In this episode, Kelly Leonard interviews James Kimmel Jr., a clinical professor and author, about his book ‘The Science of Revenge.’ They explore the neuroscience behind revenge, its addictive nature, and how it manifests in real-life scenarios. Kimmel shares compelling stories, including those of mass violence, and discusses the role of mental illness in revenge-seeking behavior. The conversation also delves into the healing power of forgiveness and the societal implications of revenge in the age of social media. Kimmel emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing revenge as a mental health issue, advocating for forgiveness as a means to break the cycle of violence and promote healing.

“Revenge is a kind of addiction.”

“Forgiveness stops pain.”

“This can get better and it will.”

Margaret Andrews leads a popular class at Harvard University that she has turned into the book: “Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Great Leadership Begins with Self-Understanding.”

“Leadership is ultimately about relationships.” 

“Each new level of leadership requires a new level of us.” 

“Leadership is, in many ways, a creative act.”

Kelly has a powerful conversation with longtime friend and Second City colleague Tania Richard, whose new book “Black Girl from a White Suburb” looks at race, a life in theatre, loss and finding resilience along the way.

“People think actors are good liars. We aren’t.”

“We believe what we need to get by.” 

“There is no other feeling like holding for applause.” 

Kelly connects with longtime BBDO CEO Andrew Robertson to talk about his new book: “The Creative Shift: How to Power Up Your Organization by Making Space for New Ideas.” 

“Every new idea represents a risk.” 

“Creativity happens in leaps, not steps.” 

“All great ideas sound great – in retrospect.” 

Kelly talks to Muriel Wilkins, host of the award-winning Harvard Business Review podcast, Coaching Real Leaders. Her latest book is called “Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential.” 

“Lasting change comes from within.” 

“I want to be clear that coaching is not a substitute for therapy.” 

“Our reluctance to engage in self-reflection is often also rooted in fear.” 

Kelly celebrates the release of Anne Libera’s new book on comedy, “Funnier.” They talk in front of a live audience at The Second City. 

“Don’t waste your time following gurus.”

“We need to value risk.”

“True irony is deeper than simple opposition. It is opposition mixed with justice of a sort.”

Kelly welcomes Richard Thaler, the 2017 recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, to the podcast along with his co-author, Professor Alex Imas, to talk about their updated version of Thaler’s seminal book “The Winner’s Curse.”

“Rationality is an assumption in economics, not a demonstrated fact.” 

“People are not thinking enough about what everyone else is thinking.” 

“Roughly speaking, losses hurt us about twice as much as gains.”

Kelly welcomes the always provocative Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic back to the podcast to talk about his new book: “Don’t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity is Overrated (and What to Do Instead).”

“By all means, keep it real – just don’t make everyone else suffer for it.”

“Everybody loves change until they have to do it themselves.” 

“Most of us inhabit multiple selves.” 

Kelly connects with Berkely Professor Toby Stuart to discuss his fascinating new book, “Annointed: The Extraordinary Effects of Social Status in a Winner-Take-Most World.” 

“Many of us resent where we sit in the food chain.” 

“Status begets status.” 

“Luck is enshrined in social hierarchies.” 

Kelly welcomes the always-inspiring Morgan Housel back to the podcast to discuss his new book, “The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life.”

“All behavior makes sense with enough information.”

“Be careful judging how other people spend their money.” 

“The best measure of wealth is what you have minus what you want.”