The On Wisdom podcast features a social-cognitive scientist in Toronto and an educator in London discussing the latest empirical science regarding the nature of wisdom. Igor Grossmann runs the Wisdom & Culture Lab at the University of Waterloo in Canada. Charles Cassidy runs the Evidence-Based Wisdom project in London, UK. The podcast thrives on a diet of freewheeling conversation on wisdom and decision-making, and includes regular guests spots with leading behavioural scientists from the field of wisdom research and beyond. Welcome to The On Wisdom Podcast.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Is our capacity for wise behaviour determined not just by our psychology but also by our physiology?

Is there such a thing as ‘good stress’, and how might our assessment of a situation reduce the chances of us ‘choking’?

And can our own bodies actually be physically affected by other people’s emotions?

Director of UC San Francisco’s Emotion, Health and Psychophysiology Lab Wendy Berry Mendes joins Igor and Charles to discuss the interaction between the psychological and physiological processes underpinning wise behaviour, exploring ‘challenge vs threat’ stress responses, vagal flexibility, affect contagion, and the physiology of social sensitivity and good judgement. Igor wants to know how to stay calm before dance competitions, Wendy shares tales of stressing out unsuspecting young mothers and their babies, and Charles learns of the hidden upsides to mind-body meltdowns. Welcome to Episode 10.

Click here to listen to ‘Episode 10: Wise Bodies, Wise Brains’ in full

Click here to visit the On Wisdom Podcast site.

Click here to get to the podcast through iTunes.

Click here to subscribe to the podcast through your chosen app.

If you have any thoughts about the On Wisdom podcast, please get in touch.

You can contact me at charles@evidencebasedwisdom.com, via the about page or find me on twitter @EBasedwisdom. You can also contact me through the On Wisdom site here or find us on twitter @onwisdompodcast.

Charles