Why It’s Worth It | When adversity hits, we tend to see it as a setback. Something that we have to get through and somehow put behind us so we can get back to our lives. But what if we can learn to see adversity differently? Can it be an opportunity for growth and new possibilities? What if we could emerge kinder, stronger, and more connected?

In this episode of The Happiness Lab, Laurie Santos delves into the world of The Aeneid, a timeless epic poem that narrates the story of Prince Aeneas, who flees from the ruins of Troy and embarks on a perilous journey to find a new home. Despite facing numerous obstacles and losing almost everyone and everything he holds dear, Aeneas perseveres and eventually establishes a new civilization that becomes the foundation for the Roman Empire.

The beauty of the Aeneid lies in its portrayal of Aeneas as a heroic figure who endures tremendous suffering and emerges from it stronger and more grateful for life. The poem’s central theme is “growth through suffering,” a concept akin to the modern term “post-traumatic growth.” This idea suggests that trauma can catalyze personal growth and lead to new relationships, new paths, and a newfound sense of purpose. Interestingly, post-traumatic growth is a relatively recent field of academic study. Still, the Aeneid’s resilience, perseverance, and personal growth lessons are as relevant today as they were in ancient times – a reminder that old wisdom can still significantly impact our lives, even today.

Background | In this episode, Laurie delves into the world of epic poetry alongside her friend Stephanie Frampton, a classics professor at MIT. The podcast includes insights from Stephanie and Jamie Pennybaker, a psychology researcher from UT Austin, and features recitations of select passages from the poem. The discussion covers many key insights, including:

• Being a Roman hero was no joke – According to Stephanie, Aeneas experienced a multitude of harrowing trials and tribulations. He lost his beloved wife and his homeland and had to fight his way through an army of cyclops, a mythical race of one-eyed giants. He also had to overcome numerous life-threatening challenges, including surviving several hurricane-strength storms and other adversities.
• A psychological technique can help overcome emotional pain – Aeneas frequently opened up about his myriad of misfortunes to anyone who would listen (in fact, an entire chapter in the poem is one such speech). Interestingly, research in the scientific community has shown that sharing one’s traumatic experiences through verbal or written communication can have significant positive impacts on the speaker or writer’s mental and emotional well-being.
• Sharing trauma heals – Benefits may include a reduction in depressive symptoms, an overall improvement in well-being, increased academic or professional focus, enhanced interpersonal relationships, and positive changes in biological markers such as immunity, weight, cardiac changes, and sleep. 
• Structure through sharing – Sharing our traumatic experiences with others can be a cathartic and healing experience. When we put our trauma into words, we give structure to the experience, creating a beginning, middle, and end that allows us to reflect and see the experience more objectively. This process can be incredibly compelling as it enables us to get closure, move on from the event and take control of our narrative.  
• Adversity can be healing – Studies have shown that post-traumatic growth can enable people to increase their empathy, connect better with others, and achieve a fuller life than before the trauma occurred. So, while experiencing trauma can be incredibly challenging, it also provides opportunity for growth and healing: if we can gain perspective on our trauma, we can rethink our lives and emerge stronger and more resilient.

Source | The Happiness Lab podcast: “Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: The Trauma of Troy” – Season 6, Episode 9 (March 13, 2023)

About | Laurie Santos is a Yale professor, researcher, and happiness expert who studies how psychology can guide us to make better choices and live happier, more fulfilling lives. Her course on happiness, the most popular course at Yale in over 300 years, is offered in an online version, The Science of Well-Being, on Coursera. Laurie also hosts The Happiness Lab, a podcast that focuses on changing how we think about happiness. Laurie’s core belief is simple: What our minds tell us will make us happy is often a lie.