Being a Fan!!
Today I’m recommending: Nerd Out! The Happiness of Being a Fan
The Happiness Lab **Sept 12, 2022 ** Nerd out! The Happiness of Being a Fan
In this episode,Yale’s Dr. Laurie Santos, talks about the mental health benefits of being a fan! She talks to Tabitha Carvan about her infatuation with Benedict Cumberbatch. Honestly, I thought this was super weird– until I was sleeping on the sidewalk in NYC to HOPE to get tickets to see the SNL dress rehearsal and having the time of my life, and then I “got it”. I still think some parts of this are a bit odd and over the top, so don’t give up too early on it, but there are so many great concepts in here that I was able to experience firsthand.
You will learn:
- What can get in the way of leaning into our interests and being a fan
- What it looks like to dive into fandom
- That the WAY you love something is more important than WHAT you love
- How being a fan can help reduce loneliness and increase social connection
Why it’s helpful:When I first listened to this podcast, I did not connect at all with this. I did not feel that I had something that I loved that much. In the podcast, Tabitha addresses this issue and suggests that we stay alert to the spark of interest and try to notice it- and then dive in!
Despite being a lifelong fan of SNL, I did not think of myself as a “fan”. It was always a dream of mine to see the show live and in December, my daughter and I decided to try to go. We got a spot in line online (I can explain this to anyone else who is interested), slept outside on the street in NYC, and ended up getting in to see the live dress rehearsal. It was AH-MAZING!
During this process, we met a group of people who also spent the night with us outside. Over the course of the 2 day adventure, we connected over our love for the show and our excitement about getting in. I felt joy, connection, and excitement in such a strong and unique way. I had to laugh to myself when I thought of this podcast. As much as I didn’t love the podcast, they were right and it helped me understand and get more out of my experience!
What I liked about it: Sometimes we minimize the importance of these activities and interests. This podcast and my experience at SNL demonstrated that following these experiences can provide you with joy that can also spill into other parts of your life.
The Episode is good for: Anyone who is interested a finding and cultivating joy and excitement in your life
Trigger warnings: (none (if you hear one that I missed, please email me)
Length:32 min
I’d love to share your feedback on this podcast!! Please email me your comments and I will post them. Please put the podcast title in the subject line. Here are 2 questions that I’d love to have your feedback on:
Have you had an experience of being a fan and finding joy and connection through that?
What do you love? What are you a fan of?