410.  Are You a Cynic, Optimist, or Skeptic? Dr. Jamil Zaki Shares Which Way is Happiest 

Dr. Jamil Zaki–a Stanford psychologist and director of their Social Neuroscience Lab–discusses how worldviews like optimism, cynicism, and skepticism shape our lives, health, and relationships. 

-The three lies we tell ourselves about cynicism

-Why we need to stop putting faith in people who don’t put faith in people

-The quiz you need to know if you’re a cynic

-Why hope could very well save your life

Dr. Jamil Zaki is a professor of psychology at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab. He trained at Columbia and Harvard, studying empathy and kindness in the human brain. He is interested in how we can learn to connect better. Dr. Zaki is the author of The War For Kindness and, most recently, Hope for Cynics.

Glennon’s son, Chase, joins Glennon for a special conversation with his hero, author Ocean Vuong, to discuss:

1. Chase shares with Ocean the impact his work has had in his life–and Glennon thanks Ocean for helping mother her son.

2. What Ocean learned from his mother about how to navigate being an Asian boy in America–and Glennon’s recognition that she did not prepare Chase for the same realities.

3. Ocean’s new book, Time is a Mother, and why watching his own mother die gave Ocean a deep empathy and connection to every person.

4. His relationship to maleness–and why Ocean is interested in “staying and complicating” masculinity.

About Ocean:

Ocean Vuong, author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection Night Sky with Exit Wounds, and the New York Times bestselling novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is a recipient of the 2019 MacArthur "Genius Grant" and the winner of the Whiting Award and the T. S. Eliot Prize. In Time Is a Mother, Ocean's newest poetry collection available now, he reckons with his mother’s death, embodying the paradox of sitting within grief while being determined to survive beyond it. His writings have been featured in The Atlantic, Harper's Magazine, The Nation, The New Republic, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. Born in Saigon, Vietnam, he currently lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.

IG: ⁠ocean_vuong

1. Content warning: Discussion of suicide.

2. Jenny puts words to her experience of ADD – "being a kitten on cocaine" – and her anxiety – seeing "rainbow fire.” 

3. How Jenny felt guilty for years about a way her mental illness impacted her mothering – only to later learn it was her child’s favorite memory.

4. The moment she decided to be honest about her struggles – and how sharing our awkwardness can save the world and cure our loneliness.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

About Jenny:

Jenny Lawson is an award-winning humorist known for her great candor in sharing her struggle with mental illness. She's written four NYT bestsellers, including Let's Pretend This Never Happened (a mostly true memoir), Furiously Happy (A funny book about terrible things), You Are Here (An owner's manual for dangerous minds) and Broken (in the best possible way), which recently won the Goodreads Choice award for Best Humor of 2021. One of those books is a coloring book but she insists it still counts. She lives in Texas with her husband and child and would like to be your friend unless you're a real asshole.

TW: ⁠@TheBloggess⁠

IG: ⁠@thebloggess

409. The Woman Who Spoke Truth To Trump: Bishop Budde

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, during President Trump's inauguration service, delivered a powerful sermon on unity and directly appealed to the President for mercy on behalf of vulnerable communities. Today, she joins us to discuss her courageous stand and explore how we can embody both strength and compassion in our own lives.​

-How to carry your despair and cynicism instead of handing it to others

-Exposing the lies of partisanship and how to fight for dignity for all​

-The “sin of empathy”? The chilling rise of this idea in Christian Nationalist circles

-Why not knowing what to do in this political moment is part of the preparation​

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde serves as spiritual leader for the Episcopal congregations and schools in the District of Columbia and four Maryland counties that comprise the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. The first woman elected to this position, she also serves as the chair of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation which oversees the ministries of the Washington National Cathedral and Cathedral schools. She is an advocate and organizer in support of justice, including racial equity, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons, and the care of creation. She is the author of three books; the most recent, How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith, was published in 2023.

408. What Abby Learned On Tour with Tish

Last year, Tish went on her very first international music tour. Today Abby, Glennon, and Amanda reflect on what it was like to watch Tish step toward her dream and how they, especially Abby, supported her through her journey. 

-How this tour changed and solidified Abby and Tish’s relationship forever 

-What this tour taught Glennon and Abby about the power of community 

-How it felt to Abby and Glennon to watch Tish on stage every night alone with her guitar

1. Sam’s life-changing strategies for (reluctantly) interacting with humans.

2. How we use humor to hide the lava of rage churning beneath our surface.

3. Sam’s friendship theory and why she doesn’t need a deep soul connection with every “lowercase f friend.”

4. Sam’s embrace of JOMO (Joy of Missing Out)–and why she genuinely believes no one else is having a better time (except maybe Abby).

5. The behind-the-scenes story of the “Fat Babe Pool Party” Shrill show–and why that episode was one of the most important things she’s ever written.

About Samantha:

Samantha Irby writes the "Bitches Gotta Eat" blog, and is the author of WOW, NO THANK YOU; WE ARE NEVER MEETING IN REAL LIFE; and MEATY. She has been a writer and/or co-producer for TV shows including And Just Like That, Work in Progress, Shrill, and Tuca & Bertie.

IG: ⁠@bitchesgottaeat

1. Glennon explains her “soundaries”—and why a lack of audiorial yield in public places is her biggest peeve.

2. Abby’s struggle, as a bonus parent, adjusting to a kid-filled life with zero personal space and personal property boundaries.

3. Why Amanda is allergic to the word “fine”—and why she’s stopped saying “I didn’t have time.

407. 100 Days of Trump: What to Know, What to Do & What’s Coming Next  | Jessica Yellin

Amanda and Webby Award Winning Journalist, Jessica Yellin, dive deep into the first 100 days of Trump's second term in office, discussing the implications of his administration's actions and policies.

-The importance of the first 100 days in a presidency—and what Trump’s actions during that time reveal.

-How proposed Medicaid cuts are tied to tax breaks for the wealthy.-The dire consequences of RFK Jr. and DOGE on our healthcare system-Why denying due process to anyone endangers due process for everyone.-What actions you can take now to drive change—and why waiting on Congress isn't an option.

Jessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a pioneering Webby award-winning independent news brand -- dedicated to helping you manage your  “information overload.” She is the former chief White House correspondent for CNN and an Emmy, Peabody and Gracie Award-winning political correspondent. You can follow her on Instagram at Jessica Yellin.

And also, to get real time, clear and brilliant reporting, go to substack.com and search for her page newsnotnoise and subscribe there.

406. Let Kids Play: Fixing Youth Sports with Linda Flanagan

Why have youth sports become a pressure cooker of competition, money, and burnout instead of fun, growth, and play? Journalist and author Linda Flanagan joins us to break down:

-The three biggest reasons kids' sports have changed for the worse—and what we can do about it.-How parents can rethink their role on the sidelines, engage with coaches, and set healthy boundaries.-Why specializing in one sport too early can actually hurt long-term athletic success.-The hidden consequences of linking kids' self-worth to their performance.

About Linda: 

LINDA FLANAGAN is a freelance journalist, a former cross-country and track coach, and the author of Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids’ Sports—and Why It Matters. A graduate of Lehigh University, Flanagan holds master’s degrees from Oxford University and the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy and was an analyst for the National Security Program at Harvard University. She is a founding board member of the New York City chapter of the Positive Coaching Alliance, a contributor to Project Play at the Aspen Institute, and a regular writer for NPR’s education site MindShift. Her columns on sports have appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Runner’s World, and she is currently co-producing a documentary series on mental health in collegiate women athletes. A mother of three and a lifelong athlete, Flanagan lives in Summit with her fabulous husband, Bob, and a small menagerie of pets. She is still floating over Malcolm Gladwell’s recent claim that Take Back the Game was one of his favorite books last year.

Jia Tolentino joins us to discuss how to finally accept all sides of you: 

Plus, we talk acid trips, the sorority rush that Jia and Amanda shared, why Glennon’s friends track Jia’s words – and whether Glennon’s mug shot will inspire Jia’s next show.  

About Jia: 

Jia Tolentino is a staff writer at The New Yorker, a screenwriter, and the author of the New York Times bestseller Trick Mirror. In 2020, she received a Whiting Award as well as the Jeannette Haien Ballard Prize, and has most recently won a National Magazine Award for three pieces about the repeal of Roe v. Wade. Trick Mirror was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Prize and the PEN Award and was named one of the best books of the year by the New York Public Library, the New York Times Book Review, the Washington Post, NPR, the Chicago Tribune, GQ, and the Paris Review. Jia lives in Brooklyn.

TW: @jiatolentino

IG: @jiatortellini