Life Examined

Psychology and education professor Peter Coleman explains that conflict is “a necessary component of the human condition.” As the Director of the Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution at Columbia University, Coleman has worked with families, communities, and entire nations on building constructive resolutions and sustainable peace. Coleman says that humans hav...

Welcome to the Midweek Reset from Life Examined, where host Jonathan Bastian takes a small pause for a new perspective. This week, mentor and author of  “Deep Listening: Impact Beyond Words”  Oscar Trimboli shares his tips on how and why to become a better listener.  Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Kemi Nekvapil , executive coach and author of POWER: A Woman’s Guide to Living and Leaving without Apology , shares how women are shifting the landscape when it comes to leadership and power. Allowing for an abundance of power enables us to promote and support each other, rather than hold power over each other and compete.   “I'm not afraid of your power,” says Nekvapil. “If I have power, I will h...

Welcome to the Midweek Reset from Life Examined, where host Jonathan Bastian takes a small pause for a new perspective. This week, educator and meditation specialist Sharon Salzberg shares an instruction from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition on finding a Middle Path and maintaining a healthy emotional life.  Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Long-distance walker, writer, and author Raynor Winn describes her 1000 mile walk from Scotland to the South West of England. With tents, backpacks, and minimal supplies, their plan was to walk the 230-mile Cape Wrath Trail — some of the toughest terrain in Britain. But after they completed that trek, they kept on walking.  Winn talks about her passion for walking, how she feels “intrinsically enm...

Jonathan Bastian talks with Annie Duke , corporate speaker, former poker player, and author of “Quit: The Power Of Knowing When To Walk Away” about how poker informed her decision making. Duke sees quitting a vital skill and shares some of her tools and strategies. Whether you're an athlete, partner, or employee, Duke provides a better understanding when to quit and when to show grit. “There's no...

Jonathan Bastian talks with economist Russ Roberts , author of “ Wild Problems: A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us ,” about a variety of approaches to tackling some of life’s big decisions, and how those decisions play a part in who we are and will become. Later, Susannah Furr, entrepreneur and co-author of  “ The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown ,” shares...

Psychologist George Bonanno , author of “ The End of Trauma: How the New Science of Resilience Is Changing How We Think About PTSD ,” explores the history, science, and nature of trauma. He says that contrary to popular opinion, trauma plays a significant role in building human resilience and that people are overwhelmingly resilient to adversity. Trauma or traumatic events, Bonanno says, have “bec...

Ross Gay , poet, essayist, and author of Inciting Joy , shares how losing his father impacted not only his writing, but more or less everything else that he now does. Witnessing his own sorrow, Gay says, was both terrifying and a revelation: “If you can't be close to your sorrow, then you're gonna miss your life. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Brad Stulberg writes and teaches about mental health and well-being, and is author of several books, most recently Master Of Change: How To Excel When Everything Is Changing — Including You . Stulberg dives into the science and some of the ancient wisdom behind change. The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who wrote about the nature of reality and its relationship to change, famously said, “ n...

Writer and expert on stoic philosophy Ryan Holiday explores the history and power of self discipline. Behavioral scientist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School Katy Milkman explains the science behind forming habits. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Amir Levine , associate professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and co-author of Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love , explains the origins and science behind attachment theory and how human bonding is a necessary element “from the moment we are born until we die.”  As infants, humans’ bond between mother or caregiver is essential, what L...

Lori Gottlieb , relationship therapist, podcast host , and author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone , shares her experience both personally and professionally with couples therapy. Gottlieb says the  de-stigmatization of mental health has helped normalize having a therapist, although its growing visibility on social media may have the opposite effect and creates a false idea of what therapy can...

Andrew Leland , writer and author of “ The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight ,” shares his experience of slowly losing his sight after being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic eye disease for which there is no cure. From using a cane to learning braille and researching the history of inventions for the blind, Leland describes the accommodations he’s sometimes relu...

Anthony Rostain, Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Cooper University Health Care and co-author of “ The Adult ADHD Tool Kit: Using CBT to Facilitate Coping Inside and Out ,” explains that the recent rise in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnoses among adults may be connected to an increasing awareness and acceptance of mental disorders, compelling many who have suffer...

Pico Iyer , traveler writer and author of “ The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise ,” Pico Iyer explores his love for Japan and why it remains, for him, the “most unique and distinctive place I've ever been.” Iyer shares why he’s drawn to the culture’s appreciation of community and elders.  “In California, many of us are trying to be as young and full of energy and enthusiasm [as possible], bu...

Jonathan Losos, evolutionary biologist at Washington University and author of “ The Cat's Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa ,” explores the evolution, peculiarities, and joys of our feline friends. Long before grumpy cat memes, cats were worshiped by the ancient Egyptians , and archaeological evidence suggests they were domesticated as far back as 10,000 years ago on the island...

Tracy McMillan , TV writer and author of Why You're Not Married . . . Yet: The Straight Talk You Need to Get the Relationship You Deserve discusses how her traumatic childhood and series of failed relationships led her on a voyage of personal self discovery and “correction.”  Married and divorced three times, McMillan draws on her personal experience as well as the hundreds of couples she’s talked...

Michael Specter, MIT professor, science journalist, and author of “ Higher Animals: Vaccines, Synthetic Biology, and the Future of Life, ” explains the enormous impact that new technologies like mRNA, CRISPR, and A.I. are having on our lives, particularly when it comes to medicine. New Yorker staff writer and author of “ Future Sex: A New Kind of Free Love ” Emily Witt talks about some of the late...

Tara Brach , Buddhist teacher, psychologist, podcaster , and founder and guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, talks about journey into Buddhism and the importance of meditation, mindfulness, and trusting our “inner gold.” Brach is author of “ Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha ” and “ Trusting the Gold: Uncovering Your Natural Goodness...

Joshua Coleman , psychologist, senior Fellow with the Council on Contemporary Families , and author of “ The Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict ,” describes firsthand his experience of family estrangement, which he says was “incredibly painful.” Coleman explains how his personal experience led to further research on family estrangement, including interv...

Minimalism is enjoying a resurgence, but can a minimalistic lifestyle and aesthetic bring peace and calm? Does having less stuff bring happiness? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Philosopher Will MacAskill argues that protecting the future of humanity is the moral priority of our time. Historian Tyrone McKinley Freeman explains philanthropy’s rich tradition within the African American community. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Jonathan Rosen, writer and author of “ The Best Minds: The Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions ,” tells the story of his childhood best friend Michael Laudor and his demonic battle with schizophrenia. The story is a cautionary tale of what can happen when good intentions lead to the worst possible outcome. Rosen describes how Michael’s life spiraled out of control, the...

University of Washington Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Mark Sullivan, co-author of “ The Right to Pain Relief and Other Deep Roots of the Opioid Epidemic ,” explains common misconceptions surrounding pain and what some doctors and the medical community get wrong when it comes to diagnosing pain and managing relief.   Elaine Scarry, author of “ The Body in Pain: The Making and Unm...