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Kurt Gray is a social psychologist and professor who received his PhD from Harvard. I loved his book, Outraged, which is essentially about why we disagree with one another, and how we can actually do it better.
We cover a lot of ground in today’s conversation. We talk about a few funny things that we got wrong about human evolution, and why they matter. Kurt explains what “concept creep” and “the creep of harm” mean—and why we’re generally much safer than we think, but hardwired to see threats where they do not exist.
He shares some very compelling data. For example, on how we say we just want straight facts, but tend to be most compelled by personal, true stories and experiences. We talk about what tends to give birth to polarization, why we behave the way we do on social media, and why we often forget the complexity within our own perspectives.
I’ve found Kurt’s work to be so helpful for understanding how I’m wired, how other people are wired, and what actually motivates us all. I also think his approach is quite calming.
MORE FROM KURT GRAY, PhD:
Kurt Gray’s Website
Follow Kurt on Instagram
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