What Makes Us Happy?

REALIA

3 years ago

smiling woman looking upright standing against yellow wall

What Makes Us Happy?

Learn English while listening to REAL programs, stories, news, audiobooks, and podcasts. This listening, “The secret to a happy life–lessons from 8 decades of research,” comes to us from TED .

What is this story about?

Today we are going to listen to Robert Waldinger talk about the secrets to a happy life. His original TED talk is one of the 10 most popular talks of all time. He is the director of a Harvard study that followed several hundred men, and later their wives, over a period of 80 years. In his talk, we will learn the most important factor that predicts people’s happiness, health, and well-being.

Before you listen…

Take this quiz to find out what makes people happy. This will teach you new words and help prepare you for the listening.

<section><h2><h2><strong>What makes people happy?</strong></h2></h2><p></p><p>Can you guess what makes people happy? </p><p> </p></section><section><h2><h2><strong>You have a good idea about what makes people happy!</strong></h2></h2><p> </p><p> </p><h3>Although more money, a new car, and winning awards are all nice, they are NOT the most important thing in people’s lives. In fact, the Harvard study will show that having warm and caring relationships with others leads to a happy and healthy life. </h3><p> </p><p> </p><h3>Find out how what types of relationships increase happiness and how to cultivate them by listening to “The secret of a happy life- lessons from 8 decades of research” below. </h3><p></p><p><br></p><p><br></p></section><section><h3><h2><strong>These things may make you feel happy in the moment, but they don’t increase your overall happiness or well-being. </strong></h2></h3><p></p><p>Although more money, a new car, and winning awards are all nice, they are NOT the most important thing in people’s lives. In fact, the Harvard study will show that having warm and caring relationships with others leads to a happy and healthy life. </p><p>Find out how what types of relationships increase happiness and how to cultivate them by listening to “The secret of a happy life- lessons from 8 decades of research” below. </p></section><section><h2>People who have more money are happier.</h2></section><section><h3></h3><p>If I had a bigger house, I would be happier. </p></section><section><h3>A nice car makes people feel more content with their lives. </h3></section><section><h3>I think relationships with others is the key to happiness and well-being. <h2><strong> </strong></h2></h3></section><section><h3>At the end of their lives, people are the proudest of the awards that they won. </h3></section><section><h3><h2>Making conversation with a stranger at a grocery store can make people feel happier. </h2></h3></section>

Quiz Maker – powered by Riddle

Listen to what makes us happy…

Study Tips!

Listen to the audio. You may want to take notes if it doesn’t interfere with your comprehension. In general, focus on the main ideas and key points of the listening segment.
Are there questions you missed or parts you didn’t understand? Go back and listen to where each question is located in the audio (see quiz below).

Listen from 4:50-10:30 min. (Four minutes and fifty seconds until ten minutes and thirty seconds) to take the quiz.

Transcript

Take the quiz…

<section><h2><h2><h2>How much did you understand? Find out now!</h2><h2><br></h2></h2></h2><p></p><h2>Take the 6 question quiz below. If your answer is incorrect, no worries! You can always go back and 1) Listen to the audio segment noted on the question, or 2) Read the transcript. It’s a win-win situation.:+1:</h2></section><section><h2><h2><h2>What is this TED talk mainly about?</h2></h2></h2></section><section><h3><h2><h2><strong>According to the speaker, what is one important indicator of maintaining our well-being?</strong></h2></h2></h3><p> </p><p><em>(Tip-Find this answer at 5:10 on the audio)</em></p></section><section><h3><h2><h2><strong>What is most important to people as they look back at their lives?</strong></h2></h2></h3><p> </p><p><em>(Tip-Find this answer at 5:45 on the audio)</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Look back= think about the past</em></p></section><section><h3><h2>When they gave people who rode the subway different tasks, which ones ended up being the happiest?</h2><h2> </h2></h3><p><em>(Tip-find this answer at 7:10 on the audio)</em></p><h2><strong> </strong></h2></section><section><h3><h2><strong>Why does the speaker mention “physical fitness” and “social fitness?”</strong></h2></h3><p> </p><p><em>(Tip- Find this answer at 7:58 on the audio)</em></p><h2><strong> </strong></h2></section><section><h3><h2>Which is NOT considered to be one of the ways we can strengthen our relationships?</h2></h3><p> </p><p>(Tip- find this answer at 8:40 on the audio)</p><h2><strong> </strong></h2></section><section><h2><h2><h2><strong>Great job! You took the first step just by DOING it! :blush:</strong></h2></h2></h2><p></p><h2>If you did well, give yourself a pat on the back! Even if you didn’t do as well as you would have like; don’t worry, just by listening and interacting with English, you are acquiring new words, sentence structures, and sounds that you didn’t know before.</h2><h2><br></h2><h2>By listening to English regularly, you’ll understand more and more and be able to USE it faster than you think!! You can’t go wrong with that 😉</h2><p> </p><p> </p><p>*Give yourself a pat on the back- Congratulate yourself for doing a good job!</p><p> </p><h2>Tips for further learning:</h2><p> </p><h2>1) Practice the Grammar and Vocabulary found in this listening in the “Grammar Flash” and Word Corner” below.</h2><h2>2) Continue the conversation and practice sharing your opinion in English and interacting with others.</h2><h2>3) Go back through the answers, and listen to where each answer is located.</h2><h2>4) Read the transcript.</h2></section><section><h3></h3></section>

Quiz Maker – powered by Riddle

Continue Learning! Click on page 2 to practice new vocabulary words.

Word Wall

Let’s practice some of the vocabulary words and expressions from the listening. Read through the examples. Then, try it below.

First, read through the vocabulary words:

Study Tip! Tap or scroll over the list below to see the definitions.

Well-being
In trouble
Someone who has your back
Proud of
awards
talking to a stranger
physical fitness
Proactive/ Take the initiative
Take for granted

Now, look at how the speaker uses these vocabulary words in the talk.

Read through the sentences. What do they tell you about relationships? Do any of them surprise you?

“And we began to find, about 30 years ago, this startling connection between warm relationships and how good our lives feel to us, our well-being…”
“…having at least one person in your life who you feel really has your back, who you could go to if you were in trouble, that’s essential for maintaining our happiness and our health.”
When people were asked what they were proud of, “they didn’t say, “I made a lot of money” or “I won some big awards.” They said, “I was a good mentor,” “I was a good friend,” “I raised healthy kids,” I was a good partner.”
When talking about making connections to improve our well-being, the talk said that “even talking to strangers has that benefit.”
“So what are some ways that we can be proactive and strengthen our relationships? Well, one way is to be proactive, to take the initiative.”
“The other thing we can do is liven-up those long-standing relationships, particularly like the people we live with. You know, people we can come to take for granted.”

After reading these sentences, what do you think? What makes people happy? How can we become happier?

What do you think?

Who is someone who has your back? Describe your relationship with this person.
What are three ways you could be proactive and improve your relationships with others this week? What effect do you think this will have on your well-being?
Why do you think we sometimes take our relationships with the people we live with for granted? How can we prioritize those relationships too?
Name three things you are proud of in your life. How did other people support or encourage you on your journey?

Got it? Now practice the vocabulary words in context below.

<section><h2>Vocabulary Quiz – What makes us happy</h2></section><section><h2><h2><strong>Imagine that your friend wants to become happier, so she decides to take the following steps. Read what she is doing and choose the correct answer. </strong></h2></h2><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">“I decided to take initiative and call a friend I haven’t talked to in a long time.”</span></p></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">“I made conversation with a person I didn’t know at Starbucks.”</span></p></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">“I now appreciate the small blessings that I see in my life every day.”</span></p></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">“I am eating healthy, exercising, and spending time with the people I love.”</span></p></section><section><h3><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">“I am happy because I feel physically and emotionally better.”</span></h3></section><section><h3><h2><strong>In the study, they interviewed people who were in their 80’s. Fill in the blanks with some of the things that they learned after interviewing people. </strong></h2></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">The happiest people had someone they could call in the middle of the night if they were ___________.</span></p></section><section><h3><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">At the end of their lives, they didn’t care about the ___________they had won or the recognition they had received.</span></h3></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">They were __________of their connections with others and their relationships. </span><br></p></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">The older man had a person in his life who __________by helping and supporting him during difficult times.</span><strong><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b"></span></strong></p></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">They appreciated all the little things that their family and friends did for them every day and didn’t ______________.</span></p></section><section><h2></h2></section><section><h3></h3></section>

Quiz Maker – powered by Riddle

Learn English Grammar! Click on page 3 to practice grammar in context.

Grammar Flash

Practice making comparisons from this TED talk about what makes us happy. Then see how much you understood by taking a short quiz.

Before we look at examples from this talk, let’s start with the basics.

How do you make comparisons?

Comparative form= Compare two items

Camila is older than her baby sister.

Camila is more active than her baby sister.

Superlative form= Compare three or more items

The dad is the tallest in the family.

The sister is the youngest.

The brother is the most energetic out of everyone in his family.

Making comparative and superlative adjectives

In adjectives with one syllable, or two syllables that end in “y”, add -er when comparing 2 items. Don’t forget to change the -y to -i. Add -est when comparing one person or thing to a group of items.

Adjectives with One Syllable	Comparative	Superlative
tall	taller	the tallest
fast	faster	the fastest

Adjectives with Two Syllables and ends in “-y”	Comparative	Superlative
happy	happier	the happiest
healthy	healthier	the healthiest

In most adjectives with two or more syllables, add more or less when comparing 2 items. Add the most or the least when comparing one person or thing to a group.

Adjectives with Two, three, or more syllables	Comparative	Superlative
comfortable	more comfortable less comfortable	the most comfortable the least comfortable
important	more important less important	the most important the least important

**Irregular Adjectives	Comparative	Superlative
good	better	the best
bad	worse	the worst

Let’s look at a few examples…

Look at the images of these 2 activities that make people happy. Do you agree or disagree with the statements?

The surfer is MORE ADVENTUROUS THAN the hiker.
The hiker is in a MORE PEACEFUL place THAN the surfer.
The ocean is LOUDER THAN the mountains.
People are MORE RELAXED at the beach THAN in the mountains.
People are THE HAPPIEST when they are outside in nature.
People are THE MOST FULFILLED when they live life to the fullest.

Finally, look at how the speaker uses the comparative and superlative forms in this TED talk.

The comparative and superlative forms of the adjectives are highlighted.

Here are the clues to what makes people happy:

“When we asked these same people [in the study], when they got to be in their 80s, to look back on their lives and to tell us what they were proudest of, almost everybody said something about their relationships.”
“It turned out that the people who were assigned to talk to strangers [on the subway] didn’t think they were going to like it, but they turned out to be much happier at the end of the task than the people who just rode the subway keeping to themselves.”

Then he gives us some advice:

“And finally, get more comfortable striking up casual conversations. That’s something we can learn to be more comfortable with, almost like exercising a muscle.” (**This sentence contains an implied comparative, meaning that you are learning to be more comfortable than you were before.)
“Establish some routines with the people who are the most important to you. A regular phone call or a coffee every Saturday with someone you really want to be sure you see regularly.”

After reading these sentences, what do you think? What makes people happy? How can we become happier?

What do you think?

Who are some of the people who are the most important to you? What makes those relationships special?
When you think about your life, what are some of the things that you are the proudest of? How did others help you accomplish these things?
Do you enjoy making conversation with strangers? Why or why not? Where could you practice this to get better at it than you were before?
Make comparisons about the following activities. Do you prefer to do these alone or with other people? Explain your answers. Can doing some of these with others increase your joy and well-being? Explain.

For example: Exercising with another person is more enjoyable than exercising alone.

Exercising with another person is easier than exercising alone because it motivates me to keep going.

studying alone	studying in a group
exercising alone	exercising with another person
watching a movie alone	watching a movie with others
working on an independent project	working on a group project
going out to eat alone	going out to eat with others

Got it? Now practice making comparisons in this short quiz.

<section><h2><h1>Practice these comparatives and superlatives</h1></h2><p></p><p>First, read through the descriptions paying close attention to the form. </p><p>Next, fill in the blanks with the correct form. </p></section><section><h2></h2><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">Finland ranked #1 on the World Happiness Report in 2023. Let’s look at some of the differences between Finland and The United States. </span></p><p> </p><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">This is one of <span data-amp-original-style="text-decoration:underline;" class="amp-wp-69ded7c">THE HAPPIEST </span>countries in the world.</span> </p></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">This country has a <span data-amp-original-style="text-decoration:underline;" class="amp-wp-69ded7c">LARGER</span> population <span data-amp-original-style="text-decoration:underline;" class="amp-wp-69ded7c">THAN </span>the other.</span><strong> </strong></p></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">This country has a <span data-amp-original-style="text-decoration:underline;" class="amp-wp-69ded7c">LOWER</span> cost of living.</span></p></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">This country has a <span data-amp-original-style="text-decoration:underline;" class="amp-wp-69ded7c">HIGHER</span> tax rate <span data-amp-original-style="text-decoration:underline;" class="amp-wp-69ded7c">THAN</span> the other.</span></p></section><section><h3><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">People live <span data-amp-original-style="text-decoration:underline;" class="amp-wp-69ded7c">LONGER </span>in this country <span data-amp-original-style="text-decoration:underline;" class="amp-wp-69ded7c">THAN</span> they do in other countries. </span></h3></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">Now, fill in the blanks and find out more about why it ranks first in happiness.</span><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b"> </span><br></p><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">Finland is one of ________countries in the world. </span></p></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">The Finnish school system is one of the________in the world. Kids spend a lot of time outdoors and give up less frequently when faced with a difficult task than children in other countries.</span></p></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">Finns are ________than other cultures because they regularly ride bikes instead of cars and eat homegrown food. </span></p></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">Finns might be ________ than others because they regularly use the sauna and practice ice swimming.</span></p></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">Finns are _________with nature than other cultures. They regularly go to summer cottages where they can unwind and disconnect. </span></p></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">Finns may be ________ than other cultures because of their “sisu” quality. They value hard-work, grit, and doing things themselves.</span></p></section><section><h3></h3><p><span data-amp-original-style="font-size:20px;" class="amp-wp-ff9ec5b">Finns pay ________ taxes than other countries, so they can provide medical care and paid time off.</span><strong></strong></p></section><section><h2><h2></h2><h2><strong>Nice! You’re doing a great job with the grammar!</strong>:grinning:</h2></h2></section><section><h3><h2><strong>Try again! You’ve got this</strong>:+1:</h2><h2><strong> </strong></h2></h3></section>

Quiz Maker – powered by Riddle

Continue to page 4 to share your own unique thoughts, opinions, and ideas with learners from around the world.

Join the Conversation…

What did you think of the talk about the secrets to a happy life? There is not a correct answer. You are sharing your own unique thoughts, opinions, and ideas. Don’t forget to come back and see how other English learners responded!

<section><h2><h2><strong>1. This listening changed the way I think about relationships. </strong></h2></h2></section>

Quiz Maker – powered by Riddle

<section><h2><h2><strong>2. What surprised you the most about this listening?</strong></h2></h2></section><section><h2>That people on the subway said they felt happier after talking to a stranger.</h2></section><section><h3>That you need to maintain social fitness just like you do physical fitness.</h3></section><section><h3>When looking back on their lives, people were the proudest of their relationships.</h3></section><section><h3>That even casual conversations boost our well-being.</h3></section>

Quiz Maker – powered by Riddle

<section><h2><h3><strong>3. Which first step would you like to try this week to connect with someone?</strong></h3></h2></section><section><h2>I would like to call someone who I haven’t talked to in a while.</h2></section><section><h3>I’d like to ask someone to grab a coffee or have dinner.</h3></section><section><h3>I will try to make conversation with strangers.</h3></section><section><h3>I’ll ask someone if they want to take a walk or do something active together.</h3></section>

Quiz Maker – powered by Riddle

<section><h2><h2><strong>4. Finland scored #1 on the World Happiness Report in 2023. If you were giving a happiness survey, what would you say? How happy are you?</strong></h2></h2></section>

Quiz Maker – powered by Riddle

<section><h2><h2></h2><h2><strong>5. To improve your overall <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>Well-being</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>&lt;!-- wp:paragraph {&quot;fontSize&quot;:&quot;large&quot;} --&gt; &lt;p class=&quot;has-large-font-size&quot;&gt;When you are happy, healthy, and feeling good overall&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt;</div>" data-mobile-support="0" data-gt-translate-attributes='[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]' tabindex="0" role="link">well-being</span> (physical, mental, and spiritual) which would you like to work on the most this year?</strong></h2></h2></section><section><h2><h2><strong>I’d like to get in better shape and become stronger this year. </strong></h2></h2></section><section><h3><h2><strong>I’d like to have a closer connection with others this year. </strong></h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2><strong>I’d like to be more adventurous this year. </strong></h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2><strong>I’d like to eat healthier this year. </strong></h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2><strong>I’d like to be more peaceful and spiritual this year. </strong></h2></h3></section>

Quiz Maker – powered by Riddle

This TED talk taught us the importance of relationships. What do you think?

6. Tell us about someone in your life who is important to you. Describe this person and say why they are important to you. Can you think of a time when he/she had your back?

Click on the button below to share your answer!

Read the comments and share your stories here!

Thank you for sharing your answers! Visit the page anytime to see how other learners responded.

Recap…

In this listening segment, we learned about the importance of relationships, and how those relationships can enhance our overall well-being. We learned ways to develop social connections and the types of relationships that are vital to our happiness, so what is the takeaway? Make connections with others, strike up casual conversations, make new connections, and strengthen your existing relationships.

You did it! Way to go! Keep up the good work!

Come back to “www.gorealia.com” every week to practice English and listen to stories that inspire!

Sources

Waldinger, Robert. (2023, January). The Secret to a Happy Life-Lessons from 8 Decades of Research [Video]. TED Conferences LLC. https://www.ted.com/speakers/robert_waldinger

What Makes Us Happy?

What is this story about?

Before you listen…

Listen to what makes us happy…

Take the quiz…

Continue Learning! Click on page 2 to practice new vocabulary words.

Word Wall

First, read through the vocabulary words:

Now, look at how the speaker uses these vocabulary words in the talk.

What do you think?

Got it? Now practice the vocabulary words in context below.

Learn English Grammar! Click on page 3 to practice grammar in context.

Grammar Flash

How do you make comparisons?

Comparative form= Compare two items

Superlative form= Compare three or more items

Making comparative and superlative adjectives

Let’s look at a few examples…

Finally, look at how the speaker uses the comparative and superlative forms in this TED talk.

What do you think?

Continue to page 4 to share your own unique thoughts, opinions, and ideas with learners from around the world.

Join the Conversation…

Recap…

You did it! Way to go! Keep up the good work!

Share this: