This article reads like a press release or a news article and may be largely based on routine coverage. (January 2022) |

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.
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."
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[citation needed] 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.
"How Happiness Thinks brings together modern research and ancient Jewish wisdom," said Prof. Ben-Shahar, an expert in the field. "This marriage between theology and science can bring about significant positive change in individuals and communities." The course explores to what degree surroundings and circumstances affect one's overall happiness, potential challenges to living a joyous life, and whether God cares if people are happy or not.
The Jewish Learning Institute's Newest Class Looks at Positive Psychology through the 3,000-year-old lens of Jewish thought. Westminster, Colorado – When Israeli-born psychologist Tal Ben-Shahar began teaching a class called Positive Psychology at Harvard in 2006, a record 855 undergraduate students signed up for his class.
Northbrook, IL - When Israeli-born psychologist Tal Ben-Shahar began teaching a class called Positive Psychology at Harvard in 2006, a record 855 undergraduate students signed up for his class. Droves of students at the academically-intense university came to learn, as the course description puts it, about "psychological aspects of a fulfilling and flourishing life."