← Happier with Gretchen Rubin
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- [00:00]
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Hey, it's Hasan Minhaj here from the Hasan Minhaj Doesn't Know podcast. Among other things. And I hate the smell of rotting food almost as much as I hate wasting it in the first place. Thankfully now I have mill. Mill is a food recycler that is odorless, guiltless and completely effortless. See, I've always wanted to reduce my food waste. It is one of the easiest ways for an individual to make a big impact on the environment, but I just cannot stand the mess of a compost bin in the kitchen. But with mill, all you do is drop in your scraps and you let it go. It works quickly and quietly, turning your food, even small bones, into nutrient rich grounds. Now I take out the trash way less, yet my kitchen smells way better and I don't have to feel guilty when my zucchini gets moldy. Plus it looks cool. Yeah, this trash can alternative is so fly. People keep asking me where I got the giant Alexa. It's chic and savvy, but you have to live with mill to really get it. Good thing you can try it risk free for 90 days right now and get $75 off with code HMDK visit mill.com HMDK that is mil.com HMDK happier
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I'm Gretchen Rubin, and this is a little happier A subject that has long interested me is what makes human beings special? What characteristics, if any, distinguish us from other creatures? People have debated this question from ancient times, and some of the proposed answers have been discarded. For instance, researchers used to claim that the use of tools was unique to humans. But now we understand that many creatures use tools. I've made a list. Some of these characteristics are widely known, such as the human only ability to combine words in new ways to express unlimited new ideas. But some are more surprising. For instance, we humans are the only earthly creatures to have chins as of now, and this list is incomplete. And maybe I've made a mistake. Research suggests that human beings have the unique ability to contemplate their own death abstractly. Blush from embarrassment Use symbols that stand for abstract concepts. Have long, fully opposable and precision gripping thumbs do what's called freighted walking which is walking long distance while carrying things Shed emotional tears Cook their food Feel complex shame Ask open ended questions to gain information. Contemplate the distant past and future Build on previous generations discoveries without starting over. Have a low positioned larynx enabling full vowel production. Make fire Gather thousands of genetic strangers Peacefully trade goods with strangers Actively instruct others Wear clothes for modesty Sweat as our primary method of cooling down Throw objects accurately at high speed. Worry about meaning and purpose. Have high contrast eyes with visible whites. I wrote about that in Life in five senses hold marriage or pair bonding rituals Create and understand stories. Make art and music for aesthetic purposes Create laws and formal justice systems. Have a chin. Have an exceptionally long childhood. Create representations of things that don't exist Bury the dead with extensive ritual Lately I've been thinking about this question, but with a new twist. What qualities, if anything, will distinguish us humans from the creations of artificial intelligence? I'm very curious to learn the answer. There I go, asking an open ended question to gain information. Combining words and new ways to express a new idea and using symbols that stand for abstract concepts. I'm Gretchen Rubin and I hope this
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makes your week a little happier.
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Hi Gretchen, Craig Robinson and my little sister Michelle here we host a new podcast called IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson. We know you're the queen of giving advice, so we wanted to get a few tips from you.
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You know Gretchen, a lot of our listeners are going through some major life changes. What advice do you have for folks who are trying to stay grounded in the midst of major life transitions?
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Craig and Michelle, I am so happy to be talking to you. Here are a few questions that might help us gain perspective. So consider questions like this. What activities take up my time but are not particularly useful or stimulating for me? Do I spend a lot of time on something that's important to someone else but is not very important to me? If I could magically change one habit in my life, what would I choose?
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And here's a question. Would I like to have more time
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in solitude, restorative solitude, or would I like to have more time with friends? You know, just thinking about questions like this can help us start to figure out how we might make our lives happier. With greater self knowledge, we're better able to make hard decisions that reflect ourselves, our own nature, our own interests, our own values. In my own case, I have found that the more my life reflects my nature, the happier I get and the more grounded I feel when I'm going through a period of major change or transition. For more great advice, search for IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson. Wherever you get podcast, you can listen to Issa Rae on letting go of certain friendships Keke Palmer on why disappointment is actually the key to career success Seth and Lauren Rogan on caring for aging parents and so many more.