Eric Weiner is a bestselling author, award-winning journalist, and keynote speaker. He is the author of The New York Times best-selling books The Geography of Bliss, and The Geography of Genius as well as the author of Man Seeks God and The Socrates Express. His books are available in more than twenty languages. Eric is a former columnist for BBC News, a foreign correspondent for National Public Radio, and a reporter for The New York Times. He also regularly contributes to The Washington Post and AFAR. Eric is a self-confessed wandering spirit and philosophical traveler, fascinated by the intersection of places and ideas, where life unfolds.
Eric joins me today to discuss what we can learn from Socrates and the wisdom explored throughout history by philosophers. We discuss Eric’s travels around the world in search of an understanding of happiness, where it is found today, and how it compares to humanity's happiness in the past. We discuss God, religion, spirituality, and the search for wisdom while debating technology's consequences on modern society. Eric also summarises what you will find within the pages of The Socrates Express and discusses the impacts of expectations and success on people today.
“Wisdom is portable; it transcends space and time.” - Eric Weiner
This week on Insert:Human
- Eric's first travel experiences and exploration into why humans are the way they are
- Eric's inspiration for investigating the science and 'where' of happiness
- Why big things don't affect our happiness as much as we think they do
- The happiness of Americans today compared to the golden age of happiness in the 1950s
- Exploring religion and God around the world
- The future role of religion, spirituality, and a hunger for wisdom
- The consequences of technology on humanity and the convenience tax
- Why we should question our assumptions, including ‘faster is better’ and ‘convenient is better’
- How The Socrates Express will explore the wisdom of past philosophers
- Why expectations are the enemy of happiness and why it’s okay to not be okay
- Understanding success and why we should separate effort from the result
Resources Mentioned:
- Steven Pinker
- The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lana
Connect with Eric Weiner:
- Eric Weiner Books
- Eric Weiner Books on Instagram
- Eric Weiner on LinkedIn
- Eric Weiner on Facebook
- Eric Weiner on Twitter
- Eric Weiner on YouTube
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