Olga Khazan — Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change - with Daniel H. Pink

This event is in partnership with The Atlantic. In recent years, Olga Khazan had been spiraling toward an existential crisis. Though she treasured her loving relationship and her dream job, her neurotic personality often left her snatching dissatisfaction from the jaws of happiness. While her overachieving had always been a professional asset, Olga lately felt like her brittle disposition could shatter under the weight of just one more thing--but could she really change her entire personality?Research shows that you can alter your personality traits by behaving in ways that align with the kind of person you'd like to be--a process that can make you happier, healthier, and more successful. In Me, But Better, Olga embarks on an experiment to see whether it's possible to go from dwelling in dread to "radiating joy." For one year, Olga reluctantly clicked "yes" on a bucket list of new experiences--from meditation to improv to sailing--that forced her to at least act happy. With a skeptic's eye, Olga brings you on her journey through the science of personality, presenting evidence-backed techniques to help you change your mind for the better. Sharply witty and deeply fascinating, Me, But Better offers a probing inquiry into what it means to live a fulfilling life, and how you can keep diving into change, no matter how uncomfortable it feelsPURCHASE BOOK: https://politics-prose.com/book/9781668012543?ic_referral=-ffTn628PthWFvMFh_3WcyDNXgenN1sPUNz7NKK4Lf8wMztDI-Q4jgDzMFJQiodz7kZByFghDymmHlYtgCf4EGkbAeudJc3rKbcyxvFSz8jQHMhDDYMM1pAtKT3JCi5h3ybq7AOlga Khazan is a staff writer for The Atlantic and the author of Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World. She has written for The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and other publications. She is a two-time recipient of journalism fellowships from the International Reporting Project and winner of the 2017 National Headliner Award for Magazine Online Writing. She lives with her husband and son in Northern Virginia.Khazan is in conversation with Daniel H. Pink. Pink is the author of five New York Times bestsellers, including his latest, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. His other books include the New York Times bestsellers When and A Whole New Mind — as well as the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. Dan’s books have won multiple awards, have been translated into 46 languages, and have sold millions of copies around the world. He lives in Washington, DC, with his family. *recorded 3/12/2025