Tal Ben-Shahar

Tal Ben-Shahar (Hebrew: טל בן-שחר; born 1970), also known as Tal David Ben-Shachar, is an Israeli professor and writer in the areas of positive psychology and leadership. He has subsequently written several best-selling books and, in 2011, co-founded Potentialife with Angus Ridgway, a company that provides leadership programs.

Early life and education Ben-Shahar has a bachelor's degree from Harvard College in philosophy and psychology and received his Ph.D. in organizational behavior from Harvard University in 2004 with his dissertation, "Restoring Self-Esteem's Self-Esteem: The Constructs of Dependent and Independent Competence and Worth."

Career Ben-Shahar consults and lectures internationally on topics including leadership, ethics, happiness, and mindfulness. In 2011, Ben-Shahar co-founded Potentialife to bring positive psychology to people's daily lives.

He is the author of the international best-sellers Happier and Being Happy, which have been translated into 25 languages. He has also written two children's books in collaboration with Shirly Yuval-Yair in Hebrew; one about Helen Keller and the other about Thomas Edison. The books aim to teach children about happiness.

He is the narrator of the 2012 documentary Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference, produced by Raphael Shore.

Ben-Shahar taught at Harvard, where his classes on Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership were among the most popular courses in the university's history.

Ben-Shahar is also the co-founder of the Happiness Studies Academy. Ben-Shahar has also helped establish the Master's Degree and PhD programs in Happiness Studies at Centenary University.

Publications "How to Be Happier" in The Art and Practice of Living Wondrously (Ronit Ziv-Kreger, ed.) (2025) Being Happy: You Don't Have to Be Perfect to Lead a Richer, Happier Life (2010) originally published in hardcover as The Pursuit of Perfect (2010) Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment (2007) A Clash of Values: The Struggle for Universal Freedom (2002) Heaven Can Wait: Conversations With Bonny Hicks (1998)