The Connection with Marty Moss-Coane

Jennifer Finney Boylan reflects on her life as a transgender women and the ongoing fight for acceptance and rights.

Psychologist Ethan Kross explains how to master your emotional life.

Psychology professor Tessa West on why job satisfaction doesn’t mean you have to love for your work. Her new book is “Job Therapy: Finding Work that Works for You.”

It’s not easy to say no or to speak up if you disagree with someone or object to something that someone has said or done because it’s wrong. It often feels easier to just comply, to go along to get along, to defer especially when dealing with people in power. Organizational psychologist Sunita Sah says we pay a big emotional price when we do things against our better judgement. Dr. Sah was a self described “good girl” growing up and has spent her professional life studying defiance, ethics, advice and authority. In her new book, Defy, she writes that defiance is not always about rudeness or disobedience, rather “it’s about acting in accordance with your values when faced with the pressure to do otherwise.” Of course that means knowing what your values are. On The Connection this week: when defiance is better than compliance…how to speak up when it matters.

Marketing companies can be pretty sneaky when trying to get new customers. Instead of straightforward sales pitches, they’ve turned to manipulative tactics used by cults.

Do you dread wintertime? Learn how to love it. Psychologist Kari Leibowitz explains how to cultivate a winter mindset to cope with cold days and the dark times in life.

Do you feel blah? Does your life feel drab and unexciting? Do you have a vague sense of emptiness? You could be languishing…and you’re not alone.

Jamie Wyeth comes from a family of artists. Besides his famous father, Andrew Wyeth, there is his grandfather, illustrator N.C. Wyeth. Jamie, like his family, has strong ties to the Brandywine River Valley and to rural Maine. And while he inherited his family’s gifts, he has carved out his own artistic vision. It hasn’t always been easy. In this edition of The Connection, a conversation with Jamie Wyeth about his journey to find his place in the world, the ghosts that haunt him and why he thinks painting is an odd thing to do. Also joining us is filmmaker Glenn Holsten, whose new documentary is “Jamie Wyeth and the Unflinching Eye.” His previous film about Andrew Wyeth was featured on PBS’ American Masters.

A Pew Research Center poll in 2023 found that 65% of Americans were exhausted and 55% were angry about the state of our political system. And that was before the 2024 election! Even though the election results are official, the political polarization and partisan antipathy have not cooled down. The divide between people with different political opinions is as wide as ever. They increasingly view each other with mistrust and ridicule, which can lead to never ending conflicts and estrangement. Is this any way to run a democracy? This week on The Connection, learning to disagree better and connect across our differences. Our guests are clinical psychologist William Doherty and political scientist Lia Howard. Bill is one of the founders of Braver Angels, an organization that works to bridge the partisan divide. Lia heads up the Political Empathy Lab at the University of Pennsylvania.

How often have you heard the phrase, “Oh they’re such a narcissist!”? It’s word that’s become part of our common lingo, describing someone who feels entitled, needs constant praise and attention, is grandiose, manipulative and extremely sensitive to criticism. Chances are, you know someone who fits this description. This week on The Connection, we explore the dangers of having a relationship with a narcissist. They are skilled at manipulating others by seducing them with affection — then undermining their wellbeing and sense of self. Our guest is clinical psychologist Ramani Durvasula, an expert in understanding the abusive patterns of narcissistic relationships, how they begin with “love-bombing” and end up in “gaslighting.” Her latest book is It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People.