Listen back to @michaeldplant.bsky.social on Spencer Greenberg's 'Clearer Thinking' Podcast where they discuss topics in moral philosophy: podcast.clearerthinking.org/episode/280/...

🚨New podcast out 🚨 @spencrgreenberg.bsky.social and I go wonderfully deep on the big issues about doing good and improving wellbeing. Link: podcast.clearerthinking.org/episode/280/... Summary:

Academics: you work on 'happiness'? You can't measure that. Also academics: oh, did you see we went up the rankings? Out today: www.theguardian.com/education/ng...

🚨New research🚨I've just had a co-authored paper on moral uncertainty come out in Ergo. We develop a new 'moral marketplace' theory that can, unlike the alternatives, justify donation splitting - and has some other major theoretical advantages too! journals.publishing.umich.edu/ergo/article...

Where do people give money to if you give them info on charity impact *and* wear top hats? We ran an experiment, 'The Happiness Factory', to find out... www.happierlivesinstitute.org/2025/08/27/r...

I sometimes dress up. I sometimes go to conferences. Today, I'm doing both for @isqols.bsky.social to promote @happierlives.bsky.social's 'Happiness Factory', a giving game where we give people real money and ask them to choose which charity to give to.

HLI is hiring a Development Manager! Come work for the best organisation in the world and raise funds for the most impactful organisations in the world! Info: www.happierlivesinstitute.org/2025/07/15/d... Apply here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... Deadline is 27th July, i.e. nex Friday

Zimbabwe grandmas giving 45 minutes of therapy– among the most effective ways to boost wellbeing, says HLI meta-analysis/review/CEA. bit.ly/44cvnh0 Both evaluators had ~confidence in main results. Also critiques & suggestions; authors responded in detail. ->

@happierlives.bsky.social turns 6 today! 🥳🎉 All the improving world happiness stuff is cool, but, really, I'd like to thank all those people who made it possible for my parents to finally stop asking me "So, Michael, what are you going to do with a philosophy degree?" 😎

People often complain that happiness surveys are 'subjective'. But, happiness is a feeling - we're measuring something subjective. Yet, subjective =/= arbitrary. People don't make up their scores at random. They base them on how good/bad they feel.

People substantially underestimate the impact of asking good questions to researchers. You might think it has no impact, but I've now started multiple projects because people asked me good questions I hadn't thought of and didn't have answers to. I'm sure others are the same.

Is giving just 1% of your income to effective charities the minimum for being a decent person? @michaeldplant.bsky.social for @iai.tv: iai.tv/articles/aim...

What's the moral price of decency? Why giving 1% might be enough. My piece for @iai.tv iai.tv/articles/aim...

It's summer, so obviously it's time to go into windowless rooms at conferences and discuss how to make the world better. I'm looking forward to attending the Effective Giving Summit, EAGlobal London, AIM's Unconference, and a @pureearthnow.bsky.social dinner all in the next 7 days!

Converting your cash into a happiness multiplier? We're featured this week in @insidephilanthropy.com Thanks for the write-up @wendyparis.bsky.social @michaeldplant.bsky.social www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/money-c...

Apparently that philosopher is me. Delighted to have done an interview with Inside Philanthropy about how taking happiness seriously can - and should - shake up giving. Link 👇

Two months ago, I was so proud that my chapter in the @worldhappiness.report came out. Why? It's the first global comparison of charities and it provides the strongest evidence yet that best charities are 100x better than the average. Link👇

This is such zinger. Career advice from @rutgerbregman.com 👏👏👏

Just seen this new paper. When Does Charity Effectiveness Matter to Donors? The Role of Ratings and Expectations about Cost-Effectiveness👇

In other news, I am apparently a 36-year-old happiness researcher who does interviews. My interview with CNBC 👇 www.cnbc.com/amp/2025/04/...

Trump has just celebrated 100 days in office as a "revolution in common sense". I argue in the Guardian he's creating a selfish, miserable world. I then set out a 4-step plan to fight back. 👇

Do I know anyone else speaking at @isqols.bsky.social? Is it worth sticking around for the Friday night dinner?

Think all charities are more or less the same? Most people do. But they're wrong - the best are far, far better than people expect. A thread on new research showing the mind-blowing gap between perception and reality 👇

"Higher trust and happiness make us less susceptible to the politics of fear and resentment" @michaeldplant.bsky.social @happierlives.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

In today's @theguardian.com, I argue Trump is a symptom and cause of a less happy, less trusting world - and set out what we can do about it. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

"Which charities should I donate to?" "Will donating to charity make me happy?" "Does giving effectively increase the giver’s happiness more?" and six other common questions you may have had about giving to charity:

Should you give to household name charities? Probably not Why? Because they are typically MANGOs - Multi-Armed NGOs But what's the MANGO problem? We explain in a new blogpost: www.happierlivesinstitute.org/2025/04/02/w...

Thrilled to have my 🚨new research 🚨 covered in @vox.com www.vox.com/future-perfe...

It blows my mind there are so many people making millions for no almost work using AI, but want to give away their secrets to me for $100. Some people are so generous.

People say that politicians should not be banned from running, if they are found guilty of crimes, in case it embolden their supporters. But, if politicians are not banned from running, it emboldens them to commit crimes. Being a politician should not be a free 'never get into jail' card.

🦮 Guide dogs or lifeboats? 📊 @michaeldplant.bsky.social & his team at @happierlives.bsky.social evaluate charity donations based on the wellbeing they generate. Michael shared their intriguing insights at our recent Wider World seminar. 🔗 Learn more worldhappiness.report/ed/2025/givi...

Loved being back at @lseblogs.bsky.social yesterday to give a talk. I was surprised to realise *how fast* happiness research has grown since. On left: *all* the happiness cost-effectiveness work I knew of last time I presented. On right: what we know today: 20+ comparisons covering the globe. 🌍

Chappell Roan ain't wrong. Children do reduce life satisfaction in first couple of years.

Le Pen found guilty of embezzlment and barred from public office. It seems "a government of laws, not of men" applies to France, not America. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

🚨New research in @worldhappiness.report: worldhappiness.report/ed/2025/givi... - We did the first ever global comparison of how much happiness charities create per $ - Variation was HUGE: the best are 100x - or 1000x - better than others - So, we can have a far bigger impact for no extra cost

To mark the release of the 2025 World Happiness Report, @michaeldplant.bsky.social joins Kasia and me on “Lives Well Lived”. (1/3)

Happier Lives Institute director @michaeldplant.bsky.social discusses happiness science with @petersinger.info on the Lives Well Lived podcast this week.

In the latest episode of “Lives Well Lived”, Kasia and I are joined by @michaeldplant.bsky.social, founder of the Happier Lives Institute, to explore what it really means to improve wellbeing. (1/4)

Can't wait until @economist.com finds out about the Easterlin Paradox*, it will blow their minds.... Richer countries are happier, but no significant relationship between growth and happiness. docs.iza.org/dp13923.pdf www.economist.com/graphic-deta...

Delighted to have been on the Lives Well Lives podcast with Peter and Kazia. We may all philosophers sympathetic to Classical Utilitarianism but, as philosophers we, of course, found plenty to disagree about!

Happy happiness day! So, how much happiness can money buy? My team and I have a chapter in @worldhappiness.report, out today. In a world-first comparison, we find some charities are hundreds of times better than others. Chapter: whr-2025--worldhappiness.netlify.app/ed/2025/givi...

What are the best ways to turn your money into happiness for other people? Here are the 2024 results from the Happier Lives Institute. But ... we've got a major piece of research coming on 20th March, World Happiness Day. Stay tuned for that. www.happierlivesinstitute.org/research/cha...

So, I've noticed the quality and quantity of engagement I got on X trending towards zero. Is it any better here? Any other guidance on using this platform welcome.