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- Level Foundation
- Duration 28 hours
- Course by Indian School of Business
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Offered by
About
What are the determinants of a happy and fulfilling life? This is surely one of life’s biggest questions, and a question that has interested many of our ancestors. Buddha famously gave up his kingdom in search of happiness. Several Greek philosophers (from Aristotle to Epicurus and Plato to Socrates) had their own views on what it takes to be happy. And of course, we all have our own theories about happiness too. How valid are our theories? Until recently, if you wished for an answer to this question, you would've been forced to base it on discussions with spiritual leaders. Or, if you were lucky, you could've based it on late-night (and perhaps intoxicant-fueled) conversations with friends and family. Happily, all that has changed now. Over the past decade-and-a-half, scientists have gotten into the act big time. We now have a pretty good idea of what it takes to lead a happy and fulfilling life. This course, based on the award-winning class offered both at the Indian School of Business and at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin, developed by Prof. Raj Raghunathan (aka "Dr. Happy-smarts") draws content from a variety of fields, including psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral decision theory to offer a tested and practical recipe for leading a life of happiness and fulfillment. Although not mandatory, reading Prof. Raj's forthcoming book, titled If you're so smart, why aren't you happy? can help you review and assimilate the material covered in this book at your leisure. For Coursera learners alone, the hardcover version of the book is available for a deep discount of 50%, plus shipping and handling. You can order the hardcover for 50% off by writing to Aaron at: Aaron@800ceoread.com. Please mention that you are a student of the "coursera happiness course" in your email. The course will feature guest appearances by several well-known thought leaders, including: - Dan Ariely (author of Predictably Irrational and, soon to be released, Irrationally Yours), - Ed Diener (“Dr. Happiness”), - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (author of Flow), By taking this course, you will discover the answers to questions such as: - Why aren’t the smart-and-the-successful as happy as they could—or should—be - What are the “7 Deadly Happiness Sins” that even the smart and the successful commit?, and - What are the “7 Habits of the Highly Happy” and how can you implement them in your life? By the end of the course, I expect students who have been diligent with the lectures and exercises to not just gain a deeper understanding of the science of happiness, but to also be significantly happier.Modules
Introduction to the course
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1
Videos
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3
Readings
1
Videos
- Welcome to the course
3
Readings
- About us: The Happiness Team at ISB
- Guest speakers!
- Information on graded components
How a business-school professor got to teach happiness!
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1
Videos
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1
Readings
1
Videos
- Week 1 video 1: Genesis of the course
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
Happiness measurement
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3
Videos
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1
Readings
3
Videos
- Week 1 Video 2: Happiness is a balloon!
- Week 1 Video 3: What you can expect and what will it take!
- Week 1 Video 4: Measuring happiness
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
Overview of course content
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1
Videos
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1
Readings
1
Videos
- Week 1 Video 5: Introducing the Seven Deadly Happiness Sins
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
The 1st deadly happiness sin: devaluing happiness
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4
Videos
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2
Readings
4
Videos
- Week 1 Video 6: Overview of 1st deadly happiness sin: Devaluing happiness
- Week 1 Video 7: Devaluing happiness in job-choice
- Week 1 Video 8: Three negative misconceptions about happiness
- Week 1 Video 9: Why we devalue happiness: Part II
2
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
- Bonus: Prof. Raj's paper "The Fundamental Happiness Paradox"
The 1st habit of the highly happy: Prioritizing--but not pursuing--happiness
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1
Videos
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2
Readings
1
Videos
- Week 1 Video 10: Prioritize but don't pursue Happiness
2
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
- Bonus: Prof. Raj's paper "Prioritizing vs. Pursuing Happiness" (optional reading)
The 1st happiness exercise: Defining and incorporating happiness
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1
Videos
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2
Readings
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1
PeerReview
1
Peer Review
- The 1st Happiness Exercise: Defining and incorporating happiness
1
Videos
- Week 1 Video 11: The 1st exercise: Defining and incorporating happiness
2
Readings
- Assignment #1 (The 1st happiness exercise--defining and incorporating happiness): Important note
- Bonus: Optional readings!
Summary of Week 1
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1
Videos
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1
Readings
1
Videos
- Week 1 Video 12: Summary
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
The 2nd deadly happiness sin: Chasing superiority
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3
Videos
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1
Readings
3
Videos
- Week 2 Video 1: The 2nd sin: Chasing superiority
- Week 2 Video 2: Effects of chasing superiority on happiness
- Week 2 Video 3: Is need for superiority important for success?
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
The 2nd habit of the highly happy: Pursuing flow
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6
Videos
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1
Readings
6
Videos
- Week 2 Video 4: Flow is discovered
- Week 2 Video 5: Characteristics of flow
- Week 2 Video 6: When does flow happen
- Week 2 Video 7: Why flow enhances happiness
- Week 2 Video 8: Why flow enhances success
- Week 2 Video 9: Getting flow back into your life
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
Strategies for mitigating the need for superiority
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2
Videos
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1
Readings
2
Videos
- Week 2 Video 10: A practice for when things are not going well: Self-compassion
- Week 2 Video 11: A practice for when things are going well: Gratitude
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
The 2nd happiness exercise: Expressing gratitude
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1
Videos
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2
Readings
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1
Assignment
1
Assignment
- Self-grading for assignment #2 (The 2nd happiness exercise--expressing gratitude)
1
Videos
- Week 2 Video 12: The 2nd happiness exercise: Expressing gratitude
2
Readings
- Assignment #2 (The 2nd happiness exercise): Important note
- Bonus: Optional readings!
Summary of Week 2
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1
Videos
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1
Readings
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1
Assignment
1
Assignment
- Quiz 1
1
Videos
- Week 2 Video 13: Summary of week 2
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
The 3rd deadly happiness sin: The need to be loved--or its opposite: The need to go it alone
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5
Videos
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1
Readings
5
Videos
- Week 3 Video 1: The need to be loved--or its opposite: the need to go it alone
- Week 3 Video 2: Further evidence of our social nature
- Week 3 Video 3: Why neediness lowers happiness
- Week 3 Video 4: Why avoidance lowers happiness
- Week 3 Video 5: Secure attachment
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
The 3rd habit of the highly happy: The need to love (and give)
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4
Videos
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1
Readings
4
Videos
- Week 3 Video 6: An alternative route to belongingness
- Week 3 Video 7: Evidence for the need to love and give
- Week 3 Video 8: Why the need to love and give enhances happiness
- Week 3 Video 9: The rules for giving: When does giving enhance happiness and success?
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
The 3rd happiness exercise: Creative altruism
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1
Videos
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2
Readings
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1
PeerReview
1
Peer Review
- The 3rd Happiness Exercise: Creative Altruism
1
Videos
- Week 3 Video 10: The 3rd exercise: Creative altruism
2
Readings
- Assignment #3 (The 3rd happiness exercise--creative altruism): Important note
- Bonus: Optional readings!
Summary of Week 3
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1
Videos
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1
Readings
1
Videos
- Week 3 Video 11: Summary of week 3
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
(Optional) Interview with Nipun Mehta (this video won't count for course grade)
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1
Videos
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1
Readings
1
Videos
- Week 3 Video 12: Interview with Nipun Mehta (Optional)
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
The 2nd (mid-course) happiness measurement
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1
Videos
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1
Readings
1
Videos
- Week 3 Video 13: Mid-course happiness measurement
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
The 4th Deadly Happiness Sin: Being Overly Controlling
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4
Videos
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1
Readings
4
Videos
- Week 4 Video 1: The 4th Sin: Being Overly Control Seeking
- Week 4 Video 2: Why Being Overly Controlling of Others Lowers Happiness
- Week 4 Video 3: Why Being Overly Controlling of Outcomes Lowers Happiness
- Week 4 Video 4: The Desirability for Control (DC) and Maximizer Scales
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
The 4th Habit of the Highly Happy: Taking Personal Responsibility For Your Happiness
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7
Videos
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1
Readings
7
Videos
- Week 4 Video 5: Taking Personal Responsibility for Happiness
- Week 4 Video 6: Obstacles to Taking Personal Responsibility
- Week 4 Video 7: Internal and External Control as Compensatory Forces
- Week 4 Video 8: Learning Simple Emotion Regulation Strategies
- Week 4 Video 9: Appreciating Uncertainty and Lack of Control
- Week 4 Video 10: The Importance of Leading a Healthier Lifestyle
- Week 4 Video 11: Do's and Don'ts of a Healthier Lifestyle
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
The 4th Happiness Exercise: Leading A Healthy Lifestyle
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1
Videos
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1
Readings
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1
Assignment
1
Assignment
- Self-grading for assignment #4 (The 4th happiness exercise: leading a healthy lifestyle)
1
Videos
- Week 4 Video 12: The 4th Exercise: The Healthy Lifestyle Exercise
1
Readings
- Assignment #4 (The 4th happiness exercise--healthy lifestyle): Important note
Summary of Week 4
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1
Videos
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1
Assignment
1
Assignment
- Quiz 2
1
Videos
- Week 4 Video 13: Summary of the Week
The 5th deadly happiness sin: Distrusting others
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5
Videos
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1
Readings
5
Videos
- Week 5 Video 1: Distrusting Others and Why Trust is Important
- Week 5 Video 2: Instinctive distrust and proactive trust
- Week 5 Video 3: The (hidden) Benefits of Proactive Trust
- Week 5 Video 4: Perceived vs Actual Trust
- Week 5 Video 5: Trust Scale
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
The 5th habit of the highly happy and the 5th happiness exercise: Exercising "smart trust" and Forgiveness
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1
Videos
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2
Readings
1
Videos
- Week 5 Video 6: Three Strategies of Smart Trust
2
Readings
- Assignment #5: The 5th happiness exercise--writing, but not sending, a letter of forgiveness: Instructions
- Bonus: Optional readings!
The 6th deadly happiness sin: Distrusting life
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2
Videos
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1
Readings
2
Videos
- Week 5 Video 7: The 6th Deadly Happiness Sin--Distrusting Life
- Week 5 Video 8: Process (vs. Outcome) as a Source of Happiness
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
The 6th habit: The dispassionate pursuit of passion
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3
Videos
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1
Readings
3
Videos
- Week 5 Video 9: Pre-Occurrence Preference and Post-Occurrence Non-Judgmentalism
- Week 5 Video 10: Three Strategies for Instilling the Dispassionate Pursuit of Passion
- Week 5 Video 11: Going Spiritual
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
The 6th exercise: Three good things (with a twist)
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1
Videos
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2
Readings
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1
PeerReview
1
Peer Review
- The 6th Happiness Exercise: 3 good things (with a twist!)
1
Videos
- Week 5 Video 12: The 6th Happiness Exercise-Three Good Things with a Twist
2
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
- Assignment #6: (The 6th happiness exercise--3 good things with a twist): Important note
Summary of Week 5
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1
Videos
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1
Readings
1
Videos
- Week 5 Video 13: Summary of Week 5
1
Readings
- Bonus: Optional readings!
Lesson: The 7th deadly happiness sin: Ignoring the course within
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3
Videos
3
Videos
- Week 6, Video 1: The 7th Deadly Sin: Ignoring The Source Within
- Week 6, Video 2: Stepping Outside The “GATE”
- Week 6, Video 3: Being A Fly In The Wall
Lesson: The 7th habit of the highly happy: Mindfulness
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6
Videos
6
Videos
- Week 6, Video 4: Flying Into The Present
- Week 6, Video 5: The Benefits Of Mindfulness I
- Week 6, Video 6: The Benefits Of Mindfulness II
- Week 6, Video 7: Motivational Obstacles To Mindfulness
- Week 6, Video 8: Cognitive Obstacles To Mindfulness
- Week 6, Video 9: Some Other Obstacles To Mindfulness, Including Logistical Ones
Lesson: The 7th happiness exercise: Presence practice
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1
Videos
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1
Readings
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1
Assignment
1
Assignment
- Self-grading for assignment #7: Presence practice
1
Videos
- Week 6, Video 10: The 7th Happiness Exercise: The “Presence Practice”
1
Readings
- The 7th assignment (The 7th happiness exercise--presence practice): Important note
Lesson: Summary of the module
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1
Videos
1
Videos
- Week 6, Video 11: Summary Of Week 6
Lesson: Summary of the course
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1
Videos
1
Videos
- Week 6, Video 12: Two Approaches To MBA
Lesson: The road ahead
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1
Videos
1
Videos
- Week 6, Video 13: The 7 Happiness Sustaining Strategies
Lesson: Six week virtual mindfulness camp
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1
Videos
1
Videos
- Week 6, Video 14: Six-week Post-Course Mindfulness Camp
Lesson: Goodbye (for now)
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1
Videos
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1
Readings
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1
PeerReview
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2
Assignment
2
Assignment
- Self-grading: Watching course video lectures
- Final exam (Part 1)
1
Peer Review
- Final Exam (Part 2)
1
Videos
- Week 6, Video 15: Goodbye…And Hello!
1
Readings
- Self-grading for video watching
Auto Summary
Discover the determinants of a happy and fulfilling life with "A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment," a course by Coursera. Guided by Prof. Raj Raghunathan from the Indian School of Business and the University of Texas at Austin, this engaging course delves into psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral decision theory. Over several weeks, you will explore why the smart and successful aren't always happy, learn about the "7 Deadly Happiness Sins," and adopt the "7 Habits of the Highly Happy." Ideal for personal development enthusiasts, the course offers flexible subscription options and features insights from thought leaders like Dan Ariely and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
Dr. Rajagopal Raghunathan