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Is religious belief a form of make-believe — and if so, what deeper truths might we be acting out? Neil Van Leeuwen joins Igor and Charles to explore the psychological roots of religion, the nature of belief, and how sacred values shape group identity. Igor reflects on the blurring line between religious and political convictions, Neil argues that religious credence operates more like imaginative play than factual belief, and Charles considers whether conspiracy theories might be filling the same social and psychological roles. Welcome to Episode 65. Special Guest: Neil Van Leeuwen.
I see clear curiosity overtones in the ways we think about wisdom -- the meta-cognition processes of wisdom -- including intellectual humility, openness to others' ideas and insights, even the search for constructive conflict resolution. So I wondered: is anyone thinking about wisdom through a curiosity lens? Igor Grossmann, Ph.D. leads the Wisdom and Culture Lab at the University of Waterloo, in Ontario. He's passionate about how people make sense of the world -- and how cultural forces shape behavior and societal change. We talk about those meta-cognitive characteristics of wisdom, how our idea of "curiosity" influences how it might contribute to wisdom, situational adaptations, how wisdom is expressed across cultures -- and embracing intellectual humility when our assumptions about those presumed cultural differences prove to be all wrong. Igor Grossmann: https://igorgrossmann.com Theme music by Sean Balick; "The Envelope" by Aeronaut, via Blue Dot Sessions.
Are your choices really your own — or are they quietly shaped by the people around you? Nicholas Christakis joins Igor and Charles to reveal the hidden power of social networks, from the surprising spread of kindness and cooperation to the ripple effects that shape our health, decisions, and even our wisdom. Igor uncovers the invisible social forces influencing our daily lives, Nicholas shares how our deep-rooted instincts for love, friendship, and teaching have shaped human civilization, and Charles considers how tapping into these instincts could help us build stronger, wiser communities. Welcome to Episode 64. Special Guest: Nicholas Christakis.
Can AI ever be truly wise, or are we just seeing reflections of ourselves? Philosophy Professor Shannon Vallor joins Igor and Charles to explore how technology shapes human wisdom, why we've been thinking about AI all wrong, and what it really means to align machines with our values. Shannon unpacks the AI Mirror metaphor, suggesting that today's AI isn't a thinking mind but a reflection of human data, Igor considers whether technology could ever help us become wiser rather than just more efficient, and Charles wonders if philosophy can guide better decisions in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms. Welcome to Episode 63. Special Guest: Shannon Vallor.
What happens when philosophers start running experiments? Edouard Machery joins Igor and Charles to explain the principles of experimental philosophy, the surprising geography of wisdom, and why we should be skeptical about trusting science too much. Igor digs into what's universal vs what's local about how we think, Edouard explains why bad habits keep creeping into research, and Charles wonders if philosophy can support wise decisions around ordering another glass of wine when out with friends. Welcome to Episode 62.
In this episode, I speak with Igor Grossmann, a professor of psychology, and renowned researcher in the field of wisdom. Prof. Grossmann directs the Wisdom and Culture Lab at the University of Waterloo, where he investigates the factors that contribute to wise reasoning. He is also the co-host of the On Wisdom podcast. His work has significantly advanced our understanding of how wisdom can be fostered and applied in everyday life. Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Highlights* What is wisdom?* Is wisdom more like a static trait or a dynamic process?* How does wisdom make use of abstract versus concrete thinking?* What's the role of intellectual humility in wisdom?* Can you explain what's meant by open-mindedness, perspective-taking, and compromise-seeking? * How does distanced (third-person) reflection help us to exercise wisdom?* What potential insights could psychotherapists glean from your work? * How does wisdom-based thinking about problems differ from unhealthy forms of thinking about problems such as depressive rumination or anxious worrying?* Are there ways that research on wisdom can help us to cope with problems such as anxiety or depression?* Are you aware of any links between your research on wisdom and what ancient philosophers have said about wisdom?* What's the relationship between wisdom and inter-group hostility or antisocial attitudes? * Does wisdom lead to co-operation and prosocial attitudes?Links* The Wise Mind Balances the Abstract and the Concrete* Explaining contentious political issues promotes open-minded thinking - ScienceDirect* Igor Grossmann* On Wisdom Podcast Get full access to Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life at donaldrobertson.substack.com/subscribe
Can our political identities get in the way of wise action, even on existential issues like climate change? Leaf Van Boven and David Sherman join Igor and Charles to unpack how we perceive environmental policy through the lenses of group identity and social norms, revealing how misperceptions fuel inaction. Igor considers how group beliefs can override personal values, Leaf explores the power of asking, “What if I'm wrong?”, David suggests we may be following louder voices over wiser ones, and Charles wonders if we're wired to stick to our “tribe” or if we can really think beyond our social bubbles. Welcome to Episode 61. Special Guests: David Sherman and Leaf Van Boven.
Why do we have such a hard time figuring out what we're feeling? Alan Fiske joins Igor and Charles to unravel the mystery of emotions, revealing why your gut feeling might not be as clear-cut as you think. Drawing from his research into Kama Muta—a heartwarming rush of connection—and his critiques of how we label emotions, Alan sheds light on why most of us are pretty terrible at naming what we feel. Igor tackles the complexities of universal emotions, Alan shares why cultural differences make this even trickier, and Charles wonders if anyone truly knows what's going on inside their head. Welcome to Episode 60. Special Guest: Alan Fiske.
Can our expectations about ourselves and others reshape our lives? Science writer David Robson returns to explore how our expectations don't just change personal outcomes—they influence how we connect with others. Drawing from his books The Laws of Connection and The Expectation Effect, David reveals the hidden psychology behind social interactions and how our misconceptions about what others think can hold us back. Igor delves into how expectations can foster or hinder meaningful relationships, David explains how small mindset shifts can help overcome social anxiety, and Charles reflects on why connecting with strangers can be easier (and more rewarding) than we think. Welcome to Episode 59. Special Guest: David Robson.
Can we create wise robots? Kerstin Dautenhahn joins Igor and Charles to dive into the intriguing world of social robots, the finer points of “Robotiquette,” and the potential role such robots can play in supporting therapeutic treatments. Igor reflects on the limits of robot-based wisdom, Kerstin reveals the potential of Generative AI like ChatGPT to generate false information about her own professional identity, and Charles considers the perils of socially awkward machines. Welcome to Episode 58. Special Guest: Kerstin Dautenhahn.
Can we ever really know ourselves, or are we destined to always make overly optimistic self-assessments? David Dunning joins Igor and Charles to discuss the Dunning-Kruger effect, the importance of asking the right questions, why arriving at an accurate view of ourselves is so challenging, and the implications for teaching, medicine, and even scientific research. Igor explores the possible reemergence of group assessments in education as a result of advances in AI, David shares why conversations with smart people often end up as competitions to ask the most questions, and Charles reflects on the wisdom-enhancing experience of jury service. Welcome to Episode 57. Special Guest: David Dunning.
Have we overlooked a major source of awe, right under our collective noses? Dacher Keltner returns to the On Wisdom studio to discuss his new book "Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life", the power of moral beauty, the desire for connection, and the importance of wandering. Igor suggest that awe can also entail feelings of terror, Dacher reflects on the perils of awe being used against us, and Charles shares his experience of an awe walk-around-the-bloc. Welcome to Episode 56. Special Guest: Dacher Keltner.
How can we make AI wiser? And could AI make us wiser in return? Sina Fazelpour joins Igor and Charles to discuss the problem of bias in algorithms, how we might make machine learning systems more diverse, and the thorny challenge of alignment. Igor considers whether interacting with AIs might help us achieve higher levels of understanding, Sina suggests that setting up AIs to promote certain values may be problematic in a pluralistic society, and Charles is intrigued to learn about the opportunities offered by teaming up with our machine friends. Welcome to Episode 55. Special Guest: Sina Fazelpour.
What actually are “emotions” and how are they made? Lisa Feldman Barrett joins Igor and Charles to discuss what we've got right and what we've got completely wrong about the nature of our emotional lives. Igor grapples with the idea that red apples aren't necessarily red, Lisa shares that anger doesn't always look like anger, and Charles learns that a racing heartbeat can be interpreted in fundamentally different ways. Welcome to Episode 54. Special Guest: Lisa Feldman Barrett.
Historically Thinking: Conversations about historical knowledge and how we achieve it
This is the second of our continuing series on intellectual humility and historical thinking. Today I'm interested in exploring the social science of intellectual humility. Igor Grossman is a social psychologist, an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Waterloo in Canada. “Most of our work,” he writes, describing his lab, “either focuses on how people make sense of the world around them—their expectations, lay theories, meta-cognitions, forecasts—or it concerns how larger cultural forces impact human behavior and societal change.” That makes him the perfect person to talk to about intellectual humility, and historical thinking. For Further Investigation Tenelle Porter, Abdo Elnakouri, Ethan A. Meyers, Takuya Shibayama, Eranda Jayawickreme and Igor Grossmann, "Predictors and consequences of intellectual humility" The Wisdom and Culture Lab World After COVID Igor Grossmann, Oliver Twardus, Michael E. W. Varnum, Eranda Jayawickreme, John McLevey, "Expert Predictions of Societal Change: Insights from the World after COVID Project" Brian Nosek of the University of Virginia (and the Center for Open Science) discusses the replication crisis with Russ Roberts The Center of Open Science has been a force for change in the "replication crisis"
How can you persuade someone who disagrees with you on everything? In this episode, we discover the secrets of political persuasion with Robb Willer, a leading expert on political persuasion and moral reframing. Igor grills Robb on the ethics of activism in social science, Robb defends his mission to make a difference in the world, and Charles is amazed to find out that he can fix his misperceptions with a few simple tricks. Don't miss this inspiring and ground-breaking conversation that will transform how you communicate with others. Tune in to Episode 53 now! Special Guest: Robb Willer.
Imagine gathering hard-earned lessons from survivors of human trafficking in Nepal, middle school children in Afghanistan, refugees in Europe, and even a man who has witnessed over 12,000 deaths. Deepak Ramola has been on such a lesson-gathering mission for a while, and he joins Igor and Charles to discuss the life lessons he has collected, who gets to define moral behaviour, and how we might change our culture to encourage more perspective-taking. Igor highlights the challenge of stepping outside ourselves in the heat of the moment, Deepak asks some challenging questions about love, and Charles learns the surprising value of proverbs as tools of reflection. Special Guest: Deepak Ramola.
How do we respond wisely to foolish behaviour in the workplace? Tessa West joins Igor and Charles to talk about the most common types of ‘jerks at work' - including the bulldozer, the credit stealer, and the gaslighter, discussing what drives such unhelpful behaviour, and how best to deal with it. Igor explores the different ways we can respond to uncertainty in the workplace, Tessa suggests that we're surprisingly nice to moral violators, and Charles learns the importance of building ‘affect contagion buffers' into his day! Welcome to Episode 51. Special Guest: Tessa West.
To give to both your favourite charity and a super-effective charity recommended by experts, visit Giving Multiplier: https://givingmultiplier.org/invite/ONWISDOM Can insights from moral psychology increase donations to more effective charities? Joshua Greene joins Igor and Charles to discuss ventilator allocation and other pandemic-related trolley problems, deep pragmatism, the dual process theory of moral judgement, and the power of the veil of ignorance. Igor gets excited about the role of metacognition for wisdom, Joshua reveals in what contexts we feel more comfortable pushing a fat man off a bridge, and Charles learns that when it comes to unfamiliar moral problems, we should not expect cognitive miracles! Welcome to Episode 50. Special Guest: Joshua Greene.
What does goal-setting have to do with wisdom and how do we pick wise goals? Ayelet Fishbach joins Igor and Charles to discuss the dangers of moving too swiftly from planning-mode to action-mode, how to compromise across multiple goals, and why we need to rethink our relationships with vegetables! Igor underscores the importance of thinking of wisdom as a process rather than an outcome, Ayelet encourages us to change our situation rather than ourselves, and Charles learns the benefits of approaching a choice as if you'd make it 100 times. Welcome to Episode 49. Special Guest: Ayelet Fishback.
Is "the spectrum" a more helpful way to think about the world than "categories"? Tom Gilovich joins Igor and Charles to discuss the perils of black-and-white thinking, the evolving data on the hot hand phenomenon, the science of regret, why foxes are wiser than hedgehogs, and the freedom that comes from learning that we are of less interest to other people than we think. Igor considers the limits of psychological nudging in tackling society's structural problems, Tom shares the perspective that leads him to be so unrelentingly joyful, and Charles learns that even scientists have to work hard to avoid being typecast. Welcome to Episode 48. Special Guest: Tom Gilovich.
(First Broadcast - 21st June 2020) What is the value of wisdom in the time of the global pandemic? Does the community of behavioural scientists studying wisdom agree on anything about the nature of wisdom? Can we say what we now know about wisdom and, conversely, what do we know we don't yet know? Howard Nusbaum joins Igor and Charles to discuss the recently assembled Toronto Wisdom Task Force and the resulting Common Wisdom Model, meta-cognition, the thorny issue of moral-grounding, and sage advice regarding how to measure wisdom in the lab. Igor stresses the importance of building solid theoretical foundations for the field in the context of the pandemic, Howard reflects on the viability of evil wisdom, and Charles learns that we had better pay close attention today to the values we program into the decision-making robots of tomorrow. Special Guest: Howard Nusbaum.
(First Broadcast - 4th November 2019) Does that which doesn't kill you make you weaker? Should we always follow our emotions? Is life a battle between good people and bad people? And critically, what might the adoption of these three popular, but unwise, ideas be doing to a rising generation of young adults? Jonathan Haidt joins Igor and Charles to discuss the three great untruths of modern life, the nature of antifragility, the 'great awokening,' rising violence on US university campuses, and the origin story of the Heterodox Academy. Igor suggests that diversity can help some projects while hindering others, Jon shares his ultimate conflict-resolving ninja skill, and Charles learns that conservative voters come in radically different shapes and sizes. Special Guest: Jonathan Haidt.
(First Broadcast - 28th December 2018) Can we design our workplaces to generate wiser behaviour? Why do we work anyway, and would we still work if we didn't get paid? Do employers even want their employees to develop wisdom? Barry Schwartz joins Igor and Charles to discuss how Aristotle's Practical Wisdom applies in the 21st Century, the reasons why we work, idea technology, the unintended consequences of rules-based systems, and the moral dangers and limits of incentives. Igor proposes the idea of algorithm-based wise machines, Barry suggests companies hire for character rather than skill, and Charles learns why, in wiser work places, the cost of free-riders may well be a price worth paying. Special Guest: Barry Schwartz.
Igor and Charles return with a special announcement for On Wisdom listeners ...
Episode 18: Igor Grossmann is a professor of Psychology at University of Waterloo, specializing in wisdom and how societies change. He studied at the University of Freiburg and University of Michigan receiving his Ph.D. in Social Psychology, and his work uses innovative methods like big data analytics, psychophysiology, and much more. In this episode, Igor provides us with insight as to how our brain experiences time dependent on our life length, what is individualism and collectivism and how it might affect our perceptions of aging technologies, and if more age truly correlates with more wisdom.
ENG In this episode we dip into the emerging new field of Wisdom Science with Igor Grossmann, director of the Wisdom and Culture Lab at the University of Waterloo and co-host of the podcast "On Wisdom". In this conversation, we take on the challenge of understanding wisdom, especially from the perspective of experimental psychology. We discussed some of the elements that constitute wise reasoning, some strategies to develop it and the potential connections we could draw to design. We touched upon topics such as plurality and diversity, judgement and decision-making, forecasting futures and the world after COVID-19. Listen in and learn how this emerging field could contribute to navigating the complexity of our world. Audio production by Kyle Leve. Silvana Juri and Marysol Ortega interviewed Igor Grossmann. Erica Dorn and Alex Polzin crafted the Spanish commentary. The production of this podcast was carried out with the support of the School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University. PUBLICATIONS Igor Grossmann: https://uwaterloo.ca/psychology/people-profiles/igor-grossmann Wisdom and Culture Lab (University of Waterloo): https://uwaterloo.ca/wisdom-and-culture-lab On Wisdom podcast: https://onwisdompodcast.fireside.fm/ World After Covid study website: https://worldaftercovid.info/ ESP En este episodio, nos sumergimos en el campo emergente de la Ciencia de la Sabiduría con Igor Grossmann, director del Laboratorio de Sabiduría y Cultura de la Universidad de Waternloo y coanfitrión del podcast "On Wisdom". En esta conversación, asumimos el desafío de comprender la sabiduría, especialmente desde la perspectiva de la psicología experimental. Discutimos algunos de los elementos que constituyen el razonamiento sabio, algunas estrategias para desarrollarlo y las posibles conexiones que podríamos establecer con el Diseño. Tocamos temas como la pluralidad y la diversidad, el juicio y la toma de decisiones, la previsión del futuro y el mundo después del COVID-19. Escucha este episodio para aprender cómo este nuevo campo podría contribuir a navegar la complejidad de nuestro mundo. La producción de audio fue hecha por Kyle Leve. Silvana Juri and Marysol Ortega entrevistaron a Igor Grossmann. Erica Dorn and Alex Polzin generaron el comentario en español. La producción de este podcast se hizo con el apoyo de la Escuela de Diseño de la Universidad Carnegie Mellon. PUBLICACIÓES EN INGLÉS: Igor Grossmann: https://uwaterloo.ca/psychology/people-profiles/igor-grossmann Wisdom and Culture Lab (University of Waterloo): https://uwaterloo.ca/wisdom-and-culture-lab On Wisdom podcast: https://onwisdompodcast.fireside.fm/ World After Covid study website: https://worldaftercovid.info/
A disturbing thought - might it be impossible for us to directly observe the workings of our minds? Richard Nisbett joins Igor and Charles to discuss a life lived on the cutting edge of behavioral sciences in the second part of the 20th Century. He shares tales from his groundbreaking research into our faulty mindware, discussing various biases, cultural differences in cognitive processes, our inability to directly observe our mental processes, and why job interviews are not only unhelpful but potentially harmful to our ability to hire the best person for the job. Igor is keen to learn about the human beings behind some of the 20th Century's academic idols in social psychology like Daniel Kahneman, Amos Tversky and Lee Ross, Richard explains why important work and interesting work are not necessarily the same thing, and Charles struggles to make sense of when we do and don't intervene to help strangers in peril. Welcome to Episode 43. Special Guest: Richard Nisbett.
Which kind of wisdom will people need to master to overcome major negative societal and/or psychological changes after the pandemic? In the last episode of the World After Covid miniseries, Igor and Charles share and discuss responses from 57 of the world's leading behavioral and social scientists, collected as part of the World After Covid (https://worldaftercovid.info/) project. Four final responses are selected, covering themes of big picture focus on what's important, shared humanity, long-term orientation, and political structural change in the midst of the pandemic. Igor reflects on how the immediate context can dramatically influence even experts' forecasts, and Charles is forced to question his cherished belief that people are ultimately good. Featuring: Barry Schwartz (https://www.swarthmore.edu/profile/barry-schwartz), Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Swarthmore College and a visiting Professor at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley Nicholas Christakis (https://sociology.yale.edu/people/nicholas-christakis), Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science at Yale University Anand Menon (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anand-menon-6a820a7/?originalSubdomain=uk), Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King's College London Michael Bond (https://mm.polyu.edu.hk/people/academic-staff/prof-michael-harris-bond/), Cross-cultural social psychologist with focus on locating Chinese interpersonal processes in a multi-cultural space
Which kind of wisdom will people need to master to overcome major negative societal and/or psychological changes after the pandemic? Igor and Charles share and discuss responses from 57 of the world's leading behavioral and social scientists, collected as part of the World After Covid (https://worldaftercovid.info/) project. Each episode, four responses are selected. This time, the conversation covers themes of social support, sympathy & compassion, acknowledging uncertainty, and balancing diverse interests in the midst of the pandemic. Igor points out that humanity has a greater capacity for accepting and managing uncertainty than we might realize, and Charles is intrigued by the often-overlooked benefits of interactions with strangers. Featuring: Katie McLaughlin (https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/kate-mclaughlin), John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard University Barbara Fredrickson (https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/faculty-profile/barbara-l-fredrickson-phd), Kenan Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Dilip Jeste (https://profiles.ucsd.edu/dilip.jeste), Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at University of California, San Diego Valerie Tiberius (http://www.valerietiberius.com/), Paul W. Frenzel Chair in Liberal Arts and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Minnesota
After a rise in cases, British Columbia and Manitoba have brought back masking rules in public places. And Dr. Anna Wolak told guest host Anthony Germain that it was a welcome surprise. She is a family physician and part of the grassroots group Masks4Canada. And psychology professor Igor Grossmann says changing mandates and pandemic fatigue is weighing on people after some thought we might be at the end of the pandemic.
Which domain or aspect of social life will show the most significant negative societal and/or psychological change in response to the pandemic? Igor and Charles share and discuss responses from 57 of the world's leading behavioral and social scientists, collected as part of the World After Covid (https://worldaftercovid.info/) project. Each episode, four responses are selected. This time, the conversation covers themes of autobiographical memory, estrangement, political conflict, and prejudice in the midst of the pandemic. Igor wonders how losing track of distinct day-to-day memories might distort our sense of who we are, and Charles considers the odd influence that a year of mask-wearing may have on how we'll interact with strangers in the post-pandemic future. Featuring: Jeffrey Zacks (https://dcl.wustl.edu/people/jzacks/), Professor and Associate Chair of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Washington University Paula Niedenthal (https://psych.wisc.edu/staff/niedenthal-paula/), Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison David Rooney (https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/david-rooney), Honorary Professor of Management and Organisation Studies at Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University Douglas Kenrick (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_T._Kenrick), President's Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University
Which domain or aspect of social life will show the most significant negative societal and/or psychological change in response to the pandemic? Igor and Charles share and discuss responses from 57 of the world's leading behavioral and social scientists, collected as part of the World After Covid (https://worldaftercovid.info/) project. Each episode, four responses are selected. This time, the conversation covers themes of social inequality, loneliness, economic hardships, and despair in the midst of the pandemic. Igor assesses 3 sharply contrasting visions of the future, and Charles reflects on the idea of pandemics as the downside of something mostly very beneficial - the highly social nature of our species. Featuring: Azim Shariff (https://psych.ubc.ca/profile/azim-shariff/), Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair of Moral Psychology at the University of British Columbia, and director of the Center for Applied Moral Psychology Nicholas Christakis (https://sociology.yale.edu/people/nicholas-christakis), Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science at Yale University Roy Baumeister (https://roybaumeister.com/), Professor of Psychology at the University of Queensland Veronica Benet Martinez (https://www.upf.edu/web/benet-martinez/prof.-veronica-benet-martinez), Endowed position as an ICREA Professor at Pompeu Fabra University, where she is head of the Behavioral and Experimental Social Sciences research group
What kind of wisdom will people need to capitalize on the positive societal and/or psychological change after the pandemic? Igor and Charles share and discuss responses from 57 of the world's leading behavioral and social scientists, collected as part of the World After Covid (https://worldaftercovid.info/) project. Each episode, four responses are selected. This time, the conversation covers themes of critical thinking, intellectual humility, political cooperation, and solidarity in the midst of the pandemic. Igor wrestles with the challenge of identifying experts while lacking expertise ourselves, and Charles considers the potential downsides of clamouring for resignations when our leaders make mistakes. Featuring: David Dunning (https://lsa.umich.edu/psych/people/faculty/ddunning.html), Social Psychologist and recipient of the Distinguished Lifetime Career Award from the International Society for Self and Identity. Mark Schaller (https://psych.ubc.ca/profile/mark-schaller/), Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia David Passig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-david-passig-0755a8/?originalSubdomain=il), Futurist, lecturer, consultant and best–selling author Jennifer Lerner (https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/jennifer-lerner), Thornton Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy, Decision Science, and Management at the Harvard Kennedy School
What kind of wisdom will people need to capitalize on the positive societal and/or psychological change after the pandemic? Igor and Charles share and discuss responses from 57 of the world's leading behavioral and social scientists, collected as part of the World After Covid (https://worldaftercovid.info/) project. Each episode, four responses are selected. This time, the conversation covers themes of sympathy and compassion, self-distancing, perspective-taking, and learning from pandemics in the midst of the pandemic. Igor wonders what being empathetic and compassionate even looks like online, and Charles ponders lessons not learned from past global catastrophes. Featuring: Roxane Cohen Silver (https://faculty.sites.uci.edu/rsilver/), Social-Personality Psychologist and Adversity Research Trailblazer Laura Carstensen (https://longevity.stanford.edu/people-2/laura-carstensen/), Fairleigh S. Dickinson Jr. Professor in Public Policy and Founding Director of the Stanford Center on Longevity Edouard Machery (https://www.edouardmachery.com/), Distinguished Professor in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science and the Director of the Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh Anand Menon (https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/anand-menon), Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King's College London
Igor Grossmann, social psychologist and one-time lover of dance, joins me to talk about his youth in the downfall of the Soviet Union, the nature of wisdom, and resolving binary problems by jumping up a level.Want to help Cassettes grow? Become a patron at patreon.com/cassettespodcast and get full-length episodes with double the content, 48 hours early.Follow Cassettes on...Instagram: @cassettespodcastTwitter: @cassettes_podSpecial thanks to Chris Maier, who did the music. Find him here.GUEST LINKS:Igor's podcast "On Wisdom"Igor's Aeon articleIgor's researchIgor's Twitter: @psywisdomTHINGS WE MENTIONED:EssentialismIQ and g factor"Good true self" findingJean PiagetLawrence Kohlberg★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Social conflicts, from policy debates to family disagreements, can easily devolve into angry words and personal attacks. Such heated confrontations, however, seldom resolve disagreements and can entrench opposing views. A better approach to resolving interpersonal disagreements is to embrace characteristics that psychological scientists associate with wisdom, like intellectual humility, diverse viewpoints, and open-mindedness. APS's Charles Blue interviews Igor Grossmann about his recent research on training for wisdom.
Charles Cassidy is the Director of the Evidence-Based Wisdom project. The site translates academic research regarding the science and psychology of wisdom into understandable and helpful resources for the wider public. Charles studied Physics at the University of Manchester in the UK. Following the development of educational research projects with The British Council across South America and Asia, Charles taught Mathematics and Science in London for 15 years. Since the start of the project, he has conducted interviews with many leaders in the field of wisdom research, compiled and translated many of the key papers from the field and created many public-facing resources, including video animations, info-graphics, articles and podcasts. He has also written about wisdom research for publications including Psychology Today and The Huffington Post, as well as appearing on talk radio across the United States. Igor Grossmann is a social-cognitive scientist and world traveller. Born during the downfall of the Soviet Union on a day of October revolution, and growing up in Ukraine and Germany, ever since childhood he has been wondering about how people make sense of complex social challenges. He is the Director of the Wisdom and Culture Lab at the University of Waterloo, Canada. He is currently an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Waterloo, Canada. His work has been published in such outlets as PNAS, Proceedings of the Royal Academy: B, Perspectives on Psychological Science, Psychological Science, Journal of Experimental Psychology, and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. His contributions have been recognized through numerous awards (e.g., SAGE Young Scholar award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science, APA Dissertation Award, USERN Prize for Social Sciences). Igor is an Associate Editor of the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science and co-hosts the On Wisdom Podcast, disseminating scientific insights from psychology, philosophy and cognitive sciences to the general public. Social Links Email: Charles - charles@evidencebasedwisdom.com; Igor - igrossma@uwaterloo.ca Twitter: Charles - @EBasedwisdom; Igor - @psywisdom; On Wisdom podcast - @onwisdompodcast LinkedIn: @CharlesCassidy; @IgorGrossmann Facebook: Igor - @iGorAG
------------------Support the channel------------ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter ------------------Follow me on--------------------- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDissenterYT Dr. Igor Grossmann is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Waterloo, Canada. He's been the recipient of several awards, including the 2015 "Rising Star" Award, by the Association for Psychological Science; the 2015 President's New Researcher Award, by the Canadian Psychological Association; the 2017 Early Career Award, by the Ontario Ministry of Research Innovation and Science; and the 2017 Outstanding Alumni Award, by the International Max Plank Research School on the Life Course (LIFE). Dr. Grossmann is a behavioral scientist exploring the interplay of sociocultural factors for adaptive emotion regulation and wisdom in the face of daily stressors. In this episode, our conversation focuses on emotion, emotion regulation, emotion expression, and wisdom. First, we address what emotions are, and how we can study them. Then, we talk about how culture can influence emotions in their several domains. We also talk about some specific innate aspects like personality. Then, in the second part, we discuss what is wisdom, some of its components, and the benefits that individuals and societies can get from promoting it. Time Links: 01:10 What are emotions? 06:57 How do we study emotions? 10:11 How culture influences emotions and emotion regulation 17:08 The emotional experiences of Americans and Japanese people 23:13 People's worldview and how they experience emotion 27:27 Personality and emotion 33:52 The different between intelligence and wisdom 37:15 Emotion regulation and wisdom 42:26 Do people become wiser as they age? 47:24 The importance of self-reflection 48:16 How can we become wiser? 54:34 Can we also obtain collective benefits from wisdom? 59:12 Follow Dr. Grossmann's work! -- Follow Dr. Grossmann's work: Faculty page: https://tinyurl.com/yaovadt6 Articles on Researchgate: https://tinyurl.com/yam5btdy On Wisdom podcast: https://tinyurl.com/y8kvry3y Twitter handle: @psywisdom -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS: KARIN LIETZCKE, ANN BLANCHETTE, JUNOS, SCIMED, PER HELGE HAAKSTD LARSEN, LAU GUERREIRO, RUI BELEZA, MIGUEL ESTRADA, ANTÓNIO CUNHA, CHANTEL GELINAS, JIM FRANK, JERRY MULLER, FRANCIS FORD, AND HANS FREDRIK SUNDE! I also leave you with the link to a recent montage video I did with the interviews I have released until the end of June 2018: https://youtu.be/efdb18WdZUo And check out my playlists on: PSYCHOLOGY: https://tinyurl.com/ybalf8km PHILOSOPHY: https://tinyurl.com/yb6a7d3p ANTHROPOLOGY: https://tinyurl.com/y8b42r7g
We welcome back to the podcast ,Igor Grossmann, who is Associate Professor of Psychology and the Director of the Wisdom and Research Lab based at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. His main research interest is the complex processes that enable individuals to think and act wisely. He has also done pioneering work on the development of wisdom in different cultures. Dr. Grossmann was named one of the 2015 Rising Stars in the field of Psychological Science.He's going to be joined in discussion with a regular guest on the podcast, the philosopher Robert M Ellis, who is the chair of the Middle Way Society and author amongst other books of the Middle Way Philosophy series. Igor recently published a paper in Perspectives on Psychological Science entitled Wisdom in Context in which he puts forward 4 main Factors that foster wise thinking and this the topic that we'll be discussing today.
We are joined today by Igor Grossmann, who is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and the Director of the Wisdom and Research Lab based at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. His main research interest is the complex processes that enable individuals to think and act wisely. He has also done pioneering work on the development of wisdom in different cultures and was named one of the 2015 Rising Stars in the field of Psychological Science. He recently co-wrote a paper with Alex C. Huynh entitled Emotional Complexity: Clarifying Definitions and Cultural Correlates in which certain common , especially Western assumptions about having ‘mixed feelings' are challenged