logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2024
40m 48s

200. What’s the Difference Between Empat...

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode

Can you ever really know how another person feels? What’s the best way to support a grieving person? And why doesn’t Hallmark sell empathy cards? 

 

  • SOURCES:
    • Daniel Batson, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Kansas.
    • Paul Bloom, professor of psychology at University of Toronto.
    • Paul Polman, businessman, author, and former C.E.O. of Unilever.

 

 

Up next
Today
36. Which Matters More, a First or Last Impression?
Also: does wisdom really come with age? This episode originally aired on January 14, 2021. 
36m 41s
Aug 17
35. Does Psychotherapy Actually Work?
Also: how many “selves” is it OK to have? This episode originally aired on January 17, 2021. 
32m 42s
Aug 10
34. Are Humans Smarter or Stupider Than We Used to Be?
Also: how can you become a more curious person? This episode originally aired on January 10, 2021. 
35m 45s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
33: The Problem with Empathy feat. Jade E. Davis
Abby and Patrick welcome Jade E. Davis, author of the new book The Other Side of Empathy. They discuss Jade’s critique of naïve notions of “empathy” and what she calls “empathy culture.” They examine the ways empathy can flatten suffering, demand particular performances of suffer ... Show More
1h 27m
Jul 2024
596. Farewell to a Generational Talent
Daniel Kahneman left his mark on academia (and the real world) in countless ways. A group of his friends and colleagues recently gathered in Chicago to reflect on this legacy — and we were there, with microphones. SOURCES:Maya Bar-Hillel, professor emeritus of psychology at the H ... Show More
52m 41s
Jun 2024
Loving oneself and loving others | Carol Gilligan, Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek, Richard Wrangham
How much should we really value altruism?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesFrom charity-givers, to those who sacrifice themselves in war for others, we see altrusim and selflessness as virtues to be applauded. Those who take no hee ... Show More
58m 13s
Jun 21
160. How to Help Kids Succeed
Psychologist David Yeager thinks the conventional wisdom for how to motivate young people is all wrong. His model for helping kids cope with stress is required reading at Steve’s new high school. SOURCES:David Yeager, professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. ... Show More
1 h
Aug 2024
Super Soul Special: Daniel Goleman: Emotional Intelligence 101
Original Air Date: December 31, 2018Do you have a good sense of how others see the world? Psychologist, journalist and best-selling author Daniel Goleman discusses his ground-breaking research on emotional intelligence. Daniel explains how we can enhance and manage our emotions t ... Show More
34m 22s
Feb 2025
151. Neurobiologist, Philosopher, and Addict
Owen Flanagan's newest book details his 20-year dependence on alcohol and pills — and outlines his research on what addiction can tell us about the nature of consciousness. SOURCES:Owen Flanagan, philosopher, neurobiologist, and professor emeritus at Duke University. RESOURCES:Wh ... Show More
53m 29s
May 12
Ep. 366: Edith Stein on Empathy (Part Two)
Continuing on The Problem of Empathy. What does it mean to say that we know other people's mental states "non-primordially"? We talk about Stein's project of explaining how empathy is possible, what it gets us, and how her answers differ from Scheler's. Get more at partiallyexami ... Show More
50m 11s
Jul 2018
1 | Carol Tavris on Mistakes, Justification, and Cognitive Dissonance
For the first full episode of Mindscape, it's an honor to welcome social psychologist Carol Tavris. Her book with co-author Eliot Aronson, Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me), explores the effect that cognitive dissonance has on how we think. We talk about the fascinating process ... Show More
1h 11m
Dec 2024
Paula Byrne on Thomas Hardy’s Women, Jane Austen’s Humor, and Evelyn Waugh’s Warmth
Donate to Conversations with Tyler Give Crypto Other Ways to Give What can Thomas Hardy’s tortured marriages teach us about love, obsession, and second chances? In this episode, biographer, novelist, and therapist Paula Byrne examines the intimate connections between life and lit ... Show More
54m 42s
May 28
The Economy of Outrage
This week, the girlies tackle rage bait: the content that’s engineered to make you mad and keep you scrolling. From gutting historic homes to incendiary Republican rhetoric, they explore how anger became a content strategy and why we keep falling for it. They trace the long histo ... Show More
1h 27m