Psychology Life Lessons is a podcast where we listen in on conversations with psychology experts and try to extract life lessons, and maybe a little wisdom.

In this episode, Dr. Dan Lannin has a conversation with Dr. Andrew Seidman, a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh. Andrew starts the discussion by talking about the importance of getting universal human needs met–like being validated, accepted, and finding “existential comfort.”

The conversation moves to a discussion of mental health and the effects of social media. We reflect on how the sheer quantity of online exposures and interactions can be overwhelming, and how social media offers “instant solutions” to boredom that might not always be as helpful as they appear. Andrew’s second life lesson emerges from a quote from Carl Rogers, that “the good life is a process, not a destination,” and notes that life is really lived in the moments when we are not distracted. We both reflect on the importance of establishing community with smaller networks of people, and how local relationships can be life-giving.

Importantly, we muse on who would win in a fight — Carl Rogers or Mr. Fred Rogers. Spoiler alert, the winner’s last name is Rogers.

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Andrew Seidman is an NIMH Postdoctoral Research Scholar at the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry. His program of research focuses on the psychological consequences of societal ills such as stigma and discrimination, and how a sense of personal and collective identity can protect against its effects. 

Disclaimer: the content on this site is for informational or educational purposes only, and does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcare professionals.