On Wisdom

70: Special Series Episode 2: Metacognition and Judgment

October 5th, 2026  |  39 mins 10 secs

Happiness, Philosophy, barry schwartz, cristine legare, dan mcadams, dilip jeste, emotions, eranda jayawickreme, exemplars, gord pennycook, interventions, judgment, judith glück, justin brienza, kristján kristjánsson, laurie paul, meaning, measuring wisdom, metacognition, monika ardelt, narratives, psychology, purpose, reasoning, social science, steve fleming, thomas costello, training ethan kross, well being, wisdom

Welcome to a five-episode special series built around the first Annual Review of Psychology chapter on wisdom since 2011.

Episode 2: Metacognition and Judgment (with Gord Pennycook, Steve Fleming, and Thomas Costello)

Is thinking harder always the key to making better decisions, or can it sometimes make things worse? Gord Pennycook, Steve Fleming, and Thomas Costello join Igor and Charles to explore what happens when we start thinking about our own thinking. Gord reveals why intelligence and rationality aren't the same thing, and why simply thinking more isn't necessarily the answer, Steve takes us inside the machinery that helps us monitor and regulate our decisions, and Thomas explores what intellectual humility is, how we might recognize it, and why being confident about our own competence can be so misleading. Along the way, Igor and Charles uncover a three-part cycle at the heart of wise judgment: seeking input, resolving conflicts, and monitoring what happens next. So what does it take to become better at knowing what we know, and what we don't?

69: Special Series Episode 1: Exemplars and Narratives

September 28th, 2026  |  41 mins 7 secs

Happiness, Philosophy, barry schwartz, cristine legare, dan mcadams, dilip jeste, emotions, eranda jayawickreme, exemplars, gordon pennycook, interventions, judgment, judith glück, justin brienza, kristján kristjánsson, laurie paul, meaning, measuring wisdom, metacognition, monika ardelt, narratives, psychology, purpose, reasoning, social science, steven fleming, tom costello, training ethan kross, well being, wisdom

Welcome to a five-episode special series built around the first Annual Review of Psychology chapter on wisdom since 2011.

Episode 1: Exemplars and Narratives (with Cristine Legare, Dan McAdams, and L.A. Paul)

When we face life challenges, where do our ideas about wise judgment, or even wisdom writ large come from, and how do they shape the way we work through such challenges and live thereafter? Cristine Legare, Dan McAdams, and L.A. Paul join Igor and Charles to explore the stories, proverbs, and exemplars we inherit, and what happens when they don't quite fit the situation in front of us. Cristine reveals why the ideas that stick with us aren't necessarily the ones that are true, Dan explores how the stories we tell about ourselves can help us navigate uncertainty (or trap us in the wrong story), and Laurie asks who (or what) is doing the choosing, if we can’t know in advance how a life-changing decision will transform us?

68: Special Series Trailer: 5 Episodes on the Science of Wisdom

September 16th, 2026  |  2 mins 4 secs

Happiness, Philosophy, barry schwartz, cristine legare, dan mcadams, dilip jeste, emotions, eranda jayawickreme, exemplars, gordon pennycook, interventions, judgment, judith glück, justin brienza, kristján kristjánsson, laurie paul, meaning, measuring wisdom, metacognition, monika ardelt, narratives, psychology, purpose, reasoning, social science, steven fleming, tom costello, training ethan kross, well being, wisdom

From 28th September
Hosted by Igor Grossmann and Charles Cassidy
01 - EXEMPLARS AND NARRATIVES
Cristine Legare - Dan McAdams - Laurie Paul
02 - METACOGNITION AND JUDGMENT
Gordon Pennycook - Tom Costello - Steven Fleming
03 - MEASURING WISDOM
Judith Glück - Monika Ardelt - Eranda Jayawickreme
04 - INTERVENTIONS AND TRAINING
Judith Glück - Ethan Kross - Kristján Kristjánsson
05 - WISDOM FRONTIERS
Dilip Jeste - Barry Schwartz - Justin Brienza