People I (Mostly) Admire 173. Steve Levitt Says Goodbye to People I (Mostly) Admire
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Dec 20, 2025 
Stephen Dubner interviews Steve Levitt, a celebrated economist and co-creator of Freakonomics. They explore Levitt's journey on the show, his discomfort with interviewing, and memorable moments with guests like Joel Osteen and Yuval Noah Harari. Levitt shares his insights on education reform and the impact of AI on learning, emphasizing the need for engaged students. He reflects on his spiritual awakening and how the podcast reignited his curiosity. As he transitions to new projects, he reveals his ambitions to tackle important policy issues.
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Seeing Joel Osteen Changed His View
- Steve Levitt traveled to Houston with his wife to see Joel Osteen preach and was moved by the communal power of the service despite being an atheist.
- He wanted to understand Osteen offstage to learn how he conveys empowerment to his congregation.
Podcasting Rebooted His Intellectual Life
- Hosting People I (Mostly) Admire shifted Steve from idea-creator to consumer of ideas and dramatically increased his reading.
- Deadlines from the podcast also reintroduced productive pressure and discipline into his life.
Reduce Frequency To Preserve Quality
- Move from a weekly to a biweekly schedule if work quality or personal life suffers from weekly deadlines.
- Biweekly pacing preserved pressure but prevented the podcast from ruining Steve Levitt's life.