End of an Era — Reflections on 11 Years of The Psychology Podcast w/ Annie Murphy Paul

The Psychology Podcast

iHeartPodcasts

Social Sciences, Science

4.4 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 4 December 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

After 11 years, 478 episodes, and countless conversations exploring the depths of human potential, this episode marks the final chapter of The Psychology Podcast in its current form.

In this deeply meaningful farewell episode for Scott, he sits down with acclaimed science writer Annie Murphy Paul — fittingly, the very first guest ever featured on the show back in 2014. Together, they reflect on the podcast’s evolution, its mission, and the major themes that have shaped more than a decade of inquiry into what it means to be fully human.

Scott opens up about why he’s choosing to step away: to recenter, recharge, and make space for his own continued growth. He discusses how the podcast landscape has transformed since he launched the show at a time when psychology podcasts were virtually nonexistent, and shares what he hopes listeners will carry forward from this body of work.

This episode explores the seven core insights Scott has gleaned from hosting the show — themes that have come to define its spirit:
• Being over doing
• Creativity over efficiency
• Self-actualization over achievement
• Deep fulfillment over temporary happiness
• Self-transcendence over self-enhancement
… along with lessons about meaning, compassion, and human possibility.

With honesty and gratitude, Scott takes a moment to thank the listeners who have supported the show since its inception — a community that made this journey possible week after week, year after year. If you get a chance, please leave a comment telling Scott what the show has meant to you. He would love to hear from you!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is an I-Heart podcast.
0:02.5	Guaranteed human.
0:08.7	Hi, everyone.
0:09.9	Welcome to episode 478 of the psychology podcast.
0:14.6	This is a very special episode.
0:17.1	Well, since it's my last one in this form.
0:20.1	I have been podcasting for 11 years now, practically
0:23.3	every single week. And truth is, while I love everything I've learned along the way, I want to
0:27.9	take this time to re-center to continue bringing additive value to my audience and to recharge myself.
0:33.5	When I started this podcast November 16th, 2014, there weren't many psychology podcasts in existence,
0:40.5	if any. I was driven by my intrinsic passion for the field of psychology and wanted to put a microphone
0:45.6	on the amazing psychological scientists I knew and shine a spotlight on their important work and how it
0:51.0	applies to the lives of everyone. Far too often, good scientific research
0:55.0	hides in the shadows in peer-reviewed publications. And I wanted to get the word out there about
0:59.6	all the incredible work going on. Now it's 2025, and everyone and their mother has a podcast.
1:05.8	And there are so many wonderful psychology-related podcasts in existence now, which is great. So I've decided to take a step
1:12.4	back. In this episode, I am interviewed by the acclaimed science writer and author Annie Murphy-Paul
1:18.0	about the major lessons I've learned over the years doing this podcast. I think the seven major
1:22.7	themes we discuss really do a great job capturing the essence of this podcast, which has always been more
1:28.9	about being than doing, creativity over efficiency, self-actualization over achievement,
1:35.5	deep fulfillment over fleeting feelings of happiness, and self-transcendence over self-enhance.
1:41.8	Thanks from the bottom of my heart to all of you for making this podcast possible
	...

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