Today we have Matt Ridley on the podcast. Matt is the author of the recently-released How Innovation Works, as well as The Rational Optimist and several other books related to science and human progress, which have sold over a million copies. He is also a biologist, newspaper columnist, and member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom. Topics [01:37] What it means to be a rational optimist [03:39] Evidence that the world is heading in the right direction [05:43] Giving evidence-based hope [11:23] Understanding the probabilities of life [12:42] "It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble; it’s what you think you know that ain’t so" [14:23] Why nuance is an endangered species [16:28] The reward value to truthful or insightful information [18:16] How not everybody is wired to create [20:08] Working with restricted samples [23:03] Does the lone genius really exist? [26:43] Working with naturally occurring samples versus working with restricted samples [32:10] Why stories don’t necessarily mean generalizable truths about innovation [34:05] The need to look out for unexpected results [35:00] Separating the person from the process [36:02] The phenomenon of simultaneous inventions [42:28] Why innovation requires freedom [44:38] Why innovators crave the safe space to fail [45:08] The government’s role in innovation [49:47] Biology as the science of exceptions and not rules Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today it’s great to have Sian Beilock on the podcast. Sian began her tenure as Barnard College President in July 2017, after spending 12 years at the University of Chicago, where she served on the faculty as the Stella M. Rowley Professor of psychology and an executive vice provost. Her work as a cognitive scientist revolves around performance anxiety and reveals simple psychological strategies that can be used to ensure success in everything from test-taking and public speaking to athletics and job interviews. In 2010, she wrote the critically acclaimed book, Choke, and in 2015 she wrote How The Body Knows Its Mind. In 2017, she won the Troland Award from the National Academy of Sciences, and her recent TED Talk has been viewed more than 2 million times. Time Stamps [02:57] Sian’s interest in real-world practical applications of science [04:04] Why writing a book can sometimes be a daunting process [08:07] Choking Under Pressure [09:50] Is flow the opposite of choking? [11:20] Being in the right frame of mind in different situations [11:59] Sian’s definition of choking [13:30] Factors influencing a woman’s career success [17:20] A teacher’s math anxiety and how it impacts a student’s self-belief [19:20] Advice to young people on matters of confidence [20:02] Importance of taking risks in uncomfortable situations [20:48] How to mentally prepare yourself for high stakes situations [22:07] Barnard College as a unique academic institution [24:47] Sian’s ultimate topic in a freshman seminar [27:01] Why college campuses are important places to have cultural conversations [28:16] How curriculums can incorporate science into today’s reality [30:03] Teaching about how to think and not what to think [31:03] Why classrooms should not be considered a safe space [32:12] Why it’s okay to feel uncomfortable sometimes [35:09] How the body knows its mind [37:35] How nature can change how you approach different scenarios in life [37:57] The Alexander technique in eliminating physical tension [38:58] How an acting class can help you get used to being uncomfortable [39:22] Sian’s final tips Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Susan Baum, a leading expert in twice-exceptional education and director of the 2e Center at Bridges Academy, unpacks the complexities of students who are both gifted and learning disabled. She discusses the differences between gifted and non-gifted learners with disabilities and advocates for a broader understanding of giftedness. The conversation highlights the importance of community support, creativity in education, and the innovative Cognitiversity graduate school, all aimed at nurturing the unique strengths of these remarkable students.

Today it’s great to have Shellye Archambeau on the podcast. Archambeau is one of high tech's first female African American CEOs and has a track record of accomplishments building brands, high performance teams, and organizations. Archambeau currently serves on the boards of Verizon, Nordstrom, Roper Technologies, and Okta. She is also a strategic advisor to Forbes Ignite and the President of Arizona State University, and serves on the board of two national nonprofits, Catalyst and Braven. She is the author of Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers and Create Success on Your Own Terms. Time Stamps [01:45] Shellye Archambeau as a tech industry business leader [03:44] Feeling like an outsider growing up [04:32] The birth of Shellye’s tenacity [06:02] You can’t affect what people say to you or people do to you but you can control how you respond. [06:27] Why you need to stop people from controlling your emotions [09:45] Shellye’s mother as a “professional parent” [11:03] Creating a life plan in college [12:28] The importance of making decisions that are consistent with your plans [14:03] “Find your cheerleaders” [17:16] Don’t let them win [19:24] Opening your own doors [19:52] How to fall in love with a future image of yourself [20:55] Early influences during Shellye’s tech journey [22:10] How to foster self determination [24:04] Tips on how to build your reputation [25:03] Stop having second thoughts [29:01] Why you need to start embracing your limits [30:50] Being unapologetically ambitious [31:46] Why it is okay to be ambitious (and why it's not the same thing as narcissism) [33:32] Resilience and staying connected [34:16] How to identify your network [35:50] You deserve it [37:42] How to find your current Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today it’s great to have Sharon Salzberg on the podcast. Sharon is a meditation pioneer and industry leader, a world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. As one of the first to bring meditation and mindfulness into mainstream American culture over 45 years ago, her relatable, demystifying approach has inspired generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of eleven books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, now in its second edition, her seminal work, Lovingkindness, and her newest book, Real Change: Mindfulness To Heal Ourselves and the World, released in September of 2020 from Flatiron Books. Sharon’s secular, modern approach to Buddhist teachings is sought after at schools, conferences, and retreat centers worldwide. Her podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed over 3 million downloads and features interviews with the top leaders and thinkers of the mindfulness movement and beyond. Sharon’s writing can be found on Medium, On Being, the Maria Shriver blog, and Huffington Post. Time Stamps [01:46] Sharon’s book Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World [05:31] The dialectical between thinking and doing [08:06] Sharon Salzberg’s activism [09:26] Art as a form of social action [10:38] Love and kindness meditation and the perception in the west [15:16] The importance of boundaries in love and kindness [16:25] Learning about agency and love in the pandemic [21:00] A false sense of agency and the culture of contempt [22:31] Sharon’s inner state of consciousness [23:41] Being mindful of your anger and acknowledging your suffering [30:10] Being realistic and avoiding activist burnout [32:37] “Benevolent contagion” and Sharon’s vision of interconnection [35:37] Mindfulness Meditation and dissolving the grip of habits like attribution bias and stereotyping [42:48] How do you cultivate equanimity? [46:28] Pairing compassion with equanimity [47:20] The legacy Sharon wants to leave behind Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today it is really great to have W. Keith Campbell on the podcast. Campbell is a professor of Psychology at the University of Georgia as well as the author of The Narcissism Epidemic, When You Love a Man Who Loves Himself, and most recently, The New Science of Narcissism. He also has more than 120 peer reviewed articles and he lives in Athens, Georgia. Time Stamps [00:01:41] Defining grandiose and vulnerable narcissism [00:03:33] Three-factor model of narcissism [00:07:32] The "recipe for narcissism" [00:10:00] Primary goals and motives of narcissists [00:12:56] The role of vanity [00:16:47] Gender differences in narcissistic traits [00:19:12] Gender differences in narcissism personality disorder diagnoses [00:22:14] Dark and light triads of personality [00:26:42] The dark empath and unique personality trait combinations [00:30:12] How narcissistic traits affect relationship dynamics [00:35:07] When do relationships start to fall apart? [00:39:08] Narcissism in today's leadership [00:44:26] Narcissism in social media [00:45:39] Geek culture and the great fantasy migration [00:52:37] How to reduce narcissism [00:55:57] How to deal with narcissists [00:57:55] Psychotherapy for vulnerable narcissism [01:02:04] Narcissistic personality disorder [01:05:54] New treatments for narcissistic personality disorder [01:09:40] Transcending the ego Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today it is great to have Caroline Webb on the podcast. Webb is an executive coach, author and speaker who specializes in showing people how to use insights from behavioral science to improve their professional lives. Her book on that topic, How To Have A Good Day, has been published in 14 languages and more than 60 countries. She is also a Senior Advisor to McKinsey, where she was previously a partner. Time Stamps [01:30] How To Have A Good Day during a pandemic [03:37] The power of practicing mindfulness [08:44] Emotional contagion and deliberate focus [09:56] The state of affairs and focusing on what we can control [13:55] Caroline’s philosophy of “realistic optimism” [17:07] Realistic optimism vs aggressive positivity [20:55] How mental contrasting can help you have a good day [24:07] Changing your environment to change your behaviour [24:48] Does positive thinking work? [30:20] How coaching can help you [32:00] Caroline’s coaching sessions [37:00] Caroline’s scenic route to the field of psychology [40:09] How coaching is not always grounded in science [42:49] The universal need for coaching [46:24] Listening as a basic coaching skill [49:32] Helping people engage with their own creativity [52:22] Burning Man and living a good life Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today it is great to have Ryan Holiday on the podcast. Holiday is one of the world’s foremost thinkers and writers on ancient philosophy and its place in everyday life. He is a sought-after speaker, strategist and the author of many bestselling books including The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, Ego Is the Enemy, The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living , and the number one New York Times bestseller Stillness is the Key. His books have been translated into over thirty languages, and been read by over two million people. He lives outside Austin, Texas with his family, and his most recent book is Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius. Time Stamps [00:01:10] Stoicism and "works over words" [00:04:04] Modern day Stoicism [00:05:16] Knowledge for knowledge’s sake vs. practical purposes of philosophy [00:06:58] The four virtues of Stoicism [00:07:59] Living well versus living the good life [00:10:04] The founding fathers and Stoicism [00:11:18] Ryan’s writing vs. academic writing [00:17:43] The deeply personal Meditations by Marcus Aurelius [00:19:21] Zeno the Prophet and the founding of Stoicism [00:20:41] Living in harmony with nature [00:22:16] How COVID-19 has given Ryan perspective on being zoomed into life [00:25:33] Eastern and Western conceptions of stillness [00:29:30] The relationship between Stoicism and humor [00:30:11] Aristo the Challenger and the influence of cynicism on Stoicism [00:31:01] Zeno the Maintainer and the repetition of names in Roman times [00:33:38] Antipater the Ethicist and transcending individual selfishness [00:37:56] Panaetius the connector and Stoicism beyond virtue [00:39:36] Women in Stoicism and Portia Cato [00:40:58] “Cancelling” Stoicism and the tearing down of Confederate statues [00:44:48] Posidonius the Genius and the battle between our lower urges and higher nature [00:46:26] The omission of frivolity in Stoic writing [00:48:16] Cato: Roman among the Romans [00:51:58] Epictetus and the nature of freedom [00:54:27] How Marcus Aurelius became the emperor of Rome [00:57:13] How Ryan has grown since his earliest engagements with and writings on Stoic philosophy Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today it is great to have Greg Lukianoff on the podcast. Greg is an attorney, New York Times bestselling author, and the present CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). He is the author of Unlearning Liberty: Campus Censorship and the End of American Debate, Freedom from Speech, and FIRE’s Guide to Free Speech on Campus. Most recently, he co-authored The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure Check out Greg and Jonathan’s video on why they dislike the use of the word "coddling" in the title of their book. Time Stamps [00:02:39] Why Greg advocates free speech [00:06:00] The story behind why the former executive director of the ACLU, Ira Glasser, began his fight for civil liberties [00:07:54] The Bedrock Principle and why you cannot ban something simply because it is offensive [00:09:42] The limits of free speech and exceptions to the First Amendment [00:11:19] How Greg’s argument for free speech differs from the traditional argument for free speech [00:14:38] Addressing the criticism that free speech could incite violence against vulnerable people [00:16:03] Why we should listen to the arguments of people with whom we strongly disagree [00:20:13] How to balance arguments for free speech with empathy [00:22:37] Humor as a coping mechanism for depression [00:23:14] Greg’s suicide attempt and struggle with depression [00:27:29] How Greg enjoys helping people who struggle with mental health issues [00:28:50] How Greg’s thriving after depression can give people hope [00:29:37] Addressing the stereotype that Greg’s work is always about political correctness, when it is actually often transpartisan [00:30:08] How hyper-bureaucratized universities can exacerbate mental health problems [00:33:10] How cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) influenced The Coddling of the American Mind [00:34:57] The importance of discipline and consistency in the practice of CBT [00:36:14] The pre-2013 repression of free speech by the administration [00:38:02] The post-2013 spike of repression of free speech by students [00:40:23] How anti-free speech administrations taught students habits of anxiety and depression by repressing free speech [00:43:07] The scary anti-Trump riots after his election in 2016 [00:44:35] Arguments over the title of the book The Coddling of the American Mind [00:51:07] The six reasons for the sudden spike in anti-free speech activism [00:55:59] Criticisms against allowing our gender or race identities to define us [00:57:03] Common enemy identity politics versus common humanity identity politics [00:59:16] Why compassion is essential [00:59:57] Naive statism and why we should be cautious when designing laws which repress civil liberties [01:05:04] Components of Greg’s background which led to his powerful advocacy of free speech on campus [01:11:26] Greg and his family’s health after a year of injuries, health problems, and bereavement [01:17:24] Hope that Greg has had since publishing The Coddling of the American Mind Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today it is great to have Spencer Greenberg on the podcast. Spencer is an entrepreneur and mathematician and founder of Spark Wave — a software foundry which creates novel software products from scratch, designed to help solve problems in the world using social science. For example, scalable care for depression and anxiety and technology for accelerating and improving social science research. He also founded clearerthinking.org, which offers free tools and training programs used by over 250, 000 people which are designed to help you improve decision making and increase positive behaviors. Spencer has a PhD in Applied Math from NYU with a specialty in Machine Learning. Spencer’s work has been featured by numerous major media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Independent, Lifehacker, Fast Companyand the Financial Times. Check out sparkwave.tech/conditions-for-change where you can apply the results of scientific studies to your habit development, from making a decision to cultivate a habit, to taking action, and finally, continuing that habit. Time Stamps [00:01:40] How the Effective Altruism movement works [00:02:55] The role of emotions in Effective Altruism [00:04:03] How Spencer applies Effective Altruism in his work and companies [00:06:27] How cultivating automatic if-then rules can improve your life [00:10:42] How to handle depression using behavioral activation [00:12:05] Introversion and the hierarchical nature of personality [00:14:58] Personality traits that are not captured by the Big Five model [00:18:04] How it is easier to present a scientific finding compared to explaining that finding [00:20:20] The “psychological immune system” and the five categories of behaviors for dealing with difficult situations [00:20:55] Facing reality and clarifying distortions of thinking [00:21:27] Feeling-based and emotion-based strategies for dealing with difficulty [00:22:10] Action-based strategies for dealing with difficulty [00:23:27] Refocusing techniques for dealing with difficulty [00:23:42] Reframing and finding the silver lining [00:29:47] Whether or not the Big Five personality traits are inherently valenced (i.e. positive or negative) [00:31:03] Personality as a distribution of traits [00:33:22] Finding optimal levels of different personality traits [00:33:59] Tips for forming new habits [00:38:22] How to determine why behavioral change is not happening [00:42:07] Tips and heuristics for sparking structured and unstructured creativity Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.