This conversation really helped me understand why I am having more trouble understanding my own self these days. Laurie also shares how taking responsibility, but not blame or praise, and openness can help us make decisions. Dr. Laurie Ann Paul, PhD (publishes under the name L.A. Paul) is the Millstone Family Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Cognitive Science at Yale University. Her main research interests include metaphysics, cognitive science, decision theory, and the philosophy of mind. She has written several books, including one titled, Transformative Experience, in which she suggests that living “authentically” requires occasionally leaving your old self behind “to create and discover a new self.” Part of being alive is awaiting the “revelation” of “who you’ll become.”