"What makes for a good life? Is it pleasure or enjoying the passage of time, as James Taylor once sang? Or is it more about living life with purpose and contributing to other people’s well-being?

"While we at Greater Good have found both happiness and meaning probably play their roles in the good life, recent research by Shigehiro Oishi and his colleagues suggests there’s a third pillar of the good life: psychological richness. This kind of life entails seeking challenging, novel, and complex experiences—ones that engage our minds, shape our perspectives, and stimulate deep emotion.

"Now, philosopher and researcher Lorraine Besser has written a new book, The Art of the Interesting, to explain what psychological richness looks like and how to attain it. She makes the case that pursuing what’s interesting to you can enrich your life beyond happiness and meaning, benefitting not just you, but society at large." - Jill Suttie

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: What If You Pursued What’s Interesting Instead of Happiness?