Clinical psychologists like Todd Kashdan are in many ways the philosophers of our time, digging into what it is that makes for a fulfilling and happy and comfortable life.

Awarded the 2013 Distinguished Early Career Researcher Award by the American Psychological Association, Todd Kashdan is among the world’s top experts on the psychology of well-being, psychological strengths, mental agility, and social relationships.

As a Professor of Psychology at George Mason University, and a leading educator to the public, Todd translates state-of-the-art science for practical application to improve our everyday lives. He is well-known for his energetic and disarming communication style.

Todd is the author of five books, including “Curious?”, “The Upside of Your Darkside,” and “Designing Positive Psychology.” In his latest book, “The Art of Insubordination,” Todd synthesizes decades of psychological research to show how we can improve the health of organizations and our society.

He sits down with Greg in this episode to discuss the positive psychology movement, how people are getting happiness wrong, the benefits of boredom, and fostering a spirit of insubordination.

Episode Quotes:

Training yourself to be comfortable with discomfort

28: 15: There's something really powerful about training yourself so that each moment during your day when you feel discomfort, you can sit with it, take another perspective, and do something with it as opposed to trying to escape it. Because this will make you a better human being to deal with other humans, with setbacks and difficulties in your life.

Anxiety doesn't kill curiosity

14:47: The only way you get curious is if you believe that you can handle the uncertainty that you don't know what the answer is going to be. And that doesn't mean you don't feel a sting if that person looks at you for a second, shakes their head, and walks away. So you still can experience rejection, but you're willing to take a step forward despite the presence of anxiety as part and parcel of what it means to be curious in the moment.

Why people are defensive to new ideas

19:18: If there is more power and potential for you as an individual to benefit from being receptive to someone, you have a leaning toward that person's ideas. And if someone's a dissenter and they can be pigeonholed as disagreeable or disgruntled, it's harder for them to make sure that they actually get a receptive audience for their message.

Show Links:

Recommended Resources:

Daniel Berlin
Paul Sylvia
Nathan DeWall at University of Kentucky
Two Narcissists is Better Than One study

Guest Profile:

Faculty Profile at George Mason University
Professional Profile at Psychology Today
Todd Kashdan’s Website
Todd Kashdan LinkedIn
Todd Kashdan Twitter
Todd Kashdan at TEDxUtrecht

His Work:

208. Psychological Safety and the Benefits of Discomfort feat. Todd Kashdan

unSILOed with Greg LaBlanc