Happiness Won’t Save You… Thoughts on the Story of Philip Brickman

Happiness Won’t Save You… Philip Brickman was an expert in the psychology of happiness but he couldn’t make his own pain go away…

This week’s discussion is inspired by Jennifer Senior’s moving opinion piece in the NY Times. She tells the story of Philip Brickman — a gifted psychologist who took his own life at aged 38. His tragic story informs our discussion of happiness study. We’ll consider the primacy of Professor Laurie Santos’ “GI Joe Fallacy” (i.e. knowing is not half the battle) and our relationship with pain.