<p><em>New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.</em></p> <p>---</p> <p>Gladwell On: the importance of flow states, why people should have a lifelong pursuit or practice, and how he personally relaxes.</p> <p><br /></p> <p>Malcolm Gladwell is the president and co-founder of the podcasting network <a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pushkin Industries</a>, and the author of six New York Times bestselling books including <a href="https://www.gladwellbooks.com/titles/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point/9780316316965/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Tipping Point</em></a><em>,</em> <a href="https://www.gladwellbooks.com/titles/malcolm-gladwell/blink/9780316172325/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Blink</em></a><em>,</em> <a href="https://www.gladwellbooks.com/titles/malcolm-gladwell/outliers/9780316040341/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Outliers</em></a><em>,</em> <a href="https://www.gladwellbooks.com/titles/malcolm-gladwell/david-and-goliath/9780316204361/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>David and Goliath</em></a>, and <a href="https://www.gladwellbooks.com/titles/malcolm-gladwell/talking-to-strangers/9780316478526/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Talking to Strangers</em></a>. He's also the host of the Pushkin podcast <a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/revisionist-history#episodes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Revisionist History</em></a>. </p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>For tickets to TPH's live event in Boston on September 7:</strong></p> <p><a href="https://thewilbur.com/armory/artist/dan-harris/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>https://thewilbur.com/armory/artist/dan-harris/</strong></a></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>For tickets to TPH's live and live streamed event in Colorado on November 3:</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.milehichurch.org/calendar/10-percent-happier-with-dan-harris/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>https://www.milehichurch.org/calendar/10-percent-happier-with-dan-harris/</strong></a></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Do you have a favorite episode of TPH? We want to hear about it!</strong></p> <p><strong>Here's how you can help us uncover these hidden gems.</strong></p> <ol> <li>Call <strong>+1 508-656-0540</strong></li> <li>Tell us your name and favorite episode</li> <li>And, in a couple of sentences, tell us why this episode hit home for you</li> </ol> <p><strong>Do this and your episode and story may be part of our Deep Cuts feature</strong></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>In this episode we talk about: </strong></p> <p><br /></p> <ul> <li>The backlash Malcolm faced from his work from home comments </li> <li>Pushing the noise aside when it comes to social media </li> <li>Lessons in kindness from a recent <em>Revisionist History</em> episode</li> <li>The importance of flow states</li> <li>How he personally relaxes </li> <li>Why people should have a lifelong pursuit or practice</li> <li>What he thinks now about his famous 10,000 hours argument</li> <li>Why we need to engage and investigate the views of others to be morally alert as human beings</li> <li>And his biggest journalistic mistake</li> </ul> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><em>Content Warning: Brief mention of eating disorders. </em></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Full Shownotes:</strong> <a href="https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.</a><a href="http://tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/joseph-goldstein-598" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/</a><a href="https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/malcolm-gladwell-486-rerun" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">/malcolm-gladwell-rerun</a></p> <p><br /></p>
Actionable Insights
1. Cultivate Lifelong Practices
Find a regular physical or meditative outlet to release from the world and improve well-being. This helps improve sleep and overall sense of well-being by providing a crucial break from daily stressors.
2. Engage in Multiple Worlds
Belong to diverse communities and activities (hobbies, community, work) to create buffers against stress. This approach helps maintain physical and mental health by providing alternative sources of support and joy when one area of life faces challenges.
3. Prioritize Human Connection
Recognize that human connection is a fundamental aspect of well-being and social animals overlook this to their peril. Actively seek and maintain connections with others for a healthier and more fulfilling life.
4. Practice Small Wins Gratitude
Actively look for and acknowledge “small wins” in your daily life. This is a simple yet effective shortcut to shift into a better frame of mind and cultivate gratitude.
5. Manage Online Criticism
Understand that online criticism often comes from a tiny fraction of people and does not represent real-life sentiment. Learn to weigh positive feedback more heavily than negative comments and push aside noise to focus on your goals.
6. Model Kindness & Generosity
Pass down the practice of welcoming strangers and helping others from generation to generation. This makes kindness a persistent part of the world and a natural repertoire of behavior.
7. Engage in Collective Kindness
Participate in collective, manageable acts of kindness with others. This makes helping easier and more sustainable, allowing the “kindness virus” to spread effectively without overwhelming individuals.
8. Seek Empathy Through Exploration
Drive your reading and exploration of the world with a desire to step outside yourself and appreciate others’ perspectives. This cultivates empathy and helps you become a more morally alert human being.
9. Embrace Historical Perspective
Use historical context to understand current challenges and foster optimism. Recognizing that past difficulties were often worse can make present problems feel more manageable.
10. Value In-Person Work Learning
Recognize the “incalculable amount to gain from being in a professional community where you can learn from others,” especially for young people. Leaders should consider their presence in the office to facilitate knowledge transfer and development for junior colleagues.
11. Mastery Requires Prolonged Effort
Understand that achieving mastery in any field requires a significant, prolonged investment of time. This implies the need for early and consistent support, often from social structures like family.
12. Avoid False Certainty
Retreat from making declarative conclusions on subjects where knowledge is evolving or certainty is unwarranted. This prevents journalistic (or personal) hubris and encourages deeper investigation before forming opinions.
Integrate relaxation and meditative techniques into demanding activities to achieve peak performance. This counterintuitive approach, exemplified by sprinters, allows for fluidity and grace even at extreme effort levels.
14. Acknowledge Past Mistakes
Be willing to acknowledge and apologize for past mistakes, even if difficult. Reflecting on errors sensitizes you to similar tendencies and helps prevent future missteps.
15. Speak Up for Beliefs
Be prepared to speak up for your beliefs and challenge existing norms, even if it means paying a personal price. This can be a powerful act of social change and human expression.