We treat aging, fatigue, and even disease as things that just happen to us. Ellen Langer, the first woman tenured in Harvard's psychology department, has spent five decades showing that our way of thinking has a massive say in all of it.

Michael sits down with Langer, author of The Mindful Body, to talk about how much of your health is actually under your mind's control. They cover:

- The experiment that turned back old men's bodies

- Maids who lost weight by seeing their work as exercise

- Why the stories we tell ourselves about bad events are “the whole ballgame”

- The truth about mindfulness—what it really is and a meditation-free way to find it

- A scientific case against following the rules

- How putting a label on a disease changes how it impacts us

- How to think if you get a health scare

- A better way to make hard decisions 

- And more …

Go deeper: The Brain Glitch That Makes Modern Life Feel Miserable

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI at twopct.com

I share similar insights around health and wellness on Substack.

Follow Michael: Instagram · X · LinkedIn · Facebook · TikTok

We treat aging, fatigue, and even disease as things that just happen to us. Ellen Langer, the first woman tenured in Harvard's psychology department, has spent five decades showing that our way of thinking has a massive say in all of it.
Michael sits down with Langer, author of The Mindful Body, to talk about how much of your health is actually under your mind's control. They cover:
- The experiment that turned back old men's bodies
- Maids who lost weight by seeing their work as exercise
- Why the stories we tell ourselves about bad events are &ldquo;the whole ballgame&rdquo;
- The truth about mindfulness&mdash;what it really is and a meditation-free way to find it
- A scientific case against following the rules
- How putting a label on a disease changes how it impacts us
- How to think if you get a health scare
- A better way to make hard decisions&nbsp;
- And more &hellip;
Go deeper: <a href="https://www.twopct.com/p/why-your-mind-is-hardwired-to-find">The Brain Glitch That Makes Modern Life Feel Miserable</a>
Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.
GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI at <a href="https://www.twopct.com/">twopct.com</a>
I share similar insights around health and wellness on <a href="https://substack.com/@michaeleaster">Substack</a>.
Follow Michael: <a href="https://instagram.com/michael_easter/">Instagram</a> &middot; <a href="https://twitter.com/Michael_Easter">X</a> &middot; <a href="https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/">LinkedIn</a> &middot; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/twopct">Facebook</a> &middot; <a href="https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6">TikTok</a>

From New York Times bestselling author and journalist Michael Easter comes a twice-weekly deep dive into the science of living better by doing things the hard way. Building on the insights of his #1 Substack and acclaimed books, Easter balances rigorous evidence with a healthy dose of skepticism to cut through the noise of the modern wellness industry. Whether he’s interviewing elite explorers and Harvard biologists or deconstructing the truth about longevity and metabolic health, this isn't a show for "biohacking" perfectionists—it’s a grounded, often humorous guide for real people looking to build resilience and agency in an increasingly comfortable world. From ancient wisdom to cutting-edge research, listen to Two Percent to discover why the antidote to modern malaise is often found in the challenges we’ve been taught to avoid.

From&nbsp;New York Times&nbsp;bestselling author and journalist Michael Easter comes a twice-weekly deep dive into the science of living better by doing things the hard way. Building on the insights of his #1 Substack and acclaimed books, Easter balances rigorous evidence with a healthy dose of skepticism to cut through the noise of the modern wellness industry. Whether he&rsquo;s interviewing elite explorers and Harvard biologists or deconstructing the truth about longevity and metabolic health, this isn't a show for "biohacking" perfectionists&mdash;it&rsquo;s a grounded, often humorous guide for real people looking to build resilience and agency in an increasingly comfortable world. From ancient wisdom to cutting-edge research, listen to Two Percent to discover why the antidote to modern malaise is often found in the challenges we&rsquo;ve been taught to avoid.

Join Michael Easter as he covers the information from the 2% with Michael Easter (TWOPCT.com), the internet's best source for practical and useful health, performance, and mindset information. www.twopct.com

Two Percent with Michael Easter

From&nbsp;New York Times&nbsp;bestselling author and journalist Michael Easter comes a twice-weekly deep dive into the science of living better by doing things the hard way. Building on the insights of his #1 Substack and acclaimed books, Easter balances rigorous evidence with a healthy dose of skepticism to cut through the noise of the modern wellness industry. Whether he&rsquo;s interviewing elite explorers and Harvard biologists or deconstructing the truth about longevity and metabolic health, this isn't a show for "biohacking" perfectionists&mdash;it&rsquo;s a grounded, often humorous guide for real people looking to build resilience and agency in an increasingly comfortable world. From ancient wisdom to cutting-edge research, listen to Two Percent to discover why the antidote to modern malaise is often found in the challenges we&rsquo;ve been taught to avoid.

A Harvard Psychologist's Case Against Following the Rules | Ellen Langer

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/165fe809-796c-4a7f-86b4-b4aa01262a7f/transcript