136. How to More Deeply Understand Your World: Caroline Webb, Author of ‘How to Have a Good Day,’ [reads] ‘How Emotions Are Made’

How are you labeled? How have you been labeled by others? And how have you labeled yourself? You listen to this podcast, which means that you're the type of person who thinks about who they are in this world, who they've been and who they're becoming. One of the ways we claim a sense of self is by the labels we give ourselves. What at first can be a helpful handhold can soon become a straitjacket, what William Blake would call a “mind forged manacle”. I'm wondering how your current labels serve you. And I'm wondering how they don't.

Caroline Webb is a renowned expert in the field of behavioral science and how to apply its insights to improve your daily life. She is the author of the popular book How to Have a Good Day. Her career began as an economist working on public policies, but she soon realized her true passion was in the human aspect of economics, specifically what makes a good team and leader. She eventually returned to behavioral economics, where she continues to work as a leadership coach and executive coach. Webb is known for her courage to step out of her comfort zone and take voyages of discovery, she encourages others to do the same.

Caroline reads two pages from ‘How Emotions Are Made’ by Lisa Feldman Barrett. [reading begins at 10:52]

Hear us discuss:

Looking for the “sticky” or resistant parts of change when you’re trying to make a decision. Ask yourself, “What if I were not fearful about that? What would I do? Could I do that in a small way?" [5:05]

“Your emotions are just your brain's best guess at trying to make sense of what's going on, both in what you're experiencing and perceiving from the outside world, but also what you're noticing in your body." [15:12]

“We don't want to reinvent or question everything all the time, because this is actually the way that our brain navigates, see trillions of pieces of data at any given moment. We need to have an interpretation hypothesis." [21:10]

"Maybe what we're experiencing in our heads is a simulation, but that doesn't mean it isn't a wonderful life." [32:23]

"I think of my personal mission in life as being of service to others and helping other people thrive." [33:42]

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Resources:

Lisa Feldman Barrett | How Emotions Are Made