Episode 44: Our Politics, Our Parenting

Pain feels like a simple message from the body. If your elbow hurts, there must be something wrong with your elbow. If your back is painfully stiff, you need some work done on your back. But psychologist Rachel Zoffness says our minds play a much larger role in our experience of ... Show More

As we move through the world, it's easy to imagine we're processing everything that happens around us and then deciding how to respond. But psychologist and neuroscientist Norman Farb says our brains actually navigate the world by coming up with mental maps. These maps act like a ... Show More

Last week, we talked with psychologist Lisa Miller about the science of spirituality. Today, we explore what those ideas can look like in everyday life. Miller explains why moments of connection, spiritual practices, and even periods of suffering can sometimes open the door to de ... Show More

Elections are somewhere between sports and religions for the United States. It seems that, each and every time, people have problems with the official results. In this week's special two-part episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive deep into one of the most ridiculous elections in all of ... Show More

The U.S. feels more polarized than ever, and with election day around the corner, many of us are feeling the strain of political divisions among our friends, family members and loved ones. Keith Payne, PhD, author of “Good Reasonable People: The Psychology Behind America’s Danger ... Show More

The political events in the United States have been a major contributor to our anxieties these past years, and with our significant presidential election looming over us this week - Ann and Sue are here to talk about the hard things. While the world feels unpredictable on the out ... Show More

Donald Trump’s reelection has some people putting politics over family. Audie talks with psychologist Joshua Coleman about the forces driving family estrangements over political differences, how generational differences can play a part in broken family ties, and what to do if you ... Show More

The hosts have a deeper discussion about the tensions in Israel and Palestine as violence escalates between the Israeli military and Hamas. They discuss why the violence can be difficult to discuss, and the bad political actors who take advantage of justified emotions. Then, they ... Show More

These days, Republicans and Democrats don't just disagree with each other's political opinions -- many view members of the other party as immoral and even abhorrent. Eli Finkel, PhD, a social psychologist at Northwestern University in Chicago, led a group of social scientists who ... Show More

This week Greg talks about being punched in the face at his first protest and Mitch explains his mental breakdown at a shooting range. In the end we have a debate about HOW to combat the divide between Liberals and Conservatives. It feels like the world is SO DIVIDED, what is the ... Show More

This election season has been full of court fights over voter access laws. Wendy Weiser, director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center, explains why the problem has more to do with a partisan divide in the judiciary than voter fraud. Also on The Gist, Slate's Amanda Hes ... Show More