How Your Beliefs Control Your Future & Why Climate Solutions Need a Rethink

Summary

Podcast Summary: Something You Should Know

Episode: How Your Beliefs Control Your Future & Why Climate Solutions Need a Rethink
Date: July 2, 2026
Host: Mike Carruthers
Guests: Shawn Achor (Author, Psychologist), Elizabeth Dunn (Psychologist, Author)

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Episode Overview

This episode of "Something You Should Know" dives into the transformative power of personal beliefs and why rethinking our approach to climate solutions could lead to both a healthier planet and happier lives. Host Mike Carruthers first discusses with psychologist Shawn Achor how optimism and core beliefs impact our life trajectories—potentially more than talent or luck. Later, psychologist Elizabeth Dunn suggests that environmental action need not be rooted in guilt and sacrifice, but can instead inspire more joyful, sustainable choices.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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I. How Your Beliefs Shape Your Future

Guest: Shawn Achor
Segment Start: 05:24

The Power of Belief

• Our beliefs don’t merely reflect reality—scientifically, they can actually bend reality. (05:24)
• Beliefs as Self-Fulfilling Prophecies: A study from Yale tracked 12,000 seniors over 12 years and found that the belief in possible growth as one ages led many to outperform their younger selves, contrary to the prevailing "decline with age" narrative. (05:44)
• Notable Quote:

  “When they believed that growth was possible, it turns out that's exactly what they saw happening in the data set, which started to change what we thought, things that we thought were scientifically fixed...” — Shawn Achor (07:29)

Core Beliefs and Their Origins

• Many influential beliefs go unrecognized and are simply accepted as fact—e.g., that seniors must decline with age, or more broadly, beliefs about luck, opportunity, and competence. (09:51)
• Placebo Effect and Unconscious Belief: Even color associations (yellow/orange = stimulant; blue/purple = tranquilizer) have measurable effects, driven by subconscious beliefs. (10:15)
• The "Lucky Newspaper" Experiment: People who consider themselves lucky are more likely to notice unexpected opportunities (like a hidden message doubling their reward), while “unlucky” people often miss them, even in identical circumstances. (11:39)
• Notable Quote:

  “When someone has an optimistic mindset…it improves literally every single business and educational outcome we know how to test for.” — Shawn Achor (13:57)

Seven Core Beliefs Predicting Positive Outcomes

(14:38)

• My behavior matters
• I matter
• I am not alone
• This work is meaningful
• I have something to give
• I have something to be grateful for
• There is something greater than me
• People lacking these tend to experience burnout, anxiety, loneliness, and depression.

Where Beliefs Come From & Contagion

(16:16, 19:55, 21:35)

• Beliefs often stem from authority figures or cultural messages (e.g., “girls aren’t good at math”) and can be swiftly absorbed or embedded in the psyche.
• Stereotype Threat: Exposure to certain stereotypes can negatively impact people’s performance—even when those stereotypes are untrue for the individual (19:55).
• Belief Contagion: Attitudes, optimism, and behaviors are highly contagious within social networks. Smiling at someone can actually trigger happiness in their brains—even without them smiling back. (24:15)
• Notable Quote:

  “Our beliefs collectively shape what happens next.” — Shawn Achor (25:40)

The Big Picture

• Beliefs not only shape personal futures—they generate societal ripples.
• According to a Gallup statistic, 32% of Americans currently believe "we’re in the end times," which Achor argues fundamentally shapes collective behaviors, hope, and engagement with the world. (25:40)

Segment End: 27:02

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II. Why Climate Solutions Need a Rethink

Guest: Elizabeth Dunn
Segment Start: 29:09

Rethinking the Narrative: Beyond Doom & Sacrifice

• Historically, climate narratives have leaned heavily on fear, guilt, and sacrifice—eat less, use less, fly less—which can alienate or fatigue people. (29:33, 31:40)
• Dunn advocates a shift to a more joyful, empowering approach, focusing on how pro-environmental behaviors can also enhance personal well-being and happiness.
• Notable Quote:

  “We think there's an opportunity to live fuller lives, happier lives, and tackle climate change at the same time.” — Elizabeth Dunn (30:16)

Small Changes, Big Gains—But Not All Actions Are Equal

• Some commonly-cited actions (e.g., turning off lights) have a minimal impact, while others (changing diet, how we travel, where we live) can be much more significant. (32:08, 35:16)
• Research Example:

  “If I were to leave the lights on in my two bedroom condo for the rest of my life, it would be equivalent in terms of carbon to eating 13 hamburgers.” — Elizabeth Dunn (36:08)

• Food Habits: Swapping beef/lamb for chicken can significantly cut your personal environmental impact. Restricting high-carbon foods (like chocolate) makes them more enjoyable—the treat effect. (32:08, 33:42)
• Notable Quote:

  “A large dark chocolate bar is similar to a lamb chop in terms of its carbon impact.” — Elizabeth Dunn (34:23)

Lifestyle Choices with Real Impact

• Location Matters: Where you live (relative to energy grid cleanliness) dramatically affects your carbon footprint. Running an air conditioner in clean energy Vermont is orders of magnitude better than in coal-powered Wyoming. (37:08)
• Choosing Joyful Action: People respond better to environmental initiatives when they align with their values and lifestyles, not when subjected to guilt or forced uniformity. (43:02)
• Notable Quote:

  “People do not like being told what to do... There's a much more joyful approach available here: 'What matters to you? What would make your life better?' Let's focus on that.” — Elizabeth Dunn (44:46)

Rethinking Travel:

• Air travel is carbon-intensive, but flying lighter (with only carry-on) can make a noticeable difference. Vacationing closer to home can yield both climate and happiness benefits. (45:22)
• “Flying with a typical checked bag is equivalent to taking an extra six year old child on the flight with you in terms of carbon emissions.” — Elizabeth Dunn (45:49)
• Exploring local attractions can replicate the joy of distant travel with lower carbon impact. (46:20)

Empowerment Through Individual and Collective Action

• Changing the narrative from “every little thing matters” to “focus effort where it counts most.”
• Individual actions do add up and can influence businesses and policymakers, but should not be rooted in shame or perfectionism. (47:17)
• Belief in Impact:

  “A lot of what has to happen is people have to actually believe that doing these things really does matter, that it really makes a difference.” — Mike Carruthers (47:56)

Segment End: 48:24

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Shawn Achor (On beliefs as reality-bending):
  “Our beliefs collectively shape what happens next.” (25:40)

• Elizabeth Dunn (On joy and climate):
  “We think there's an opportunity to live fuller lives, happier lives, and tackle climate change at the same time.” (30:16)

• Research finding:
  “If I were to leave the lights on in my two bedroom condo for the rest of my life, it would be equivalent in terms of carbon to eating 13 hamburgers.” (36:08)

• On the contagiousness of mindset:
  “If I smile at you... your brain shows the same activation patterns as if you're smiling.” — Shawn Achor (24:15)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 05:24 – Introduction to how beliefs shape outcomes (Shawn Achor)
• 07:29 – Yale senior aging study (Belief and aging)
• 11:39 – Lucky Newspaper experiment (belief & opportunity)
• 14:38 – The seven core beliefs that drive success
• 19:55 – Stereotype threat and performance (math/gender)
• 24:15 – Belief contagion; neuroscience of social mood
• 25:40 – Society-wide beliefs & societal outcomes
• 29:09 – Interview with Elizabeth Dunn begins (climate, happiness)
• 32:08 – Chicken vs. beef (diet change impacts); chocolate study
• 35:16 – Rethinking “turn off the lights” as environmental action
• 37:08 – Relocation impacts carbon footprint
• 43:02 – Individual values vs. one-size-fits-all climate actions
• 45:22 – Air travel: luggage and local tourism
• 47:56 – Host summary of belief’s role in action

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Summary & Takeaways

• Personal transformation: The beliefs you hold are not passive—they direct your attention, options, and decisions, profoundly shaping your future. Examining, questioning, and consciously shifting those beliefs (optimism, possibility, agency) can alter the course of your life.
• Societal change: Beliefs are also social—your mindset and behaviors ripple out to influence others, forming a collective reality.
• Climate action reimagined: Environmental solutions that center on shame and sacrifice are less effective and less joyful. Instead, focus on large-impact actions that also enhance your life (diet, travel habits, location, civic engagement), and be mindful of everyday “habit traps” that don’t move the needle.
• Empowerment over guilt: Both guests emphasize agency, collective influence, and the need to realign beliefs about what’s possible—whether in personal happiness, aging, or saving the planet.

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Episode in a Sentence:
Your beliefs—about possibility, yourself, and the world—are the strongest predictors of your future; similarly, believing in joyful, meaningful, and truly effective climate actions (rather than mere deprivation) can empower you to create positive change and a happier life.

Transcript

[A]

Today on something you should know. The reason some people slurp their food, even though it can be so annoying, then what you believe about yourself and the world can change everything about your life.

[B]

When someone has an optimistic mindset, when they have optimistic beliefs, it improves literally every single business and educational outcome we know how to test for. Basically, what we're finding is that a positive brain positively changes the next outcome for you.

[A]

Also, common words today that would have sounded ridiculous not that long ago and things you can do to help the planet that are not all about making sacrifices.

[C]

So I think the climate movement has gone a little awry in sort of emphasizing that approach. And I think there's a much more joyful approach to say, hey, what matters to you? What would make your life better? Let's focus on that.

[A]

All this today on something you should know. So Wayfair just became a sponsor here. So my wife and I, we've been spending way too much time on their website trying to decide what to get. Honestly, I had no idea they carried this much stuff. Furniture, outdoor living, lighting, everything for the kitchen, storage, rugs. I mean, it just keeps going. At first we were sure we were going to get a couple of Adirondack chairs for the backyard. But then we started looking at patio furniture because ours has seen better days and somehow we ended up looking at lamps and storage cabinets. One thing that really surprised me was the prices. I kept finding things that looked like they'd cost a lot more and I like that Wayfair has Wayfair verified where their product specialists actually test and vet products before recommending them. Plus, with over 20 million five star reviews, you can see what real customers think before you buy. I'll update you later on what we actually get. But if you've been putting off upgrading a room or your patio or really anything around the house, I highly recommend you just start browsing. Wayfair. Ready to upgrade your home for way less? Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home and get your space ready for less. That's W A Y F A I R.com Wayair Wayfair.

[C]

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[B]

Something you should know. Fascinating intel, the world's top experts and practical advice you can use in your life today.

[A]

Something you should know with Mike Carruthers. Don't you just hate it when somebody sitting near you is slurping their food? Well, you might hate it just a little less after you hear this. Hi, I'm Micah Ruthers. Welcome to something you should know. So there may be no dining habit more annoying than listening to somebody slurp their food. Yet in some parts of the world, especially when eating noodles, slurping isn't considered rude at all. In fact, it's encouraged. And there may be good reasons why. Scientists who study flavor say slurping can actually make food taste better. When you slurp, you pull air into your mouth along with the food. And that extra air helps carry aroma molecules to your nose through a process called retronasal olfaction. Since much of what we perceive as flavor actually comes from smell, slurping can make food seem more flavorful and satisfying. Slurping also cools hot food as they enter your mouth, allowing you to eat them at a temperature that may better release their aromas. That's one reason noodle lovers in Japan often insist that ramen is meant to be slurped, not politely twirled and chewed. So while the sound may drive everyone around you crazy, the slurper may actually be getting more flavor out of his bite than everybody else. And that is something you should know. Why do some people seem to thrive in the exact same circumstances that leave other people stuck and anxious or overwhelmed? According to my guest, the answer may have less to do with talent, intelligence, or luck, and more to do with belief. The beliefs you hold about yourself, other people, money, work, success, even whether the future will be better than the past don't just influence how you think. They influence what you do, what opportunities you see, what risks you take, and ultimately what happens to you. In fact, my guest says that scientifically speaking, beliefs don't just reflect reality, they can actually bend reality. Joining me is Sean Achor. Sean is one of the leading experts on the connection between mindset, happiness, and success. His TED Talk has been viewed more than 25 million times. He's advised everyone from Fortune 100 companies and NASA to the NFL and and two US presidential administrations. He's author of a book called the Power of Beliefs. Hey, Sean. Welcome to Something youg Should Know.

[B]

Thank you so much for having me.

[A]

So the sentence that really grabbed me when I was looking over the information about your book is this sentence. The greatest predictor of your future is the beliefs you hold about the world. So I'd like you to explain that because I think that's a great place to start this conversation.

[B]

That's a great place to start. I think we've known for a long time that our beliefs are powerful. What the research that I've been doing over the past 10 years has been showing is that we've been underestimating how powerful our beliefs are of predicting our future lives. For example, a study came out earlier this year from Yale and they tracked 12,000 seniors over a 12 year period of time from age 65 to age 77. And most people believe that as you get older, as you move towards 77, that there's a decline mentally and physically. We hold that belief. We don't, we don't even put that in the belief category. We put that in the scientific fact category. But it turns out that that's actually accurate. When they looked at the research for the 12,000 seniors, it turns out that the most people and the average person did decline mentally and physically during that time. But what they discovered in, in that data set changed the way that we thought about how beliefs work. Because what they found is that while it's true that we decline, it turns out that for 32% of the seniors using the same measures of cognition and memory, it turns out that at age 77, 32% of them outperformed their 65 year old self, that they actually improved and got better. During that period of time, 26% of the seniors had actually, on the same physical measures, had improved as well. So one out of three or one out of four of the seniors had done something that was completely opposite of what we thought just naturally happens in life, that as you age you automatically decline. And I'm not going to argue that we don't decline, but what I'm going to argue for is that it doesn't necessarily happen up until age 77 like we believe it does. When they went back into the research, what they discovered at Yale and why it became such an important study is, is they found the only differentiating factor between the seniors that improved and the ones that declined was the belief about how they were supposed to fare during that period from 65 to 77. If they believed that as you got older you became more useless or that you declined, it turns out that's exactly what they saw with 2/3 or 3/4 of the seniors. But for a third of the seniors, when they believed that growth was possible, it turns out that's exactly what they saw happening in the data set, which started to change what we thought, things that we thought were scientifically fixed, our beliefs were changing. What would happen even 12 years later in someone's life?

[A]

Wow. Well, that's a pretty impressive story. If you did it again with those same people and Instead of being 77, they were now, you know, 90, how old would they be? And many of them may have likely passed away. I mean, beliefs can only take you so far. At some point, the grim reaper will come get you.

[B]

Yeah, that's absolutely true. And this is such an important distinction in the research is that positive beliefs don't guarantee positive outcomes, but they do propel us towards them. What that means is that if you have two individuals, both starting at age 65, and one believes that they're naturally just going to decline up until age 77, and that they're going to get worse mentally and physically, and that they'll become more, in the study, useless in society, it turns out that actually increases the likelihood of them falling into that category of the seniors that declined. But when they believed that change and growth was possible, those were the ones that trended. Their trajectory trended in a positive direction. Which is part of the reason why that our beliefs about the world change the math about what is possible and probable in our lives. And not only does it change the math by changing the math, beliefs change the path we take. It changes how engaged we are with other people. It changes our likelihood of looking for work or looking for love. And by opening up those possibilities for people, it changes us.

[A]

Well, you said something in the beginning, and that is that that belief in that study, that. That belief of what happens to you, we don't even consider it a belief. So you can't really change your belief unless you realize it's a belief. And so what are the kinds of beliefs that maybe we don't pay attention to or don't realize that they're beliefs that we could change?

[B]

Such a great question. Because we have beliefs about a lot of things, but most people don't put them in that category. For example, when I ask most people about the beliefs that they hold about this world, they'll usually tell me whether or not they're liberal or conservative. And. And if I say, okay, give me some more beliefs, then they might tell me if they're religious or not. And then if I say, okay, great, give me some more, after that, people start to peter out. They say, I don't know. I think my jets are going to win the super bowl next year. Which both of us know is not in the realm of possibility. But what's amazing about this is that we actually have an unlimited beliefs about the world. We have beliefs about whether or not it's safe to get into a waymo or whether or not crypto has value. We have beliefs about whether or not AI is improving our lives or it's going to cause the extinction of humanity. We have beliefs about things we don't even know we have beliefs about. For example, researchers have continually shown that if I give you a fake sugar pill, a placebo, and we color it yellow or orange, for the majority of people, it has a stimulant effect upon it, upon those individuals. Even if there's no medicine in the placebo. And if it's colored blue or purple or green, it turns out it's that for many people, it has a tranquilizing effect. You might not even know that your brain has equated those beliefs to those outcomes, but it's still creating that pattern, even if it's a conscious or an unconscious belief. In our lives, what we're trying to evaluate is, are the beliefs that we hold about the world serving us. For example, the one that I mentioned with the Yale study about aging. But there's some incredible studies that we had been overlooking that show show how much our beliefs change even today. So, for example, there is a demonstration experiment done by Richard Weissman in the uk and he gave everyone all the participants that came into a study, he gave them a newspaper and had them count the number of photographs in the newspaper. And if they got it right, they would get five pounds because it was occurring in the uk. And before giving them the newspaper, he asked them a series of questions. And the questions were things like, do you believe you're a lucky person, or do you believe you're an unlucky person? Do you think good things just naturally happen to you, or do bad things just keep happening to you in your life and you have to be resilient? Those are proxy questions for optimism. Then he has them take this test where they count the number of photographs. Well, what the participants don't know is on page two of the newspaper and in everyone's newspaper in big letters. But outside of a photograph, it says, stop the experiment now. If you stop now, the researchers will give you £10 double the offering in the first place. It turns out that the majority of the participants who claimed that they were unlucky, the good things just don't happen to them. The majority of them finish the study and get paid the five pounds. After counting the photographs, the majority of the people who claim that they were lucky, the good things just happened to them. The majority of them stop the experiment on page two and get paid double the amount of the other participants. Neuroscientists later looked to see why this was occurring. And what it turns out is when your brain believes that there's a possibility for good things to happen, in your world, if you believe that good things could happen, your brain scans for the likelihood of those things occurring. It scans for possibility. And as a result of that, when you scan for possibility and create resources for that, you see opportunities like those students did on page two. But if you believe that bad things happen to you, or that the world is against you, or that people are selfish, or that if you believe any of the cynicism or pessimism or skepticism that causes us to ignore the potential for optimism or for opportunities in an environment, your brain doesn't scan for them, and as a result of that, you miss it. What we see when we look at the research in aggregate is that when someone has an optimistic mindset, when they have optimistic beliefs, it improves literally every single business and educational outcome we know how to test for. Basically, what we're finding is that a positive brain possibly changes the next outcome for you.

[A]

But I know people, I've worked with people who are very successful and some of the most miserable people to be around.

[B]

Yes, you can have very successful people that are negative. You can have very successful people or very negative people who live to be 100. But the path that you take along the way is going to be impacted by the beliefs we hold. And it's not just our optimism. In the book, I identify these seven core beliefs that I think are these umbrella beliefs. They're the most predictive. So there's lots of beliefs we have about the world, but some of them change the needle more than others. And so I look back not only at psychology, but my background initially was from the divinity school. So I was looking back at religion, I was looking back at history. And what I kept finding were these seven pattern patterns that kept emerging. I wasn't looking for seven. I hoped it wasn't seven, because my first book was about seven principles. But what I kept finding was that these core beliefs shifted you one direction or other. If you believe that your behavior matters versus it doesn't. So the belief that my behavior matters, or that I matter, or that I am not alone, or that this work is meaningful, or that I have something to give, that have something to be grateful for, or there is something greater than me, those seven beliefs trended people in almost every study I looked at in a positive direction. And if you believe that my behavior doesn't matter, that I'm alone, that I don't matter, this work is not meaningful, that I have nothing to give, I'm missing out, and there's nothing greater than me. It leads to exactly what we're seeing in society, which is these four horsemen of the modern world, the burnout, anxiety, loneliness and depression that are literally at historic highs.

[A]

I want to explore where beliefs come from because, well, when I think about it, I believe a lot of things, but I'm not sure what has led me to believe those things. So let's discuss that in just a moment. One thing I love about summer is how simple getting dressed becomes. And I've noticed something kind of funny. When I'm getting ready in the morning, I keep looking for the same shirt. Not because I plan to wear it, it's just the one I want. For me, that's my quince linen shirt. It's light, it's breathable, it looks good without trying too hard. And somehow it works, whether I'm meeting someone for lunch or just running errands. That's when you know you've bought something good, when you stop thinking about it and you just reach for it. I have several quince pieces now, and they're all like that. Their T shirts are incredibly soft. The linen is perfect for the summer heat. And when the evening cools off, their lightweight cotton sweaters are exactly right and they look great. What also impressed me is that Quint sells everything for 50 to 80% less than similar brands because they work directly with ethical factories and skip the middleman. So you're paying for the quality, not the middleman, not somebody else's marketing budget. And it isn't just clothing anymore. We've picked up things for the house and for travel too, and the quality is consistently excellent. Make your summer wardrobe easier. Go to quints.comsysk for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q U I n c e.comSYSK for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.comSYSK One thing I've noticed after interviewing literally hundreds of entrepreneurs over the years is that almost nobody starts a business with a perfect plan. No, they start with an idea. That's how I started. But you gotta take the first step if you've got something you've always wanted to sell. Shopify makes that first step a whole lot easier. You don't have to worry about how your online store will look or how you're gonna get paid or what your checkout process is. Shopify has all that handled. That means less time wrestling with the technology and more time doing what actually grows a business. Shopify already powers millions of businesses worldwide, from big brands like Mattel and Gymshark to new businesses just starting up. So maybe they should be powering your business as well. With Shopify, nothing stands between your idea and and a real business. So go make it one. Start your free trial at shopify.com sysk that's shopify.com sysk shopify.com sysk we're talking about your beliefs with my guest Shawn Achor, who is author of the book the Power of Beliefs. And Sean, when you consider how many beliefs we hold, we don't really question them. And in many cases, we don't know where they came from. There are a lot of beliefs in society that people buy into and sometimes they stick around, sometimes they go. I mean, there was a pretty strong belief, for example, that girls aren't good at math. And, you know, that's pretty much gone away. But I think people really believe that.

[B]

Before I got into this research, there is a whole field on stereotype threat research, which is if there's a stereotype in society and you activate it, you can change the performance of someone that either has that belief or doesn't have that belief. So, for example, if you have a group of women, which is what they did in most of the studies, a group of women where half of them read an article that says just a neutral article about math, and then the other half read an article that says women are bad at math, and then after reading that short article, then both groups take a math test, and if they're randomly assigned, both groups should have equal test scores. There's no statistical reason why there should be any change to their math ability. But after reading an article that says the people like you are bad at math, you do worse at math, which is amazing. That just priming a negative belief in someone that isn't even true of the individual, listening to it can actually cause you to get worse at very simple things like math, but can also do much damage to much more complex things like can I find a job? Or can I find love? Or is this world against me or for me?

[A]

You know, as I think about this, I wonder how many beliefs people have because someone told them to believe it. In other words, some authority on something stated something as a fact and you buy it. And so now it's your belief, but it may not be a fact and maybe shouldn't be a belief.

[B]

Yes. So I think that's exactly it, because let's take someone who's looking at the job market right now with AI coming in. I just had an experience where I came in to speak at a Large public school. And the superintendent got up in front of me and said, we've got a guy to come talk about positive beliefs and happiness, because we could all use it right now because our graduates are graduating into the worst world the graduates have ever graduated into. I heard him, and what I realized was, one, I think he's wrong, but two, he's changing how the students, the parents, and the staff are experiencing a challenge in this world. First of all, these kids are not graduating into a world in which there's a military draft in the United States, like in the 20s and 30s and 70s. They're not graduating into a world where war or into a Great Depression. They're not graduating into a world in which there's no anesthesia. There are massive headwinds and challenges that people are experiencing right now. But when you categorize it as the worst possible world we can graduate into, it changes whether or not we want to bring kids into this world or whether or not we're going to focus on our poetry or studying English or history. But to your point, if it's. You look at this world, if someone believes that there are no jobs out there, they don't apply for jobs, which makes logical sense, because there's no jobs. But if you believe that their jobs are just really hard to get, you have an increased likelihood of applying for that job, which at least increases the likelihood of you getting that job over a state where you never applied for the job. So what you're seeing is how much our future life can change based upon what we think is given and. And what we hear from other people. And if the sources around us, like that superintendent are telling you that this is the most dangerous world, that the world is against you, that change is not possible, that humans are, you know, going to be defunct in just a few years, or that only a few rich people can ever be successful in their life, or you have to be super tall to be successful. Whatever it is that those beliefs are constraining us, but they're not serving us. And if we can find a way of changing those, even in small ways, it changes the next step we take.

[A]

You know what I wonder is how contagious are beliefs? Not because you tell somebody to believe it, but that just a general sense of we all believe this actually helps people believe that.

[B]

You know, all throughout human history, if I smile at someone and there's really only two options, they either smile back at me or they don't smile back at me.

[C]

And.

[B]

And then that's the end of the Story, if that's a stranger for all of human history, I have no idea if I have improved that person's business outcomes or their life or they're treating their kids better. But now we have big data, and now we have neuroscience, and what we've been able to find is those small little behaviors you're doing, like smiling, waving at people. It turns out with big data we can track, we found that if I smile at you, and we are doing a brain scan of you, your brain shows the same activation patterns as if you're smiling. And even if you don't emote the smile. So if someone doesn't smile back, it turns out their brain patterns, the mirroring parts of their brains activate and their brain is basically smiling. It's like, what's the problem here, face. So you've been able to change someone's neurochemical patterns and their brainwave patterns in a 1/2 period of time. And when people learn this about the science and the research that's out there about how powerfully we're impacting other people, it becomes not about my beliefs, just lead to good outcomes for me. It becomes our beliefs collectively shape what happens next. And I was looking, I found the statistic from Gallup that I was stunned at that said that 32% of Americans believe that we're in the end times right now, that people across the political aisle and religious or not religious, 32%, 1 out of 3Americans believe we're in a rapid descent into entropy or towards Armageddon. If you believe that that changes what happens next within our world, it changes the decisions we make, it changes our hope, it changes how much we're going to smile and wave at other people. And in the midst of that, if we hold those beliefs, it leads us into a negative direction. But if we hold the beliefs that our behavior matters collectively and that we are not alone, and that when I do something like wave and smile, it actually could create a ripple effect that I never even see 2, 3, 4 degrees separate. Then suddenly people are more likely to make those belief changes and then those habit changes.

[A]

Well, this conversation, I don't know about other people, but it's made me think about what my beliefs are and where they came from and why I believe what I believe. It's a really interesting topic. I've been talking to Sean Achor. He is one of the world's leading experts on the connection between mindset, happiness and success. He has a TED talk that's been viewed more than 25 million times, and he is author of a book called the Power of Beliefs. There's a link to his book and to his TED Talk in the show notes. Great, Shaun. Thanks so much.

[B]

Thank you so much, Mike. It's been a pleasure.

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

And we're live from the living room as Doug eyes up the Match Day spread. He's reaching for the buffalo wing. Perfect.

[B]

Hang on.

[C]

What's this?

[A]

Oh, he's gone for a can of Pepsi too. Incredible. What a finish. Sensational combination. Look at the delight on his face. There's no doubt about it. He just tastes better. Match days deserve Pepsi. Food deserves Pepsi. Grab a pack of Pepsi. Zero sugar for today's match. It's poetry in motion. When you think about doing things to help the environment, you probably think about doing things less. Drive less, fly less, turn down the thermostat, don't do this. Consume less of that. Saving the planet often sounds like a long list of sacrifices. But what if that's the wrong approach? What if some of the best things you can do for the environment also make you happier? What if protecting the future isn't about deprivation at all, but about making better choices that improve your life right now? That's the intriguing argument of psychologist Elizabeth Dunn. Her research has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Rolling Stone, and many other media outlets. Her TED Talk was selected as one of the top 10 TED Talks of the year. She is co author of the book Leave the Lights How Joyful Decisions Can Save Our Species. Hi Elizabeth. Welcome to something you should know.

[C]

Hi there. Thanks so much for having me.

[A]

So I think when people think about what they can do to help the environment to save the planet, the problem is over consumption. So the obvious solution is to consume less to do less. And that is the way that you can make a difference in helping the environment and fighting climate change.

[C]

We really want to change the way people think about climate change. So there's so much shame and guilt and anxiety and fear hovering around the topic of climate change. And for good reason. I mean, climate change is Scary. But we think that climate change is also an opportunity to think differently about our lives and to find ways to live in happier, brighter ways.

[A]

Yeah, well, there is this idea that when you think about what you can do, it's all about sacrifice and denial. And you can't do that. And we don't do that anymore. And it's kind of depressing.

[C]

Yeah, it's a lot of less, less, less. Right. Eat less meat, drive less, shower less. And actually we think there's an opportunity to live fuller lives, happier lives, and tackle climate change at the same time.

[A]

And I think there's a lot of the what can I personally do? Feeling that, you know, if I drive a little less, if I fly a little less, it's not going to make any difference.

[C]

Yeah, it's easy to feel as individuals that anything we do is such a drop in the bucket that it doesn't matter. And the truth is that we as individuals actually have a lot of opportunities to make a difference. So we tend to look to governments and companies as the ones bearing the responsibility to make change. And that's true. Governments and companies have a lot of responsibility. But actually we as individuals have more power than we think to change the way those larger systems, systems work and to change our own behavior.

[A]

Do you agree that in an attempt to draw attention to climate change and the environment, that there's been a bit of an overreach, that people have been saying, you know, that, you know, kind of the sky is falling, that, you know, humanity's going to end and that people, since it hasn't happened, we're still here, that people have been turned off a bit by that.

[C]

I mean, I think to draw attention to this issue, climate activists, for good reason, were kind of yelling fire. Right? And that can be good for mobilizing quick action. But if you just keep yelling fire, it gets pretty exhausting over time. And so we think that a more sustainable approach to encouraging pro environmental action lies in helping people see how they can live more joyful lives by living

[A]

more sustainably by doing things. Like what?

[C]

Well, for one thing, thinking about replacing some of our high carbon foods, like steak and lamb, with lower carbon alternatives. And that doesn't mean you have to go vegan. So in fact, just eating chicken rather than beef makes a huge difference in terms of your climate impact. And my research suggests that having foods we enjoy a little less often can actually enhance our capacity to enjoy them.

[A]

Explain that. Explain the research there.

[C]

So in one study we conducted, we brought people into our lab and asked them to Eat some chocolate. And chocolate is actually a surprisingly high carbon food. And then we asked one group of students to refrain from eating chocolate for one whole week. Meanwhile, we gave other students a big bag of chocolate and asked them to eat as much as they comfortably could over the ensuing week. And then a third group got no stuff special chocolate related instructions. Then we brought everyone back into the lab a week later and asked them to eat some chocolate again. And each time they ate chocolate in our lab, we measured how much they savored it and seemed to enjoy it. And what we discovered was that people who had been asked to give up chocolate for one week savored it more than those in the other two groups. So this suggests then that if you can kind of identify those high carbon foods that you enjoy and don't give them up completely. I mean, I'm a happiness researcher. I want people to enjoy life, but we have those foods a little bit less often. We kind of turn them back into treats and that can help us get more pleasure from these high carbon foods.

[A]

So what makes a food a high carbon food?

[C]

Yeah, I mean, it's all of the production that goes into the food. I mean, the ultimate sort of like bad boys of the meat world are definitely beef and lamb, and they are high carbon in part. You know, anything involving cows, you're basically talking a lot of carbon. And kind of a steam simple dichotomy is that in general, plant based foods tend to be pretty low in carbon. But there are some exceptions, such as chocolate, because of the way that it's made. It does tend to be pretty high in carbon.

[A]

Like, like compared to beef. How high is it?

[C]

The analogy that we provide is that a large dark chocolate bar is similar to a lamb chop in terms of its carbon impact. Again though, I want to be clear. I love chocolate, I love happiness. I think people should enjoy chocolate. I think people should enjoy beef and lamb if they love these foods. But just recognize that those are higher carbon treats and really think about getting the most enjoyment out of them by not just sort of shoveling them down every day, but kind of making them treats and having lower carbon foods like chicken and fruits and vegetables on a more kind of daily basis.

[A]

So the title of your book, Leave the Lights on brings up something interesting. That there are probably other things that people do that they think is doing something, like turning the lights off that probably isn't doing much at all. So what about that?

[C]

Yeah, some little things don't make a big difference. So, you know, leaving the lights on, for example, is Something that, you know, it just doesn't matter that much. And this became an issue for me because my boyfriend when I first moved to Vancouver was, you know, really cared about environmental issues, which I totally respected. But if I would leave the lights on, you know, leave the room without turning out the lights, he would kind of shoot me this withering look that said, like, why do you hate the earth? You know, and that didn't make me feel very good. And then I later learned that actually leaving the lights on just doesn't matter. Especially because I live in a, in a place, Vancouver, Canada, that has kind of clean energy. So my co author, Zhang Zhao, Jay Z, who everyone calls the human carbon calculator, she actually calculated for me that if I were to leave the lights on in my two bedroom condo for the rest of my life, it would be equivalent in terms of carbon to eating 13 hamburgers.

[A]

Well, that's not so bad, right?

[C]

So I think, you know, again, we want to realize where we are maybe like obsessing or nagging other people about behaviors that don't really matter, and then identify the behaviors that, you know, do matter. So sometimes there are little things that we can do in our daily lives that actually make a real difference. Biking a couple days a week instead of driving to work, or carpooling with others. These can actually have a bigger impact than I think many people realize. So it's about figuring out where our actions are, make a difference and where they don't. And we can think about making some bigger changes in our lives too. And that's an area where I think it's tempting to just focus on the little tiny things. But there's a lot of opportunities to make larger changes in our lives where we can really have a big impact.

[A]

And those would include things like, well,

[C]

for one thing, something that we don't hear a lot about, but that really matters is where you choose to live. So the typical American moves about a dozen times in their, in their life. So people do move around. And it turns out where you move can have a massive impact. For example, if you were to run an air conditioner for a week in a typical living room in Vermont, you would emit 8 pounds of carbon. So like the weight of a newborn baby, in contrast, you run that exact same air conditioner in the same kind of living room in Wyoming, you're going to emit £1,000 of carbon. So like the weight of a full grown horse. So these choices about where to live actually just have giant ripple effects for our carbon emissions. And that's because areas with clean energy give us an opportunity to enjoy our lives. You know, have the air conditioner on, be a comfortable temperature without actually emitting a lot of carbon.

[A]

But realistically, if you're thinking about moving, that is not going to be very high on your list of where you're going to move. It's going to be because of your job or because you have to be closer to your grandmother or something. No one's going to. Now we can't move there because of the emissions we might create. And I don't think anybody thinks that way.

[C]

Well, I think there are moments in people's lives where they are making these kinds of decisions, where we think people have an opportunity to take these issues into consideration. So I agree with you that people are currently, are not. It's not even on people's radar at all. But, you know, I know a lot of young people. As a professor, I get to spend a lot of time with younger folks who are, you know, thinking about whether to have children, for example, and. And many of them are reluctant to have kids because they think, oh, you know, having kids has such a negative impact on the planet in terms of climate change. And actually, what I say to them is, you know, what if you want to have kids, if having kids is important to you, people often think about moving to start a family. And traditionally, people are thinking about maybe moving out to the suburbs. But interestingly, moving into the center of the city can actually be a great way to have a family with a lower carbon impact. And again, that's maybe an opportunity to think about where you could have a really good experience raising a family in an area with clean energy. So it's something. I agree with you, it's not something people are thinking about right now, but we think there's an opportunity for people who care about climate change to make these decisions. Taking this into account, do you have a sense.

[A]

Has there been any research? Because you just used the phrase people who care about climate change, and I'm sure that's a spectrum. But how many people really care in the sense that they make daily decisions or life decisions, and that's a factor in that decision.

[C]

You know, it's surprising to me, actually, how many people really do care about climate change. I think we have this notion there's actually research showing that people underestimate how much those around them actually do care about climate change. And I think this is particularly salient for young people. They've grown up with this issue. And, you know, a really shocking stat to me was that 75% of young people say that they're frightened about the future because of climate change. And I think sometimes this manifests as just sort of a sense of doom and anxiety. But we would love to transform that into people realizing that actually they have an opportunity to make decisions that can have a real positive impact.

[A]

Well, I think that's a big part of it, is that the messaging for a long time has been so doom and gloom that, like, really, if you really cared about the planet, you'd kill yourself because then, you know, then you won't be emitting carbon and that would be a good thing. I mean, it almost gets to that extreme of, you know, you're the problem, that you as a human being living on this planet are a problem. And I think people get real tired of hearing that.

[C]

I think that's exactly right. And, you know, we are not worried actually about the planet per se. Like this rock we're all sitting on is going to be just fine. It's the species, our own species and other species that we should be worrying about. So, you know, killing ourselves or deciding not to have children, that is not the way forward. The way forward is to figure out how we can live full, joyful lives in a way that's actually sustainable. And I think we really have wonderful opportunities to do that.

[A]

And what are some of the other ways to do that? You mentioned that people could think about where they live, but what else?

[C]

Well, one thing is to think about how we use our money. And when discussions about money and sustainability come up, often people focus on these really tiny decisions, like using a metal straw or bringing your own shopping bags to the store. And if people want to do those things, that's fine, but they really don't have much of an impact. In fact, if you use a reusable cotton bag, you have to use it about 200 times just to break even with plastic bags. So some of these little trade outs that we are accustomed to thinking about don't matter that much.

[A]

There is this sense though, that if you don't do everything you possibly can, you're not doing enough. And I'm just not sure most people are at that point. They'll do what they can. As long as it doesn't put them out too much. They'll do what they can, they'll be responsible, but that's about it.

[C]

I think sometimes what we see is these listicles of like, oh, you should do these five things in order to tackle climate change. And we think that's the wrong approach. We think there isn't like a one size fits all solution here. It really has to fit with your own personal values and your own lifestyle. So I'm curious if there's an area for you that sort of resonates and that's more appealing.

[A]

Well, what's important to me are things like food waste and the quality of the air that people breathe and the water they drink.

[C]

Well, and I think that's a great point, actually, that really ties in with happiness research. So it turns out people tend to be less happy in regions where there's a lot of air pollution and there's even some specific contaminants and pollutants that seem to be especially potent in dragging down happiness. So it's a great idea to think about prioritizing clean air. And that's one where, you know, donating to charities that make a difference in terms of clean air, talking to your representatives, or just choosing to live like, again, to the extent that you were, would use this maybe in your own decision making. So maybe you're not going to look into whether an area has clean energy, but you might look into whether an area has cleaned, clean, clean air. You might not want to move to someplace that has smoggy air. And when you choose to live in places that are prioritizing clean air, you are voting with your feet and you're saying to leaders and politicians, this issue matters to me.

[A]

Yeah, well, see, I like that. I like that people are telling politicians what they want. I much prefer that than politicians telling me what I have to do. Right.

[C]

People do not like being told what to do. They don't like being forced into a corner and they don't like being made to feel guilty or ashamed of their own choices. And so I think the climate movement has gone a little awry in sort of emphasizing that approach. And I think there's a much more joyful approach available here to say, hey, what matters to you? What would make your life better? You know, living in a place with really clean air and water might make your life better. Let's focus on that.

[A]

What are some other things that not the usual that people may not have thought of that could help?

[C]

It's a good time to think about flying. And, you know, sometimes you may have heard the advice that, like, oh, if you care about climate change, you really shouldn't be getting on a flight. Flights are extremely high in terms of carbon emissions. But again, I think that's a little bit oversimplified. And as a happiness researcher, you know, it's important Important to go, have wonderful experiences, see the people we care about. Sometimes we need to fly, but actually we can make some simple changes that make a real difference. So for one thing, just flying with carry on baggage only matters. So I was really surprised to learn that flying with a typical checked bag is equivalent to taking an extra six year old child on the flight with you in terms of carbon emissions. So our luggage really matters. Just taking a car carry on bag instead really cuts down on our carbon emissions. And as somebody who's not a naturally light packer, I have really changed the way I fly. Another good one when it comes to traveling is to think about, you know, could you vacation closer to home? It turns out there's research showing that people often don't visit the tourist attractions that bring other people to their own city or region. In fact, the time when people typically visit those tourist attractions is either when they have out of town guests or when they themselves are about to move away. So we're often missing out on this inexpensive and really enjoyable source of pleasure right nearby. And of course that kind of tourist attraction is going to be very low carbon compared to, you know, flying across the country or across the world to see those more distant tourist attractions.

[A]

See, I've. Well, I've never really thought much about flying because whether I get on that plane or not, it's still going. It's going to go. And so I'm not doing anything by not flying.

[C]

Yeah, and that's what's so interesting, is that people just look at their own individual behavior as not mattering. And it's like, oh, well, it's the airline's decision about what flights to schedule and those flights are going to happen. But actually, you know, if individuals aren't taking those flights, the flights get canceled. Airlines respond to empty seats. Right. And so our actions do matter. But again, you're so right. I think you're picking up on such an important point that it's hard to see how our individual actions are mattering. But when people change the choices that they're making, there are ripple effects for the decisions that companies and organizations make.

[A]

Well, I appreciate you sharing your ideas and I think a lot of what has to happen is people have to actually believe that doing these things really does matter, that it really makes a difference. Then you're gonna get a lot more people to buy in on it. I've been talking to Elizabeth Dunn. She is a psychologist and author of the book Leave the Lights How Joyful Decisions Can Save Our Species. There's a link to her book at Amazon in the show notes Elizabeth, Great. Thanks. Thanks for being here.

[C]

Thank you so much. Bye now.

[A]

You know, the English language is very much alive. Words and phrases are constantly evolving, and some expressions that we use every day would have sounded completely wrong just a few generations ago. Take Spitting Image. The original phrase was spit and image. It's based on the old belief that God used spit and dust to create Adam in his image. Over time, people misheard it, repeated it, and eventually spitting Image became the standard version. Then there's the word contact. For centuries it was only a noun, as in avoid contact with bees. Using it as a verb, such as contact me later didn't become common until the early 20th century, but today nobody thinks twice about it. Then there's butt naked. The original phrase was buck B U C K buck naked, referring to the bare skin of a buck or male deer. But butt naked sounded more logical to people and it just gradually took over. And if you've ever said that you felt nauseous, language purists might say you're wrong. Traditionally, nauseous meant something that causes nausea, while someone feeling sick was nauseated. But common usage has largely erased the distinction. The lesson is that English doesn't stand still. What starts as a mistake, a shortcut, or a misunderstanding can eventually become the correct way to say it. And that is something you should know. You know, I bet if you think about it, you know somebody, probably more than one person, who would enjoy this podcast. And all you have to do is let them know about it, share it with them, send them a link, or just tell them about it and get them to listen. We'd appreciate it and I think they would too. I'm Mike Carruthers. Thanks for listening today to something you should know Uncovered windows can make your home feel up to 20 degrees hotter. Stay cool and save up to 50% off custom window treatments during the 4th of July mega [e-mail] from outdoor shades to room darkening blinds, finding the perfect fit is easy. Get free samples, expert design help and

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