“You are what you do; your happiness is what you attend to, so focus on what makes you and those you care about truly happy.”
Paul Dolan is a British behavioural scientist and the Professor of Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics. His research and writing focus on how pleasure and purpose weave together in everyday life, arguing that happiness lies in what we do and attend to, not the grand narratives we tell ourselves.
Dolan is the author of three widely acclaimed books: Happiness by Design, Happy Ever After, and Beliefism. He combines rigorous academic analysis with accessible advice grounded in behavioral science. In interviews and public appearances, he emphasizes breaking free from cultural "narrative traps", such as the assumptions that marriage or wealth guarantee happiness, to prioritize lived experience instead. His work has informed UK and US public policy through collaboration with the Office for National Statistics and the UK Behavioural Insights Team.
“This man knows the secret to happiness: the small stuff.” — Wired UK
