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10% Happier with Dan Harris

How This Plague Ends (and What It Tells Us About Human Nature) | Nicholas Christakis

10% Happier with Dan Harris

10% Media, LLC

Health & Fitness, Mental Health

4.612.9K Ratings

🗓️ 15 March 2021

⏱️ 66 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We all remember that fateful week, almost exactly a year ago, when it all seemed to sink in for so many of us–when Tom Hanks got sick, the NBA suspended games, and the (now former) President addressed the nation in primetime. The big question now is: When and how will this plague end?  My guest today has a clear vision for how things are likely to play out from from here. His name is Dr. Nicholas Christakis. He's a physician, sociologist, and director of the Human Nature Lab at Yale University. He's written a number of books, but there are two that we will discuss in this episode. His latest is called Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live. The other book we're going to talk about is on a related subject. It's called Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society. In it, Christakis argues that human beings are fundamentally good. In fact, as you will hear, it is our goodness that the virus exploits.  One more order of business: when COVID began affecting our lives, most of us were in immediate crisis, wondering about the answers to very basic questions: How do I get food safely? How do I care for my children and/or do my job under less-than-ideal circumstances? Will my loved ones and I be safe? In response to our changing reality, we've used this podcast to help you figure out how to navigate our new world. We've spoken with experts about how to cope with this crisis, from dealing with anxiety and grief to parenting in a pandemic to worries about money. As you know, the practice of meditation undergirds all of the practical takeaways you hear us discuss on this podcast–and as you may or may not know, many of our podcast guests have contributed to our companion meditation app. We hope that you'll subscribe to the Ten Percent Happier app to learn how to care for yourself and others during crises (which are, after all, inevitable). To make it easier, we're offering 40% off the price of an annual subscription for our podcast listeners. We don't do discounts of this size all the time, and of course nothing is permanent—so get this deal before it ends on April 1st by going to to https://www.tenpercent.com/march for 40% off your subscription. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/nicholas-christakis-330

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Before we get started with today's episode, if you've been around TPH land for any

0:05.4

length of time, you've probably heard me name drop Joseph Goldstein.

0:10.1

He started out as my meditation teacher then became my friend and then we teamed up to

0:15.9

help start the 10% happier meditation app.

0:19.6

And I just wanted to remind you that there is a ton of content featuring Joseph and his

0:26.2

humor and wisdom over on the app where he's the lead teacher on six different courses.

0:31.4

I'd recommend you start with the basics, which features your truly and Joseph talking

0:37.1

about how to achieve perfect imperturbability and bulletproof bliss.

0:41.6

Actually, just kidding.

0:43.6

It's just about how to get 10% happier through basic meditation.

0:47.3

It's free.

0:48.3

If you want to check it out, I encourage you to do so.

0:51.4

Download the 10% happier app today wherever you get your apps now on with the show.

0:56.8

Well done.

1:01.2

You've sorted through the embarrassment of riches that is the modern podcast landscape

1:06.8

and found me Rob Briden on my podcast.

1:10.9

In this series of Briden and I talk to among others, Harry Hill, Ben Elton, Charlotte

1:17.3

Church, Steve Cougan and Dame Harriet Walter.

1:21.0

And that's just a few.

1:22.8

We tend to chat for about 45 minutes to an hour never longer.

1:26.8

It's terrific conversation, reminiscent, sweat appropriate and exchange of anecdotes.

1:32.9

So do join me Rob Briden wherever you get your podcasts.

...

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