Tal Ben-Shahar

Positive Psychologist and Author, “Happier, No Matter What”

A middle-aged man with short, gray hair and glasses, wearing a light purple collared shirt, is smiling at the camera against a plain background.

Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar is an internationally renowned teacher and author in the fields of happiness and leadership. After graduating from Harvard with a B.A. in philosophy and psychology and a Ph.D. in organizational behavior, Dr. Ben-Shahar taught two of the most popular courses in Harvard’s history: Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership. He then taught Happiness Studies at Columbia University. A prolific writer, Ben-Shahar’s books have appeared on bestsellers lists around the world and have been translated into more than 30 languages.

Dr. Ben-Shahar consults and lectures to executives in multinational corporations, educational institutions, and the general public. Topics include leadership, education, ethics, happiness, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, and mindfulness.

Dr. Ben-Shahar is the co-founder of the Happiness Studies Academy, as well as the creator and instructor of the Certificate in Happiness Studies and the Happier School programs.

Tal is an avid sportsman and a certified yoga instructor whose work bridges Eastern and Western traditions, ancient wisdom and modern technology, and science and art.

Everything Videos

Do We Ever Have a Right to Be Miserable?

In the face of tragedy, lack of success, or plain bad luck, those promoting happiness can be frankly annoying. Tal Ben Shahar told Big Think that true happiness is only […]

Five Ways to Become Happier Today

For however elusive happiness is to define, there are very specific things people can do each day that are proven to increase happiness: changing your calendar and your approach to […]

Is Facebook Making Us Sad?

Facebook and Twitter, by making our lives increasingly public, make avoiding the dangerous drive towards perfectionism difficult—Tal Ben Shahar explains why.

Happiness: The Opiate of the People?

Sure happiness is great, but what about groundbreaking yet tortured artists and unhappy but principled workaholic reformers? And is the theory of positive psychology fodder for governments to make citizens […]

In Defense of Self-Help

Tal Ben Shahar is widely respected academic, but he is also a proud self-help guru. He told Big Think the problem with most books labeled “self-help” these days, defined what […]

Psychology That Doesn’t Care What’s Wrong With You

It’s a refreshing thought: a psychologist that doesn’t ask about your problems, but about your successes.

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