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Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg

Spencer Greenberg
Mental Health
Artificial Intelligence
Psychology
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Climate Change
Critical Thinking
Effective Altruism
Education
Replication Crisis
Cash Transfers
Therapy
Innovation
Democracy
Happiness
Empathy
Universal Basic Income
Environmental Policy
Burnout
Personal Development
Charitable Giving

Clearer Thinking is a podcast about ideas that truly matter. If you enjoy learning about powerful, practical concepts and frameworks, wish you had more deep, intellectual conversations in your life, or are looking for non-BS self-improvement, then we think you'll love this podcast! Each week we invite a brilliant guest to bring four important ideas to discuss for an in-depth conversation. Topics i... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes322Founded6 years ago
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Social SciencesScience

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Artwork for Clearer Thinking

Latest Episodes

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What makes an attachment to AI meaningfully different from an attachment to a human, animal, or fictional character? If chatbot relationships are built around validation and adaptation, can they ever provide the fricti... more

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Why do people gravitate toward self-help that reinforces the strategies they already use well? How can we identify the default lens through which we interpret nearly every situation? What changes when we recognize that... more

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How large is the housing crisis, and why does it impose trillions of dollars in economic costs? Why has housing become especially unaffordable across English speaking countries and an expanding number of American citie... more

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Why can the same meditation technique produce emotional openness in one person and dissociation in another? How can meditators tell whether they are cultivating equanimity or merely numbing themselves? Why is meditatio... more

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Recent Guests

Cate Hall
Self-help author appearing as a guest
Episode: The good advice you least want (with Cate Hall)
Alex Armlovich
Urban economist and housing policy expert
Episode: Why housing costs so much and what can be done about it (with Alex Armlovich)
Stephen Zerfas
Guest on the episode discussing meditation and performance
Journey (meditation program)
Episode: How To Pursue Goals without Striving (with Stephen Zerfas)
Tor Parsons
Creator of Tor's Cabinet of Curiosities, YouTube host
Tor's Cabinet of Curiosities
Episode: Bicameral Minds and Leaderless Tribes (with Tor Parsons)
Eric Zimmer
Author and podcaster, expert on behavioral change and recovery
Author of How a Little Becomes a Lot
Episode: How Small Actions Rewrite Identity (with Eric Zimmer)
Jeremy Stevenson
Co-author of The Twelve Levers
The Twelve Levers (book)
Episode: The Twelve Levers for a better life (with Jeremy Stevenson)
Helen Pearson
Author of Beyond Belief; journalist who researches evidence and science communication
Author, Journalist
Episode: The Hidden History of Evidence-Based Everything (with Helen Pearson)
Nick Allardice
CEO of GiveDirectly, former CEO of Change.org
GiveDirectly / Change.org
Episode: Is cash a better form of charitable aid? (with Nick Allardice)
Christine Padesky
Therapist, author of Mind Over Mood
Mind Over Mood / CBT author
Episode: When painful thoughts feel true but aren't (with Christine Padesky)

Host

Spencer Greenberg
Host of Clearer Thinking

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 502 ratings
  • Spencer gives very unique and insightful interviews of his guests. Topics vary, but are always fascinating.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    chiefthe
    7 months ago
  • Many interesting guests with different backgrounds and ideas, with an intelligent host that asks smart questions!

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Kevin Lalumiere
    7 months ago
  • New Listener

    I’m a new listener but so far so good. I appreciate discussions where the purpose is to communicate ideas and generate understanding and that is what I’m seeing here so far. I do feel like a little bit of background or context at the opening would be useful. Just listened to an entire episode without knowing who the guest was (I wasn’t able to read the title as I was driving). Other than that, and the dash of pretentiousness from the host, I found it enjoyable and informative. Thank you for prov... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Who Writes Reviews, Anyway?
    United States8 months ago
  • Interesting idea for a podcast, but the first episode I listened to involved pretending to solve pretend problems. Sadly, a waste of time, unfortunately. (Climate change)

    Podcast Addict
    2
    Whitaker
    a year ago
  • Illuminating, insightful, incisive, inspiring!

    Clearer Thinking is one of the most consistently valuable podcasts I’ve ever listened to. Spencer Greenberg is a masterful host — thoughtful, respectful, and endlessly curious. He asks questions that cut right to the heart of the topic, and his guests always bring fresh, evidence-based ideas that make me really hopeful about the growth of human knowledge and understanding wide ranges of the human experience.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SydneyApted
    Canadaa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests consistently bring fresh, practical ideas grounded in research.
Episodes are thought-provoking and deeply engaging, with high-quality guests.
Audience notes the mix of topics is broad yet consistently rigorous.
Listeners commend the host for curiosity, clarity, and evidence-based discussions.
Some reviews mention occasional host monologues or a desire for more context at episode start.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How To Pursue Goals without Striving (with Stephen Zerfas)
Q: How do you describe clean fuel in meditation and its impact on daily life?
Clean fuel refers to mental habits that nurture self-compassion, play, and ease; when applied to goal pursuit, they enable flow, better sleep, more creative decisions, and sustainable motivation rather than burnout.
How To Pursue Goals without Striving (with Stephen Zerfas)
Q: What is the practical approach to meditation that avoids self-abuse while pursuing goals?
Move toward explicit goals but relate to them with self-compassion, use feedback-rich instruction, and practice 'clean fuel' habits to reduce self-criticism and burnout while maintaining progress toward goals.
How To Pursue Goals without Striving (with Stephen Zerfas)
Q: Do you think that high achievers are often unhappy?
There's evidence that elite performers may experience lower inner ease; however, by shifting to cleaner mental habits and embracing flow rather than grit-driven striving, it's possible to maintain happiness while achieving high performance.
Bicameral Minds and Leaderless Tribes (with Tor Parsons)
Q: Can you tell us what was it like then? Elaborate on what it was like. Did you have two voices in your mind?
There was one voice in my mind, and it was the other Tor guiding me; I carried out what the other mind did, which resembled Jaynes' idea but with my own interpretation, and I later realized I had merged with that other voice rather than it being a separate entity.
When painful thoughts feel true but aren't (with Christine Padesky)
Q: When should someone pursue self-help versus seeing a therapist?
Self-help is appropriate for ongoing self-awareness and modest mood issues; if mood declines or daily functioning is impaired, or there are serious conditions, seeking a therapist is advisable, with the best results often coming from a blend of self-help and professional guidance.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Clearer Thinking

What is Clearer Thinking about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thought-provoking show that centers on practical ideas across psychology, philosophy, economics, science, and technology. Each episode features a guest who brings four key ideas to explore in depth, resulting in literature-grounded discussions and actionable frameworks for thinking, decision-making, and behavior change. The host pursues clarity through rigorous questioning and invites guests with diverse expertise, producing conversations that blend theory with real-world applications. Noteworthy traits include a strong emphasis on evidence, cognitive tools, and topics that help listeners improve thinking, habits, and understanding of complex systems. The mix of guests—from economists and philosophers to clinicians and AI researchers—tend... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Clearer Thinking?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Clearer Thinking:

1. Conversations with Tyler
2. The Michael Shermer Show
3. EconTalk
4. The Gray Area with Sean Illing
5. Philosophy Bites

How many episodes of Clearer Thinking are there?

Clearer Thinking launched 6 years ago and published 322 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Clearer Thinking?

Recent guests on Clearer Thinking include:

1. Cate Hall
2. Alex Armlovich
3. Stephen Zerfas
4. Tor Parsons
5. Eric Zimmer
6. Jeremy Stevenson
7. Helen Pearson
8. Nick Allardice

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