Two Guys on Your Head

Working toward goals can give our lives direction and meaning. But psychology shows that when we focus too narrowly on outcomes, we can undermine both our well-being and our performance. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the importance of staying mentally well and enjoying what you do while pursuing greatness. The post The Psychology of Healthy Ambition appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

If your child shows exceptional talent early, it may be tempting to cultivate it immediately. However, an overload of lessons and practice may not be the most effective approach. This episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the perils of specializing early. Bloom, Benjamin S. Developing Talent in Young People. Gullich, A., Barth, M., Hambrick, D.Z., & Macnamara, B.N. (2025). Recent discoveries on the acquisition of the highest levels of human performance. Science, 390, DOI: 10.1126/science.adt7790. The post Early Specialization? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Someone once said, “I like to do nothing if I can avoid doing something.” For many of us, doing nothing is surprisingly hard. It asks us to generate our own thoughts rather than constantly reacting to Instagram, email, and an ever-expanding stream of stimuli. But when we allow ourselves the space to be bored, to daydream, to think, we can emerge feeling restored rather than drained. And that kind of renewal is deeply valuable. This episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about protecting your boredom. The post Protecting Your Boredom (Re-broadcast) appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We often use the word stupidity to cover a wide range of mistakes. But on closer inspection, what makes something “stupid” may have less to do with what “stupid does” and more to do with what it ignores. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about the psychology of stupidity. The post Stupidity appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

For many of us, the holidays bring us back to our families and the traditions we’ve carried through the years. And while that can come with its fair share of stress, it can also offer something unexpectedly beautiful: a chance to re-center ourselves and reconnect with the version of us we knew in childhood. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy explore how holiday gatherings can both challenge and ground us, and why revisiting our past selves can feel so meaningful this time of year. The post Are Holiday Traditions The Fountain of Youth? (Rebroadcast) appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

When we are grieving, having a supportive work environment can be helpful, but what about when we are working remotely or in a gig job? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about how to support your co-workers and the importance of building community for times of loss. The post Grief, Work and The Gig Economy appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Grief is difficult, exhausting, and slow, but our daily routines, including work, still continue during the grieving process. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy talk about how we can show up with compassion for colleagues who are grieving, and how we can prepare ourselves, psychologically, for returning to work while carrying loss. The post Grief and Work appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Making big decisions is never easy, and the higher the stakes, the harder it can feel to trust our own judgment. So in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy explore what actually helps us make better choices, and how we can support others in their decision-making process without slipping into advice-giving. The post Tips On Making Decision appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

When it comes to making really tough decisions, like deciding where to go to college or where to work, we may think we should lay out all the options and weigh the pros and cons, but as Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke and Rebecca McInroy talk about in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, it turns out we are taking into account a lot more than we realize. The post Complex Decision Making appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Dean Allan Cole, Dean of the School of Social Work at UT Austin, and Dr. Octavio Martinez, Executive Director of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, discuss the vital intersection of psychology, social work, and behavioral health. They explore the importance of storytelling in therapy, emphasizing how narratives connect us. The conversation delves into building community ties, the essential role of arts and humanities in healthcare, and warns about the implications of AI in mental health. They highlight the pressing need for human connection in today's digital age.