Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Robert Sapolsky (on human behavior and free will)

Dr. Robert Sapolsky (Behave, Determined) is a behavioral scientist and author. Robert joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why he was drawn to studying the social habits of baboons, how their behavior relates to human psychology, and what we learned from Phineas Gage. Robert and Dax talk about how conditioning helps people get through stressful situations, how culture affects the development of the human brain, and how child raising is different in a collective society. Robert explains the myth of grit, how praise and punishment are used to try to shape people, and his view of free will. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi, I’m Dax Shepard, and I love talking to people. I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy. I invite you to join me as I explore other people’s stories. We will celebrate, above all, the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment. What qualifies me for such an endeavor? More than a decade of sobriety, a degree in Anthropology and four years of improv training. I will attempt to discover human “truths” without any laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th-century scientists, an Armchair Expert.