By Helen Mitsios
If you didn't know that Dr. Howard Cutler is the "father" of the Positive Psychology Movement, you're not alone. Co-authored with His Holiness the Dalai Lama nearly 25 years ago, The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living ended up on The New York Times bestseller list for 97 weeks, and it has been translated into over 50 languages. It became the forerunner to the multitude of popular books and bestsellers that we've seen over the past two decades on the subject of happiness. The book is still in print, having become a perennial classic on the subject.
Even though he's one of the most important figures of the twenty-first century's "happiness" movement, Dr. Cutler chooses to decline razzle-dazzle publicity. He spent time as a psychiatrist in private practice as well as at a famous "celebrity" rehab clinic before deciding to devote himself full-time to his writing, deep study, meditation, private AOH studies with individuals, and holding worldwide keynote addresses, teachings, and workshops.
Modest, compassionate, and filled with humor and wit, in his downtime he can be found in his hometown of Scottsdale, Arizona, where he likes to read just about anything, he says, and classic Western novels in particular.
We asked Dr. Cutler if he's happy, and a few other questions.
How did you first meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama?
In 1981–82, when I was a senior in medical school at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, I applied for a research grant to study traditional Tibetan medicine, a unique healing system that dates back many centuries. I was given three months of senior year medical school credit along with $100 per week to study at the Tibet Medical Center in Dharamsala, India, a thriving Tibetan community in the foothills of the Himalayas. The Dalai Lama's older brother was director of the Tibetan Medical Centre at the time of my stay. I was put up at a government guesthouse where I ended up living across the hallway from the Dalai Lama's brother and his family. They first suggested that I meet the Dalai Lama and helped arrange that first meeting.
What was your first impression of the Dalai Lama when you met him?
I remember sitting in a small room just outside his living room, starting to get really nervous, listening to my heart pound. I wasn't certain about proper protocol. The main thing that struck me at first was that he was so normal! So down to earth! He had a way of quickly putting one at ease. He had a way of making people feel as if they were deeply listened to. One could feel his kindness.
Has what it takes to lead a happy life changed at all since you wrote The Art of Happiness?
Well, there can be many components to a happy life, beginning with having one's basic survival needs met. That hasn't changed in the last 25 years. Now, one of the fundamental principles of the AOH approach to happiness is: once we have our basic survival needs met, at that point happiness is determined more by the state of one's mind than by external circumstances, conditions, or events. The validity of these fundamental AOH principles and the effectiveness of the various practices has also not changed. After all, the basic structure and functioning of the human brain and of the human mind are the same.
But there has, in fact, been a "sea change" in the pursuit of happiness in Western society. Prior to the publication of The Art of Happiness, the general public demonstrated little to no interest in reading about happiness and little interest in exploring the science of happiness, its causes, and its practical benefits.
A recent news article suggested that people should be screened for anxiety. Does the application of AOH principles reduce anxiety?
Absolutely, yes! There's now a large body of scientific evidence showing that various techniques adapted from Buddhism, including "stabilizing" types of meditation (e.g. mindfulness meditation) as well as "analytic meditation" (practices very similar to cognitive therapy techniques) can be effective in reducing anxiety.
Here at Beach Happy, we're all about the pursuit of happiness — and we also love the beach. Do you have a favorite beach?
I've loved the beach ever since I was a kid, and our family spent the summers at Venice Beach in California. Over the years I've stayed at many beaches around the world, but to be honest there is no single beach that immediately comes to mind as my very favorite. I've enjoyed beaches on islands in tropical climates, in places like Hawaii, the Caribbean, Bali, and others, and I particularly like beaches that are relatively isolated, with lush greenery, pristine white sand beaches, clear warm waters and abundant marine life.
Do you offer workshops for the general public?
Yes. In fact, it's one of my favorite things. I love having the opportunity to interact with people in person, and of course I'm very passionate about the topics presented in the AOH workshops. For some years, I've been giving three-day AOH workshops every summer at Kripalu, a beautiful retreat center in the Berkshire Mountains.
Are you a practicing Buddhist?
I've been asked this question quite a few times over the years, and I always say no. That's because the term "Buddhist" can be a loaded term, with different meanings, connotations, or underlying assumptions depending on the individual. But if asked to elaborate, I always explain that I've adopted certain Buddhist views and practices, focusing on those supported by scientific evidence, which I've applied to help maintain a sense of well-being and life satisfaction, to deal more effectively with stress and everyday problems, and to increase my capacity to help others.
Can you describe your personal AOH six-week course?
I originally developed this six-week program in response to people who had read The Art of Happiness and wanted me to work with them, as their psychotherapist or "coach." So, using the book as a text for the program, I follow the same overall structure and sequence of topics as the book. The program includes a private one-on-one phone session with the client once a week, with reading assignments and practical exercises. Six weeks is enough time for structural and functional changes to begin to take place in the brain, the rewiring of neural pathways.
Are you happy? When you're not, what do you do?
Yes, I'd say I'm happy. I guess on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, I'm customarily somewhere between an 8 and a 9. And personally, I think that's remarkable, because science has shown there is a strong genetic component to one's customary level of happiness, what they call a "happiness set point." I was born with a relatively low happiness set point, with the tendency toward depression when I was young. So, I think that a large part of my current customary level of day-to-day happiness is due to practicing the type of AOH strategies and methods that we've been referring to.
Are people less happy now than they were in the past?
Looking at the American population in general, things don't look good. Some surveys have found that the average level of happiness among Americans is at a 50-year low. Others have found certain indicators or measures of happiness to be the lowest ever recorded. Depression, anxiety, drug overdoses, and suicides have been skyrocketing in recent years. Of course, the pandemic has had a negative impact on the happiness of Americans and people all over the world, but unhappiness was increasing in our country well before the pandemic.
Still, despite this discouraging outlook, I passionately believe that there is cause for hope. After all, science has conclusively shown that there are practical methods to increase personal happiness — steps anyone can take.
What's the hardest thing about writing a bestselling book?
For myself, I found that the most important factor in writing a successful book was perseverance. Having never written a book before, I decided to take time off from my psychiatric practice to devote all my time to writing the book, estimating it would take no more than six months. And, with the Dalai Lama as co-author, I figured it would be a snap to find a publisher, that they'd be beating down my door to publish it. It ended up taking five years to complete the manuscript. And throughout that entire five-year period I received an endless stream of rejection letters from literary agents and publishers.
Once the book was published, it turned out to be the Dalai Lama's "breakout" book, the book that introduced him to the West, something that he himself has publicly acknowledged.
Originally published in Beach Happy Magazine, Volume 11 (Winter 2023). Interview by Helen Mitsios. Opening photograph: the collaboration begins — His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, Tucson, Arizona, 1993.
