Ideas worth spreading

Happiness and its surprises

2,256,209 views | Nancy Etcoff • TED2004

Cognitive researcher Nancy Etcoff looks at happiness -- the ways we try to achieve and increase it, the way it's untethered to our real circumstances, and its surprising effect on our bodies.

Cognitive researcher Nancy Etcoff looks at happiness -- the ways we try to achieve and increase it, the way it's untethered to our real circumstances, and its surprising effect on our bodies.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

About the speaker

Nancy Etcoff

Evolutionary psychologist

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Nancy Etcoff is part of a new vanguard of cognitive researchers asking: What makes us happy? Why do we like beautiful things? And how on earth did we evolve that way?

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.