Rethink Special: What the World Happiness Report teaches us about trust

Why trust is unravelling at the most personal levels

Dear Rethinkers,

I’ve long admired Dr. Laurie Santos—she’s a rock star in human cognition and happiness. If you haven’t discovered her yet, Laurie is the expert on happiness science, cutting through all the noise of “happiness books” and Instagram promises. I love how she debunks myths with such thoughtfulness.

So, when Laurie invited me on The Happiness Lab podcast to discuss my new audiobook How to Trust & Be Trusted and the just-released World Happiness Report, I was thrilled. For the first time, the report explores the surprising connection between trust, happiness, and life satisfaction. Spoiler: It’s not what you think!

For my take on the report’s key insights and highlights from my chat with Laurie, upgrade to a paid subscription.

The slow erosion of personal trust

I’ve always found the World Happiness Report fascinating—it provides a global snapshot of how people perceive their well-being. Released annually since 2012, the report reveals intriguing patterns in what truly shapes our happiness. I appreciate studies like this because they help me look beyond the daily news cycle and think about the deeper shifts that will influence us long after politicians are out of office.

Before diving into the report, let me share one of my frameworks for visualizing the different types of trust in our lives.