Curious Minds at Work

We’re constantly seeking explanations for why things happened. Why did a project fail? Why did someone behave the way they did? Why did one approach work when another one didn’t?

But explanations don’t just help us understand the past. They influence what we do next. The explanation we land on can affect what we learn, how we see others, and the decisions we make. And if we anchor on the wrong explanation, we can end up solving the wrong problem.

Tania Lombrozo studies how this works. She’s a professor of psychology at Princeton University and author of the new book, Why We Ask Why: The Science of Explanation and the Human Drive to Understand. Her research helps us understand why we’re so driven to seek explanations, how they shape the way we think and act, and how we can get better at using them in our work and lives.

Before we start, one quick ask. If you like the podcast, please take a moment to leave a rating on iTunes or wherever you subscribe. Your feedback sends a strong signal to people looking for their next podcast. And if you’re wondering what I’m curious about this week, be sure to listen to the end of the episode.

Resource Links

The Secret to Efficient Learning

Interview with Steven Sloman author of The Knowledge Illusion

The Team

Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.

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We’ve all had moments when we’re not sure whether to say something. A friend is making a mistake. A colleague seems upset. We have something personal we want to share. Do we speak up? Stay quiet? And how do we know which choice is the right one?

Social psychologist Vanessa Bohns studies what happens in these moments. She’s a professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University and author of the new book, Should I Say Something? The Science of What to Share and What to Keep to Yourself. Her research reveals why we often misjudge how other people will respond and how those assumptions can lead us to share too much, say too little, or avoid conversations altogether.

Vanessa helps us think differently about what it means to be honest, vulnerable, and open with other people. She also shares research we can use to make better decisions about when to say something and when it may be better to hold back.

Resource Links

3 Ways to Make a Request That Doesn’t Feel Coercive

Do New Hires Really Understand Your Policies

Interview with Alison Wood Brooks, Episode 284

The Team

Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.

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When it comes to enhancing mental performance, we’re all looking for an edge. And while a healthy diet, regular exercise, and ample rest support healthy brain function, they can only get us so far.

What really matters when it comes to improving our focus, regulating our emotions, or planning for our future, is taking a moment to think before we think. And to do that, we need to understand how our brains do these things, and what they need to do them well.

Adrian Owen is a professor of cognitive neuroscience and imaging at the University of Western Ontario. He’s spent his career studying how we’re able to do the amazing things associated with our brain’s executive function, things he shares in his latest book, Think Before You Think: Understanding and Mastering Executive Function. This was a fascinating conversation.

Episode Links

Why Everyone Should Be Thinking More about Thinking

Episode 191 with Lisa Feldman Barrett

The Team

Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.

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Opportunities for human connection are all around us. When we’re in a café. At a restaurant. In a checkout line. Each instance is an opportunity for small talk with a stranger. And these interactions can yield big benefits.

Unfortunately, most of us are missing out. We’re not aware of how powerful these experiences can be. And that’s where researchers are sharing some incredible findings. University of Sussex psychology professor Gillian Sandstrom is one of these researchers.

Gillian has spent decades studying how these kinds of connections work and what they give us. More recently, she’s been researching the link to kindness. And if you’re skeptical about talking to strangers, Gillian’s written a book, Once upon a Stranger: The Science of How “Small” Talk Can Add up to a Big Life, that may be what you need to change your mind.

Episode Links

Avoiding Loneliness During Life Transitions

Don’t Dread Boring Small Talk. You’ll Like It More Than You Think

The Big Benefits of Small Talk

The Team

Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.

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Most of us ruminate. We get caught in a loop of thoughts that replay over and over again. It’s as if our brain is stuck in a place we don’t want to be, yet we can’t break free. Over time, those repetitive thoughts can become the lens through which we see ourselves, other people, and the world—and that lens is often shaped more by fear than reality.

Donna Jackson Nakazawa can help us break the cycle. An award-winning science journalist, Donna is the author of Mind Drama: The Science of Rumination and How to Outwit Your Inner Defeatist. She spent years talking with researchers and clinicians to understand why we ruminate—and, more importantly, how we can shift from negative rumination toward creativity, curiosity, and growth.

Donna shares practical tools I’m already putting into practice. This is a book I’ll return to again and again.

Episode Links

Are You Processing Your Emotions or Just Ruminating

How to Escape a Thought Spiral

Understanding Why We Get Lost in Thought Spiraling

The Team

Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.

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Most of what we hear about the middle part of our lives is untrue. It’s focused on the myth of the midlife crisis rather than the realities of these years. This can create a sense of dread for a period of time with tremendous upside.

Margie Lachman has spent her career studying midlife. She's author of the book, Primetime: A New Vision for Midlife, Professor of Psychology at Brandeis University, and an expert in adult development and aging. Margie also directs the Brandeis University's Lifespan Lab.

This is a conversation about the complexities of midlife. In it Margie shares how to navigate them successfully.

Episode Links

The ‘Midlife Crisis’ is Overblown – It’s Actually an Opportunity

Why Midlife Might Actually Be Awesome

5 Ways to Shape Your Health and Happiness in Midlife

The Team

Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.

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There are times in our lives where we feel stuck, be it personally or professionally. It might be in our career. It might in a relationship.

We’re smart, so we try to think our way out of it. But when we’re really stuck, thinking can turn into ruminating. And the more we think, the more we stay stuck. That’s when the labeling kicks in. The voice in our head labels us lazy, or crazy, or just plain unmotivated.

Today’s guest, Britt Frank, is a licensed specialist clinical social worker (LSCSW). She’s written the book, The Science of Stuck: Breaking Through Inertia to Find your Path Forward. Britt’s the perfect person to teach us how thinking our way forward may not be the right tool for the job. In this interview, she explains how we get stuck and steps we can take to move through it.

Episode Links

How Long Does It Actually Take to Break a Bad Habit?

Six Things Successful People Always Do in a Conversation

Do Hard Things by Steve Magness

The Team

Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.

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No one wants to feel like a sucker. In fact, the very thought of being one – of playing the fool – shapes our behavior in powerful ways.

But what if our fear causes us to make choices that aren’t good for us? Or worse, what if people weaponize our fear in order to dominate or disempower us?

Tess Wilkinson-Ryan has written a stunning book on the topic called, Fool Proof: How Fear of Playing the Sucker Shapes Our Selves and the Social Order and What We Can Do about It. A psychologist and law professor, Tess helps us understand what this fear is, why we have it, and how it plays out in law, politics, and everyday life. She also shares how to overcome it and make the decisions that are aligned with our goals.

It’s a book you’ll keep thinking about long after you’ve read it.

Episode Links

Breach is for Suckers

Transferring Trust: Reciprocity of Norms and Assignment of Contract

Moral Judgment and Moral Heuristics in Breach of Contract

Njinga of Angola: Africa’s Warrior Queen by Linda Heywood

The Team

Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.

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Runners have pacers to help them manage their energy throughout a race. They couple that with a training program that balances extreme and moderate effort with rest. Research shows that this balanced approach ensures a stronger performance.

Like professional athletes, we, too, seek high performance. But we may not realize that, like runners, we need to manage the pace of our lives.

That’s where science journalist Elizabeth Svoboda comes in. Curious about the way athletes build rest into their workouts, she wondered if their recovery plans could help the rest of us. This research informs her book, The Art of Pacing: A Guide to Balancing Short-Term Demands with Long-Term Thriving. In it, she shares a range of effective tips that include personal storytelling, modulation, and much more.

Related Links

How to Find Inner Resolve in Times of Upheaval

An Athletic Coach for the Mind?

Interview with Malissa Clark

The Team

Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.

Support the Podcast

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There’s a lot to be said for the excitement we feel when we first set a goal for ourselves. The sense of exhilaration can give us the momentum we need to get started.

But when the exhilaration wears off – and it usually does – we’re faced with a choice. Will we revert to old habits or develop new ones?

These moments are what Jonathan Rhodes calls choice points, and the decisions we make can really add up. Ultimately, how we manage ourselves in these moments can be the difference between the life we have and the life we want.

That’s why I wanted to interview Jonathan Rhodes, author of the book, The Choice Point: The Scientifically Proven Method to Push Past Mental Walls and Achieve Your Goals. His Functional Imagery Training provides a concrete roadmap to help us stay the course.

Episode Links

Tokyo 2020: Simone Biles’ Withdrawal is a Sign of Resilience and Strength

How to Overcome Self-Limiting Beliefs

The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz

The Team

Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.

Support the Podcast

If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show.

Subscribe

Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.