34 JULY AUGUST 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Brooks presented a sobering view of today’s workplace. “We are seeing declines in happiness around the world, and for diplomats it has been particularly acute,” he said, citing causes such as the complexity of world events and a lack of appreciation for diplomatic engagements. The State Department’s 2022 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey found declining confidence, satisfaction, and engagement among department employees, prompting the Bureau of Global Talent Management and leadership to take note. “We need to figure out how to be happier as an institution,” said Director of the Foreign Service Institute Ambassador Joan Polaschik in introducing Brooks at the event. “If we want to maintain our leadership status in the world—which we do in part by maintaining our competitive advantage as an employer—then we need to address this.” It’s More Than a Feeling Brooks promotes a simple but novel idea. “Contrary to popular belief,” he said, “happiness is not a feeling but a skill—one that if we practice, we can get better at.” To hear Brooks tell it, creating happiness in your life is sort of like eating a balanced diet. “Think of it like food,” said Brooks, “which is basically just protein, carbs, and fats. You need to balance these macronutrients to get proper nutrition. The same is true for happiness.” His research suggests that the “macronutrients” for creating happiness are enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning—all of which are things in our lives that we can control. This means that happiness does not come down to genes or luck, nor does it depend on outside stimuli. Just like nutrition, finding the right balance for happiness takes intention, planning, and work to create healthy habits. But what does this mean? Choose Enjoyment over Pleasure Take enjoyment. Many people think enjoyment means just doing whatever you feel like doing—essentially chasing pleasurable experiences. The problem is that pleasure on its own is incomplete and can lead to addictive behaviors. You can’t create true enjoyment if all you are doing is seeking pleasure. The trick, said Brooks, is to add people and memory. Just look at how big companies market their products. “You’ll notice that beer companies don’t make commercials featuring some dude alone in his apartment pounding a six-pack,” said Brooks. Instead, he said, they might show a guy in a living room watching football with his brother and his friends, jumping with joy as their team scores a touchdown. “That’s enjoyment,” said Brooks: pleasure, plus people coming together to make a memory. “And you need enjoyment in your life, you need enjoyment in your work.” I Can’t Get No … Satisfaction When the Rolling Stones released their 1965 hit “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” the song’s iconic guitar riff and saucy lyrics became a nearinstant global sensation. “But you know, I think Mick Jagger got it wrong,” said Brooks. “You can get satisfaction. You just can’t keep it.” Put simply, AMELIA SHAW Arthur Brooks and Director of the Foreign Service Institute Ambassador Joan Polaschik at the State Department on Feb. 23, 2024. Brooks’ research suggests that the “macronutrients” for creating happiness are enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning—all of which are things in our lives that we can control.
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