Discover this podcast and so much more

Podcasts are free to enjoy without a subscription. We also offer ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more for just $11.99/month.

Is the journey to self-discovery pointless?

Is the journey to self-discovery pointless?

FromThe Gray Area with Sean Illing


Is the journey to self-discovery pointless?

FromThe Gray Area with Sean Illing

ratings:
Length:
53 minutes
Released:
Jul 17, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

There are many ways people are trying to know themselves these days – from taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test to analyzing their astrological birth charts to identifying their attachment styles. But are any of these methods helpful? Allie Volpe, a senior reporter at Vox, discusses this with Mitch Green, a philosophy professor at the University of Connecticut and author of the book Know Thyself: The Value and Limits of Self-Knowledge. Together they explore why there’s an increased interest in self-knowledge, the merits of self-discovery, and the best way to truly know ourselves.
Host: Allie Volpe (@allieevolpe), Senior Reporter, Vox
Guest: Mitch Green, Philosophy professor at the University of Connecticut
References: 


“A personality test can’t tell you who you are” by Allie Volpe (Vox, Jun. 2023)


Know Thyself: The Value and Limits of Self-Knowledge by Mitchell S. Green (2017, Routledge)


“Why the Meyers-Briggs test is totally meaningless” by Joseph Stromberg and Estelle Caswell (Vox, Oct. 2015)


Strangers to Ourselves: Discovering the Adaptive Unconscious by Timothy D. Wilson (Harvard University Press, 2004)



Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of The Gray Area. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app.
Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts
This episode was made by: 


Engineer: Patrick Boyd


Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Released:
Jul 17, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Winner of the 2020 Webby and People's Voice awards for best interview podcast. Ezra Klein brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. Want to know how Stacey Abrams feels about identity politics? How Hasan Minhaj is reinventing political comedy? The plans behind Elizabeth Warren’s plans? How Michael Lewis reads minds? This is the podcast for you. Produced by Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.