Life Examined

Midweek Reset: Perfectionism

This week, Katherine Morgan Schafler, author of The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control, explores our relationship with the ideal of being a perfectionist. Morgan Schafler encourages greater self-awareness in managing perfectionism, saying it’s OK to be inspired without the expectation that we will ever achieve that goal. 
Katherine Morgan Schafler. Photo courtesy of Eric Michael Pearson
This episode of Life Examined with Katherine Morgan Schafler was originally broadcast May 26th, 2024

It’s all in her head: Gender bias in healthcare and reproductive rights

Doctor Elizabeth Comen and Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Linda Greenhouse talk about gender bias and its lingering impact on women’s healthcare and reproductive rights.

Midweek Reset: On not giving advice

This week, Casper ter Kuile,  co-founder of Nearness, and author of “The Power of Ritual,” discusses the value of building community and coming together, and offers some practical advice for forging meaningful connections including the ability to shift away from some of our accustomed patterns of giving advice and instead offer our full attention, loving presence and just listen.   

Bittersweet: Susan Cain on the joy of sweet sorrow

Jonathan Bastian talks with writer, lecturer, and author Susan Cain about the sweet joy of sadness. Cain, author of Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole, reflects on the touch of sweetness that comes from sadness and despair and shares how a greater acceptance of these emotions can be beneficial and even therapeutic. Delve deeper into life, philosophy, and what makes us human by joining the Life Examined discussion group on Facebook.

Midweek Reset: On Discipline

This week, Ryan Holiday, speaker and author of  “Discipline is Destiny: The Power of Self Control” shares some advice on the stoic virtue of self discipline.  Holiday says that in today’s world of abundance, self discipline and self imposed boundaries are fundamental to meeting our potential, achieving balance and leading a good life. 

‘The Perfectionist’s Guide’: Learning to control our quest for the ideal

Psychologist Katherine Morgan Schaflter talks about her book The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control, the universal desire to seek perfection, and the need for greater self-awareness in managing perfectionism.

‘The Sympathizer’ author Viet Thanh Nguyen on new memoir ‘A Man of Two Faces’

Pulitzer-prize winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen discusses his memoir “A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial” and the challenges and pain he faced growing up a Vietnamese refugee.

Midweek Reset: Cultivating Attention

This week, Gloria Mark , Professor at the University of California at Irvine and author of the book “Attention Span:A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity,” explains how much harder it has become to resist the urge to be distracted mostly because of the constant access to our our digital devices. Mark says we should be more cognizant of these types of distractions and suggests asking yourself before you next reach for your phone whether doing so will provide any value. 

Scott Galloway: Can the youth still make it in America?

Scott Galloway discusses his book "The Algebra of Wealth" and the growing disconnect between young people and their economic futures.

Midweek Reset: Kieran Setiya on failure + process

This week, Kieran Setyia, professor of philosophy at MIT and author of “Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way” reflects on failure and suggests we push back on how we frame our lives through successes and failures, winners and losers. Doing so, Setyia says, doesn’t make us succeed more but allows “failure to take a different shape and have less centrality” in how we value our lives.