1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: Hello, everybody, Welcome back to the show. Welcome back to 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: the podcast, new listeners, old listeners, Wherever you are in 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: the world, it is so great to have you here. 4 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: Back for another episode as we, of course break down 5 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:18,240 Speaker 1: the psychology of our twenties today, let's talk about destiny 6 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: or something that feels strangely attached to it. Let's talk 7 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: about personality, whether it's fixed or it can be changed, 8 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: How it shapes our future, our beliefs, maybe even how 9 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 1: happy we are. Personality is like a little bit of 10 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: a black box. Like we know it's shaped by nature 11 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,279 Speaker 1: and nurture. We know that genetics are involved. How we 12 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: were raised is kind of involved. But I think as 13 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,200 Speaker 1: we get older, we become more aware of the parts 14 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: of ourselves that are holding us back and that you know, 15 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,879 Speaker 1: we really would wish for something different. Well, today I 16 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: have the honor of interviewing someone who has investigated that 17 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: very possibility. What if we could be ourselves bit better 18 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: by rewiring our personality? And want to welcome on author 19 00:00:57,560 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: and journalist Olga Hazan. Thank you for. 20 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 2: Joining absolutely, thanks for having me. 21 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: I'm very very excited for this episode and this topic 22 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 1: in general. But before we kind of jump into it. 23 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: Can you briefly introduce yourself to the audience and your work. Sure. 24 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,680 Speaker 3: My name's Olga Hasan and I'm a staff writer at 25 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 3: the Atlantic magazine and I'm also an author of books. 26 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 3: This is my second book, and it is actually kind 27 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 3: of stems from a cover story I did for The 28 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 3: Atlantic a few years ago. 29 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 2: So that's that's my backstory. 30 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: And you're not gonna give us any spoilers. I feel 31 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: like the cover story, like you go into it kind 32 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: of in the book, right, Yeah, yeah. 33 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:41,119 Speaker 3: I can, Yeah, I can, I can. I can give 34 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 3: you a spoiler. So the cover story, I kind of 35 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 3: experimented very lightly with changing my personality, but then I 36 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 3: kind of realized that I needed to do more and 37 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 3: that it you know, kind of letting up on the experiment. 38 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 3: I backtracked. I noticed that I was sort of falling 39 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 3: back into old patterns. So the book is really an 40 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 3: overview of the five traits of personality, my personal attempts 41 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:13,079 Speaker 3: to change on three of them, and because the other 42 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 3: two I actually don't need to change, they're find they're 43 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 3: very high in me as it is. But I do 44 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 3: interview other people who increased on those traits through various methods. 45 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:25,919 Speaker 1: We're going to get to that because I feel like 46 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: it's such an interesting premise, But I do also want 47 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: to talk about how you became a journalist, how you 48 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: became a writer. I think as much as I love 49 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: interviewing people about the very you know, amazing niche things 50 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 1: that they're doing, and they're like whether it's psychology or 51 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: neuroscience or anything like that, you know, this podcast is 52 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: for people in their twenties, and a lot of people 53 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: probably aspire to do what you do. Can you kind 54 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 1: of talk us through how you got from maybe graduating 55 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,919 Speaker 1: high school to where you are now? Sure? 56 00:02:57,240 --> 00:02:59,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, wow, that's a long time ago. 57 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, if you were entire life please and thinks. 58 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 3: Graduated from high school like twenty years ago. Then I 59 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 3: went to college, did not major in journalism, but really 60 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:16,519 Speaker 3: found myself drawn to journalism. I did an internship in journalism, 61 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 3: and then I went to graduate school after I graduated 62 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 3: from college, which is not like a necessary step for 63 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 3: anyone listening at home, but it is something that I did. 64 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 3: Then I got a job at the Washington Post out 65 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 3: of graduate school, and I worked there for a brief time, 66 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 3: and then I moved to the Atlantic in twenty thirteen, 67 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 3: and I've worked at the Atlantic ever since, and I've 68 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 3: done a couple of different jobs there, but I've mostly 69 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 3: been a writer covering like health and human behavior. 70 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: Well that's that's the perfect topic for this. Do you remember, 71 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: like what your first big piece of writing was, like 72 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: your first article where you were like, oh my gosh, 73 00:03:57,720 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: like I'm a journalist. 74 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, that probably was. So when I did my internship 75 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 3: in college. I wrote one story during that internship. It 76 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 3: was complex why I only wrote one, but that was 77 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 3: like the amount that I was allowed to write, and 78 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 3: it was about online gaming addiction, and I remember when it. 79 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 2: Came out, I felt so. 80 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,480 Speaker 3: Just accomplished, Like I was like, yes, like my life 81 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 3: is all coming together. And of course, like I wouldn't 82 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 3: be a full time writer for I think eight years 83 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 3: after that, but it was it was like very good 84 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 3: motivation to keep going. 85 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: You know. I love stories like that where it's like, Okay, 86 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: just because your dream isn't happening right now doesn't mean 87 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: that it's not going to come true eventually. Like, as 88 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: you said, you had this like what sounds like this 89 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: big accomplished moment, and you know it really didn't come 90 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:55,600 Speaker 1: full circle until what did you say, like ten years ago, 91 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: almost maybe twelve years ago, which, Yeah, we love hearing 92 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,919 Speaker 1: those stories on the show. Let's talk about this book. 93 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: The premise of this book was basically that coup of 94 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: story and this idea that you wanted to change your personality? 95 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: Why did you feel like it was necessary? Like, why 96 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 1: did you feel like you had to do that? 97 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, so your personality. 98 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 3: You know, a lot of people think it's sort of 99 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 3: like what you like or dislike, or sort of the 100 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 3: kinds of things you say or whatever, but it's really 101 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 3: a lot about your reactions to situations and kind of 102 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 3: like something comes across your way and are you like, yes, 103 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 3: let's do it. Are you like, oh, I don't know 104 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 3: about that, or you know, It's kind of like how 105 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 3: how you interact. 106 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 1: With the world. 107 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 3: And I noticed that a lot of how I was 108 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 3: interacting with the world was not helping me really, So 109 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 3: the intro to the book kind of gives a good 110 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 3: overview of this. 111 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:51,559 Speaker 2: But I had this day. 112 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 3: This is before I had a kid, and it was like, now, 113 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:57,559 Speaker 3: having had a kid, I'm like, wow, this was actually 114 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 3: like a fantastic day. I should have just appreciated. But 115 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 3: you know, it was like I got stuck in traffic, 116 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 3: I got a bad haircut, I got photos taken that 117 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 3: looked really bad. I had a stressful thing where I 118 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:11,840 Speaker 3: had to like pick my mom up at the airport, 119 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:13,839 Speaker 3: but I had to go grocery shopping before. But the 120 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 3: like there was like a delay at the grocery store 121 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:17,840 Speaker 3: and then I was gonna be late to pick up 122 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 3: my mom. And it was like this whole thing and 123 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 3: I just had a meltdown. I got back to my 124 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 3: Rbnb that I was staying in and I like drank 125 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 3: wine and like cried to my boyfriend at the time and. 126 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 2: Was just like I hate everything. 127 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 3: And then I kind of got to thinking and I 128 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 3: was like, even like me saying that now to you, 129 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 3: I'm like, wow, that is so whiny and like unappreciative 130 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 3: of the fact that like that day, you know, I 131 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 3: was able to buy groceries. I was in Miami, like 132 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 3: I got myself to Miami, uh, I you know, was 133 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 3: getting a haircut, like spa day for me, you know, 134 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 3: I got professional photos taken, like you know, and it 135 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:01,719 Speaker 3: was sort of like I had this realization that like, wow, 136 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 3: I can take anything good and positive and maybe or 137 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:08,479 Speaker 3: maybe even just like mediocre. Right, Like a lot of 138 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 3: things that happen in life are kind of like, eh, 139 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 3: that was whatever, you know, And I have a tendency 140 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 3: to dwell on the negatives and to like emphasize the 141 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 3: negatives and create these stories out of the negatives that 142 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 3: were not serving me. And it was made me like 143 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 3: not enjoy my life like to the extent that I 144 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 3: that it could have and should have been enjoyed. And 145 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 3: so that's kind of the long and the short of it. 146 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 3: Why I decided to change. 147 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: That's actually really interesting, and can I be honest, maybe 148 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: I'm like, maybe I need to change my personality because 149 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: I had a day like that, like literally yesterday, like sorry, no, 150 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: I literally even got my hair cut, and like I 151 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: didn't like my haircut, and like my mom was literally 152 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: in town yesterday as well, and that's like honestly crazy. 153 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: So like, yo, I'm like hearing that story and like no, 154 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: like you just feel your emotions go, there's a. 155 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 3: Time and a place to feel your you can feel 156 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 3: your emotions. And also like look at the. 157 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,119 Speaker 1: Bright side, you know, Yeah, I know it's just really funny. 158 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 1: And I think like what you're really pointing at is 159 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 1: like this wasn't like a one off situation, like you 160 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: had seen this pattern of not being able to enjoy 161 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: your life. And what I'm hearing is that you were like, Okay, 162 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 1: well something needs to change in me. Why did you 163 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: hone in on personality and like specific building blocks of 164 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 1: personality rather than something else. Why didn't you like speak 165 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: spiritual enlightenment. Why didn't you like say to yourself, oh, 166 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 1: I need to change something about my lifestyle. Like did 167 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 1: you feel? Yeah, what was like the focus on changing 168 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 1: what I'm guessing is like neuroticism, right, like as a 169 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 1: building block. 170 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, So neuroticism was one of the things I wanted 171 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 3: to change. The neuroticism is one of the five traits, 172 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 3: and it's just anxiety and depression, right, And I had 173 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,079 Speaker 3: a lot of that. I had a lot of anxiety 174 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 3: and a lot of kind of negativity as I mentioned, 175 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 3: But there are other elements of personality and they sort 176 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 3: of encompass those other things that you mentioned. So actually, 177 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 3: as far as like improving my neuroticism, a big thing 178 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 3: I actually looked to was Buddhism and a lot of 179 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 3: Buddhist teachings because a lot of neuroticism it's not about 180 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 3: like reducing the number of things that happen to you 181 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 3: that are bad. It's I mean, although, like if you're 182 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 3: like addicted to drugs and like that's why bad things 183 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:27,599 Speaker 3: keep happening to you, Like that's something. 184 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 2: To look to. 185 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 3: But let's say you're like a like a functional person 186 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 3: who's who's you know, living like a basically normal life. 187 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 3: It's gonna be a lot easier to change your reactions 188 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:40,560 Speaker 3: to the things that happened to you than it is 189 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:43,080 Speaker 3: to like make every single thing in the world go 190 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 3: your way. 191 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:46,079 Speaker 2: So that's why I kind of. 192 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 3: Like looked inward and and and personality does encompass a 193 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,440 Speaker 3: lot of those things that you mentioned, so like spirituality, 194 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 3: Buddhism has a lot to say about depression and anxiety. 195 00:09:57,440 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 2: Uh. 196 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 3: And you know, as far as like lifestyle, that was 197 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 3: really more extroversion, Like I wanted to become more extroverted, 198 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:07,199 Speaker 3: and that was a big part. Lifestyle was a big 199 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 3: part of that is sort of how often do you 200 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 3: go out to socialize and do you make an effort 201 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 3: to do that? You know, not just like do you 202 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 3: sit by the phone and wait for people to contact you, 203 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 3: but do you make connections do you try to get 204 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 3: out there? So those those are things that I did, 205 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 3: but I called it personality change because personality includes all that. 206 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:33,720 Speaker 1: Okay, that makes a lot more sense. So in this 207 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 1: like endeavor to change your personality, did you figure out 208 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:41,840 Speaker 1: like who the happiest kinds of people were? Like, was 209 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:44,200 Speaker 1: there an assumption that like the happiest kinds of people 210 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: are extroverted and are low and neuroticism and like high 211 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:51,680 Speaker 1: and openness to experience. Its like thinking about like the 212 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: big five. What did you come across in your research? 213 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, so people are not going to be thrilled to 214 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 3: hear this, but the happiest people are like high in 215 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 3: all the traits except for neuroticism. So so there's five traits. 216 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 3: I will just briefly say what they are. It's so 217 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 3: openness to experience. Happy people are high on that because 218 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:22,679 Speaker 3: that's like yeah, spiritual but not religious, like creative, imaginative conscientiousness, 219 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 3: which is like getting stuff done. So it's like being 220 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:30,200 Speaker 3: places on time and being like healthy and exercising. Happy 221 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 3: people tend to be high in that extroversion. Extroverts are happier. 222 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:38,319 Speaker 3: That's like a really consistent finding in psychology. 223 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 2: Unfortunately I was. 224 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 3: I'm an introvert, and I was not thrilled to hear 225 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 3: that agreeableness. Agreeable people are are happier. They're always like 226 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 3: making friends and going to baby showers and what have you. 227 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 3: And then neuroticism is the one that's correlated with unhappiness. 228 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 3: And so the opposite of it is emotional stability, that's 229 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 3: what it's called, and people who are high in that 230 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 3: are happier. 231 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: Kind of rough, not gonna lie h Like, I'm an 232 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 1: introvert and I have anxiety. I think like maybe caveat, 233 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 1: Like I'll put the caveat in. Like, sometimes I think 234 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:20,840 Speaker 1: that it's like our introverts less happy, or the scales 235 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 1: by which we measure happiness just obviously overly influenced by extroverts, right, 236 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 1: because who's going to participate in those early studies that 237 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:31,200 Speaker 1: like created indicators of happiness. It's going to be the 238 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:32,560 Speaker 1: people who have a lot of friends so we can 239 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 1: invite them to participate, and who were like, yeah, I'll 240 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 1: do this, I'll go out, like I'll get paid to 241 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 1: like sit in a room with a stranger for an hour. 242 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 1: Like So sometimes I think that, and I also do 243 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:45,560 Speaker 1: think that, like what we'll get to is, even if 244 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:48,120 Speaker 1: you don't think you can change your personality, you can 245 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 1: most certainly manage it, and you can manage like medications, 246 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 1: and you can manage lifestyle factors and routine and therapists. 247 00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: So don't see this as like a curve upon your 248 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:03,200 Speaker 1: name if you kind of associate with some of those 249 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 1: other traits. But this kind of leads me to my 250 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:09,080 Speaker 1: next question, like what age do you think our personality 251 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: really starts to stick at? What age do you think 252 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 1: we really feel like stuck in who we are? 253 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I would say there's not an age at 254 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 3: which we start to stick and who we are. So 255 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:24,319 Speaker 3: that used to be the thinking this, Like influential psychologist 256 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 3: named William James had this infamous sort of quote that 257 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 3: like the characters set like plaster by the age of thirty, 258 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:36,839 Speaker 3: and which is relevant for your podcasts for people in 259 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 3: their twenties. So, I mean even he said, like in 260 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:44,680 Speaker 3: your twenties, you can still change, but kind of more 261 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 3: recent research has found that that's not really true, that 262 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 3: people kind of continue to change throughout their lives even naturally, 263 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 3: even if you don't really do anything to try to 264 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 3: change your personality. Is gonna kind of shift from decade 265 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 3: to decade. You're going to be a different person. And 266 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 3: you know when you have kids and like a job 267 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 3: than you were in college then you were in high school, 268 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:09,719 Speaker 3: you know, And that is like freeing and it's kind 269 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 3: of scary, but it's also kind of nice that like 270 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 3: you're not gonna be like if you're not crazy about 271 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:18,200 Speaker 3: something you know about yourself or about your life, you're 272 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 3: not stuck with it forever. 273 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 1: That is very very free and even like as we 274 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: get into like older age as well. Something that I like, 275 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 1: the statistic that I really like to talk about is 276 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: how by the time people reach like sixty and seventy, 277 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 1: symptoms of mental illness really decline, which I don't know. 278 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 1: I've always like thought about that and been like, oh, 279 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 1: that sounds great, like way for that, wait for that, 280 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:47,280 Speaker 1: like maybe I'll have ten years of just like bliss. 281 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: But it is like a really beautiful thing that you 282 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: mentioned this. I hear this a lot. Like another myth 283 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 1: about personality change slash personality stuckness is by the time 284 00:14:56,920 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 1: you reach twenty five, like your frontal lobe is fully developed. 285 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: And I think we kind of think like I, hey, 286 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: so like that's it, Like, this is who I'm always 287 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 1: going to be. What evidence did you find like on 288 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: the contrary before I like really dive into your personal experiment. 289 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, So so there's two kind of branches of evidence 290 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 3: to the contrary. So first, uh, your frontal lobe being 291 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:26,760 Speaker 3: fully formed doesn't really mean anything about your personality because 292 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 3: we don't have like a lobe in our brain that 293 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 3: is where the personality lives. So like even if they 294 00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:38,240 Speaker 3: study like brain changes or you know, like those like 295 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:41,880 Speaker 3: fMRI studies where it's like brains lighting up, those don't 296 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 3: necessarily correlate perfectly with personality necessarily. So there's kind of 297 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 3: two elements to this. The first is that when researchers 298 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 3: have followed people you know, and given them personality tests 299 00:15:56,280 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 3: over and over across the years, they do find that 300 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 3: people change, you know, they tend to change in certain 301 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 3: ways over time. So, like you mentioned that people become 302 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 3: kind of mentally healthier in old age, neuroticism does go 303 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 3: down naturally across your life. So if you feel like 304 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 3: you're very anxious and depressed, usually in older age people 305 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 3: become less so so that sort of just naturally happens. 306 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 3: You don't have to do anything. You don't have to 307 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 3: like take any lexipro that naturally happens for most people. 308 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 3: The other element of this is that if you actually 309 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 3: try to change, it can happen even faster. So there's 310 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 3: been studies that show the people who get therapy, for example, 311 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:48,920 Speaker 3: become less neurotic, and in a short period of time 312 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 3: they become a lot less neurotic neurotic than you would 313 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 3: expect them to having, just like naturally, you know, decline 314 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 3: and neuroticism. And the same with some of the studies 315 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:04,000 Speaker 3: that I cover with my in my book, researchers who 316 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,200 Speaker 3: have given people these like challenges. You know, people will say, 317 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 3: I'd really like to become more extroverted. I'd like to 318 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 3: make more friends, and they're like, okay, every day for 319 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,000 Speaker 3: or whatever, every week for a month, reach out to 320 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 3: someone new and have coffee with them or have you know, 321 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 3: lunch with them or whatever. And they do maybe like 322 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 3: five to ten challenges like that over a period of time, 323 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 3: they actually find that they do grow an extraversion based 324 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 3: on personality tests that they take at the beginning and 325 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 3: the end. So not only do you naturally change, you 326 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 3: can also change through effort. 327 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,680 Speaker 1: So a things like introversion, like I always thought that 328 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,119 Speaker 1: they were vary, and they like it's a genetic Oh my, 329 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 1: I don't know, like genetic predisposition, it's temperament, but you're 330 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: saying that, actually, no, it's more of a nuts effecta 331 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 1: well being like environment. 332 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:55,919 Speaker 3: Sorry, yeah, so it's both. So, so genetics is responsible 333 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 3: for about forty to sixty percent of our personality. And 334 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:02,359 Speaker 3: even it's not like direct like if you think about 335 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:06,200 Speaker 3: either of your parents, you're probably not exactly like either 336 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 3: of them, right, You're probably like you have like elements 337 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 3: of them, but you're not like they're twin like you. 338 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:16,240 Speaker 3: You kind of most people are. I mean usually people 339 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:19,359 Speaker 3: are relieved to hear this, like not exactly like either 340 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:22,680 Speaker 3: either parent, right, so you get a little bit like 341 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:24,760 Speaker 3: you get some ingredients. So I have like a natural 342 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 3: proclivity toward anxiety because both my parents are very anxious, right. 343 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:33,239 Speaker 3: But at the same time, there's other there's like this 344 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:36,919 Speaker 3: you know, forty to sixty other percent of personality that 345 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:40,440 Speaker 3: we don't really know where specifically it comes from. It's 346 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:44,640 Speaker 3: not necessarily like the way your parents raised you. It's 347 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 3: like it's like kind of that, but it's also like 348 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:49,960 Speaker 3: your friends. It's like, did you go to college, what 349 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:53,119 Speaker 3: kind of job do you have? You know, do you 350 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 3: make an effort to like read self help books. It's 351 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 3: kind of like the stuff that you do and absorb 352 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:02,239 Speaker 3: into yourself that create that other part of personality. So 353 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 3: that's the kind of element that I'm talking about, is 354 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 3: that like, yeah, if you have two parents who are 355 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 3: totally bookish and hate talking to people, you're gonna naturally 356 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 3: be kind of like I feel really introverted. But if 357 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 3: but if you, you know, go into a job in 358 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 3: sales and you talk to people you know all day 359 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:24,919 Speaker 3: and everyone around you is extroverted and you get like 360 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:28,639 Speaker 3: high fives and promotions for being extroverted, like you're gonna 361 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 3: be a little bit more extroverted than you naturally would. 362 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 2: Be, if that makes sense. 363 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,120 Speaker 1: So it's kind of like at some point reinforcement does 364 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,920 Speaker 1: kind of work, Like yeah, yeah, absolutely rewarded. See. I 365 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: find this really interesting because like my parents are so 366 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:46,120 Speaker 1: totally opposite each other, Like they are the perfect definition 367 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:48,399 Speaker 1: of like opposites attract. Like my dad is like a 368 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:50,440 Speaker 1: stay at home dad and like we call him like 369 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:53,240 Speaker 1: a charity wife. Like he runs like a non for 370 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 1: profit like giving bags to refugee children in Australia, and like, 371 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: then my mom is like a like badass like Cee 372 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:03,679 Speaker 1: R and like she has like she is older, like 373 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:07,960 Speaker 1: she is the lowest person, like the lowest neuroticism levels 374 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:10,760 Speaker 1: I've ever seen in an individual, Like I have never 375 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:13,440 Speaker 1: seen that woman break a sweat. She is not anxious 376 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: at all, like nothing phases her. And then my dad 377 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 1: is like the complete opposite, and it's like completely like 378 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:24,680 Speaker 1: he's not completely anxious, but he's very anxious and very 379 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:28,640 Speaker 1: existential and very like in his own head about very 380 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 1: deep things. And it's really funny like seeing like me 381 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:36,520 Speaker 1: and my sister's always joked that it was like, you know, 382 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:39,159 Speaker 1: one of us got my mom's jeans and my other 383 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 1: me and my other sister got my dad's jeans, and 384 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 1: it was like damn, like if I could switch, like 385 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 1: I totally. 386 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:48,480 Speaker 2: So yeah yeah yeah yeah. 387 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:50,919 Speaker 1: But then again it's like me and my sister like 388 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,439 Speaker 1: not to like tell her story, but had had very 389 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 1: different approaches to like how he faced neuroticism and like 390 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 1: and other things as well, and like agreeable and all 391 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:04,360 Speaker 1: those things, and like there's definitely has been a difference 392 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:06,399 Speaker 1: in like how we've approached it and how we've changed 393 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 1: as people. So I'm ranting. Really, what I want to 394 00:21:10,119 --> 00:21:12,800 Speaker 1: get to is what you found in yourself. But we're 395 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,040 Speaker 1: going to take a tiny break and we'll be back 396 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:22,600 Speaker 1: in just a second. Stay tuned. We are back with 397 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: Oga Hazan talking about can we change our personality? This 398 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 1: is kind of the crux of this whole interview. What happened? Firstly, 399 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 1: what did you do? And secondly what did you find? 400 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 3: Yeah, so that's like the whole book, So let me 401 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:43,399 Speaker 3: just break it down into let's talk about extraversion first, 402 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:45,560 Speaker 3: because I think that is like the easiest to wrap 403 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 3: your head around and also has had the clearest results. 404 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:53,160 Speaker 2: Okay, so extraversion. 405 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 3: Basically the secret to increasing extraversion is to socialize with people. 406 00:21:57,040 --> 00:22:01,160 Speaker 3: Some of the other traits are more existential and more 407 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:05,400 Speaker 3: like mindset oriented and kind of like how you think 408 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 3: about things. Extraversion is like very clear cut, go talk 409 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 3: to people, like go do activities. So I signed up 410 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 3: for a bunch of stuff. I signed up for Improv 411 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:22,119 Speaker 3: Sailing Club, a bunch of meetup groups, so which is 412 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:25,360 Speaker 3: like groups of strangers meeting up. Literally, I like throw 413 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:29,440 Speaker 3: a party at my house. I just went out all 414 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:34,679 Speaker 3: the time. I went from basically going out maybe once 415 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 3: a week to going out like pretty much every night 416 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:39,720 Speaker 3: or like not and not like going out drinking, like 417 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 3: although there was a lot of drinking, I get like 418 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:47,720 Speaker 3: like just being around people. And I found that like 419 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 3: almost every time before I went, I dreaded it. 420 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 2: I did not want to go. 421 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,399 Speaker 3: I was like, I hate improv I don't even know 422 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 3: why I'm doing this, it's stupid, Like I don't want 423 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 3: to go. And then almost every time after I would 424 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:04,520 Speaker 3: do it, I felt better. I was like that was 425 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:07,919 Speaker 3: super fun, or like that person in the sailing my 426 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 3: sailboat today was really interesting, or like that was cool, 427 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:15,359 Speaker 3: or like hey, like I got to get whatever a 428 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:17,960 Speaker 3: burger on the way back home, like there was something 429 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 3: that came out of it. Usually that I was like, huh, 430 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:22,639 Speaker 3: that was like a nice break from the day. That 431 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:25,119 Speaker 3: was like a nice way to like liven up the 432 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 3: day a little bit. And I think that's kind of 433 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 3: like the when I talk about increasing extraversion or like 434 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:37,359 Speaker 3: changing your introversion. You can remain an introvert, but just 435 00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:42,440 Speaker 3: do like twenty percent more stuff like connect with people 436 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 3: twenty percent more, and there's a little bit of a 437 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:48,920 Speaker 3: mood boost there. Like researchers who are introverts have studied 438 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:53,680 Speaker 3: this concept and have found that like even just connecting 439 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:55,840 Speaker 3: with people a little bit, and it doesn't mean that 440 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:57,479 Speaker 3: you have to be like the life of the party. 441 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 3: Like I think people assume extraversion means like you're super 442 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 3: talkative and like can't shut up and you know, or 443 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 3: you're always telling jokes. You can like go hang out 444 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:12,360 Speaker 3: with two close friends and like you know, listen more 445 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:16,560 Speaker 3: than you talk and like knit the whole time, and uh, 446 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:19,399 Speaker 3: that's still extraversion, that's you know, still being around people. 447 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:24,119 Speaker 3: So yeah, I for that one, my introversion, my extraversion 448 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:26,960 Speaker 3: did go up. And I think what I took away 449 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,920 Speaker 3: from that is that like I do enjoy having fun, 450 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:34,200 Speaker 3: I need to sometimes force myself to have fun, but it's. 451 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 2: Okay to do that. 452 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:37,240 Speaker 3: Like it's okay to be like commit, you know, kind 453 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 3: of to an exercise class or to something else that 454 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 3: doesn't sound super appealing all the time but ends up 455 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:43,680 Speaker 3: being rewarding. 456 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:46,960 Speaker 1: This is what I always say, Like people will people 457 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:48,720 Speaker 1: will dan maybe like how do I make any friends? 458 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 1: Or like how do I stop feeling like everything is 459 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:54,159 Speaker 1: an effort and I'm like, pick two things to do 460 00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 1: awake and do them in the same place at the 461 00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: same time, and you will meet other people who are 462 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:01,879 Speaker 1: doing this same thing as you, like, whether it is 463 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,399 Speaker 1: it an exercise class or like an improv class or 464 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 1: a life drawn class or like social sport. There are 465 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:09,440 Speaker 1: so many people out there who also want to make 466 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: friends and who also are like seeking connection, and there's 467 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:16,199 Speaker 1: like no shame about it, either of being like, Okay, 468 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:18,520 Speaker 1: I'm trying to train my brain to like this more, 469 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 1: because you do fall into a habit, like I'm such 470 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:23,440 Speaker 1: an extroverted person. And last week I spent the entire 471 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:26,160 Speaker 1: day at my house and like the entire week like 472 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:29,720 Speaker 1: indoors working, and I had such cabin fever and I 473 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,399 Speaker 1: was like, I've just I'm just so depressed, like I 474 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:34,119 Speaker 1: just don't know who I am anymore. And then I 475 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:36,480 Speaker 1: went and did like barefootballs with my friends and I 476 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 1: was like, wow, like life is so beautiful, Like look 477 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: at those flowers. It's like, yeah, yeah, giving your brain 478 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 1: what it needs. So extraversion was the one that you 479 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 1: saw an improvement in. 480 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 3: What about neuroticism, Yeah, so neuroticism I also saw an improvement. 481 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:54,360 Speaker 2: So neuroticism. 482 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 3: I will cut to the chase. I meditated a whole lot. 483 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 3: I and meditation is also something that I did not enjoy. 484 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 3: I didn't even enjoy it while I was doing it, 485 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 3: and I did not enjoy it after I was done. 486 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:06,679 Speaker 2: It was not like that was really nice. Was like, 487 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 2: thank God, I don't have to do that for another 488 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:09,720 Speaker 2: twenty four hours. 489 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 3: I signed up for a class where we had to 490 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:15,000 Speaker 3: meditate for forty five minutes every day, which is so 491 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:22,360 Speaker 3: long it's literally the longest forty five minutes of your life. However, 492 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 3: it did work. My neuroticism went down, and my anxiety 493 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 3: went down a little bit, but my depression went down 494 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:33,760 Speaker 3: a ton. It went down a lot, like to basically 495 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 3: like not being depressed anymore. 496 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:37,640 Speaker 2: And why that. 497 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 3: Happened, as sort of anyone's guess if I had to 498 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:42,199 Speaker 3: like pose it. 499 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:43,440 Speaker 2: Why that occurred. 500 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 3: It's that I did a lot of what's called loving 501 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:49,639 Speaker 3: kindness meditation, which is where you're just like really nice 502 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:52,159 Speaker 3: to yourself for however long. 503 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 2: And it's usually I do it to like a guide. 504 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 2: It at like a tape. Basically, people don't use tape anymore, 505 00:26:58,280 --> 00:26:59,440 Speaker 2: like a recording, like. 506 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:00,120 Speaker 1: A guided. 507 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:06,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly like a guided recording, and it's like, you know, 508 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,159 Speaker 3: like like there's like the line that always makes me 509 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:13,280 Speaker 3: cry is like there's you can search the whole universe 510 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 3: for someone who is more deserving of love and happiness 511 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:19,240 Speaker 3: than you are yourself and not find anyone. 512 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:23,520 Speaker 2: And it's like like oh yeah, you're. 513 00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:25,920 Speaker 1: Just like, oh my god, what this tape is. 514 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 3: So it's it's Sharon Salzburg and I use the ten 515 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:34,680 Speaker 3: Percent Happier app for meditation. 516 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: Oh I love that app. Yeah, yeah, up from the 517 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 1: Yale Is it from the Yale person? 518 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:48,080 Speaker 3: No, I think you're thinking of jud Brewer. The the 519 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:49,960 Speaker 3: ten percent Happier is Dan Harris. 520 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:52,119 Speaker 1: Oh yeah Dan Harris. Yes, yes, yes, he does a 521 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:52,719 Speaker 1: podcast as well. 522 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:56,160 Speaker 2: I think, yes, yeah, I mean everyone, yeah. 523 00:27:57,400 --> 00:27:58,920 Speaker 1: Everyone has a podcast. Is so embarrassed. 524 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:04,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, but but he Yeah, but it actually like really worked, 525 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 3: and I think like there's something about like repeating that 526 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 3: I don't know. And my meditation teacher also really tried 527 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:11,439 Speaker 3: to like hammer home the self compassion. 528 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:14,680 Speaker 2: And I think it worked. Yeah. 529 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:19,880 Speaker 1: Wow, see I get this like meditation. I've never met 530 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:22,920 Speaker 1: someone who's been like I'm really into it all the time. 531 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 1: Like I do feel like you kind of have to 532 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:29,720 Speaker 1: drag yourself into it, kicking and screaming. It's like when 533 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:31,320 Speaker 1: you have to like get a needle when you're like 534 00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 1: I really don't want to do this, or like go 535 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:34,560 Speaker 1: to the dentist to like go to the doctor, and 536 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:37,520 Speaker 1: then you feel amazing, like oh wow, that pain's gone. 537 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:40,600 Speaker 1: Like that's what meditation sounds like. And it's just like 538 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 1: discipline towards your soul, right in the same way to 539 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:47,320 Speaker 1: exercise your body, like you're exercising your mind, even if 540 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 1: it's like tense and uncomfortable and stressful or whatever in 541 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:52,720 Speaker 1: the moment, like it feels gives you strength later on, 542 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 1: I think it. 543 00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 3: What it did is made me less afraid of my 544 00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 3: negative emotions. So you're sitting there like sometimes for hours 545 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 3: and you're just like your mind is like going and going, 546 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:08,680 Speaker 3: and it's silence, you know. And I think what it 547 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:11,800 Speaker 3: does is like for me at least, I don't know 548 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:14,560 Speaker 3: if this is like correct, but for me at least, 549 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:18,160 Speaker 3: it made me like inevitably like negative feelings will come 550 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:20,120 Speaker 3: up during that, but it was sort of just like 551 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 3: it's okay, Like nothing bad is really happening right now. 552 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:26,480 Speaker 3: You're literally sitting in a room in your house on 553 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:31,760 Speaker 3: a cushion, like meditating, but you kind of have you 554 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 3: still have your same negative, you know, strong emotions if 555 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 3: you're someone who's prone to neuroticism. 556 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 2: But I don't know, it just lets you like kind 557 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 2: of not be as. 558 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:45,320 Speaker 3: Thrown off by them or like because bad things are 559 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:47,479 Speaker 3: still I mean my meditation teacher would say this all 560 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:51,200 Speaker 3: the time, like things happen that you don't like, which 561 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:54,400 Speaker 3: is like very simple, but it's like oh yeah, and 562 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:56,280 Speaker 3: like you're just you're gonna have to deal with that 563 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:59,560 Speaker 3: for the rest of your life and it's all about you, 564 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:02,520 Speaker 3: know you. You know your mom you mentioned is like so 565 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 3: not neurotic. I'm sure bad things happen to her, but 566 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 3: she thinks about them in a like somehow more zen 567 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:13,360 Speaker 3: way than the average person. I'd love to know her secret. 568 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:16,640 Speaker 1: I would love to as well. It's crazy and she's 569 00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:19,240 Speaker 1: had a tough life, like not to give her story, 570 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:20,760 Speaker 1: and I have done an episode with her where she 571 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:22,840 Speaker 1: talks about it, but not even the full extent, like 572 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:26,400 Speaker 1: not an easy life. And sometimes I just look at 573 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: her and I can see like there'll be a time 574 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 1: that like me or my my sister will like be 575 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:35,560 Speaker 1: panicking about something or being like, don't you just see 576 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 1: like how terrible this is? And I can literally just 577 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:42,720 Speaker 1: see her looking at me being like no, like trying 578 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 1: really hard to have empathy for me and being like 579 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:50,800 Speaker 1: I just can't do it. Like she she's incredible, and 580 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:53,959 Speaker 1: like she has obviously like learnt what to say, but 581 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:56,200 Speaker 1: she doesn't like feel it in her bones the way 582 00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:58,200 Speaker 1: that like my dad would or my sister would, So 583 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:01,280 Speaker 1: she honestly needs to do like some kind of life course. 584 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:04,480 Speaker 1: Like she's pretty incredible. Okay. I want to ask this 585 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:09,400 Speaker 1: question that I think everyone is probably thinking at this point, 586 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 1: you did all these amazing exercises. How long did this last? 587 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:13,560 Speaker 1: As well? Like six months? 588 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:15,040 Speaker 2: This lasted it a year? 589 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 1: Okay, A yeah? And when did that experiment end? 590 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 3: I honestly only had a year of book leaves, so 591 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:26,280 Speaker 3: it was just like June of twenty twenty two to 592 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:27,719 Speaker 3: June of twenty twenty three. 593 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 1: Okay, cool, So like a year, a solid year. Have 594 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:35,840 Speaker 1: you found that you've gone back to your old self since? 595 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:40,680 Speaker 3: So in some ways but not in others. Since I 596 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 3: did that, I had a baby, and that necessarily like 597 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:50,520 Speaker 3: changes a lot about how you're thinking about things, especially 598 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 3: in the beginning. But I would say that there are 599 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:55,800 Speaker 3: still a lot of things that I carried through into 600 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:58,600 Speaker 3: even my life as a I guess I'm still a 601 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:03,920 Speaker 3: new parent technically. So one example is like just reaching 602 00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:05,240 Speaker 3: out to other moms. 603 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:06,880 Speaker 2: So it's a very. 604 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:10,640 Speaker 3: Stressful time when you first have a baby, Like it's 605 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:13,720 Speaker 3: just is there's no getting around it. You don't know 606 00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 3: what you're doing, and they're very tiny and they cannot 607 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 3: speak to you, and so you're just like, ah, what 608 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 3: do you want? So I kind of made a point 609 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:27,440 Speaker 3: of reaching out to other moms, and like I'm in 610 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 3: a mom's group that's been really supportive. 611 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 2: I also just like. 612 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:35,840 Speaker 3: Really really try to even in day to day life, 613 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:38,360 Speaker 3: if I meet another mom with kids the same age, 614 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:41,360 Speaker 3: I really try to like reach out and at least 615 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 3: see if she's open to the possibility of friendship. And 616 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 3: sometimes that means that I and this is not something 617 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:50,920 Speaker 3: I would have done previously. I actually do a lot 618 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 3: of reaching out repeatedly. So like if someone, let's say, 619 00:32:55,280 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 3: I reach out to someone and they're like, yeah, let's 620 00:32:57,160 --> 00:32:58,720 Speaker 3: have coffee, and we have coffee and we both have 621 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:02,840 Speaker 3: a good time. I and then some time elapses and 622 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:05,440 Speaker 3: no one follows up. I might reach out again, even 623 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:07,640 Speaker 3: though it was me the last time too, and then 624 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:09,479 Speaker 3: I might do that like a third time. Like there 625 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:12,200 Speaker 3: are some relationships where I'm just always the person who 626 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:16,200 Speaker 3: organizes things, and that used to really bother me, Like 627 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,440 Speaker 3: I was like, that person doesn't want to be friends, 628 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:21,920 Speaker 3: Like I'm gonna move on because they're not putting an 629 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:24,600 Speaker 3: equal effort into organizing things, and like I don't I 630 00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:27,720 Speaker 3: don't want that. But I kind of just realized through 631 00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:30,680 Speaker 3: this that like everyone has stuff going on, and like 632 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 3: people just don't think about things the same way. They 633 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 3: are maybe swamped in other ways. They're may be like 634 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 3: not as comfortable with reaching out, Like I don't know. 635 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:44,400 Speaker 3: It just made me like a lot less sensitive. I 636 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:48,320 Speaker 3: guess about these like rules of social interaction that I 637 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:51,000 Speaker 3: had previously thought were like iron. 638 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:54,480 Speaker 2: Like laws, you know. So that's been one thing that 639 00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:55,120 Speaker 2: I've noticed. 640 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 3: Like yesterday, we went on a playdate to this woman 641 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:01,240 Speaker 3: who I barely knew, just because I was like, I'm 642 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:03,400 Speaker 3: really bored in if I have to like sing Baby 643 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 3: Beluga one more time, and I might, so it's like 644 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,759 Speaker 3: let's go over to you Chan's house and yeah, that's 645 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:12,480 Speaker 3: what we did and it was great, you know, So 646 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:13,239 Speaker 3: I don't know. 647 00:34:14,120 --> 00:34:17,000 Speaker 1: I think it's like a really interesting like how you 648 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:21,440 Speaker 1: can it's quite personal, but like whether you would have 649 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:23,319 Speaker 1: been a different kind of mother if you hadn't done 650 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:25,880 Speaker 1: this experiment like the year before you had a baby, 651 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:29,480 Speaker 1: and like maybe the answer is no, but maybe it's 652 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:32,160 Speaker 1: like wow, like in this weird way, like maybe you 653 00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:35,560 Speaker 1: were preparing your personality for like literally the biggest challenge 654 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:38,239 Speaker 1: on planet Earth. Like I heard this quotes like when 655 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:40,360 Speaker 1: you become a parent, you have to use every single 656 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:43,160 Speaker 1: skill that you've ever put on a resume, like and 657 00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:46,840 Speaker 1: the ones that you haven't. So it be interesting to 658 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:48,800 Speaker 1: see that. Not that you wouldn't have been a very confident, 659 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:52,479 Speaker 1: capable mother if you hadn't have done this, but it's yeah, 660 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:54,920 Speaker 1: it's fascinating, Like I would have loved to see a 661 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:55,640 Speaker 1: control group. 662 00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:59,640 Speaker 3: I know I'm not very confident or capable as it is, 663 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:04,239 Speaker 3: but I will say that I think that doing. 664 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:07,240 Speaker 2: This experiment helped me decide to have a baby. 665 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:09,800 Speaker 1: Okay, cool, interesting. 666 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:11,600 Speaker 3: Like it helped me get more comfortable with the idea 667 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:12,440 Speaker 3: of having a baby. 668 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:16,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, because babies, listen, I don't have one. But they 669 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:19,759 Speaker 1: seem like a lot of work, and they seem like 670 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:22,680 Speaker 1: they will put you in like a state, like they 671 00:35:22,680 --> 00:35:25,360 Speaker 1: will bring up all those challenges. So you know, the 672 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:27,759 Speaker 1: other day, this is like so funny, But I didn't 673 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:29,360 Speaker 1: realize you can't give babies. 674 00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:32,240 Speaker 2: Water, not until six months. 675 00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:36,560 Speaker 1: See, guys, I don't know if any of you did 676 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:39,560 Speaker 1: know that listener to the podcast, but I was like, wow, 677 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:41,440 Speaker 1: if I had a kid right now and no one 678 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:43,440 Speaker 1: had told me that, like that would have been real problem. 679 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:45,040 Speaker 1: Like what are the other things that I don't know 680 00:35:45,080 --> 00:35:46,920 Speaker 1: about this? Like? Ready, you end up? 681 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:49,239 Speaker 3: You end up googling. Don't worry about that stuff. Don't 682 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:51,520 Speaker 3: don't worry about it right now. It's honestly you will. 683 00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:53,320 Speaker 2: Let you will be googling. You will google. 684 00:35:53,760 --> 00:35:56,520 Speaker 3: The internet has answers, you google everything. No one knows 685 00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:57,920 Speaker 3: any of this stuff before they start. 686 00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:00,399 Speaker 1: Let me hear you, guys, And I think it will 687 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:02,760 Speaker 1: be a long time. But I've got one final question 688 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:05,279 Speaker 1: for you. I'm gonna ask every single guest on the 689 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:08,719 Speaker 1: podcast the same question. What advice would you have for 690 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:11,160 Speaker 1: listeners in their twenties, Like, what's one thing that you'd 691 00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:13,040 Speaker 1: wish you'd known earlier? And it doesn't have to be 692 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:16,440 Speaker 1: about what we talked about today. 693 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:22,000 Speaker 3: I would say that my advice for people in their 694 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:27,360 Speaker 3: twenties is that it's okay to just pursue what you want. 695 00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:34,960 Speaker 3: You don't have to do something that seems practical or 696 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:37,560 Speaker 3: like what other people want you to do, or just 697 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:41,160 Speaker 3: because you've always been doing it. You can It's a 698 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:43,640 Speaker 3: time of life when you can completely pick the thing 699 00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:47,359 Speaker 3: that is your biggest goal, the thing you most want 700 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:50,360 Speaker 3: in the world, and just go at it with full force. 701 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:53,439 Speaker 3: That's what I would I would recommend doing. 702 00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:56,640 Speaker 1: I also love that. I love that piece of advice. 703 00:36:56,719 --> 00:37:00,520 Speaker 1: I would give that advice myself. Oh good, which is brilliant. 704 00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:02,400 Speaker 1: Which is so brilliant. I want to thank you for 705 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:05,760 Speaker 1: coming on the podcast. Where can the listeners find you? Actually, 706 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:07,360 Speaker 1: I want to give a shout out to an article 707 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:11,040 Speaker 1: that you wrote that I think is really would be 708 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:13,279 Speaker 1: really amazing. It's called the Joy of Underperforming. I think 709 00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:16,800 Speaker 1: you wrote it like a couple of years ago, maybe, 710 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:19,480 Speaker 1: But if you guys are looking for further listening, for 711 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:22,600 Speaker 1: further reading, I'm sorry Olgraman and not even let you 712 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:24,840 Speaker 1: give your own recommendations. I will in a second, but 713 00:37:25,520 --> 00:37:28,040 Speaker 1: I remember reading that article that you wrote and being like, wow, 714 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:31,239 Speaker 1: this is incredible for people in their twenties. But well, 715 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:33,680 Speaker 1: it's great, but where else can can they find you? 716 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:38,080 Speaker 3: Yeah? So our website is the Atlantic dot com and 717 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:40,160 Speaker 3: I'm a writer there. I can find me and all 718 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:43,080 Speaker 3: my brilliant colleagues there, and you can find my book, 719 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:46,000 Speaker 3: which is called Me but Better wherever books are sold. 720 00:37:47,160 --> 00:37:49,640 Speaker 1: I'm very excited for it to come out. Comes out today. 721 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:52,400 Speaker 1: If you're listening to this the day that this is released, 722 00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:54,799 Speaker 1: you can literally go and pre order a copy. And 723 00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:57,160 Speaker 1: I know we had quite a few spoilers, but having 724 00:37:57,160 --> 00:37:59,560 Speaker 1: already read a few chapters slash pages of this book, like, 725 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:02,360 Speaker 1: there's much more there and so much more science and 726 00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:05,680 Speaker 1: research and just like fascinating tidbits. So thank you so 727 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:07,960 Speaker 1: much Olga for coming on the show. And as always, 728 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:09,880 Speaker 1: if there is someone that you know who would like 729 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:12,080 Speaker 1: to listen to this episode who you think would be 730 00:38:12,160 --> 00:38:16,120 Speaker 1: interested in this topic, feel free to send them a link. 731 00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:18,839 Speaker 1: Make sure that you are following along. If you want 732 00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:21,520 Speaker 1: to read us five stars, that would be very much appreciated. 733 00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:26,080 Speaker 1: Until next time, thank you for listening, and stay kind, 734 00:38:26,360 --> 00:38:29,000 Speaker 1: be safe, be gentle to yourself. We will talk very 735 00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:29,479 Speaker 1: very soon