Today we welcome David Epstein, the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, and of the bestseller The Sports Gene, both of which have been translated in more than 20 languages. His TED Talks on performance science have been viewed more than 11 million times. He has master's degrees in environmental science and journalism and has worked as an investigative reporter for ProPublica and a senior writer for Sports Illustrated.
In this episode, I talked to David Epstein about greatness. If there's one thing we know for sure about greatness, it's that there is no linear path to it. David and I discuss the complex relationship of talent and hard work in specific domains. Although there is no formula, we can both agree that persistent effort and fierce determination are necessary ingredients—but so is talent. We have a nuanced discussion of the dance between nature and nurture on the path to talent. It’s a very delicate dance. We also touch on the topics of self-actualization, creativity, fulfillment and moral greatness.
Website: davidepstein.com
Twitter: @DavidEpstein
Topics
02:13 Talent: Is it nature or nurture?
05:16 Does the 10,000 hour rule apply to creativity?
10:14 Genetics and the rage to master
16:46 Immediate feedback for growth
22:04 Progress is not linear
26:50 Self-actualization is where you “fit”
39:06 The equal odds rule 41:11 Restriction of range
47:55 Creativity and mental illness
56:27 Incentivizing good vs great scientists
1:00:13 Moral greatness
1:06:10 The constraints of creativity
1:12:25 The criteria of genius
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Build the Life You Want || Arthur Brooks
Spotting Creative Potential || Troy Carter
Find the Potential in Change || Maya Shankar
Finding Spiritual Peace through Mindful CBT || Seth Gillihan
Find Freedom from Regret || Roberty Leahy
Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess || Caroline Leaf
Humanizing Bipolar || Gabe Howard
Meaningful Engagement with Life || Eric Zimmer
Find the Place in You that Isn’t Wounded || Niall Breslin
How Not to Get Scammed || Daniel Simons & Christopher Chabris
The Mindful Athlete || George Mumford
The Real Differences Between the Generations || Jean Twenge
Integral Theory, Awakening, and Society || Ken Wilber
The Journey of Leadership || Alisa Cohn
Meet Your Future Self || Hal Hershfield
Podcast Improv Jam || Dan Lerner
Why We Have Too Much Free Will || Ken Sheldon
How Minimalism Can Change Your Life || The Minimalists
Awakening from the Meaning Crisis || John Vaervaeke
The New Science of Awe || Dacher Keltner
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Poetry of Science
Behavioral Grooves Podcast
Hidden Brain
The Science of Happiness
Mysterious Radio: Paranormal, UFO & Lore Interviews