Insanely Happy: Why Good-Enough is Better than Great
August 5, 2013
Hosted by Dr. David Brendel
[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]
Guest Information
Episode Description
Lori Gottlieb noticed in her private therapy practice that many people attributed their unhappiness to something external in their lives – their spouse or lack of a spouse, their boss, their income, their children. Over time, however, she came to believe that often, what was “wrong” in people’s lives was their perception of what daily life was actually about. The sociologist Barry Schwartz said that “expectations are disappointments in training,” and Gottlieb, also a journalist, decided to thoroughly research this concept as it applied to relationships and marriage. In her New York Times bestseller, MARRY HIM: THE CASE FOR SETTLING FOR MR. GOOD ENOUGH, she looks at how our culture’s view of happy relationships is squarely at odds with the scientific research on what actually makes for passionate, fulfilling, and long-lasting marriages, and how more generally, our dogged pursuit of a misguided view of happiness is making many of us, paradoxically, needlessly miserable.
Leading Minds
Archives Available on VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel
Leading Minds with Dr. David Brendel explores how innovative approaches in psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and coaching are empowering individuals in the 21st century to realize their full human potential. The show will feature experts in these areas discussing how people can develop individualized goals and solutions to their greatest challenges, rather than relying on standardized psychiatric treatments and potentially toxic medication. Drawing on new research findings in areas like positive psychology, Leading Minds will educate you about the benefits of “solutions-based” approaches rather than “problems-based” approaches. Expert discussions with renowned psychologists, neuroscientists, philosophers, and coaches will converge on a central theme. This unifying vision is that self-reflection, positive thinking, and personal responsibility will empower you to achieve practical wisdom, develop clear action plans, and achieve lasting success in all areas of their lives.
Dr. David Brendel
Dr. David Brendel is a leading executive coach and psychiatrist based in Boston. His company, Leading Minds Executive and Personal Coaching, provides a wide array of coaching and consulting services to individuals, organizations, and corporations. He is a Master Certified Coach Trainer in the Center for Executive Coaching, where he trains mental health professionals to become coaches. He also chairs a CEO peer group with Vistage International, the world’s leading chief executive organization.
He received his B.A. summa cum laude from Yale, his M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from University of Chicago. He served as a Faculty Fellow in the Harvard Center for Ethics and the Professions. He is the author of Healing Psychiatry: Bridging the Science/Humanism Divide, published by MIT Press. In his private practice, he provides consultation and treatment for adults with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, personality disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, and psychosis.
Dr. Brendel is an experienced media consultant on psychiatric treatments, medical ethics, and use of Internet technologies in clinical practice. In addition to serving as a consultant for PBS and ABC News, he has given dozens of interviews to major media outlets and has been a guest on top radio programs. He currently is Chief Medical Officer for LinkedWellness, a start-up company providing digital health solutions for conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Episode Directory
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
- 8/26/2013: Neuroscience and the art of being awesome Listen Now
- 8/19/2013: A View from the Psych ER: Is Our Society Abandoning the Seriously Mentally Ill? Listen Now
- 8/12/2013: Feel Better With Technology - The Leading Edge of Mental Health Listen Now
- 8/5/2013: Insanely Happy: Why Good-Enough is Better than Great Listen Now
