Sam Harris speaks with Robert Waldinger about the Harvard Study of Adult Development. They discuss the limitations of relying on self-report to assess a person’s well-being; Daniel Kahneman’s remembering and experiencing selves; why it can be hard to figure out what makes us happy; the effects of alcohol, smoking, and exercise; the connection between work and fulfillment; the primacy of relationships; the diminishing importance of wealth; status vs feeling valued; the connection between good relationships and physical health; having kids and marital satisfaction; introversion vs extroversion; mortality and loss; collecting experiences vs things; the benefits of walking; taking relationships for granted; quantity vs quality time; the self and self states; the guru-disciple relationship; and the possibility of enlightenment.
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Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That’s why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life’s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.
#329 — What Happened to the Republican Party?
#328 — Health & Longevity
#327 — Transformative Experiences
#326 — AI & Information Integrity
#325 — A Few Thoughts About RFK Jr.
#324 — Debating the Future of AI
#323 — Science & Survival
Making Sense of Meditation | Episode 10 of The Essential Sam Harris
#322 — Predicting Reality
#321 — Reckoning with Parfit
Making Sense of Death | Episode 9 of The Essential Sam Harris
#320 — Constructing Self and World
#319 — The Digital Multiverse
Making Sense of Social Media and the Information Landscape | Episode 8 of The Essential Sam Harris
#318 — Physics & Philosophy
#317 — What Do We Know About Our Minds?
#316 — Self-Defense: Reality and Fantasy
Making Sense of Existential Threat and Nuclear War | Episode 7 of The Essential Sam Harris
#315 — The Great Derangement
#314 — The Cancellation of J.K. Rowling
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