Emily Esfahani Smith

Emily Esfahani Smith is a writer who draws on psychology, philosophy, and literature to write about the human experience—why we are the way we are and how we can find grace and meaning in a world that is full of suffering. Her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Atlantic, TIME, and other publications. She is also an instructor in positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as an editor at the Stanford University Hoover Institution, where she manages the Ben Franklin Circles project which aims to build meaning in local communities. Born in Zurich, Emily grew up in Montreal and earned a masters degree in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives with her husband in Washington, DC.