Tal Ben-Shahar

Tal Ben-Shahar (Hebrew: טל בן-שחר; born 1970), also known as Tal David Ben-Shachar, is an American and Israeli teacher, and writer in the areas of positive psychology and leadership. He has subsequently written several best-selling books and in 2011 co-founded Potentialife with Angus Ridgway, a company that provides leadership programs.

Early life and education

Ben-Shahar has a bachelor's degree from Harvard in Philosophy and Psychology^[1] and received his PhD in Organizational Behavior from Harvard University in 2004 with his dissertation, "Restoring Self-Esteem's Self-Esteem: The Constructs of Dependent and Independent Competence and Worth."^[2]

Career

Ben-Shahar consults and lectures internationally in topics including leadership, ethics, happiness, and mindfulness. In 2011, Ben-Shahar co-founded Potentialife to bring positive psychology to people's daily lives.^[3]

He is the author of the international best sellers Happier and Being Happy, which have been translated into 25^{[citation needed]} languages. He has also written two children's books in collaboration with Shirly Yuval-Yair in Hebrew; one about Helen Keller and the other about Thomas Edison. The books aim to teach children about happiness.

He is the narrator of the 2012 documentary Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference, produced by Raphael Shore.^[4]

Ben-Shahar taught at Harvard, where his classes on Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership were among the most popular courses in the university's history.^[5] ^[6]^[7]

Ben-Shahar is also the co-founder of the Happiness Studies Academy.^[8] Ben-Shahar has also helped establish the Master's Degree in Happiness Studies program at Centenary University.^{[citation needed]}

Publications

Being Happy: You Don't Have to Be Perfect to Lead a Richer, Happier Life (2010) originally published in hardcover as The Pursuit of Perfect (2010)^[9]
Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment (2007)^[10]
A Clash of Values: The Struggle for Universal Freedom (2002)
Heaven Can Wait: Conversations With Bonny Hicks (1998)^[11]

References

^ Ben-Shachar, Tal David (1996). Honesty Pays: Bridging the Gap Between Moral Theory and Practice. Harvard University. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
^ Ben-Shachar, Tal David (2004). Restoring Self-esteem's Self-esteem: The Constructs of Dependent and Independent Competence and Worth. Harvard University. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
^ "Meet the Team". Potentialife. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
^ Hoffman, Gil (25 March 2012). "Film aims to encapsulate 'Start-Up Nation's' success". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
^ "New Chabad course will focus on Jewish positive psychology". Saint Louis Jewish Light. The Jewish Light is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. November 12, 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2014. "How Happiness Thinks brings together modern research and ancient Jewish wisdom," said Prof. Ben-Shahar, an expert in the field. "This marriage between theology and science can bring about significant positive change in individuals and communities." The course explores to what degree surroundings and circumstances affect one's overall happiness, potential challenges to living a joyous life and whether God cares if people are happy or not.
^ Benjy Brackman, Benjy (October 20, 2014). "Exciting Class on Jewish Positive Psychology in North Metro Denver". Boulder Jewish News. Retrieved 3 November 2014. The Jewish Learning Institute's Newest Class Looks at Positive Psychology through the 3,000-year-old lens of Jewish thought. Westminster, Colorado – When Israeli-born psychologist Tal Ben-Shahar began teaching a class called Positive Psychology at Harvard in 2006, a record 855 undergraduate students signed up for his class.
^ Wilkinson, Phaedra (October 21, 2014). "From the community: Exciting Class on Jewish Positive Psychology to be Presented in Northbrook". Chicago: Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 16 November 2014. Northbrook, IL - When Israeli-born psychologist Tal Ben-Shahar began teaching a class called Positive Psychology at Harvard in 2006, a record 855 undergraduate students signed up for his class. Droves of students at the academically-intense university came to learn, as the course description puts it, about "psychological aspects of a fulfilling and flourishing life."
^ "The Happiness Studies Academy".
^ Ben-Shahar, Tal (11 March 2009). The Pursuit of Perfect: How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Start Living a Richer, Happier Life. McGraw Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-160883-1. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
^ Ben-Shahar, Tal (1 January 2007). Happier : Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment. McGraw Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-151096-7. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
^ Ben-Shahar, Tal (1998). Heaven Can Wait: Conversations with Bonny Hicks. Times Books International. ISBN 978-981-204-991-9. Retrieved 19 November 2013.

Books

Tal Ben-Shahar (2007) Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment, McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-149239-3
Tal Ben-Shahar (2009) The Pursuit of Perfect: How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Start Living a Richer, Happier Life, McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-160882-4
Tal Ben-Shahar (2010) Even Happier: A Gratitude Journal for Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment, McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-163803-6
Choisir sa vie: 101 expériences pour saisir sa chance (French Edition, 2011) - ISBN 161519195X
Being Happy: You Don't Have to Be Perfect to Lead a Richer, Happier Life (2010) - ISBN 0071746617
Happier, No Matter What.: Finding Pleasure and Purpose in Hard Times (2014) - ISBN 1615197915
Short Cuts to Happiness: Life-Changing Lessons from My Barber (2018) - ISBN 1615194878
10x: A Program for Achieving Spectacular Leadership Results (2018) - ISBN 1119313007
The Question of Happiness: On Finding Meaning, Pleasure, and the Ultimate Currency (2002) - ISBN 0595231403
Ganar felicidad (Spanish Edition, 2008) - ISBN 9876090941
Heaven Can Wait: Conversations with Bonny Hicks (1999) - ISBN 9812049916
The Days After: Thoughts on War and Peace in the Wake of September 11 (2001) - ISBN 0595224644
Secret method Harvard University No.1 popular lectures HAPPIER-happiness and success in my hand (Japanese Edition, 2007) - ISBN 4876885877

External links

[1] Ben-Shachar, Tal David (1996). Honesty Pays: Bridging the Gap Between Moral Theory and Practice. Harvard University. Retrieved 19 November 2013.

[2] Ben-Shachar, Tal David (2004). Restoring Self-esteem's Self-esteem: The Constructs of Dependent and Independent Competence and Worth. Harvard University. Retrieved 19 November 2013.

[3] "Meet the Team". Potentialife. Retrieved 22 February 2024.

[4] Hoffman, Gil (25 March 2012). "Film aims to encapsulate 'Start-Up Nation's' success". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2012.

[5] "New Chabad course will focus on Jewish positive psychology". Saint Louis Jewish Light. The Jewish Light is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. November 12, 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2014. "How Happiness Thinks brings together modern research and ancient Jewish wisdom," said Prof. Ben-Shahar, an expert in the field. "This marriage between theology and science can bring about significant positive change in individuals and communities." The course explores to what degree surroundings and circumstances affect one's overall happiness, potential challenges to living a joyous life and whether God cares if people are happy or not.

[6] Benjy Brackman, Benjy (October 20, 2014). "Exciting Class on Jewish Positive Psychology in North Metro Denver". Boulder Jewish News. Retrieved 3 November 2014. The Jewish Learning Institute's Newest Class Looks at Positive Psychology through the 3,000-year-old lens of Jewish thought. Westminster, Colorado – When Israeli-born psychologist Tal Ben-Shahar began teaching a class called Positive Psychology at Harvard in 2006, a record 855 undergraduate students signed up for his class.

[7] Wilkinson, Phaedra (October 21, 2014). "From the community: Exciting Class on Jewish Positive Psychology to be Presented in Northbrook". Chicago: Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 16 November 2014. Northbrook, IL - When Israeli-born psychologist Tal Ben-Shahar began teaching a class called Positive Psychology at Harvard in 2006, a record 855 undergraduate students signed up for his class. Droves of students at the academically-intense university came to learn, as the course description puts it, about "psychological aspects of a fulfilling and flourishing life."

[8] "The Happiness Studies Academy".

[9] Ben-Shahar, Tal (11 March 2009). The Pursuit of Perfect: How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Start Living a Richer, Happier Life. McGraw Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-160883-1. Retrieved 19 November 2013.

[10] Ben-Shahar, Tal (1 January 2007). Happier : Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment. McGraw Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-151096-7. Retrieved 19 November 2013.

[11] Ben-Shahar, Tal (1998). Heaven Can Wait: Conversations with Bonny Hicks. Times Books International. ISBN 978-981-204-991-9. Retrieved 19 November 2013.

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