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

44 min • 15 december 2024

How can you learn to love uncertainty? Is it better to cultivate acceptance or strive for change? And, after 223 episodes, what is the meaning of life?

SOURCES:
- Jessica Alquist, professor of psychology at Texas Tech University.
- Roy Baumeister, professor of psychology at The University of Queensland.
- Raymond Carver, 20th-century American short story writer and poet.
- Stephen Colbert, comedian and late-night TV host.
- Matt Damon, actor and film producer.
- Viktor Frankl, 20th-century Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher.
- Steve Heine, professor of psychology at University of British Columbia.
- Charles Krauthammer, journalist.
- Reinhold Niebuhr, 20th-century American theologian.
- Keanu Reeves, actor.
- Elisabeth Sifton, author, editor, and book publisher.

RESOURCES:
- Start Making Sense: How Existential Psychology Can Help Us Build Meaningful Lives in Absurd Times, by Steve Heine (2025).
- "Learning to Love Uncertainty," by Jessica L. Alquist and Roy F. Baumeister (Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2024).
- "Confused or Curious? Openness/Intellect Predicts More Positive Interest-Confusion Relations," by Kirill Fayn, Paul J. Silvia, Egon Dejonckheere, Stijn Verdonck, and Peter Kuppens (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2019).
- "A Note to Readers," by Charles Krauthammer (The Washington Post, 2018).
- "Interest — The Curious Emotion," by Paul J. Silvia (Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2008).
- The Serenity Prayer: Faith and Politics in Times of Peace and War, by Elisabeth Sifton (2003).
- "Late Fragment," by Raymond Carver (A New Path to the Waterfall, 1989).
- Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl (1946).

EXTRAS:
- "What Makes an Idea Interesting?" by No Stupid Questions (2024).
- "Should You Get Out of Your Comfort Zone?" by No Stupid Questions (2024).
- "Do You Need Closure?" by No Stupid Questions (2024).
- "Secret o’ Life," by James Taylor (JT, 1977).

Senaste avsnitt

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

Senaste avsnitt

33. Is Optimism a Luxury Good?

32. Which Gets You Further: Talent or Effort?

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?