10% Happier with Dan Harris

A conversation with celebrated author George Saunders about his new novel, Vigil, and what fiction can teach us about empathy, self-awareness, and mortality.
George Saunders is the bestselling, award-winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, Tenth of December, and many other books. His new novel, Vigil, tells the story of a woman who died in 1976 and has spent the decades since comforting the dying—until she encounters a former oil executive responsible for early climate change denial.
In this conversation, Dan and George talk about:
Why George keeps writing about ghosts and the afterlife (hint: it's not just about mortality dread)

The lavish empathy at the heart of Vigil—and whether we should extend that empathy even to people doing civilizational damage

What George calls "warm metacognition"—the practice of dropping back out of your thought loops to examine what kind of goggles you're wearing

How fiction can turn your mind into a "reconsideration machine" (and why that matters in real life)

The difference between kindness and niceness

George's relationship with death anxiety, which he's had since childhood and which has only intensified with age

What George has learned about listening from teaching and hosting his Substack, Story Club

Why the older he gets, the more important it is to stretch himself creatively

His advice for dealing with stuckness (in writing and in life): curiosity over self-accusation

George's new novel Vigil is out January 27th from Random House. Check out his Substack, Story Club, where he discusses classic short stories with an incredibly thoughtful community.
 
Related Episodes:
George Saunders on "Holy Befuddlement" and How to Be Less of a "Turd"

 
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Practical techniques for dealing with all of life's curveballs.
 
Maya Shankar is a cognitive scientist and creator of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans, previously named "Best Show of the Year" by Apple. She served as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Obama White House and was also appointed as the first Behavioral Science Advisor to the United Nations. She is the author of The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans.



In this episode we talk about:
The two major life events that caused her to study the topic of change
How to build a more expansive sense of self
Practical tools for navigating change 
Cognitive biases such as  "the end of history illusion"
The utility of distraction and denial
Tools for getting unstuck from rumination
And much more



Related Episodes:
 The Science of Handling Uncertainty | Maya Shankar

 
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How to have fewer regrets (and utilize the ones you already have).
 
Daniel Pink is the author of seven bestselling nonfiction books on a range of topics, from human motivation to the science of timing to a graphic novel career guide. His books include the New York Times bestsellers The Power of Regret, A Whole New Mind, and When—as well as the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. 



In this episode we talk about:
The myth of the "no regrets" philosophy 
What a regret actually is 
The very real benefits of regret
The four core regrets people tend to have 
Tools for dealing with regrets
The importance of talking or writing about your regrets
How to  create a "failure resume" 
The Regret Optimization Framework 
The crucial role of self-compassion and self-distancing
And much more



Related Episodes:
'When' Can Make a Big Difference

 
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Additional Resources: 
Daniel's books




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A conversation with self-described "worry warrior" Bart van Melik about working skillfully with everyday anxiety.
Bart is a guiding teacher at the Community Meditation Center in New York and our Teacher of the Month for January. In this conversation with executive producer DJ Cashmere, he gets refreshingly honest about his own tendency to worry — and shares a bunch of practical tools for when your mind won't stop spinning through worst-case scenarios.
We talk about:
Why mindful breathing sometimes doesn't work (and what to do instead)

The practice phrase "this wants to be seen right now"

How to work with your aversion to worrying (which can be worse than the worry itself)

Why talking about your fears with other people is so crucial

The question "what is this?" as a low-barrier entry point to awareness

How the Buddha's teaching on clinging shows up in anxious thinking

Why community and sangha aren't optional extras

If you want more from Bart, check out the 10% with Dan Harris app where he's got meditations and live sessions throughout January.
 
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Secrets to self-preservation in an age of burnout.
 
Tim Ferris is the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers, including The 4-Hour Workweek and Tools of Titans. He's also the host of The Tim Ferriss Show podcast. Most recently, he has collaborated with Exploding Kittens to create COYOTE, a fast and hilarious card game. 



In this episode we talk about:
Tim's Antidotes to isolation
Past-year reviews
The perils of self-optimization
His meditation practice
Escaping rumitive loops 
The role of Accelerated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
The ketogenic diet 
Talking to chatbots about your health
And much more



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Additional Resources: 
The New Frontiers of Mental Health — Brain Stimulation, Rapid-Acting Tools for Depression, and More
All Things Ketones, How to Boost Cognition, Sardine Fasting, Diet Rules, & More — Dr. Dom D'Agostino
TED: Why you should define your fears instead of your goals
Tim Ferriss, Host of 'The Tim Ferriss Show,' Author

 
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