Today we welcome back Ken Sheldon to the podcast. Ken is a Curator's Distinguished Professor of Psychological Science at the University of Columbia, Missouri. He has written and edited over 200 academic books, scholarly articles, and book chapters. Among these, some of his most notable work include Optimal Human Being and Self-determination Theory in the Clinic. His latest book is called Freely Determined: What the New Psychology of the Self Teaches Us About How to Live.In this episode, I talk to Ken Sheldon about free will. Instead of questioning its existence, Ken is concerned with how we might use free will to help us reach our goals. Each person has the capacity to make good and bad choices, and to learn from the past. Although we are unable to know everything about ourselves, we can still make informed decisions. Believing that we have the ability to choose directly affects our well-being and values. We also touch on the topics of neuroscience, self-determination, and responsibility.  Website: sheldonk.mufaculty.umsystem.edu/home Topics03:09 Freely Determined07:23 System 1 and System 2 09:02 Cybernetic freewill12:12 Choices are not predetermined17:36 Self-determination theory20:20 The feeling of freedom 24:57 The evolution of the symbolic self32:47 The default mode network in goal setting40:57 The “Rewind the tape” argument45:05 The problem of too much freedom46:51 Determinism is detrimental50:45 Living well together 53:28 Free will is an adaptation

Today we welcome Joshua Fields Millburn, Ryan Nicodemus, and T.K. Coleman, known collectively as The Minimalists. Joshua and Ryan are Emmy-nominated Netflix stars and New York Times–bestselling authors. Alongside their podcast co-host, T.K., they help millions of people live meaningful lives with less. The Minimalists have been featured in Time, Architectural Digest, and GQ, and they have spoken at Harvard, Apple, and Google. Their podcast has more than 100 million downloads, making it one of the most popular podcasts in the world.In this episode I talk to Joshua, Ryan, and T.K. about minimalism. All too often, we are preoccupied with amassing wealth and possessions in an attempt to fill the void. Soon, we find that accumulating stuff doesn’t make us feel whole. Instead of turning to objects, the minimalists ask us to ponder “How do we live more with less?” When we can get rid of clutter in our homes, digital spaces, and relationships, we make room for what’s truly important. Joshua, Ryan, and T.K. talk about how minimalism has changed their lives, allowing them to feel more content, mindful, and generous. Website: www.theminimalists.comTwitter: @TheMinimalists Topics01:46 Why minimalism?08:27 Integrity and hypocrisy13:05 Abundance begins from within19:55 Minimalistic being23:17 The “hell yes!” rule27:20 Slow down to go faster30:59 Confronting the void42:38 Advertisements suck48:21 Keep what brings joy and value53:55 The secret to organization1:01:03 The spontaneous combustion rule

Today we welcome John Vervaeke. John is an award-winning professor at the University of Toronto in Psychology, Cognitive Science and Buddhist Psychology. His academic interests include wisdom, mindfulness, meditation, relevance realization, general intelligence, and rationality. He is the author of Awakening from the Meaning Crisis Youtube series and co-author of Zombies in Western Culture: A 21st Century Crisis.In this episode I talk to John Vaervaeke about the meaning crisis. There is a growing number of people who are struggling to find purpose in life. Society seems to be losing touch of its humanity. John argues that we can address the meaning crisis by appreciating and grounding ourselves in reality. We can find relevance by deepening our relationship with the world and the people around us. In turn, this reverence affords us peace of mind, while recognizing the interconnection of all things. We also touch on the topics of transcendence, mattering, narcissism, spirituality and artificial intelligence.  Website: patreon.com/johnvervaekeTwitter: @vervaeke_john Topics03:30 Meaning and mattering07:25 Relevance realization13:33 Grounding and peace of mind17:30 Horizontal and vertical transcendence25:45 Wisdom is overcoming dichotomy29:42 Measuring rationality34:17 Zen Neoplatonism and Daoism41:16 Spirituality is what remains45:43 Care is essential to being human49:20 The next Buddha is the Sangha51:33 Reverence realization58:45 The meaning crisis

Today we welcome Dr. Dacher Keltner, one of the world’s foremost emotion scientists. He is a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the director of the Greater Good Science Center. Fun fact: he was the scientific advisor behind the beloved Pixar movie, Inside Out! He has over 200 scientific publications and six books, including Born to Be Good, The Compassionate Instinct, and The Power Paradox. His latest book is called Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life.In this episode I talk to Dacher Keltner about the new science of awe. Emotions like fear and disgust have been extensively researched because of their roles in human survival. But Dr. Keltner argues that awe is also essential for well-being and community. Music, art, and nature are some of the antecedents that can induce a sense of wonder, inspiring us to be better by recognizing that we’re parts of a greater whole. We also touch on the topics of transcendence, neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, and creativity.Website: dacherkeltner.comTwitter: @GreaterGoodSC Topics02:19 The science of awe09:59 What triggers awe?12:31 The neuroscience and physiology of awe17:06 The essential features of awe19:26 A prosocial approach to evolutionary psychology25:16 Dr. Keltner’s personal search for awe32:24 Nature and connectivity36:16 Are we depriving children of awe?38:20 Awe is a life detector40:54 Awe and creativity42:44 The dark side of awe45:09 Cultivating the awe mindset53:41 The unifying purpose of awe

Welcome to The Human Potential Lab! In this special series of The Psychology Podcast, I will be doing solo episodes answering your burning questions about the mind, brain, human behavior, and human potential.In the second episode of this series, I will be talking about creativity and how it differs from intelligence.Creativity can come in many different forms. It can be expressed through artistic compositions, through ingenious solutions to problems, or even through the combination of seemingly paradoxical ideas. Over the years, there’s been a large number of scientific studies which have sought to measure creativity. Not only that, but researchers have been able to identify what predicts divergent thinking and its association with certain personality traits. Other fascinating areas of investigation include the link between mental illness and creativity and the neuroscience behind the creative process. Today we will touch on all of these exciting areas. Website: scottbarrykaufman.comTwitter: @psychpodcast & @sbkaufman Topics01:57 Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking08:24 “Beyonder” characteristics12:39 Personality traits associated with creativity18:07 Ego strength of creative individuals 22:06 Creative people have messy minds25:53 Neuroscience of creativity32:39 The link between creativity and mental illness34:59 Flow and the creative process37:55 Combining originality and relevance