Drawing on clinical research and psychological studies, writer and psychologist Emily Esfahani Smith shows why pursuing meaning — the experience of connecting to something beyond yourself — creates a deeper sense of well-being than comes from chasing happiness. Learn about the steps you can take to move from feeling stuck to living with intention. (This conversation, hosted by TED’s Whitney Pennington Rodgers, was part of an exclusive TED Membership event. TED Membership is the best way to support and engage with the big ideas you love from TED. To learn more, visit ted.com/membership.) (Recorded at TED Membership on January 14, 2026)
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#TED #TEDTalks #Happiness
@Yom67-s3q
May 2, 2026 at 11:23 am
so don’t pursue happiness?
@art.alagna.design
May 2, 2026 at 11:26 am
You do not pursue happiness.
You do not seek for happiness.
You CREATE happiness.
I didn’t watch the video, just skipped it because of the title. Ciao Ciao
@katiechisholm
May 2, 2026 at 11:33 am
YOU are the true alchemist of your life ✨
@NarudiinMohamed
May 2, 2026 at 11:28 am
Now I am join this YouTube
@basil8448
May 2, 2026 at 12:18 pm
I think we dont need to pursue neither happiness nor meaning. Ourself is the gift. Just try to keep it. I mean survive
@alexisdespland4939
May 2, 2026 at 7:36 pm
that sound rather sad and somewhat defeatest.
@MrRoberthafetz
May 3, 2026 at 7:30 am
The meaning of life is life with meaning. Without that you will experience despair in older ages. I suggest you read Viktor Frankl.
@Aaaaaa006
May 3, 2026 at 3:58 pm
This is horrible lol
@MrRoberthafetz
May 3, 2026 at 7:51 pm
that’s the life of an animal
@drumbum3.142
May 2, 2026 at 2:18 pm
For Some; Yes. Some folks.. …seemingly don’t like Happiness and/or Beauty.🎭❤️🔥🤝🫂
For Others; this is Rubbish. 🤷🤷♀️🤷♂️
@po5tm4n
May 2, 2026 at 5:22 pm
Hard to watch when the first thing out is to broaden your goals. What about SMART goals? Evidence-based. You don’t need to be broader to achieve relevance.
@MrRoberthafetz
May 3, 2026 at 7:35 am
Like so many Ted Talks this is more superficial ;ack of insight nonsense. We need to choose to be happy, have lives with meaning, and peruse those goals. The most important aspect is a life with meaning. Read Viktor Frankl to get a better understanding. Our lives must stand fir more than survival. We benefit humanity, create art, act in ways that help others. We are social beings and have an inherent need to benefit mankind in some way
On Success/Happiness: “Don’t aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself.”
On Suffering: “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” Frankl
@Sparcmint
May 3, 2026 at 9:47 am
It goes back to greek mythology…choose to laugh at your absurdity.. this tube was boring lol
@ExistentialWolf
May 3, 2026 at 10:42 am
Happy: hope from hopping. There is a wonderful book me and my friends would read for fun growing up – it’s called a dictionary and it’s filled with even more words.
@jarrettbobbett5230
May 3, 2026 at 1:32 pm
Have children and or help humanity progress in a positive shape or form in whichever topic you wish.
You can be a scientist. You can be a humanitarian volunteer or you can just be a parent.
Didn’t take me to half an hour Ted video to explain that😅