Studying the best of humanity, even our darkest parts

At what point does the drive for positivity become toxic? This week’s guest, June Gruber, studies moments that people deny themselves the full complexity of their emotions in order to try and stay happy, even when their experiences warrant feeling anything but joy. Gruber, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder, studies the dark side of happiness, but in today’s interview she also explains how complex emotions give her hope in humanity’s capacity for good.

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To support Gruber's efforts to help student mental health, check out the Emerge Project.

To learn more about and support Gruber's work on happiness, emotions and well-being more generally, visit the Positive Emotion & Psychopathology (PEP) Lab's gift fund page.

 

Music by Nelson Walker.

Episodes recorded at Interplay Recording in Boulder, CO.

 

Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.