Staying Human with Dr. Vivek Murthy

A lot of us move through our days on autopilot, heads down, just clearing the to-do list. And somewhere in there, we stop noticing the small signals that tell us we matter. We stop sending them, too.In this episode, Dr. Vivek Murthy sits down with journalist Jennifer Wallace, author of MATTERING: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose. They get into why so many people feel invisible right now, how a culture built on individual success can leave us feeling more hollow than whole, and why the men who wrote to Jennie kept reaching for the same two words: useless and worthless.It's also a personal conversation. Vivek opens up about feeling like a void would open whenever he left the hospital during residency. Jennie traces her own sense of mattering back to a church pew and a Spanish teacher who matched her with a struggling classmate. They talk about parenting, AI and what happens to our sense of purpose when work changes, and the small, almost mundane acts that remind us we're not alone.If you've ever wondered whether your presence makes any difference in the world, this one's for you.. . . Every episode offers a reflection question inspired by the conversation. Share your thoughts and ideas with us at [email protected], on our Substack, or leave us a message at 1-833-74-HUMAN. IG @drvivekmurthySubstack vivekmurthy.substack.com/More about your host, Dr. Vivek Murthy https://www.vivekmurthy.com#stayinghuman  #VivekMurthy #JenniferWallace #mattering #selfworth  #mentalhealth  #mensmentalhealth  #Loneliness #parenting  #HumanConnection #purpose  #wellbeing  #artificialintelligence  #values  #podcast

Are we paying too much attention to how long we live, and too little to how well we live?For most doctors, the goal is to help patients live as long as possible. But more time and more life aren’t always the same things. In this episode, host Dr. Vivek Murthy and guest Dr. Atul Gawande, surgeon and author of the landmark book Being Mortal, discuss a question neither of them were trained as doctors: for a patient, what makes life worth living?This conversation is part interview, part friendship, and part shared reckoning with what makes a life worth living. Atul reflects on how Being Mortal reshaped his own understanding of what it means to be a good doctor, and why the most important skill in medicine may be the simple act of asking patients what they actually want from life.Along the way, Vivek and Atul get personal, sharing what it means caring for aging parents, the guilt that comes with it, and the loss of Atul's mother and Vivek's grandmother. They talk about belonging, the future of AI in medicine and the risk of human connection becoming a luxury, and the surprising things that make life meaningful — from chocolate ice cream and football to remembering the score in a ping pong game.This episode is a conversation about what dying can teach us about living, and the questions worth asking the people we love before it's too late.. . . Every episode offers a reflection question inspired by the conversation. Share your thoughts and ideas with us at [email protected], on our Substack, or leave us a message at 1-833-74-HUMAN. IG @drvivekmurthySubstack vivekmurthy.substack.com/More about your host, Dr. Vivek Murthy https://www.vivekmurthy.com

We’re living in an era where division often feels like the status quo, and it's affecting us on a personal level. A 2025 study from the American Psychological Association found 62% of adults say polarization is a significant source of stress in their lives.How can we bring people together, especially across divides, whether they’re a friend, neighbor, stranger, or family member? How do we build bridges while staying true to our values? David French is a columnist for the New York Times who often writes about the beauty and challenges of living in community. His most recent book is called Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation. David is also a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Iraq War.In this conversation we explore how we can forge connections to people who we don’t always agree with —and why this is so important not only to our democracy, but to our well-being. Every episode offers a reflection question inspired by the conversation. Share your thoughts and ideas with us at [email protected], on our Substack, or leave us a message at 1-833-74-HUMAN. IG @drvivekmurthySubstack vivekmurthy.substack.com/More about your host, Dr. Vivek Murthy https://www.vivekmurthy.com

What does it mean to feel joy amid moments of real difficulty and even sorrow? Not in the sense of being falsely upbeat or pretending that everything’s ok—but as a way to sit with and honor what’s going on in our lives.Kate Bowler is a bestselling author known for her writing about loss, grief, and hope. She’s also a professor at Duke University who studies the history of religion, and host of the podcast Everything Happens. Her latest book is called Joyful, Anyway.In this conversation we explore how joy is very different from positivity or happiness, and how it can co-exist with struggle. We also get into how constantly seeking to optimize our lives can actually hold us back. Every episode offers a reflection question inspired by the conversation. Share your thoughts and ideas with us at [email protected], on our Substack, or leave us a message at 1-833-74-HUMAN. IG @drvivekmurthySubstack vivekmurthy.substack.com/More about your host, Dr. Vivek Murthy https://www.vivekmurthy.com

What if, instead of looking for quick fixes or life hacks, we asked: what does it take to live a truly fulfilling life? Join Dr. Vivek Murthy, 19th and 21st U.S. Surgeon General as he explores what it means to stay human though interviews with people from all walks of life. Substack vivekmurthy.substack.com/IG @drvivekmurthy

What if, instead of looking for quick fixes or life hacks, we asked: what does it take to live a truly fulfilling life? Join Dr. Vivek Murthy, 19th and 21st U.S. Surgeon General as he explores what it means to stay human though interviews with people from all walks of life. Substack vivekmurthy.substack.com/IG @drvivekmurthy