Podcast Summary: The Dan Buettner Podcast
Episode: Cory Richards Reveals How Pain Shapes Purpose
Date: October 16, 2025
Host: Dan Buettner
Guest: Cory Richards, National Geographic photographer, writer, speaker
Overview
This episode is a deeply personal and candid conversation between Dan Buettner and his friend and collaborator, Cory Richards. Through raw vulnerability and honest storytelling, Cory reflects on how pain, trauma, and mental health struggles can be transformed into purpose, creativity, and deeper human connection. The discussion explores happiness, the paradoxes of suffering and success, the components of well-being discovered in Blue Zones and beyond, and simple daily practices for a more meaningful life.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Cory’s Background and Early Vulnerability
- [00:21] Dan introduces Cory as an artistic powerhouse shaped by deep struggle and pain. Cory’s openness about mental health issues and vulnerability was foundational to their collaboration.
- “Within 15 minutes, you'd told me that you'd been depressed, that you'd been bipolar. And I was just bowled over by the vulnerability.” – Dan [01:20]
Accomplishments & The Irony of Success
- [05:12] Cory reflects on his career highlights (Everest climbs, National Geographic covers, Oxford artist residency), noting the motivation often sprang from a place of pain.
- [07:01] Cory recounts the iconic National Geographic cover selfie taken after surviving an avalanche:
“It's my face covered in ice and an expression...trying to grapple with nearly dying.” [07:10]
Trauma, Mental Health, and the Power of Connection
- [09:06] Cory discusses being diagnosed bipolar at 14, with cyclical highs and lows:
- “It is a cluster of behaviors that are characterized by very high highs and very low lows...you're a polar explorer.” [13:56]
- Cory shares how depression felt immobilizing (“sat on the edge of my bed for two hours and just stared.” [15:35]) and how the mere presence of caring people and meaningful conversation could lift the sadness, even if temporarily.
- “The opposite of depression is not happiness. It’s connection...I am no longer immersed in my own pain.” – Cory [17:21]
Lessons from Blue Zones & Happiness Research
- [20:16] Cory and Dan discuss insights from photographing and researching places like Singapore and Denmark:
- Singapore: Financial security and home ownership contribute to collective happiness by ensuring safety and social cohesion. “When we feel safe...we're no longer in survival mode.” – Cory [27:11]
- Denmark: The happiest group are retirees, thanks to universal health care, education, and social supports reducing daily worry and stress.
“A fulfilling life is one in which you are relaxed enough to pursue purpose...you're not driven by fear, you’re driven by curiosity.” – Cory [31:41]
The Gift and Curse of Pain
- Cory describes his traumatic upbringing: family violence, early mental health crises, and time in psychiatric care and foster living. This turbulence paradoxically kindled his artistry and resilience:
“The hardship and anguish...is it a gift or is it a curse?” – Dan [44:30]
“Yes.” – Cory [44:30] - Transforming suffering into art and empathy:
- “The goal is not to live a life of ease. The goal is to engage with the painful experiences and transmute them into something beautiful.” – Cory [48:32]
Daily Practices and Wisdom from Suffering
- [53:03] Cory quotes Rilke:
"Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final."
- Cory describes learning to check in with his nervous system, grounding in the body, and searching for the “place in each of us that is always at peace” [53:22].
- On seeking help:
“Who do you call to cry?” – Simon Sinek via Cory [55:16]
- Reflects on the importance and reciprocity of connection, especially amidst anguish.
The Mental Health Crisis & Social Media
- Dan and Cory discuss the mental health crisis in young people, its correlation with social media/iPhone advent [65:47].
- Cory acknowledges his own complicity (bringing Nat Geo onto Instagram) and offers nuanced thoughts: agency in limiting one’s own screen time helps, and 45–60 minutes per day is the “sweet spot” for happiness, after which increased usage correlates with decreased well-being [68:34].
Dating, Modern Life, and Human Values
- Candid discussion on dating apps, modern relationships, and the importance of choosing partners and friends based on “the quality of their heart, not how you show up in the world” [72:32].
- Both lament that genuine connection is often superseded by status-chasing or superficial metrics.
Cameraderie, Compassion, and Connection
- [63:07] Cory challenges notions of masculinity and advocates for men being taught to connect emotionally:
“When I do do it, I'm like, oh, this is what I'm supposed to be doing. So I think it is innate.”
- Emphasizes the value of curiosity across divides (“define an enemy and you become one” [64:12]), and that compassion emerges when we see ourselves—and others—as living with contradictions, flaws, and vulnerabilities.
Cory’s Top Life Lessons & Takeaways
- Everything is Storytelling ([73:29])
- “Every single thing you do...you wake up and you tell yourself a story about who you are, about the world you live in. A lot of that might not actually be accurate...Be mindful of the story you're telling in the moment. And really question it.”
- The Power of the Exhale ([75:17])
- “Extend the exhale...you're building the CO2 in your system, which sends a signal up your vagus nerve, which tells your brain that it can relax and switch into the parasympathetic nervous system. It's all about the exhale.”
- Small Acts of Service & Gratitude ([77:18], [78:55])
- “I let people in traffic...I wave. I smile at people. I make eye contact with dogs. These are very, very simple things that we can do throughout our day.”
- “Turn the narrative into acts of service. You are constantly in the privilege of doing something. And that's a shift into gratitude.”
- On Sadness and Acceptance
- “If you're sad, be fucking sad for a second. Just be sad. Let yourself do it. Doesn't mean stay there. But I guarantee if you let yourself feel it, you will move through it faster.” [55:55]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “The opposite of depression is not happiness. It's connection.” – Cory Richards [00:02, 17:21]
- “Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.” – Rilke, quoted by Cory [53:03]
- “You turn the narrative into acts of service...And that's a shift into gratitude.” – Cory [00:02, 78:55]
- “The goal is not to live a life of ease…transmute the painful experiences into something beautiful.” – Cory [48:32]
- “Everything is storytelling...Be mindful of the story you're telling.” – Cory [73:29]
- “Extend the exhale…It’s all about the exhale.” – Cory [75:19]
- “Define an enemy and you become one.” – Cory [64:12]
Timestamps for Major Segments
- Cory’s introduction and vulnerability: [00:21–04:36]
- Career highlights and trauma: [05:12–13:56]
- Bipolar disorder, depression, and mental health: [13:44–16:48]
- Happiness in Blue Zones and what really matters: [20:16–32:25]
- Trauma, childhood, and art: [38:30–48:32]
- Practical advice: reframing, nervous system, exhale, service: [73:29–79:35]
- Mental health and screen time/social media: [65:28–69:29]
- Relationship, compassion, and choosing good people: [71:55–73:06]
Conclusion & Tone
The episode balances thoughtful scientific insights, vulnerable storytelling, and actionable wisdom. Cory’s language is honest, sometimes raw, leavened with humor and humility. Dan offers affirmations and distills lessons from their Blue Zones research, while shaping Cory’s experiences into universal strategies for meaning, happiness, and resilience.
This is an episode to revisit when searching for hope, perspective, or practical strategies for navigating pain and seeking connection.
Books Mentioned:
- The Color of Everything by Corey Richards
- Bipolar (photography book) by Corey Richards
- The Self Healing Mind by Dr. Gregory Brown
Find Cory’s work and speaking schedule at: [No link provided in episode]