# Why pursuing happiness makes you ... less happy

- Institution: TED
- Department: TED Membership
- Speaker: Emily Esfahani Smith
- Year: 2026
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Psychology and the brain
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/emily_esfahani_smith_why_pursuing_happiness_makes_you_less_happy)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

Drawing on clinical research and psychological studies, writer and psychotherapist 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.)

## Lectures

1. [Why pursuing happiness makes you ... less happy](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/emily_esfahani_smith_why_pursuing_happiness_makes_you_less_happy/623b420f0121), 38 min (TED's player)