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Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Research psychologist Angela Duckworth (author of "Grit") and tech and sports executive Mike Maughan really like to ask people questions, and they believe there’s no such thing as a stupid one. So they have a podcast where they can ask each other as many “stupid questions” as they want. New episodes each week. "No Stupid Questions" is a production of the Freakonomics Radio Network.

To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free trial for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

No Stupid Questions

What do Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, and Malcolm Gladwell have in common? Are interesting theories more significant than true ones? And what has been keeping Angela up at night? Plus: an important announcement about the show. 

 

SOURCES:Charles Darwin • , 19th-century naturalist and biologist.
Murray Davis • , cultural sociologist.
Malcolm Gladwell • , journalist and author.
Adam Grant • , professor of management and psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.
B. F. Skinner • , 20th-century American psychologist.

 

RESOURCES:Small Fry, • by Lisa Brennan-Jobs (2018).
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, • by Angela Duckworth (2016).
 • "
Why Malcolm Gladwell’s Ideas Are So Interesting, Whether or Not They’re True • ," by Adam Grant (
Quartz, • 2015).
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants, • by Malcolm Gladwell (2013).
Curious?: Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life, • by Todd Kashdan (2009).
 • "
Interest — The Curious Emotion • ," by Paul J. Silvia (2008).
Exploring the Psychology of Interest, • by Paul J. Silvia (2006).
 • "
The Ketchup Conundrum • ," by Malcolm Gladwell (
The New Yorker, • 2004).
 • "
That's Interesting!: Towards a Phenomenology of Sociology and a Sociology of Phenomenology • ," by Murray S. Davis (
Philosophy of the Social Sciences, • 1971).
The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, • by Charles Darwin (1872).

 

EXTRAS: • "
How Do You Identify a Narcissist? • " by 
No Stupid Questions • (2024).
 • "
Is Screen Time as Poisonous as We Think? • " by 
Freakonomics Radio • (2024).
 • "
Abortion and Crime, Revisited (Update) • ," by 
Freakonomics Radio • (2024).

222. What Makes an Idea Interesting?

How can you learn to love uncertainty? Is it better to cultivate acceptance or strive for change? And, after 223 episodes, what is the meaning of life? 

 

SOURCES:Jessica Alquist • , professor of psychology at Texas Tech University.
Roy Baumeister • , professor of psychology at The University of Queensland.
Raymond Carver • , 20th-century American short story writer and poet.
Stephen Colbert • , comedian and late-night TV host.
Matt Damon • , actor and film producer.
Viktor Frankl • , 20th-century Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher.
Steve Heine • , professor of psychology at University of British Columbia.
Charles Krauthammer • , journalist.
Reinhold Niebuhr • , 20th-century American theologian.
Keanu Reeves • , actor.
Elisabeth Sifton • , author, editor, and book publisher.

 

RESOURCES:Start Making Sense: How Existential Psychology Can Help Us Build Meaningful Lives in Absurd Times, • by Steve Heine (2025).
 • "
Learning to Love Uncertainty • ," by Jessica L. Alquist and Roy F. Baumeister (
Current Directions in Psychological Science, • 2024).
 • "
Confused or Curious? Openness/Intellect Predicts More Positive Interest-Confusion Relations • ," by Kirill Fayn, Paul J. Silvia, Egon Dejonckheere, Stijn Verdonck, and Peter Kuppens (
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, • 2019).
 • "
A Note to Readers • ," by Charles Krauthammer (
The Washington Post, • 2018).
 • "
Interest — The Curious Emotion • ," by Paul J. Silvia (
Current Directions in Psychological Science, • 2008).
The Serenity Prayer: Faith and Politics in Times of Peace and War, • by Elisabeth Sifton (2003).
 • "
Late Fragment • ," by Raymond Carver (
A New Path to the Waterfall, • 1989).
Man's Search for Meaning, • by Viktor Frankl (1946).

 

EXTRAS: • "
What Makes an Idea Interesting? • " by 
No Stupid Questions • (2024).
 • "
Should You Get Out of Your Comfort Zone? • " by 
No Stupid Questions • (2024).
 • "
Do You Need Closure? • " by 
No Stupid Questions • (2024).
 • "
Secret o’ Life • ," by James Taylor (
JT, • 1977).

223. What About All the Questions We Haven’t Answered?

Also: why can't humans handle uncertainty already?

We’re replaying No Stupid Questions, starting here with the very first episode, from May 17, 2020.

1. Did Covid-19 Kill the Handshake?

Also: why do we treat pets better than people? This episode originally aired on May 24, 2020.

2. What is the Optimal Way to Be Angry?

Also: how does age affect happiness? This episode originally aired on May 31, 2020.

3. What Does It Mean to Be a “Hard Worker”?

Also: is life precious because it’s finite? This episode originally aired on June 7, 2020.

4. Does All Creativity Come From Pain?

Also: is there such a thing as too much science?

Plus, our special guest, Luis von Ahn, an inventor of CAPTCHA and a pioneer of free online language learning. This episode originally aired on June 14, 2020.

5. What Do Tom Sawyer and the Founder of Duolingo Have in Common?

Also: should we all have personal mission statements? This episode originally aired on June 21, 2020.

6. Is Incompetence a Form of Dishonesty?

Also: is it better to send a congratulatory note to someone who deserves it or a condolence note to someone who needs it? This episode originally aired on June 28, 2020.

7. How Do You Handle Criticism?

Also: how does a comedian cope with tragedy? With Eugene Mirman. This episode originally aired on July 5, 2020.

8. Wouldn’t It Be Better to Hear Your Eulogy Before You’re Dead?

Is it better to explain a mistake or just accept responsibility? What’s the difference between an excuse and a justification? And why is it important to remember that you’re not a pizzeria on the Jersey Shore? 

 

SOURCES:Robert Cialdini • , professor of psychology at Arizona State University.
Raymond Higgins • , professor emeritus of psychology at University of Kansas.
Martin Seligman • , professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Rick Snyder • , professor emeritus of psychology at University of Kansas.

 

RESOURCES: • "
‘Explain, but Make No Excuses’: Service Recovery After Public Service Failures • ," by Matthias Döring (
Public Management Review, • 2022).
 • "
To Justify or Excuse?: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Effects of Explanations • ," by John C. Shaw, Eric Wild, and Jason A. Colquitt (
Journal of Applied Psychology, • 2003).
 • "
Excuses: Their Effective Role in the Negotiation of Reality • ," by C. R. Snyder and Raymond L. Higgins (
Psychological Bulletin, • 1988).
 • "
The Attributional Style Questionnaire • ," by Christopher Peterson, Amy Semmel, Carl von Baeyer, Lyn Y. Abramson, Gerald I. Metalsky, and Martin E. P. Seligman (
Cognitive Therapy and Research, • 1982).

 

EXTRAS: • "
How Can You Convince Someone They’re Wrong? • " by 
No Stupid Questions • (2021).
 • "
Under the Boardwalk • ," song by The Drifters (1964).

216. Why Do We Make Excuses?

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