Know What You See with Brian Lowery

In the day-to-day of our lives, how often do we feel truly moved? Many of us think we have to get away from our daily reality to experience awe--the feeling that something is so wondrous and mysterious it's a little scary. It can feel like only extraordinary encounters with say art or majestic experiences of nature evoke awe, and we are left with too little of it. But maybe we can learn to cultivate awe and by doing so bring greater meaning to our lives. Guest: Dacher Keltner, Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley, founder and director of the Greater Good Science Center, and host of the podcast The Science of Happiness.

We like to believe that we are masters of our own fate, that we are the cause of our choices and actions. But what if that's not true? Imagine that all of our choices and actions are simply the product of history—whether that goes back one minute or 1000 years—and biological and environmental forces that we often don’t even understand. In this episode we're exploring the question of whether free will exists and whether we should even want it to. Brian’s guest is Robert Sapolsky: Professor of Biology, Neurology, Neurological Sciences, and Neurosurgery at Stanford University and author of Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will.

Race and gender are thought by many to be immutable features of our biology. In some places and spaces, we see significant challenges to this way of thinking about gender, but the biological view of race has proved more durable. How do we understand racial identity from individual and community perspectives? What’s changing about how we define race and how that shapes our interactions with the world around us? Our guest: Rebecca Tuvel: Associate Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Rhodes College.

For many of us, gender is an important part of how we understand ourselves. It affects everything, from the way we present ourselves physically, to how we make sense of others' interactions with us. But what determines our gender? The answer to this question is more complicated than we might think. The way we understand gender can reveal a lot about who we are and who we can be. Our guests: Schuyler Bailer: author, educator, American swimmer and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Rebecca Tuvel: Associate Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Rhodes College.

With so many of us now working at home or on a hybrid schedule, the line between our employment and our personal lives has been blurring. What does work/life balance mean when the boundaries keep shifting? What does our nostalgia for pre-pandemic workplace comedies like The Office say about who we are and who we used to be? And is the dystopian drama series Severance a warning, or a kind of wish fulfillment? Guests: Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Center, Fielding Graduate University Katie Glasser, production intern For more about host Brian Lowery, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

What goes into making a home? For many, it means a physical space, that’s true, and the useful objects we collect within. But it’s also a repository for our memories and aspirations. How we build or decorate our homes signals who we are, our tastes and values, and the signs of our success. It’s where we feel safe and connected, and where we welcome others we trust. But does a home need to be a fixed place to be a stable one?   Guests: Le'Shaun Williams - Rapper, designer, photographer and YouTube content creator, current ex-pat Noami Grevemberg - Author of "Living The Vanlife" and Founder of Diversify Vanlife. For more on Brian Lowery, visit knowwhatyousee.com.

A spouse, a soul-mate, a life partner - however you define “the one”, the search for that person is often confusing and fraught with challenges and doubt. And in a world with so much choice, is it better to enlist the opinions of those who know you best, like your family and friends? Or can more “objective” support like matchmakers and algorithms narrow down the field and yield true love? Guests: Barry Schwartz, Professor Emeritus in Social Theory and Social Action at Swarthmore Radha Patel, founder of Single to Shaadi For more about host Brian Lowery and the show, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

This season Brian explores some of the topics from his book “Selfless: The Social Construction of You”. Specifically, how we see ourselves, and how our relationships and social interactions shape the way we live. Even before the pandemic, there was evidence our social lives were fraying. Engagement in social clubs, civic organizations, churches have been in decline and the traditional ways of meeting new people has lost ground to apps and smartphones. So what does this mean for modern day friendships, and what we all need from these connections? Guests: Danielle Bayard Jackson, Friendship Coach and Educator Anita Gupta, Associate Dean for Student Affairs at Tisch School of the Arts, NYU Riley and Kenji Enright - Friendship “Board Meetings” For more about Brian and the show, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

Here’s another podcast to add to your queue. Matt Abrahams is a Lecturer in Organizational Behavior here at Stanford, and in his podcast, Think Fast, Talk Smart. he speaks with experts about the real world challenges of communicating effectively. From emails, to giving presentations or speaking at family functions, how can we best get our point across in business and in life? Brian Lowery was a guest on a recent episode, and he talked about his new book, Selfless: The Social Creation of "You". Be sure to check out more episodes of Think Fast Talk Smart, wherever you get your podcasts. Stay tuned for new episodes of Know What You See coming this summer!

Cara Santa Maria is the science correspondent on National Geographic's popular television series Brain Games and she hosts the weekly science podcast Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria. In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara invited me to talk about my new book, "Selfless: The Social Creation of "You." Hope you enjoy our conversation and be sure to check out the other episodes of Talk Nerdy, wherever you get your podcasts.

Whether it's the economic after effects of the pandemic, the disruption of work/life balance, or the increasing use of new technology - many of us are feeling the pressure of change at our jobs. In this episode, Brian talks with Brigid Schulte, director of the Better Life Lab at New America and host of the podcast, American Karoshi. We delve into her research into work stress, the impact on our health and well-being, and the challenge of combining work and care to build a more equitable future. For more about the show and Brian Lowery, visit knowwhatyousee.com.

Today, it's still a fact that many employers require job applicants to have a traditional four year degree, and that finding work is often a combination of academic achievement, internships, and networking. But this isn’t the only formula for making a successful living. How can we change these mindsets to allow more workers to build satisfying careers and create a more diverse labor market? There are always opportunities to grow and opportunities to advance. Learning the necessary skills and finding the best place to apply them is the trick. In this episode, Brian Lowery talks first to Raquel Garnett, a healthcare worker looking to upgrade her skills and move into the tech industry. Then, Pathstream CEO Eleanor Cooper discusses how the company's platform helps employers identify and nurture talent from within their own organizations. For more on Brian visit knowwhatyousee.com.

This week on Know What You See, we explore the growing category of remote workers known as “digital nomads”, people who not only work remote, they work from constantly changing locations. With more people transitioning from their jobs, reconsidering their work life balances and leaving urban areas, digital nomads working in the knowledge sector are searching for more freedom and flexibility. On this episode, Brian speaks with Margaret Lilani of Upwork, a platform for talent acquisition, and Trendel Lightburn who has been working remotely while moving from city to city. For more about Brian Lowery go to knowwhatyousee.com

The height of the pandemic lockdown caused widespread job losses, followed by a rise in the number of people quitting work, a sharp uptick the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades. On this episode, Brian Lowery talks to Rakesh Kochhar and Julianna Horowitz of the Pew Research Center who conducted a study of what's been called The Great Resignation. Then, we hear from Julia Pollack, Chief Economist at Zip Recruiter who discusses another work trend that's making headlines. Is "quiet quitting" a bad idea for your career or just another way to address work/life balance? For more on Brian and his work, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

This week, a special bonus episode from Know What You See: What is the self? What are we talking about when we say we know ourselves? Scientists believe the brain defines who we are, but Brian Lowery suggests that the self goes beyond our physical being, rooted in our relationships and interactions with other people. Brian Lowery is The Walter Kenneth Kilpatrick Professor of Organizational Behavior and senior associate dean for academic affairs at the Graduate School of Business. This talk was recorded at Stanford Reunion 2021.

In recent years, our idea of traditional office culture has been turned on its head by the pandemic, the rise of remote work, the explosion of the gig economy, real estate fluctuations and much more. Today's offices are a mix of work locations, communication styles and types of employment. Employees are at different stages of their lives and careers, and that diversity amplifies the complexity of our workforce. To delve into today's multi-generational office culture and how managers and employees are navigating it, host Brian Lowery speaks with former HR director Edwin Ochoa, who supported a multi-generational staff during a company merger as well as the pandemic and the switch to remote work. We also meet Craig Hughes, a political consultant managing the different expectations and approaches of older candidates and younger campaign workers. And we'll hear from Amy Chyan, a producer on this show who's been working out how to shift from having a boss earlier in her career, to being her own boss in this new age of work. For more on Brian and the show, visit knowwhatyousee.com.

In recent years, we’ve seen an explosion in the number of workers supplementing or replacing traditional 9 to 5 jobs with gig work of some kind. People like Joel Lantigua, whose gig work as a courier helps him maintain a certain work/life balance, and the flexibility to pursue other interests. But as more people flock to these types of jobs, what are the implications for workers and the economy? In this episode, Brian Lowery talks with Justin Wolfers, professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan, about the future of task-based work. For more about Brian, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

The pandemic caused many companies to shut down and go remote, which affected many small businesses who cater to corporate office workers. On this episode, we'll hear from Kelly Fitzpatrick, owner of Blue Park Kitchen, whose main clientele practically disappeared in the shift to working from home. Then we’ll talk to Stanford professor Nick Bloom to get a bigger picture of the economic issues surrounding remote work from, from questions about commuting or real estate, to challenges around equity and productivity. For more about host Brian Lowery, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

From teachers to baristas, warehouse workers to nurses, the media has been filled with stories of strikes, walkouts and union votes. The National Labor Relations Board says that petitions for union representation are up more than 50 per cent from this time last year. What's behind this surge in labor organizing? On this episode, Brian talks to Rebecca Givan, Associate Professor in the School of Management and Labor at Rutgers University. They discuss the relationships between workers and management, how the pandemic exposed the inequities of the labor system, and how a new generation of employees is using technology to advocate for their rights. Then, Brian revisits his conversation with Mary Kay Henry, International President of the 2 million-member Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and Roy Bahat, head of Bloomberg Beta, a venture firm investing in the future of work. For more about Brian Lowery, visit knowwhatyousee.com

Today, some workers are asking their companies for more than safe working conditions and fair pay—they are pushing for values-based behavior and decision-making. Employees are making their voices heard on issues like companies’ customers, hiring practices, and content creation. What role should employees play in such decisions? What staff input will companies need to allow to attract the best talent? On this episode, Brian talks with Terra Field, a systems engineer who co-organized the Netflix employee walkout over Dave Chappelle’s comedy special, The Closer. We'll hear about what led to the decision to take a stand against the streamer's release of that program, and why, ultimately, Field chose to leave the company. For more about Brian and the show, go to knowwhatyousee.com.