In this special crossover episode, People I (Mostly) Admire host Steve Levitt admits to No Stupid Questions co-host Angela Duckworth that he knows almost nothing about psychology. But once Angela gives Steve a quick tutorial on “goal conflict,” he is suddenly a fan. They also talk parenting, self-esteem, and how easy it is to learn econometrics if you feel like it.
Hey there, it's Stephen Dubner.
If there's one thing we've all learned from a year long pandemic shutdown, it's that no two people respond exactly the same way to a year long pandemic shutdown around here.
We responded by starting some new podcasts.
You may already know this if you follow us closely.
The first show we called no stupid questions, and it's kind of a freakonomics radio for psychology.
It is hosted by me and Angela Duckworth, who teaches psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.
And she wrote the book the power of passion and perseverance.
Angela is brilliant and a force of nature.
I love the conversations we have on no stupid questions like this one.
Stephen, I've been wondering about how different I am in different situations.
So I have a question for you.
Are you ready for it?
Yes, I am.
So I wonder about myself, about how different I can act at home versus if I am with colleagues, how different I can think, and even how different I feel.
It's as if there are multiple mes, multiple angelas.
And I wondered whether you have multiple stevens.
One of our other new shows is hosted by Steve Levitt, my freakonomics friend and co author, who's an economist at the University of Chicago.
Levitt's podcast is called people I mostly admire.
He has been having some truly memorable conversations with truly remarkable people like these.
So I was gifted my baboons, and I stuck with them on and off for 33 years.