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222. What Makes an Idea Interesting?

35 min • 8 december 2024

What do Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, and Malcolm Gladwell have in common? Are interesting theories more significant than true ones? And what has been keeping Angela up at night? Plus: an important announcement about the show.

SOURCES:
- Charles Darwin, 19th-century naturalist and biologist.
- Murray Davis, cultural sociologist.
- Malcolm Gladwell, journalist and author.
- Adam Grant, professor of management and psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.
- B. F. Skinner, 20th-century American psychologist.

RESOURCES:
- Small Fry, by Lisa Brennan-Jobs (2018).
- Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth (2016).
- "Why Malcolm Gladwell’s Ideas Are So Interesting, Whether or Not They’re True," by Adam Grant (Quartz, 2015).
- David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants, by Malcolm Gladwell (2013).
- Curious?: Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life, by Todd Kashdan (2009).
- "Interest — The Curious Emotion," by Paul J. Silvia (2008).
- Exploring the Psychology of Interest, by Paul J. Silvia (2006).
- "The Ketchup Conundrum," by Malcolm Gladwell (The New Yorker, 2004).
- "That's Interesting!: Towards a Phenomenology of Sociology and a Sociology of Phenomenology," by Murray S. Davis (Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 1971).
- The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, by Charles Darwin (1872).

EXTRAS:
- "How Do You Identify a Narcissist?" by No Stupid Questions (2024).
- "Is Screen Time as Poisonous as We Think?" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
- "Abortion and Crime, Revisited (Update)," by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

Senaste avsnitt

222. What Makes an Idea Interesting?

Senaste avsnitt

31. How Much Do Your Friends Affect Your Future?

30. Why Do We Seek Comfort in the Familiar?

29. How Do You Know When It’s Time to Quit?

28. Why Do We Hoard?

27. How Should You Ask for Forgiveness?

26. Do Checklists Make People Stupid?

25. Is Hedonism Better Than Self-Control?

24. Why Do We Forget So Much of What We’ve Read?

23. Is It Wrong to Crave Praise?

22. Why Do We Buy Things We’ll Never Use?

21. How Can You Identify Hidden Talent? With Eric Schmidt.

Presenting “Smart Girl Dumb Questions”

20. Should We Separate the Art From the Artist?

19. Is There Such a Thing as Good Estrangement?

18. How Do You Raise a “Likable” Kid?

17. How Can We Get More Virtue and Less ‘Virtue Signaling’?

16. What’s the Downside to Being Goal-Oriented?

15. How Much of Your Life Do You Actually Control?

14. Are You a Maximizer or a Satisficer?

13. How Can You Stop Comparing Yourself With Other People?

12. Does “As If” Thinking Really Work?

11. Are Ambitious People Inherently Selfish?

10. Why Are Stories Stickier Than Statistics?

9. Why Is It So Hard to Be Alone With Our Thoughts?

8. Wouldn’t It Be Better to Hear Your Eulogy Before You’re Dead?

7. How Do You Handle Criticism?

6. Is Incompetence a Form of Dishonesty?

5. What Do Tom Sawyer and the Founder of Duolingo Have in Common?

4. Does All Creativity Come From Pain?

3. What Does It Mean to Be a “Hard Worker”?

2. What is the Optimal Way to Be Angry?

1. Did Covid-19 Kill the Handshake?

223. What About All the Questions We Haven’t Answered?

222. What Makes an Idea Interesting?

Is It Weird for Adults to Have Imaginary Friends? (Replay)

221. Why Are We So Pessimistic?

220. Is Your Attention Span Shrinking?

219. How Do You Identify a Narcissist?

How Can You Give Better Gifts? (Replay)

218. Why Do Parents Overshare on Social Media?

217. What Happens When You Put on a Costume?

216. Why Do We Make Excuses?

215. Is It Okay to Do the Right Thing for the Wrong Reason?

214. What Does It Take to Survive a Scandal?

Why Do People Love Horror Movies? (Replay)

213. What Is Evil?

212. When Do You Become an Adult?

211. Why Do We Listen to Sad Songs?

210. What Makes a Good Sense of Humor?

Why Are Stories Stickier Than Statistics? (Replay)

209. Why Do We Settle?

208. Can A.I. Companions Replace Human Connection?

207. How Clearly Do You See Yourself?

Why Do People Get Scammed? (Replay)

206. When Is It Time to Step Aside?

205. Where Do Values Come From?

204. What Happens When You’re Cut Off From All Human Contact?

203. Do You Need a Hug?

How Effective Are Ultimatums? (Replay)

202. Why Can’t We Tolerate Discomfort?

201. Are You Dreaming Too Big?

200. What’s the Difference Between Empathy and Sympathy?

199. What Makes a Good Gathering?

198. What Does It Mean to Be “Cool”?

197. Is It Wrong to Lie to Children?

Extra: Angela Duckworth on “Masters of Scale”

196. What’s Wrong With Being a Little Neurotic?

195. Can You Be Too Nice?

194. Is It Okay to Be an Introvert?

193. Are You as Conscientious as You Think You Are?

Should You Get Out of Your Comfort Zone?

191. Can You Change Your Personality?

190. What’s the Point of Nostalgia?

189. When Should You Trust Your Gut?

188. Why Do Kids Today Get So Many A’s?

187. Is Fear Running Your Life?

186. Do You Need a Routine?

185. Do You Need Closure?