There’s a tension we’ve all felt at some point between the benefits of conformity and the desire to be true to ourselves and stand up for what we think is right. On today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr. Todd Kashdan to explore how we can combine prosocial values with principled insubordination, so we can speak up for others (and ourselves) and maximize our chances of creating meaningful change even in the face of social pressure. About Our Guest: Dr. Todd Kashdan is Professor of Psychology at George Mason University. He is a leading authority on well-being, curiosity, psychological flexib ..read more

What can we do to combat, unlearn, and ultimately unburden ourselves from the influence of systemic structures of racism – both out in the world and inside of ourselves? Erin Trent Johnson, senior advisor at the Equity Lab, joins us to discuss this very important and timely topic. About Our Guest: Erin Trent Johnson is the CEO, principal coach, and founder of Community Equity Partners, and the senior advisor at the Equity Lab. Erin works with educational, non-profit, government, and tech organizations that are committed to creating equitable and inclusive practices.  ..read more

Does power corrupt? Where does compassion come from? And do positive or negative emotions serve as the basis for our true nature? Today we’re exploring these questions with a world-class expert on emotion, power, and morality: Dr. Dacher Keltner. About Our Guest: Dr. Keltner is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, where he directs the Berkeley Social Interaction Lab. He’s also the founder and co-director of the Greater Good Science Center. Dr. Keltner is also the author of three books: Born to Be Good, The Compassionate Instinct, and most rece ..read more

We’re all subject to forms of bias and prejudice. On this episode, Forrest and Rick are joined by Dr. Jack Glaser to explore intergroup bias and racial prejudice, and what we can do to overcome our innate tendencies.  About the Guest: Dr. Jack Glaser is a Professor at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. He studies intergroup biases and the unconscious operation of stereotypes and prejudice, and is particularly interested in racial profiling. Jack is also the author of Suspect Race: Causes & Consequences of Racial Profiling, and is on the board of the ..read more

How have children experienced this year’s challenges, and how can we get better at talking with them about race and racism? Today we’re focusing on trauma, resilience, and effective coping, and particularly on the unique challenges experienced by young people and their parents. About our Guest: Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith is a child clinical psychologist who specializes in trauma and issues of race. She is a senior fellow of Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and is both a professor and the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Wright Institute.  Here’s ..read more

What can we do to combat, unlearn, and ultimately unburden ourselves from the influence of systemic structures of racism – both out in the world and inside of ourselves? About Our Guest: Erin is the CEO, principal coach, and founder of Community Equity Partners, and the senior advisor at the Equity Lab. Erin works with educational, non-profit, government, and tech organizations that are committed to creating equitable and inclusive practices.  Sponsor Message: Every week Forrest creates detailed show notes for our Patreon supporters. Due to the essential nature of this ..read more

It’s appealing to look at our lives as being entirely our own. We make the choices, and we’re in control of who we turn out to be. There’s a great flair of rugged individualism to that view, and it can be truly empowering when employed in healthy ways. But the truth is that the past lives on through us today, and influences our behavior in a myriad of ways that we don’t control. It’s one thing to accept how history affects who we are on the outside, but it can be trickier to accept history’s impact on our inside; on the thoughts and feelings, on the “self,” however you defin ..read more

Racism and racist structures place an enormous mental health burden on Black, Latinx, and indigenous communities, alongside other people of color. Dr. Alfiee joins Forrest to discuss the unique challenges faced by marginalized youth, disparities in access to mental health services, and the importance of “naming and claiming.” About our Guest: Dr. Alfiee is a wonderful psychologist, researcher, recovering academic, and expert in the mental health needs of racially diverse adolescents, young adults, and families. She spent 20 years in academic medicine, and is the lead au ..read more