Why optimizing happiness often backfires—cognitive scientist Laurie Santos reveals the science shows eudaimonic fulfillment through relationships and purpose beats hedonic pleasure-chasing, yet Americans struggle with loneliness, phone addiction, and the paradox that pursuing happiness makes us unhappy. Happiness has two components: affective (positive emotions) and cognitive (life satisfaction/meaning), but Americans incorrectly pursue only hedonic pleasure, which paradoxically reduces well-being.