Melissa Dahl is a senior editor covering health and psychology for New York's The Cut. In 2014, she cofounded New York’s popular social science site, Science of Us. Her work has appeared in Elle, Parents, and TODAY.com. Her new book, Cringeworthy, is her first book. In our conversation, Melissa shares with us: - How awkwardness comes from self-consciousness and uncertainty - How doing improv can help you become less awkward - How we create more drama with ourselves than necessary - What we can do to become more one with our awkwardness - Why the “irreconcilable gap” can lead to awkwardness - How to find the “growing edge” and challenge yourself to have more awkward conversations This episode may be the most awkward episode of The Psychology Podcast yet (and that’s saying a lot!). So you won’t want to miss it! :) Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“What is it in the human psyche that allows us to achieve, create, discover, and invent in ways that no other species can?” This is a question Jessica Tracy explores in her book Take Pride: Why the Deadliest Sin Holds the Secret to Human Success. Tracy is a professor of psychology, an emotion researcher, and a social-personality psychologist at the University of British Columbia. In our conversation we discuss the established and emerging research on: The 2 distinct expressions of pride (hubristic and authentic), and how they relate to the routes to power (dominance and prestige), The experience and expressions of shame, and how the emotion has made its way into the research on everything from narcissism to addiction, The moral and self-conscious emotions, and the roles they play in decision making. Thanks to Jessica for coming on the podcast and discussing these fascinating and important lines of research! Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Mithu Storoni is a Cambridge-educated physician, researcher and author, interested in chronic stress and its implications on mental well-being, decision-making, performance, and brain health. In her latest book STRESS PROOF – the scientific solution to protect your brain and body and be more resilient every day, she takes cutting-edge research findings from over 500 published studies and distills them into hundreds of lifestyle-based tricks to help our brains achieve improved mental clarity, increased tranquility, sharper focus, and heightened performance. In our conversation, Mitthu shares with us: The physical symptoms of stress Tips to improve your emotional regulation The perils of rumination and how to overcome it The physiological differences between acute and chronic stress The benefits of different kinds of meditation (mindfulness, open-monitoring, etc.) The research on how lifestyle interventions (ie. The mind diet, cognitive training) can be used to treat chronic stress You can find Mithu’s book Stress Proof on Amazon. Follow Mithu on Twitter @StoroniMithu. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I’m really excited to have James and Suzann Pileggi Pawelski on the podcast. James is Professor of Practice and Director of Education in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania where he cofounded the Master of Applied Positive Psychology Program with Martin Seligman. Suzie is a freelance writer, Psychology Today blogger, and well-being consultant specializing in the science of happiness and its effects on relationships and health. Together, James and Suzie are co-authors of the newly-released book “Happy Together: Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Build Love That Lasts”. They also give Romance and ResearchTM workshops together around the world. In this episode we discuss: What people get wrong about relationships What the "relationship gym" is How to cultivate "Aristotelian love" The specific ways positive psychology can help you be happy with a partner The role of gratitude in relationships How to sustain passion in a relationship Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest James Fadiman, a Harvard-trained psychologist, discusses the transformative power of psychedelics, the founding of transpersonal psychology, the benefits of psychedelic therapy, false enlightenment, and the importance of accepting our multiple selves for increased understanding and compassion.

“Adventure and awe are key to the perpetuation of vibrant, evolving lives, and in combination with technological advances may bring marvels to our emerging repertoires.” — Kirk Schneider Kirk Schneider is a psychotherapist who has taken a leading role in the advancement of existential-humanistic therapy and existential-integrative therapy. He has authored or coauthored ten books, including The Paradoxical Self, Humanity’s Dark Side, Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy, The Psychology of Existence (with Rollo May), The Polarized Mind, The Handbook of Humanistic Psychology, and Awakening to Awe. Dr. Schneider is the 2004 recipient of the Rollo May award for “outstanding and independent pursuit of new frontiers in humanistic psychology” from the Humanistic Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association. In this episode, Kirk teaches us how we can connect with the mystery and discovery in our daily lives in a way that allows us to feel, sense, imagine, create, wonder, and to feel the dysphoric feelings as well, the poignancy of sadness of hurt or anger, and in essence, experience a larger sense of life and of creative work. Kirk's seminal work in existential-humanistic therapy has helped many people be more open to new possibilities and sensitivities to oneself as well as other people, other species, and have a more profound appreciation of our fleeting time in space. Among these topics, we also discuss the following: What is existential-humanistic therapy? Kirk’s kinship with Rollo May Kirk's debate with Ken Wilbur about "ultimate consciousness" Kirk's vision of an awe-based era in the age of roboticism Kirk's vision of "depth healers" How to preserve the core of humanity in this brave new world Links The Spirituality of Awe Existential-Humanistic Therapy (2nd edition) The Deified Self: A "Centaur" Response to Wilber and the Transpersonal Movement by Kirk Schneider Rollo May: Personal Reflections and Appreciation by James F.T. Bugental Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Money is incredible, but some of the things that make it incredible make it difficult to use.” — Dan Ariely Today I’m excited to welcome Dan Ariely to The Psychology Podcast. Dan is a professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University and a founding member of the Center for Advanced Hindsight. Through his research and his (often unorthodox) experiments, he questions the forces that influence human behavior and the irrational ways in which we often all behave. He is author of the bestsellers Predictably Irrational, The Upside of Irrationality, and several others, and his latest book is Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How to Spend Smarter. In our conversation we cover: Why he decided to dedicate a whole book to money How the “pain of paying” affects how much we spend Why we tend to undervalue saving How fairness impacts our perception of value Why bad spending becomes a habit In this episode you’ll learn how to think about money and spend it in smarter ways. It was great getting to chat with Dan, and interesting to see the overlap between his research in Behavioral Economics and the research coming out of Positive Psychology. Enjoy! Links: Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How to Spend Smarter https://www.amazon.com/Dollars-Sense-Misthink-Money-Smarter/dp/006265120X [Book] Follow Dan on Twitter https://twitter.com/danariely For more resources and information on Dan and his research http://danariely.com/ Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The process of being happy has become painfully comically neurotic" - Ruth Whippman This week I am delighted to welcome Ruth Whippman to The Psychology Podcast. Ruth is the author of America the Anxious: How Our Pursuit of Happiness is Creating a Nation of Nervous Wrecks. The book has been covered by New York Magazine, The New York Times, The New York Post, The Washington Post, and VICE, among others. Today we bring to you spirited discussion topics such as: The cultural differences between America and Britain regarding attitudes about happiness (Ruth moved from London to California 6 years ago with her husband and 2 young sons). Dosage effects of positive interventions—Is it useful to try to feel good all the time? The standards to which we hold motivational speakers, popular science writers, and scientists themselves—Is it okay for standards to differ? The rampant promotion of "pseudo-growth" among corporate flourishing initiatives. The parenting "happiness rat race". Enjoy, and if you have thoughts on the episode be sure to leave a comment below! Links: You can find Ruth's book America the Anxious: How Our Pursuit of Happiness is Creating a Nation of Nervous Wrecks on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/America-Anxious-Pursuit-Happiness-Creating/dp/1250071526 [Book] Follow Ruth on Twitter @ruthwhippman http://twitter.com/ruthwhippman Bob Emmons on the Power of Gratitude: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/video/item/the_power_of_gratitude [Video] http://scottbarrykaufman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Emmons-paper-for-Gratitude-Complaint-consultation-September-2017.pdf [Paper] Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Life is full of lessons, and 'playing the hand you're dealt as well as you can play it' is a good one." -- Elliot Aronson Today I'm incredibly excited to welcome the legendary Elliot Aronson to The Psychology Podcast. Aronson is an eminent social psychologist who is best known for his groundbreaking experiments on the theory of cognitive dissonance and for his invention of the Jigsaw Classroom, a highly effective cooperative teaching technique which facilitates learning while reducing interethnic hostility and prejudice. He is the only person in the 120-year history of the American Psychological Association to have won all three of its major awards: for writing, for teaching, and for research, and in 2007 he received the William James Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Association for Psychological Science, in which he was cited as the scientist who "fundamentally changed the way we look at everyday life.” Over the course of our in-depth and wide-ranging discussion, Aronson: Shares stories and key lessons from his famous mentors–Abraham Maslow and Leon Festinger–and how each of the two altered the course of his life, Illuminates with examples some of his most fascinating findings in the field of Social Psychology, Offers his take on the replication crisis and on what he calls the "TED-ification" of Psychology, Imparts on us wisdom he's gathered not just as a researcher and psychologist but also as a father and brother. It was a pleasure to have a legend in the field on the show for such a comprehensive conversation, filled with stories and lessons. Enjoy! Links: Elliot Aronson's memoir, Not By Chance Alone: My Life as a Social Psychologist, is available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Not-Chance-Alone-Social-Psychologist/dp/0465031390 [Book] To learn more about Aronson's highly effective Jigsaw Classroom (from outcomes to implementation) visit https://www.jigsaw.org/ [Resource] The Social Animal - Through vivid narrative, lively presentations of important research, and intriguing examples, Aronson's textbook offers a brief, compelling introduction to modern social psychology Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I look at a man as a symbol of inspiration. Someone who looks to be of service along his journey. Someone who experiences fears but has the courage to face them and move forward anyway. Someone who’s loving to all people and creatures in world, including himself. Someone who can take care of his basic needs and teach others how to live in abundance. Someone who doesn’t judge people but looks for ways to lift others up. Someone who leaves this place better than the way he found it. That, to me, is a man. — Lewis Howes Today it’s great to have Lewis Howes on The Psychology Podcast! Lewis is a lifestyle entrepreneur, high-performance business coach, author and keynote speaker. A former professional football player and 2-sport All American, Lewis hosts The School of Greatness Podcast, which has received millions of downloads since it was launched in 2013. Howes is also an advisory board member of Pencils of Promise. His latest book is The Mask of Masculinity: How Men Can Embrace Vulnerability, Create Strong Relationships, and Live Their Fullest Lives. Our conversation covers a few key themes such as: The power of vulnerability and the role it’s played in Lewis’ life The masks men wear to hide who they truly are and the benefits of taking off these masks The male role models Lewis personally looks to for inspiration, and what he admires about them Hope you enjoy my conversation with Lewis, and if you want to learn more about each of the masks mentioned, be sure to check out his new book The Mask of Masculinity: How Men Can Embrace Vulnerability, Create Strong Relationships, and Live Their Fullest Lives. Links: You can find The Mask of Masculinity on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Mask-Masculinity-Embrace-Vulnerability-Relationships/dp/1623368626/) You can listen to The School of Greatness on iTunes, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-school-of-greatness-with-lewis-howes/id596047499?mt=2 Follow Lewis on Twitter @LewisHowes https://twitter.com/LewisHowes Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.