Three things generate a sense of meaning IN life;
Having meaning in your life is correlated with a sense of self certainty. Knowing who you are and having a sense of self, gives you structure and a stable way of seeing the world.
But how do you answer the question “who am I?” Our guest, Dr Brian Lowery PhD says the answer isn’t as individualistic as we may have been led to believe. Not only do those around us; our friends, co-workers and parents contribute to who we are, Brian claims they actually create who we are. Putting it bluntly, there is no way of separating “you” from your relationships.
We’ve waited a long time to talk to Brian, who is the Walter Kenneth Kilpatrick Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is a social psychologist by training, but Brian’s work is by no means traditional in that field. He studies how individuals perceive inequality, and his research explores individuals' experiences of inequality and fairness in a way that sheds light on intergroup conflict and the nature of social justice. Brian is also a fellow podcaster, hosting the show Know What You See which is definitely worth checking out.
Listeners can become a Behavioral Grooves supporter by donating to our work through Patreon. Or please consider writing us a podcast review on your app. Thanks!
Topics
(5:21) Welcome to Brian Lowery and speed round questions.
(7:34) The meaning IN life vs. the meaning OF life.
(9:23) How meaning in life is linked to a sense of self certainty.
(13:30) Context matters: those around us create who we are.
(17:13) What are you referring to when you talk about you?
(19:23) The responsibility we have when interacting with others.
(21:27) Does authenticity assume a stability of self?
(26:17) Our relationships define us while also limiting our freedom.
(30:59) The myth of rugged individualism.
(36:35) Do we really have freewill?
(42:06) What Brian talks about on his podcast, Know What You See.
(43:42) What role does music play in the identity of self?
(51:43) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim discussing the meaning in life.
© 2022 Behavioral Grooves
Links
Know What You See Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/know-what-you-see-with-brian-lowery/id1580636076
Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAwDWZoETk4&ab_channel=MontyPython
Episode 67, George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/
Episode 248, John Bargh: Do We Control Situations or Do Situations Control Us? https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/control-situations-with-john-bargh/
Kimberle Crenshaw: https://www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/kimberle-w-crenshaw
Episode 307, Groove Track | Mind Over Milkshakes: Why Expectations Matter A Lot: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/mind-over-milkshakes-groove-track/
Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves
Musical Links
Killer Mike “Untitled”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNsAfGDkUtk
Make It Scale: How To Drive Behavior Change Initiatives | Neela Saldanha PhD
The Best Behavioral Science Books Of 2022 (According to Kurt and Tim!)
How the Right Journal Can Help You Reach Your Goals in 2023
How Game Theory Can Be Used To Explain Human Behavior | Erez Yoeli
Do One Small Thing Every Day That Scares You | Scott Simon
Want To Join A Secret Club? With Michael F. Schein
How To Redesign Social Media Better So That It’s Actually Sociable
Groove Track | Tale of Two Markets: Do We Help People Only For Money Or Candy?
Why Do Good People Let Bad Things Happen? With Max Bazerman
A Proven Way Expectations Can Unlock A More Positive Life | David Robson
Grooving on Cheating: Kurt, Tim, Christian Hunt, and Koen Smets
Can You Unlearn History And Still Love Your Country? With Dolly Chugh
How To Get Comfortable With Uncertainty: The Ambiguity Mindset with Debbie Sutherland
Quit: Why We Do It Too Late and How To Get Better At It with Annie Duke
Four Steps To More Effective Conversations | Chuck Wisner
How To Have A Conversation About Racism | Robert Livingston
Visualize A Horse...But What If You Actually Can’t? Aphantasia Explained With Dr Adam Zeman
Want to Know How Priming Works? It Starts With Your Conscious, Not Your Unconscious | John Bargh PhD
Rory Sutherland: The Opposite of a Good Idea is a Good Idea [Republish]
How Good People Fight Bias | Dolly Chugh [Republish]
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Poetry of Science
Hidden Brain
Choiceology with Katy Milkman
The Science of Happiness
Obsessed With Humans On The Verge of Change