In this episode, Wendy speaks with cognitive and affective scientist Christy Wilson-Mendenhall. Christy has a long history studying emotions, and her work integrates psychological science and contemplative philosophy to explore well-being and resilience. This conversation covers many topics, including:
- integrating basic science and philosophy with on-the-ground research;
- viewing emotions as malleable, situated, and learned;
- working with emotions to enhance well-being;
- intersections of cognitive science and Buddhist philosophy;
- the critical role of community and relationships;
- understanding deep resilience;
- a free online course to help build resilience and emotional well-being;
- making worldview explicit;
- foregrounding interconnectedness when teaching;
- the power of emotional granularity;
- eco-anxiety, eco-grief, and solastalgia;
- the role of imagination and visioning;
- priming ourselves for a better future;
- taking seriously and learning from the perspective of marginalized folks;
- and making small personal changes to effect systems change.
Full show notes and resources
