, and boredom. We also talk about psychological phenomena like inner conflicts, the different ways we can self-sabotage, intrusive thoughts, the negative side of hope, rejection, anxiety, loneliness, and depression.
Time Links:
Intro
The premise of the book
The problem with self-help books
Why is misery so central to human life?
Empathy gaps
Self-esteem
Shame and guilt
Inner conflicts
Self-sabotage
Intrusive thoughts
The negative side of hope
The Misery Survey
Boredom
Rejection
Anxiety
Loneliness
Depression
Follow Dr. Loewenstein’s work!
Follow Dr. Loewenstein’s work:
Faculty page: https://tinyurl.com/yc8arxh2
The Opposite of Happiness: https://tinyurl.com/mpnnvnxb