The course starts with the idea that happiness and health are fundamentally about strong social connections and being immersed in a strong social community. We’re going to zero in on things that build strong social ties and communities — things like compassion, empathy, how to read people’s emotions, gratitude, charity, generosity and giving.
The course emphasizes two main (scientifically-proven) keys to happiness: Strong social ties, and a sense of purpose or connection to the greater good. (From Science-Happiness-UC Berkeley)