Pursuing the Excellent Life

Episodes

Benefits of Gratitude

Dec. 22, 2021

In this episode, I explore gratitude and its many benefits.

Grief and gratitude

Dec. 8, 2021

Grief comes from loss. But gratitude should accompany grief. Listen as Craig reflects on the puzzling relationship between grief and gratitude, and how a deeper understanding of how they interact can help you deal with grief…

Pleasure and Utility

Nov. 24, 2021

We often hear of utility, usually as it relates to economics or usefulness. But there is a different view of utility, one that focuses on pleasure. In this episode, Andrea and Craig discuss this view of utility as pleasure, …

Overcoming Negativity Bias

Nov. 10, 2021

Humans are hardwired to pay more attention to negative events than positive events. This proclivity is known as the negativity bias. Thankfully, a large number of good events can overcome the effects of a small number of ba…

How #Caturday helps us flourish

Oct. 27, 2021

Craig’s favorite day of the week is Saturday, not just because it’s recording day, but also because it’s #Caturday! (It really is a thing.) Fun, seemingly silly activities like posting or viewing cat pictures (or dog pics, o…

Can a hermit Flourish?

Oct. 13, 2021

Recently, a listener posed an interesting question in response to Episode 9 on Human Flourishing. In that episode we said that a hermit might be happy living alone in the woods, but that s/he wouldn't really living a flouri…

Outrunning Depression with Nita Sweeney

Sept. 29, 2021

Andrea and Craig welcome Nita Sweeney, an author, distance runner, writer and meditator who shares her tale of overcoming depression and anxiety through long distance running with her dog Morgan. She details the first basic …

Flourishing and Spirituality with Dr. Bernadine Lewis

Sept. 15, 2021

Many of us have a faith, but how is that different from spirituality? Is spirituality like food in the sense that we need it to care for our bodies (or in this case, our soul), something that every person by the nature of be…

Flourishing through music with Bryan Toney

Sept. 1, 2021

Music is synonymous with emotion and beauty and is a vital part of life. This week Andrea and Craig welcome musician Bryan Toney as he gives us insight on how music can help us flourish. He explains why it’s important to fin…

Grace and Grit with Filmmaker Sebastian Siegel

Aug. 18, 2021

In this episode Andrea and Craig welcome Sebastian Siegel, a British-American director, producer, screenwriter and author to talk about some of the themes and experiences from his new film, Grace and Grit , based on the book…

Human Flourishing - Living the Excellent Life

Aug. 4, 2021

In the first episode of season two, Andrea and Craig discuss some of the differences in how Aristotle, Dr. Martin Seligman, and Harvard view flourishing and some of the overlapping concepts in philosophy, religion, psycholog…

Reflections on Season One and Preview of Season Two on Human Flourishing

July 21, 2021

Andrea and Craig reflect about some key moments and concepts from season one and shine a light on what listeners can expect in season two. They discuss the Aristotelian mean, arete, virtues and many ways to live an excellent…

Alternative Social Media with Robert Gehl

July 7, 2021

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, SnapChat … these and other social media platforms allow us to keep up with old friends and make new ones, lets us expand our knowledge and stay informed about current events, and even …

The Uncertainty, Anxiety, Information Paradox

June 23, 2021

We live in a world filled with uncertainty. Often this uncertainty leads to anxiety about the future. Fortunately, information can reduce uncertainty, and in turn, reduce anxiety. The catch is that the new information may al…

Fake News with Dr. Amber Hinsley

June 9, 2021

Sadly, we live in a world rife with fake news, misinformation, and disinformation, in what President Barak Obama called "a dust cloud of nonsense." In this episode, we talk with Dr. Amber Hinsley, a former journalist turned …

Tuning Out to Tune In

May 26, 2021

Many of us feel like we’re faced with a never-ending flood of information from social media, websites, television, radio … and podcasts. Some platform (are you listening social media??) are designed to be addicting. Dealing …

Social Noise with Dr. Tara Zimmerman - Part 2

May 19, 2021

Social noise is phenomenon that concerns how the presence of others affects our social behaviors. This episode is the second in a two part series. (You probably guessed that from the "Part 2" in the title.) In this episode w…

Social Media Noise with Dr. Tara Zimmerman - Part 1

May 12, 2021

The constant presence of social media in our lives leads us to, intentionally or unintentionally, form our impressions of some people through what they post on social media. In many cases, such impressions are wrong. In a ph…

What is rational ignorance?

April 28, 2021

"Rational" and "ignorance" are words that don't often go together, but sometimes they should. In this episode Andrea and Craig explore the concept of rational ignorance. which basically means that when the cost of acquiring…

Introduction to the Rational Ignorance Podcast

April 14, 2021

Welcome to the Rational Ignorance Podcast! In this episode, Andrea and Craig discuss their goals for the podcast, and what listeners can expect to gain from listening (in business speak -- the value proposition). We're new t…