THE FUSE

For decades, psychologists have focused on two primary pathways to a fulfilled life: happiness and meaning. Happiness emphasizes positive emotions, comfort, and life satisfaction, while meaning centers on purpose, significance, and contribution to something larger than oneself. These two dimensions have dominated research on well-being and shaped much of the public conversation about what it means to live well. Yet, psychologist Dr. Shigehiro Oishi, in his groundbreaking book Life in Three Dimensions: How Curiosity, Exploration, and Experience Make a Fuller, Better Life (2026), introduces a compelling third dimension: psychological richness.