Gretchen Rubin

Author, Columnist for O, The Oprah Magazine

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a purple blouse, drop earrings, and a delicate necklace, poses against a plain light background.

Gretchen Rubin is one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature. She’s known for her ability to distill and convey complex ideas with humor and clarity, in a way that’s accessible to a wide audience.

She’s been interviewed by Oprah, eaten dinner with Daniel Kahneman, walked arm-in-arm with the Dalai Lama, had her work written up in a medical journal, been the subject of a “The Talk of the Town” piece in The New Yorker magazine, and been an answer on the game show Jeopardy!

She’s the author of many books, including the blockbuster, New York Times bestsellers The Four Tendencies and Better Than Before. Her book The Happiness Project has sold more than one million copies, been published in more than thirty languages, and spent more than two years on The New York Times best seller list, including at #1.

In her books, she draws from cutting-edge science, the wisdom of the ages, lessons from popular culture, and her own experiences to explore how we can make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative.

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Unhappiness Is a Habit You Can Learn to Break

Habits play a major role in determining our levels of happiness, explains best-selling author Gretchen Rubin.

‘Fur Therapy’ and Other Treats That Can Help You Change a Bad Habit

There are 21 strategies for changing habits, says author Gretchen Rubin. The most fun is one that incorporates the usage of treats.

Habits Are Decisions You Only Need to Make Once

Bestselling author Gretchen Rubin explains that habits are "like the invisible architecture of everyday life," a topic she explores in her new book Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives.

What Makes Gretchen Rubin Happy

At some point in her sophisticated, adult life, the “Happiness Project” author had to break down and confess her undying love of “Anne of Green Gables.”

Why you should stop hating happy people

Some people stay cheerful no matter what. Other people want to strangle those people. But optimists work hard on their attitude, says Gretchen Rubin—and the rest of us should take […]

Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Desire

Whenever we get something we want, we seem to want something else. How can we escape the loop and learn to be content?

Forget the Pursuit of Happiness—Try the Pursuit of “Happier”

“Happiness” is a mythical destination that remains permanently out of reach. So why not just improve your life one step at a time?

Does Blogging Make You Happier?

The “Happiness Project” author on the difference between book writing and blogging, and whether interacting with Internet commenters brightens or darkens her day.

Why You Broke Your New Year’s Resolution

The “Happiness Project” author describes two frequent mistakes people make in setting goals for themselves.

Make Yourself Happier: Make Your Bed

Happiness begins with concrete, manageable steps. But it must take on a more transcendent aspect as well.

Were Our Ancestors Right About Happiness?

For one year, Gretchen Rubin tested the wisdom of some of history’s leading experts on happiness, including Aristotle and John Stuart Mill. Did their advice hold up?

Big Think Interview With Gretchen Rubin

A conversation with the author of “The Happiness Project.”

Learn from the world's biggest thinkers.

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