We treat aging, fatigue, and even disease as things that just happen to us. Ellen Langer, the first woman tenured in Harvard's psychology department, has spent five decades showing that our way of thinking has a massive say in all of it.

Michael sits down with Langer, author of The Mindful Body, to talk about how much of your health is actually under your mind's control. They cover:

- The experiment that turned back old men's bodies

- Maids who lost weight by seeing their work as exercise

- Why the stories we tell ourselves about bad events are “the whole ballgame”

- The truth about mindfulness—what it really is and a meditation-free way to find it

- A scientific case against following the rules

- How putting a label on a disease changes how it impacts us

- How to think if you get a health scare

- A better way to make hard decisions

- And more …

Go deeper: The Brain Glitch That Makes Modern Life Feel Miserable

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

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A Harvard Psychologist's Case Against Following the Rules | Ellen Langer

Two Percent with Michael Easter

A Harvard Psychologist's Case Against Following the Rules | Ellen Langer