How and How Not to Be Happy
Tue, Jan 25
|Austin Institute
The West is facing a happiness crisis. Today, less than a quarter of American adults rate themselves as very happy—a new low. False views of happiness abound, and the explosion in “happiness studies” has done little to dispel them. Why is true happiness so elusive, and why is it so hard to define?


Time & Location
Jan 25, 2022, 7:00 PM – Feb 15, 2022, 8:30 PM
Austin Institute, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
About The Event
The West is facing a happiness crisis. Today, less than a quarter of American adults rate themselves as very happy—a record low. False views of happiness abound, and the explosion in “happiness studies” has done little to dispel them. Why is true happiness so elusive, and why is it so hard to define?
In this compact seminar, we will dispel the myths and wishful thinking that blind people and prevent them from uncovering lasting fulfillment.
Could happiness lie in health, wealth, responsibility, or pleasure? Should we settle for imperfect happiness? What would it even mean to attain perfect fulfillment? We will separate the wheat from the chaff, exploring how to attain happiness—and just as importantly, how not to.
About Our Scholar
J. Budziszewski
Professor of Government and Philosophy, University of Texas at Austin