Elizabeth Dunn

God is our provider.

Hey, there's two psychologists, Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton.

They spent years studying where happiness from money actually comes from.

In one of their most cited studies, they gave people a small amount of money, five bucks, 10 bucks, 20 bucks, like small amounts of money.

I can't wait for our next trip where we can spend the day practicing yoga, enjoying a spa treatment, exploring the area, and then head back to our own place to unwind and enjoy some quality time together.

[gentle music] On the TED Radio Hour, the climate movement is missing a trick according to happiness researcher Elizabeth Dunn.

So I don't think that promoting self-denial is a winning strategy.

Habits that will make you happier and help the environment too.

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On the TED Radio Hour, the climate movement is missing a trick according to happiness researcher Elizabeth Dunn.

So I don't think that promoting self-denial is a winning strategy.

Habits that will make you happier and help the environment too.

[laughs]

This is social psychologist Elizabeth Dunn.

For one thing, when I left a room, if I, if I didn't turn off all the lights, he would shoot me this withering look, like, "Why do you hate the Earth?" You know?

[laughs]

So it's really a yes and kind of situation where we need governments to take action, but then we need individuals to respond and, and it's really a kind of reinforcing cycle.

And so the notion that we can take individuals out of the equation just makes no sense to me because our choices go beyond our own individual action and can influence others.

When we come back, more with author and social psychologist Elizabeth Dunn.

We'll get into the nitty-gritty, why eating more maple syrup is good for the planet, and why you should go ahead and treat yourself to that nonstop flight.

So I was... doing research on things like income and wealth inequality, which I still do research on and I think is a very important topic.

But my friend and eventual collaborator, Liz Dunn, said, you're a bummer.

You're studying these things that are really sad and they're making you sad.

And she said, we're going to study happiness together.

We have like a chart showing how my trajectory has gone.

When you first started studying the relationship between how we spend money and our own happiness, what were you expecting to find? And then what actually happened?

So with my collaborator, Liz Dunn, there was like a lot of research on the relationship between money and happiness.

You know, you ask people, how much do you make this year? And then how happy are you? And you look at the correlation.

And when I find something that can do both at the same time, I'm always interested.

Elizabeth Dunn and Jiaying Zhao call it the sweet spot, choices that cut your carbon emissions and make you happier at the same time.

Liz studies happiness.

Jiaying is a climate expert, the one colleagues call the human carbon calculator.

What is her name?

Elizabeth Dunn.

I love Liz Dunn.

Oh, she's amazing.

Today's tip was partly inspired by this week's interview with the authors of Leave The Lights On.

Elizabeth Dunn and Jiaying Zhao argue that there are lots of things people can do to help the environment that are actually enjoyable.

There is no reason to try to shame people into doing things that they don't enjoy.

When people don't enjoy something, they won't keep doing it, and so then it won't happen.

Today's episode is going to be a slightly longer one, part of the series where I interview fascinating people about how they take their days from great to awesome, and any advice they have for the rest of us.

So today, I am delighted to welcome Elizabeth Dunn and Jiaying Zhao to Before Breakfast.

Liz and JZ, as they go by, are the co-authors of the brand-new book Leave the Lights On: How Joyful Decisions Can Save Our Species.

So Liz and JZ, welcome to the show.

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Well, I am back.

I am talking with Elizabeth Dunn and Jiaying Zhao, um, otherwise known as J.Z., two researchers, academics at the University of British Columbia, Liz studying happiness, J.Z. studying climate.

Um, so maybe you guys can pivot a little bit to talk about your own schedules.