Confessions and thoughts on all the ways our biases mess up how we think and how that locks us into boring, no-growth positions from the stage of The Nantucket Project, a great weekend-long think session with some of the nicest people I have ever met. (You should meet me there next year, Sept 26-29, 2024.) (Previously aired)

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We learned today that one of our favorite guests, Dr. Helen Fisher, passed away recently.   I first heard her name from my daughter Claire.  She and her friends had discovered this 79 year old researcher on sex and relationships and were hooked on her plain spoken insights.  I tuned in.  She was a spectacular communicator with vetted and validated information on a super important topic.  In other words, my ideal guest.  Here's where we started: the number one driver of happiness across time and culture is meaningful connection to others. So how do you get it and how do you keep it? Dr. Helen Fisher has been studying love for 5 decades. 5. That’s a lot of information. Share this conversation with the people you love. Tons of takeaways that you can integrate immediately. (Previously aired)Take Helen’s personality quiz and figure out who you are…and who you aren’t.Funding for this episode was provided by UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center as part of its "Expanding Awareness of the Science of Intellectual Humility" initiative, supported by the John Templeton Foundation.

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Though we dream of big overhauls, national change often comes after many states and cities sprinkled across the country come to the same conclusion about what’s best. I loved talking to Josh Graham Lynn, who co-founded the bi-partisan organization Represent.us to fight corruption and fix America. In the decade they’ve been up and running, their work has focused on matching public support for a given law and the passage of said law. Here’s Jennifer Lawrence explaining why government doesn’t represent us and what to do about it (e.g. ranked choice voting…). (Previously aired)To receive a short set of our weekly takeaways in your email, sign up here.

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Listener Jocelyn Cohen expresses her gratitude and commemorates National Doctors Day by sharing an essay in honor of Dr. Leon Root, who treated her cerebral palsy from the age of four.  Jocelyn recounts the impactful and compassionate care Dr. Root provided, celebrating his kindness, empathy, and the deep bond they shared over decades. This touching tribute underscores the significant role dedicated medical professionals play in the lives of their patients.  Jocelyn's essay "Teammate" was originally shared on the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation's blog KEEPING IT REAL. 

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If I don't let myself cry, I risk a migraine, which is to risk several days of living.  So when the wave comes, I let it.  After my most recent release, I stumbled onto some analysis of the benefits of crying and why we might do well by each other to normalize crying as a natural and effective human behavior.  Sharing here for the good of the order.  Speaking of which, we'd love to hear about the best cry of your life -- if you feel like sharing, write us at [email protected]. 

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Sometimes, even when things go precisely as you hoped they would, change hurts. Kelly was a guest on a podcast called A Slight Change of Plans, hosted by Dr. Maya Shankar, who was curious to know how empty nesting was going. The conversation was so rich that it felt worth sharing here. This one is for every parent you know. Pass it on. (Previously aired).You can find Kelly's PBS Tell Me More interview with Maya Shankar HERE. 

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Listener Suleena Kansal Kalra shares her poignant reflections on becoming an empty nester through her beautifully written essay, "The Launch". Suleena, a doctor from Kelly's hometown, expresses her emotions as she prepares for her son Kethan's transition to college. She describes the profound and visceral experience of letting go, coupled with wistful memories and timeless parental advice. This episode will resonate deeply with anyone watching their child leave home and embark on his or her own path.  Please share with anyone you know who is adjusting to a newly empty nest.  

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Here are 4 pretty perfect poems to slow you down and give a dose of serenity to underwrite your day, whatever may come.  PS: Send us your favorite poems and lyrics so we can share on a future pod -- we read and appreciate every email that comes to [email protected].  Also, today is Kelly's birthday so if you're reading this, could you take 10 seconds to rate this podcast in your listening app?  She has produced over 500 episodes since she started in the fall of 2020 and nothing would make her happier than to see a big bump in ratings and read your reviews.  Thanks!

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Meet Daniel Lubetzky, founder of KIND Healthy Snacks and son of a Holocaust survivor. He is irresistible, a force for good that is asking us to reflect on what our role in the conversation can be.  His point of view is grounded in his father's experiences during the Holocaust, most especially in a single moment of unexpected kindness that saved his father's life. Daniel wonders with Kelly about the sickening power of dehumanization in social division and the important, if exhausting, work of bridging divides. This 5-part series on Rupture and Repair has been funded by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations.  We work with them regularly and have been inspired by their commitment to share the principles and practices of bridge building.  If this series has been valuable to you, please take 15 seconds to rate and review this podcast so that more listeners can join us in the communal effort of making things a little tiny bit nicer in America.

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This episode features a eulogy delivered by Lauren Smith Medina, the goddaughter of her beloved Uncle Den. Lauren reminisces about her Uncle Den's humor, his culinary skills and cherished summer weekends spent together at their family's beach house.  

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