Sonja Lyubomirsky

Sonja Lyubomirsky (Russian: Соня Любомирская, born December 14, 1966)^[1] is a Russian-born American professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside^[2] and author of The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want.^[3]

Sonja Lyubomirsky
Born	(1966-12-14) December 14, 1966 (age 58) Russia
Scientific career
Fields	Psychology Philosophy of happiness
Institutions	University of California, Riverside
Thesis	The hedonic consequences of social comparison: implications for enduring happiness and transient mood (1994)
Academic advisors	Lee Ross Susan Nolen-Hoeksema
Website	sonjalyubomirsky.com

Education

Lyubomirsky received her B.A. from Harvard University and her Ph.D. in Social/Personality Psychology from Stanford University.^[4]

Awards

Lyubomirsky has received a John Templeton Foundation grant, a Science of Generosity grant, a Templeton Positive Psychology Prize, and a million-dollar grant (with Ken Sheldon) from the National Institute of Mental Health.^[4] In 2021, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Basel.^[5] In 2023, Lyubomirsky was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.^[6]

The How of Happiness

Breakdown of sources of happiness, according to The How of Happiness

1. Genetic (50%)
2. Intentional activity (40%)
3. Circumstance (10%)

The How of Happiness was published in 2008 by Penguin Press.^[7] The book has been translated into 22 languages.^[4]

The premise of The How of Happiness is that 50 percent of a given human's long-term happiness level is genetically determined,^[8] 10 percent is affected by life circumstances and situation, and a remaining 40 percent of happiness is subject to self control.^{[9][10][11][12]}

The How of Happiness led to an iPhone application called Live Happy, produced by Signal Patterns. Lyubomirsky is on the company's scientific advisory board.^[13]

The How of Happiness has also led to a song, The How of Happiness Book tune, a mnemonic to remember the content within the book.^[14]

The Myths of Happiness

The Myths of Happiness,^[15] published by Penguin Press, claims why major life events that should make a person happy don't, and that what shouldn't make us happy often does.^[16][17]