Human Potential Lab

Today we welcome Dan Lerner to the podcast. As an in-demand speaker, author, strengths-based performance coach and instructor of one of the most popular undergraduate courses at New York University, Dan’s expertise in positive psychology helps people lead thriving, successful lives. He works with students, artists, athletes and numerous Fortune 500 companies and executives around the world. Whether it is speaking, coaching, teaching or writing, Dan injects intellect with motivation, science with compassion and makes change both exciting and fun.  

In this episode, Dan and I talked about several topics that were of mutual interest. As positive psychologists, we both have a deep interest and appreciation for human potential and how we can cultivate it through education. We also discussed the important components for long-lasting friendship, and how to find a healthy community in this day and age of echo chambers. We hope you enjoy the conversation about personality, leadership, self-help, and mental health as much as we did.

Website: daniellerner.com

Twitter: @DanLernerTweets

Topics

03:02 Dan’s assertiveness and enthusiasm

08:50 Cultivating unique human potential

16:02 Redefining intelligence

22:01 Helping people thrive

24:30 Are students today more fragile?

33:30 The need for empathetic leadership

37:08 The secret to long-lasting friendship

42:16 How to find your community

48:13 The problem with the self-help industry

52:55 Real change is hard

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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

Topics

03:09 Freely Determined

07:23 System 1 and System 2 

09:02 Cybernetic freewill

12:12 Choices are not predetermined

17:36 Self-determination theory

20:20 The feeling of freedom 

24:57 The evolution of the symbolic self

32:47 The default mode network in goal setting

40:57 The “Rewind the tape” argument

45:05 The problem of too much freedom

46:51 Determinism is detrimental

50:45 Living well together 

53:28 Free will is an adaptation

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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.com

Twitter: @TheMinimalists

Topics

01:46 Why minimalism?

08:27 Integrity and hypocrisy

13:05 Abundance begins from within

19:55 Minimalistic being

23:17 The “hell yes!” rule

27:20 Slow down to go faster

30:59 Confronting the void

42:38 Advertisements suck

48:21 Keep what brings joy and value

53:55 The secret to organization

1:01:03 The spontaneous combustion rule

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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/johnvervaeke

Twitter: @vervaeke_john

Topics

03:30 Meaning and mattering

07:25 Relevance realization

13:33 Grounding and peace of mind

17:30 Horizontal and vertical transcendence

25:45 Wisdom is overcoming dichotomy

29:42 Measuring rationality

34:17 Zen Neoplatonism and Daoism

41:16 Spirituality is what remains

45:43 Care is essential to being human

49:20 The next Buddha is the Sangha

51:33 Reverence realization

58:45 The meaning crisis

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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.com

Twitter: @GreaterGoodSC

Topics

02:19 The science of awe

09:59 What triggers awe?

12:31 The neuroscience and physiology of awe

17:06 The essential features of awe

19:26 A prosocial approach to evolutionary psychology

25:16 Dr. Keltner’s personal search for awe

32:24 Nature and connectivity

36:16 Are we depriving children of awe?

38:20 Awe is a life detector

40:54 Awe and creativity

42:44 The dark side of awe

45:09 Cultivating the awe mindset

53:41 The unifying purpose of awe

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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.com

Twitter: @psychpodcast & @sbkaufman

Topics

01:57 Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking

08:24 “Beyonder” characteristics

12:39 Personality traits associated with creativity

18:07 Ego strength of creative individuals 

22:06 Creative people have messy minds

25:53 Neuroscience of creativity

32:39 The link between creativity and mental illness

34:59 Flow and the creative process

37:55 Combining originality and relevance

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Today we welcome Gretchen Rubin, one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature. She’s a highly acclaimed writer, having sold millions of copies of her New York Times bestselling books. Her podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, has more than 220 million downloads. As the founder of The Happiness Project, Gretchen has helped create an ecosystem of imaginative products and tools to help people become happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative. Her latest book is called Life in Five Senses.

In this episode I talk to Gretchen Rubin about connecting to the world through our five senses. Our fast-paced, modern world keeps us constantly moving, making us feel disconnected from other people and our surroundings. Gretchen shares unconventional ways we can re-experience the world through seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and touching. She believes that tuning into life’s simple pleasures allows us to live each day with more appreciation and vitality. We also touch on the topics of mindfulness, creativity, learning, and individual differences.

Website: gretchenrubin.com

Twitter: @gretchenrubin

Topics

01:57 The Five-Senses Quiz

08:25 The more we know, the more we notice

11:09 Life in Five Senses

14:34 We all have unique sensory worlds

19:21 Gretchen’s daily visits to the MET 

24:40 The longing for immersive experiences

27:50 COVID has taught us to value our senses

32:10 The magic of ketchup

36:50 Connecting through sensory experiences

40:04 What is your ideal sensory surrounding?

50:21 The muse machine

55:19 Different ways of being and sensing

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Today we welcome Sharon Salzberg, who is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is the co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society. Her podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed six million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond. Her latest book is called Real Life: The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom. 

In this episode, I talk to Sharon Salzberg about navigating real life. When we are faced with trials and tribulations, it feels as if we're alone. On top of that, our underlying assumptions about the world and ourselves can make us feel worse. Sharon shares with us useful tips that can help us deal with overwhelming emotions and pain. She believes that by cultivating these loving-kindness practices, it can help us feel more open and free, allowing our inner lights to shine forth.

Website: www.sharonsalzberg.com

Twitter: @SharonSalzberg

Topics

02:17 From isolation to openness and freedom

05:36 Suffering from our unexamined assumptions

07:33 “Shaking hands” with our emotions

11:35 Looking within with love

15:38 Guilt, shame, and remorse

19:23 Loving-kindness exercises

23:33 “When we connect with others, we find ourselves”

27:07 The light within us all

30:34 The Dalai Lama’s visit to insight meditation society

33:15 Widening our window of tolerance

39:11 Allow yourself to feel joy

40:57 Dealing with illness and physical pain

48:00 Aspiration powers our journey

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Today we welcome Dr. Anil Seth. He is the Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, where he is also Co-Director of the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science. His research has been supported by the European Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. Dr. Seth’s 2017 main-stage TED talk is one of the most popular science TED talks, with more than 13 million views. His latest book, which has received numerous accolades, is called Being You: A New Science of Consciousness.

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Anil Seth about the new science of consciousness. Although we don’t exactly know how or why consciousness exists, Dr. Seth thinks this shouldn’t stop us from exploring its properties. One of the things he explores in his research is the conditions for consciousness. Everyone has their own way of perceiving the world. Perceptual diversity exists and we would be misguided to try and standardize consciousness on a single dimension. We also touch on the topics of intelligence, panpsychism, free will, AI technology, and the after life. 

Website: www.anilseth.com

Twitter: @anilkseth

Topics

02:08 The hard problem of consciousness

07:02 The value of inner experiences

12:22 Experiencing is consciousness

15:51 Panpsychism 

19:01 The condition for consciousness

21:38 Neuroscience of consciousness

27:32 Perceptual diversity

37:09 Perception Census

43:00 Can we measure consciousness?

49:13 Individual differences in experiencing 

56:40 Experience of free will is not an illusion

1:09:24 Cybernetic free will

1:12:55 Can artificial intelligence produce consciousness? 

1:24:24 The desire to persist

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Today we welcome Kenneth Play and Madison Sloane Holland.

Kenneth Play is an international sex expert and sex educator. Named “the world’s greatest sex hacker” by GQ, he has been featured by more than one hundred media outlets, including The New York Times, Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan, and Huffington Post. He is the creator of the Sex Hacker Pro Series, and author of Beyond Satisfied. His work has helped millions of men gain lasting confidence and competence. 

Madison Sloane Holland is a sex and empowerment coach, intimacy expert, and co-host of the top-rated sex podcast, Pleasure Positive Living. 

In this episode, I talked to Kenneth and Madison about how to increase sexual pleasure. Most people fail to realize their full sexual potential, partly because sex education in America is fear and shame driven. As a result, people turn to different forms of media, which can create unrealistic expectations and insecurities. Kenneth and Madison dispel the most common sex myths and talk about how we can empower both men and women to take charge of their own pleasure.

Websites: kennethplay.com & www.pleasurepositiveliving.com/guide

Instagram: @Kenneth_Play & @sugar.sloane_madison

Kenneth’s E-book: https://bit.ly/ScottKennethPodcast

Kenneth’s free training on VICE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA3iQ1aR5IY

Topics

04:22 What is sex hacking?

06:05 Shortcomings of American sex education

09:37 How block ourselves from pleasure

13:05 Transcendent sexuality and peak experiences

22:27 Pleasure for healing and intimacy

26:04 The orgasm gap

32:33 Erotic context matters

37:48 Male sexual empowerment

45:52 Myths about sexual pleasure

54:36 Going after our deepest desires

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