Episodes
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…