The Ethical Life

Episode 219:  In the latest episode of The Ethical Life podcast, hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada take on one of humanity’s oldest — and least discussed — questions: What is the soul? This episode is part of Kyte’s lecture series,  The Search for Meaning . It’s a timely conversation, released just after All Souls’ Day, yet Kyte points out that few peo...

Episode 218:  Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada dig into a question that touches nearly every part of modern existence: What happens when a culture built on making life easier begins to lose the very relationships that make life meaningful? From dishwashers to digital assistants, the 20th and 21st centuries have delivered one innovation after another designed to save time, reduce effort and s...

Episode 217:  Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada tackle a subject that’s easy to overlook — beauty. Not the kind of beauty sold in store aisles or filtered through a cellphone, but the kind that stops us in our tracks and makes us forget, for just a moment, about ourselves. Kyte recalls a recent camping trip during which he stumbled upon a scene so stunning that he instinctively re...

Episode 216:  New research suggests that  nearly 90 percent of what we do each day happens automatically . From brushing our teeth to checking our phones, most of our behavior unfolds on autopilot — a revelation that raises profound questions about freedom, morality and modern life. Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada unpack what it means to live ethically in a world governed by rout...

Episode 215:  Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada explore the disconnect between our private expressions of care and the collective anger dominating politics, media and even day-to-day interactions. Drawing on Kyte’s lecture series  The Search for Meaning , the conversation centers on how the philosopher St. Augustine shaped Western ideas about moral love — and why those lesson...

Episode 214:  The killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk sent shockwaves across the country, deepening fears that political violence is becoming an entrenched part of American life. While leaders on both sides rushed to cast blame, many ordinary citizens were left with a more practical concern: How can we continue living alongside one another when the divides seem sharper than ever? Ra...

Episode 213: What does it mean to live a meaningful life? That question is at the center of the latest episode of The Ethical Life podcast, hosted by Richard Kyte and Scott Rada. The conversation begins with the story of a young kayaker who saved a stranger from drowning. Afterward, he reflected simply: “I was useful.” For Kyte, that statement underscores how rare it is for people to f...

Episode 212:  Artificial intelligence has quickly moved from science fiction to everyday life, embedded in chatbots, search engines and social media feeds that billions of people use daily. Tech companies tout these tools as helpful assistants — capable of saving time at work, speeding medical research or even offering companionship. But a growing chorus of voices is asking whether the...

Episode 211:  In an era when misinformation spreads faster than facts, what does it mean to live truthfully — and why does it matter? Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss the complicated role of truth in public life, personal relationships and digital spaces. The conversation, inspired by  Kyte’s new lecture series , “The Search for Meaning,” begins with a lo...

Episode 210:  Everyone has moments from the past they wish had unfolded differently. Some dwell on those memories, while others find ways to reinterpret them in order to move forward. But how far can people go in retelling their own stories before they risk losing sight of the truth? Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada begin the conversation with a simple piece of advice Rada found online &mdas...

Episode 209:  Work has always been about more than deadlines, meetings and paychecks. The quality of our connections with colleagues often determines whether the office feels like a community or a cold, transactional environment. Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada explore the complex role that relationships play in shaping purpose, belonging and well-being in modern professional life. Drawing...

Episode 208: For years, experts and parents alike have debated how to get children off their devices. Limiting screen time, blocking apps and setting stricter household rules are common strategies. But what if the problem isn’t the technology itself but the loss of freedom to simply be a kid? Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada look at  a revealing report from The Atlantic  that aske...

Episode 207:  Walking is one of the simplest, healthiest, and most accessible things a person can do. It strengthens the heart, reduces stress, helps maintain a healthy weight and boosts mental well-being. Yet, in the United States, daily walking has quietly slipped out of many people’s lives. Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada dig into why that happened — and why it matters far be...

Episode 206:  Bat flips. End zone dances. Trash talk amplified by social media. For some, these moments are pure joy — a celebration of hard-earned achievement. For others, they signal the slow erosion of something more important: the grace and humility once expected from those at the top of their game. In this episode, hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada tackle a simple but surprisingly...

Episode 205:  Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada dive into one of the year’s most unexpected viral moments — not to rehash the gossip, but to explore what it reveals about the culture we live in. You’ve probably seen  the clip : a Coldplay concert in Boston, a playful moment on the jumbotron and two people who instinctively pull away from the camera. Within hours, intern...

Episode 204: Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada explore why so much of what we call “constructive criticism” fails — and what it takes to make it truly effective. Many of us dread the annual performance review, and with good reason. As Kyte points out, a well-run workplace shouldn’t save observations and advice for one stressful meeting a year. “Good coaching is consta...

Episode 203: Anxiety seems to have become a defining feature of modern life. Despite living in one of the safest and most prosperous periods in human history, rates of unease, worry and fear are rising — especially in developed nations. Why is that? And more importantly, what can each of us do to help those around us feel more secure, confident and connected? In this thoughtful and timely ep...

Episode 202: Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada agree that smartphones and apps can make life more efficient, but they also worry these tools are making it harder to think deeply, reflect and create. The hosts discuss how the constant stream of notifications, tasks and digital distractions — what some experts call “sludge” — leaves little room for quiet thought or meaningful...

Episode 201: Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada dive into a virtue that’s often dismissed in modern society: gentleness. The discussion began with a simple LinkedIn post Kyte shared about how much he’s come to value gentleness in others — particularly when reflecting on mentors, teachers and leaders who shaped his life. The post sparked numerous responses, many of which noted how...

Episode 200: What makes someone an adult? Is it a job? A mortgage? A family? Or something harder to define, like emotional maturity or civic contribution? In this 200th episode of The Ethical Life podcast, hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada explore how our expectations around growing up have shifted and whether the long arc toward independence seen in younger generations is a sign of thoughtful liv...

Episode 199:  Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada take a closer look at quitting, not as a failure, but as a potentially wise — and even ethical — choice. Using  Jason Feifer’s recent column  as a starting point, the two explore how our cultural celebration of grit and perseverance can trap us in situations that no longer serve us, whether it’s a dead-end job,...

Episode 198:  Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada are off this week, so we looked back through our show archives and are sharing four of our favorite ethical dilemmas from the past few months. Topics include whether to reimburse someone for the cost of gas, what to do if you think someone at your gym doesn't belong there and how important it is not to spoil the ending of a popular TV show.

Episode 197:  It’s easy to complain about what’s wrong with the country. It’s much harder to suggest meaningful solutions — especially when those solutions are bound to be unpopular. Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada take a different approach. Instead of lamenting what’s broken, they each offer three ideas they believe would make life in America better. The catch...

Episode 196:  The Amish are often portrayed as paragons of simplicity, faith and hard work — living peacefully in the countryside, growing food without chemicals and raising barns as a community. In an era of rapid change and digital burnout, their lifestyle can seem idyllic, even enviable. But are we overlooking serious ethical concerns in favor of nostalgia? Hosts Scott Rada and Rick...

Episode 195:  Everyone says they want a motivated team. But when it comes to actually fostering a workplace where people care about their jobs — and feel like they matter — most companies fall short. Hosts Scott Rada and Rick Kyte explore why efforts to improve workplace culture so often miss the mark. Instead of focusing on deeper needs like trust, autonomy and shared purpose, or...