Life Examined

Laura Delano is the author of “UNSHRUNK: A Story of Psychiatric Treatment Resistance." As you'll hear, Laura Delano speaks from first hand experience - diagnosed as a teenager with bipolar disorder, Delano shares her own struggles with mental illness, the psychiatric and pharmaceutical industry and the toll that treatment and medication took on her.  

Laurie Santos talks about the power of a sabbatical, burn out, and her new online course titled: “The Science of Well-Being for Parents”  —a direct result of discovering just how much pressure, stress and anxiety parents are under these days. 

Ocean Vuong is a Vietnamese American poet, essayist, novelist and professor of modern poetry and poetics at New York University. Some of you may already be familiar with his best-selling debut novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, which received a MacArthur “Genius” grant and was nominated for the National Book Award for Fiction in 2019.  Vuong's award-winning poetry collections include, Time Is a Mother (2022) and Night Sky with Exit Wounds (2016).  His latest novel is  “The Emperor of Gladness. A Novel.”   

“He showed us what simplicity could offer:” Pico Iyer and Paul Elie share their insights on the late Pope's global impact.

Pico Iyer, essayist and author of numerous books including  “The Half Known Life:In Search of Paradise ” and most recently  “Aflame: Learning from Silence,” reflects on the death of Pope Francis and highlights the extraordinary impact Pope Francis’s life had, despite Iyer’s non-Christian faith. Pope Francis’s humility, simplicity, and actions, Iyer says, which exemplified his teachings had and continue to have a great impacted over Iyer’s spiritual life.  Paul Elie, religion scholar with the Berkley Center at Georgetown University, and author of “The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex and Controversy in the 1980s”  shares his first hand impressions of meeting Pope Francis and particularly how humble and unpretentious the Pope was.  Elie says some of Pope Francis’s early experiences growing up in Argentina shaped his more progressive world views and reflects on the legacy that Pope Francis leaves behind on the world and on the Catholic Church.         Guests: Pico Iyer  Travel writer and author of Aflame: Learning from Silence, The Art of Stillness : Adventures in Going Nowhere, and, Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells, “The Half Known Life:In Search of Paradise ”   Paul Elie  Senior Fellow with the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University, and author of “The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex and Controversy in the 1980s” May 27, 2025       

This week, economist and author of “Wild Problems: A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us,” Russ Roberts offers a different perspective and approach to tackling some of life’s biggest challenges and decisions. Revisit the complete episode of Life Examined with Russ Roberts which originally aired August 27th, 2022

Rebecca Lemov, a professor of the history of science at Harvard University, explores the origins of brainwashing and delves into the concept of how our minds can be influenced through coercive persuasion.

Rebecca Lemov, professor of the history of science at Harvard University and author of “The Instability of Truth: Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyper-persuasion,” talks about the origins of brainwashing. The term ‘brainwashing,’ was first used to describe what happeded to American POW's during the Cold War in Korea. After enduring terrible conditions and indoctrination by their Chinese captors, 21 American prisoners of war refused to return home, believing that life in China and under communism would be better. Lemov explains that our psyches can be manipulated and it is that the same malleability of the mind which helps us to grow and evolve also makes us extremely vulnerable to coercisve persuasion. Lemov also reflects on some of the more subtle 'soft brainwashing' techniques that we’re exposed to today, techniques that are primarily fed to us through our screens.  Guest: Rebecca Lemov  Professor of the history of science at Harvard University and author of  “The Instability of Truth: Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyper-persuasion.” 

This week, Michael Sandel, professor of political philosophy at Harvard University and author of “The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good?” addresses the myth of meritocracy - the idea that, if all chances in life were made equal, then people would advance based on merit and succeed as far as their talent and effort would take them. Less acknowledged, Sandel says, is the role of luck; family, teachers, neighbors, time and place in success. Shifting from a merit-based perspective and appreciating the contingency in life, fosters a much deeper understanding and humility towards those who are less fortunate.  

This week, Michael Sandel, professor of political philosophy at Harvard University and author of “The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good?” addresses the myth of meritocracy - the idea that, if all chances in life were made equal, then people would advance based on merit and succeed as far as their talent and effort would take them. Less acknowledged, Sandel says, is the role of luck; family, teachers, neighbors, time and place in success. Shifting from a merit-based perspective and appreciating the contingency in life, fosters a much deeper understanding and humility towards those who are less fortunate. 

Fred Luskin, director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Project, reflects on the nature of forgiveness and the value of letting go of grievances.

Fred Luskin, director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Project, reflects on the nature of forgiveness and the value of letting go of grievances.

This week, Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer prize-winning reporter and author of Supercommunicators; How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection talks about why some people are just better at conversation and communication than others. Duhigg says conversations typically fall into three buckets; practical, emotional and social. Super communicators, Duhigg says, have the ability to listen for what kind of conversation is happening and are able to “match back.” The science behind this, as Duhigg explains it, is called  "neural entrainment" which turns out to be a key to bonding and cooperating with each other.

This week, Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer prize-winning reporter and author of Supercommunicators; How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection talks about why some people are just better at conversation and communication than others. Duhigg says conversations typically fall into three buckets; practical, emotional and social. Super communicators, Duhigg says, have the ability to listen for what kind of conversation is happening and are able to “match back.” The science behind this, as Duhigg explains it, is called  "neural entrainment" which turns out to be a key to bonding and cooperating with each other. This episode of Life Examined with Charles Duhigg originally broadcast August 4th 2024

Relationship coach Jillian Turecki reflects on the essentials for maintaining a long term relationship and some hard truths about love.

Jillian Turecki, renowned couples coach, host of the podcast, ‘Jillian On Love.’ and author “It Begins With You: The 9 Hard Truths About Love That Will Change Your Life”  unpacks some of the essential skills and habits needed to maintain long-term, healthy relationships. Turecki shares her own experience, marked by her husband's abandonment that prompted her obsession to find the essential ingredients that go into making a relationship work. Focusing on some of the little things that are fundamental to building a long term relationship, Turecki also highlights the importance of self-awareness, pattern recognition, and the distinction between lust and love. And when it comes to modern dating, Tureck’s advice is to not write someone off too soon and instead of relying on dating apps, suggests being proactive and resourceful in meeting people face to face, such as volunteering or joining groups.    Guest: Jillian Turecki Relationship coach, host of the podcast, ‘Jillian On Love.’ and author “It Begins With You: The 9 Hard Truths About Love That Will Change Your Life.”

This week, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Indigenous ecologist and author of “The Serviceberry: An Economy of Gifts and Abundance,” talks about the virtues of the ‘gift economy,” and explains that gifting is instinctive in the natural world and has been the way of life with Indigenous cultures who have found that relying on each other is mutually beneficial. When one group or person shares their resources, they have the shared understanding that there is always reciprocity down the road.

This week, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Indigenous ecologist and author of “The Serviceberry: An Economy of Gifts and Abundance,” talks about the virtues of the ‘gift economy,” and explains that gifting is instinctive in the natural world and has been the way of life with Indigenous cultures who have found that relying on each other is mutually beneficial. When one group or person offers their resources, they have the understanding that there is always reciprocity down the road.

Alex Hutchinson, science journalist and endurance athlete, discusses the science that drives human exploration.

Alex Hutchinson, award-winning journalist and author “The Explorer’s Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map,” discusses the reasons behind human exploration. Hutchinson talks about the historical significance of human exploration and delves into the neuroscience and psychology behind why we are driven to test the limits of our abilities and to expand our knowledge. Hutchinson expands on the  significant role dopamine plays in providing the fuel and desire and the ‘free energy principle’, which suggests humans seek to minimize surprise and uncertainty. Hutchinson shares his own personal stories, along with what we can learn about exploration from observing children at play and says it’s crucial to maintain some exploration for personal growth and fulfillment especially as we grow older.   Guest: Alex Hutchinson ,  Writer, award-winning journalist who covers the science of endurance and author “The Explorer’s Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map,” and “Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance.”

This week, Jennifer Senior, New York Times opinion writer and author “All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood,”  discusses the impact of having children on life satisfaction and meaning.  Citing the psychologist and behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman’s work on the "experiencing self" versus the "remembering self," Senior says that while parenting can be exhausting in the moment, most often later on in life, the years raising kids are fondly remembered. While there’s no easy answer to big life decisions, like having kids, Senior suggests that most often in life, we regret the actions we did not take rather than the ones we did - and Senior says, if you’re sitting on the fence, that may be reason enough.  

This week, Jennifer Senior, New York Times opinion writer and author “All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood,”  discusses the impact of having children on life satisfaction and meaning.  Citing the psychologist and behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman's work on the "experiencing self" versus the "remembering self," Senior says that while parenting can be exhausting in the moment, most often later on in life, the years raising kids are fondly remembered. While there's no easy answer to big life decisions, like having kids, Senior suggests that most often in life, we regret the actions we did not take rather than the ones we did - and Senior says, if you're sitting on the fence, that may be reason enough.   

Teen therapist Lisa Damour unravels the complexities of the adolescent mind and offers tips for raising well-adjusted teenagers.

Lisa Damour, psychologist and author of “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents,” addresses some of the common perceptions and misconceptions around raising teens. Damour addresses the impact of social media and societal pressures on teen mental health and advocates for a balanced approach, acknowledging both the benefits and potential risks associated with digital engagement. Despite societal concerns about social media and mental health, Damour says parents today are raising the safest generation of teens on record - less pregnancy, smoking, drinking and accidents. Damour suggests parents can support their adolescents through their formative years by validating their children's feelings, and providing a stable presence. Establishing trusting relationships and maintaining active involvement in their lives can help teens navigate challenges more effectively. Guest: Lisa Damour. Psychologist and author of “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents.”   

This week, journalist and author of The Explorers Gene:Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map,” Alex Hutchinson tackles something athletes and sports enthusiasts think about all the time; how to break through physical barriers. Hutchinson suggests that athletic milestones, and he uses the example of Roger Bannister breaking the 4-minute mile, often have little to do with physical ability and skill, but what holds us back is a lack of belief. 

This week, journalist and author of The Explorers Gene:Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map,” Alex Hutchinson tackles something athletes and sports enthusiasts think about all the time; how to break through physical barriers. Hutchinson suggests that athletic milestones, and he uses the example of Roger Bannister breaking the 4-minute mile, often have little to do with physical ability and skill, but what holds us back is a lack of belief. 

Philosopher Owen Flanagan talks about life as an alcoholic and offers insights into the brain science and complexities that lead to addiction.

Owen Flanagan, professor of philosophy and neurobiology at Duke University and author of “What Is It Like to Be an Addict? Understanding Substance Abuse” reflects on his life as an alcoholic and explores the brain science and individual complexities behind why we become addicted. Flanagan addresses the role of the individual and agency and is critical of those who maintain that addiction is a disease of the brain. When it comes to treatment, Flanagan says community, compassion and love are key factors in maintaining long term sobriety.   Guest: Owen Flanagan  Professor of philosophy and neurobiology at Duke University and author of “What Is It Like to Be an Addict? Understanding Substance Abuse.” 

This week, polar scientist, explorer and author of “Life Lessons From Explorers: Learn how to weather life's storms from history's greatest explorers” Felicity Aston reflects on her experience of leading a failed North Pole expedition and the time it's taken her to face and process that failure. Aston uses the example of the historical Scottish explorer David Livingston to show how much can be gained from time and perspective and to illustrate the challenge of balancing success and failure in exploration and in life.

This week, polar scientist, explorer and author of “Life Lessons From Explorers: Learn how to weather life’s storms from history’s greatest explorers” Felicity Aston reflects on her experience of leading a failed North Pole expedition and the time it’s taken her to face and process that failure. Aston uses the example of the historical Scottish explorer David Livingston to show how much can be gained from time and perspective and to illustrate the challenge of balancing success and failure in exploration and in life.  

Polar scientist Felicity Aston reflects on her fascination with exploration and shares lessons on survival, risk, and adventure. 

Polar scientist Felicity Ashton reflects on her fascination with exploration; shares lessons on survival, risk, and adventure. 

Explorer Felicity Ashton recounts her  solo skiing expedition across Antarctica,  explaining exploration for her and many others is not  merely  a choice but a fundamental need.   “It took me a long time to realize that not everybody has that same itch to go. There's a commonality amongst all the explorers that I've written about is that, largely, it's not their choice. They're not deciding, ‘Oh, I'm going to do this.’ It's almost taken out of their control. They have to go and do it. There is no other option.”  Growing up, there was nothing in Felicity Ashton’s childhood or DNA to suggest that she’d become an explorer or the first woman to ski solo across Antarctica – perhaps because none of the explorers she had read about, looked anything like her.  “Most of the explorers we were taught about at school were men, for a start, and men at the opposite end of the 20th century who had very little in common with me or the way that I saw the world, and probably would have no understanding of why a woman would want to go and do these things.”  Throughout her journey, Ashton experienced both failures and successes – each time coming away with new experiences and life lessons. Central to these lessons is the importance  of staying curious while being able to balance the risks with the thrill of adventure.  “It's a really tough decision to make whenever you're out in the field of where is that line between adventure and madness? When is the moment to push beyond all reason and when is the point to go? Now we need to fall back. And this is where we get to the famous quote from Shackleton: ‘I would rather be a live donkey than a dead lion.’”  In her book Life Lessons From Explorers: Learn how to weather life’s storms from history’s greatest explorers,  Ashton shares how she weathered storms, dealt with isolation, and found the motivation to keep  herself going. She also  includes anecdotes and stories from the Vikings to David Livingston, Shackelton to Amelia Ehrhardt. “Often what history records and what we see on the surface is not an accurate representation of the true story, and the truth is probably far more similar to what we ourselves have experienced throughout our lives than we care to admit.”

This week, psychologist and author of “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents,” Lisa Damour addresses one of the toughest challenges in parenting - communicating and connecting with teenage children. When it comes to exactly what that means, Damour suggests that parents typically see communicating with their teens as an opportunity to impose their ideas or agendas and that’s a mistake.  What most kids want is to be able to share what they enjoy with their parents - like music. Day to day, teens communicate best when there is a steady presence and when parents communicate with comfort and empathy and without an agenda.

This week, psychologist and author of “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents,” Lisa Damour addresses one of the toughest challenges in parenting - communicating and connecting with teenage children. When it comes to exactly what that means, Damour suggests that parents typically see communicating with their teens as an opportunity to impose their ideas or agendas and that's a mistake.  What most kids want is to be able to share what they enjoy with their parents - like music. Day to day, teens communicate best when there is a steady presence and when parents communicate with comfort and empathy and without an agenda. 

Author, poet, and philosopher David Whyte believes in poetry. Specifically, he believes in its ability to rekindle emotions often buried or denied — from anguish and death, to joy and wonderment. Whyte credits his Irish roots for his love of the written word. Following in the tradition of many a balladeer before him, Whyte not only is a prolific writer, but he's committed many of his own poems and others to memory.   In his latest collections of poems and essays Constellations II: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words, Whyte takes on some familiar themes of the human condition; anguish and death. He says that poetry offers an “invitation back into the world,” to confront the difficult and to help grapple with life both speakable and unspeakable while finding joy in the process.  Whyte encourages us to embrace the ability we all have to draw down below our internal horizons, connect with our inner voice, and pay attention to people and things other than ourselves. That inner voice, Whyte says, “[is] so often so much more compassionate than the defensive voice we have on the periphery. It's also the voice from which poetry is written, it's the voice below the horizon of our understanding inside us.”  Whyte tells us that poetry, “is the art of creating language that's just as movable as the world that it's temporarily describing. It comes from a fiery, movable place and is equal to the fire and movability of the world. If it's static and holding things in place, it's usually not good poetry.”   David Whyte, pictured here, says: “Poetry is a very physical invitation back into the world and I think it's the beauty in poetry that makes you actually want to respond to the invitation.” Photo by Bodi Hallett “Consolations II: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words,”  David Whyte's latest collection of poems and essays. 

David Whyte, poet and author of “Consolations II: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words,” reflects on the transformative power of the poetry and its ability to rekindle our emotions - from anguish and anxiety, to death, humor and joy. Whyte shares personal experiences, time spent in the Himalayas, and the vital role that humor, laughter and a daily blessing have on his life.

This week, writer and author of Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story, Leslie Jamison reflects on her childhood marriage fantasy and says when it comes to love and marriage we all want that perfect Hollywood ending. However all too often marriages don’t actually work like that but Jamison points out that even when the love is gone from a marriage - as she saw with her own parents, the mutual respect and friendship remained..and that too can be an equally wonderful gift. 

This week, writer and author of Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story, Leslie Jamison reflects on her childhood marriage fantasy and says when it comes to love and marriage we all aspire to that perfect Hollywood ending. However the reality is that more and more often marriages won't last a lifetime but as Jamison points out that's OK.  Relationships go through different phases and as she saw with her own parents, the end of a marriage doesn't mean it was a failure, indeed if the mutual respect and friendship remains, that too can be an equally wonderful gift.  

Jonathan Bastian talks with Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Emotion Regulation Lab at Hunter College, about the anxiety epidemic and her book “Future Tense; Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad).” “Anxiety is a feature of being human,” Dennis-Tiwary says. “It's not a bug, it's not a malfunction. We can learn and work through it.” Delve deeper into life, philosophy, and what makes us human by joining the Life Examined discussion group on Facebook.

Episode description: Jonathan Bastian talks with Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Emotion Regulation Lab at Hunter College, about the anxiety epidemic and her book “Future Tense; Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad).”   “Anxiety is a feature of being human,” Dennis-Tiwary says. “It’s not a bug, it's not a malfunction. We can learn and work through it.”  Delve deeper into life, philosophy, and what makes us human by joining the Life Examined discussion group on Facebook.

This week, cognitive scientist and professor of psychology at Yale University Lori Santos explains that negative emotions are very much part of the human experience and essential to leading a happy life. Leaning into these emotions and accepting them is better for us than trying to dismiss or suppress them.