Our lives are populated by rituals. Baptisms. Funerals. Graduations. Singing happy birthday, chanting cheers at a sports event, saying grace before dinner. When we perform rituals, there's no causal link between the behavior and the hoped for effect; for example, there's no causal connection between exchanging rings at an altar and becoming wedded to another ... Show More
Sep 15
The 3-Step System for Simplifying Your Work and Life
When people are faced with problems and complexity, our instinct is to add instead of subtract. As a result, we have a tendency to make our work and our lives more and more complex, and less and less effective and fulfilling. Even when what we add is new technology that promises ... Show More
46m 29s
Sep 8
If I Don’t Return: A General's Wartime Journal for His Sons
When Mark Hertling learned he was deploying for Operation Desert Storm, he decided to start a journal.Back then, Mark was an Army major and cavalry officer with two young sons. His unit would be out in front of the main force, and during an intelligence briefing, he was told it c ... Show More
48m 2s
Mar 2023
How Rituals Attach us to our Communities with Dimitris Xygalatas, Ph.D.
"If you randomly assign people in two groups and you give them different insignia or you have them go through different practices, as we saw in this study, they come to like each other more. It's very easy to create this basic sense of belonging and identity. Ritual is particular ... Show More
56m 54s
Feb 2025
Rituals
This episode explores the importance of rituals in relationships, emphasizing how they create trust, connection, and predictability between partners. Whether it is daily acts, like greeting each other after work or having a bedtime routine, or larger, less frequent traditions, li ... Show More
45m 45s
Dec 2022
An Ancient Solution to Modern Problems
<p>People in every country and culture mark important milestones, such as births, marriages and deaths, with intricately choreographed scripts. We even appeal to supernatural forces to give our favorite sports teams an extra advantage. This week on the show, anthropologist <a hr ... Show More
51m 34s
Sep 2024
This Harvard Professor Studies Our Weird Rituals
Whether clinking a glass with a friend, blowing on a cake, touching wood for good luck or tapping the plane before boarding, most of us have at least one weird ritual. Today’s guest, Harvard Professor Mike Norton, studied them for years. In today’s Nudge episode, he shares his fi ... Show More
31m 15s
May 2024
The Science of Rituals & How They Can Transform Our Health, Happiness and Relationships with Professor Michael Norton #452
Have you ever thought about the role that rituals play in our health and wellbeing? Whether it's a morning routine, a pre-game warmup, or a cultural tradition, rituals can provide us with structure, meaning, and connection. Today’s guest is Professor Michael Norton, Professor of ... Show More
1h 48m