The Ethical Life

By Scott Rada and Richard KyteSociety & Culture

The Ethical Life episodes

January 31, 2024 What can be done to better enforce rules in society?
Episode 127: We live in a country of laws, but it seems there are certain laws that aren’t enforced in consistent and substantial ways.
Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss three areas — chronic school absenteeism, traffic safety and shoplifting — where it seems that there isn't as much enforcement as there used to be.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
Skipping school: America’s hidden education crisis, by Alec MacGillis, ProPublica
America's roads are more dangerous, as police pull over fewer drivers, Martin Kaste, National Public Radio
Why are so many American pedestrians dying at night?, by By Emily Badger, Ben Blatt and Josh Katz, The New York Times Magazine
Is shoplifting really surging?, by German Lopez, The New York Times
The Slate Political Gabfest
About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. His forthcoming book, "Finding Your Third Place," will be published by Fulcrum Books.
55 min
January 24, 2024 How can we live life with less worry?
Episode 126: Whether it’s issues about health, money or family, life can give us plenty to worry about. And like many things in life, it’s probably not a bad thing in moderation. But for many people, excessive worry and anxiety can be paralyzing.
Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss why this can be a bigger problem for certain people, and they share solutions that can help people overcome this persistent problem.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
How to worry less and be happier, by Arthur C. Brooks. The Atlantic
About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. His forthcoming book, "Finding Your Third Place," will be published by Fulcrum Books.
46 min
January 17, 2024 Why is forgiving others so important?
Episode 125: It’s impossible to go through life without feeling like someone has wronged us. Some of these offenses can be minor, while others are much more serious. Either way, we’re told, forgiving those who have harmed us has real physical and psychological benefits.
Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss about why forgiving others can be so important, and why empathy and sincerity play key roles in the process.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
5 tips to help you flex your forgiveness muscle, by Andrea Kane, CNN
About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. His forthcoming book, "Finding Your Third Place," will be published by Fulcrum Books.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
42 min
January 10, 2024 What can we do to encourage curiosity?
Episode 124: We live in a world where people have the ability to learn more about nearly any subject that piques their interest. Even if the topic you’re curious about is uncommon, it’s likely that you’ll uncover some information about it in a dusty corner of the internet.
Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada talk about why curiosity is an under-appreciated virtue and what we can to foster this behavior in others.
Curiosity is the most overlooked virtue, by Richard Kyte
About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. His forthcoming book, "Finding Your Third Place," will be published by Fulcrum Books.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
41 min
January 03, 2024 What would you do if you faced these four ethical dilemmas?
Episode 123: Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada are off this week, so we looked back though our show archives and are sharing four of our favorite ethical dilemmas from the past year.
Topics include whether to help a stranger in emotional distress and what to say if the table next to you at a restaurant has unruly children.
About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. His forthcoming book, "Finding Your Third Place," will be published by Fulcrum Books.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
53 min
December 27, 2023 We make six bold predictions for 2024
Episode 122: Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada are joined by special guest Lawrence Eppard of the "Utterly Moderate Podcast" to make predictions for 2024. Topics include the conflict in the Middle East, the 2024 election and advances in technology. In addition, Kyte and Rada review their forecast for 2023 to see how many of their prognostications came true.
About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. His forthcoming book, "Finding Your Third Place," will be published by Fulcrum Books. Eppard is a researcher, university professor and director of the Connors Institute.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
55 min
December 20, 2023 Why is nostalgia so strong around Christmastime?
Episode 121: Christmas is almost here, and this is the time of the year most people are nostalgic for the past. And if you need some convincing, simply listen to how often memories of past gatherings are referenced in popular Christmas songs.
As many of us get ready to gather with family this month, hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada talk about whether we should focus on making new memories or can we simply rely on the comforts of the past?
Nostalgia is closely tied to Christmas celebrations, by Richard Kyte
About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. His forthcoming book, "Finding Your Third Place," will be published by Fulcrum Books.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
44 min
December 13, 2023 Would we have stronger candidates if we had more-informed voters?
Episode 120: At a time when there is little in common between the political parties, it seems most people agree that we need better candidates running for office.
Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss whether a more-knowledgeable electorate would encourage better-qualified people to run for office, and if paying our politicians more is part of the answer.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
Lawmakers are ditching Congress at a record pace, by Stef W. Kight, Hans Nichols and Andrew Solender, Axios
"I'm Just a Bill," Schoolhouse Rock
They’re spending thousands decorating homes No one will ever go inside, by Sarah E. Needleman, The Wall Street Journal
About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. His forthcoming book, "Finding Your Third Place," will be published by Fulcrum Books.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
52 min
December 06, 2023 How has technology changed what we think is funny?
Episode 119: As computers get smarter and learn more about us, they’re also being built to be funnier. And unlike your friends, who use humor to build stronger relationships, the motives of these digital devices are less clear.
Host Richard Kyte and Scott Rada talk about the health benefits of laughter, how what's funny has changed over the past several years and why a sense of humor can be an important part of being a leader.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
Laughter has the power to turn strangers into friends, by Richard Kyte
The joke’s on us – how big tech is replicating our laughter online, by Benjamin Nickl and Christopher John Muller, The Conversation
Laughing is good for your mind and your body – here’s what the research shows, by Janet Gibson, The Conversation
Should vintage comedy be judged by today's standards, by Joel Morris, The Spectator
About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. His forthcoming book, "Finding Your Third Place," will be published by Fulcrum Books.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
41 min
November 29, 2023 Does a life in nature help us build stronger relationships?
Episode 118: A recent article in The Atlantic by Hannah Seo says that our relationships to the Earth and our relationships with each other are deeply intertwined.
Host Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss why this might be true and what we can do to help strengthen our ties to the Earth and to each other.
About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. His forthcoming book, "Finding Your Third Place," will be published by Fulcrum Books.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
44 min

About The Ethical Life

From the publisher's feed

Scott Rada is a digital strategist with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Kyte is also the author of "Finding Your Third Place: Building Happier Communities (and Making Great Friends Along the Way)."