We don’t usually have repeat guests on this podcast… except we’re making an exception for the wonderful and wise Alan Alda. Alan Alda, of course, is an award-winning actor, writer, director, and podcast host. You probably know and love him as Hawkeye on M*A*S*H or Senator Arnie Vinick on The West Wing. He is endlessly curious on just about every topic—which makes him the perfect person to talk to about empathy, learning across differences (and disagreement), and how we might age into new hobbies and careers. 

In this conversation, Alan and Kate discuss: 
 Tricks for staying curious as we age
How to talk to someone you disagree with
How Alan hopes to destigmatize Parkinson’s Disease
The difference between empathy and compassion and how to practice these important skills



Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here.

Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler.

We don’t usually have repeat guests on this podcast… except we’re making an exception for the wonderful and wise Alan Alda. Alan Alda, of course, is an award-winning actor, writer, director, and podcast host. You probably know and love him as Hawkeye on M*A*S*H or Senator Arnie Vinick on The West Wing. He is endlessly curious on just about every topic—which makes him the perfect person to talk to about empathy, learning across differences (and disagreement), and how we might age into new hobbies and careers. 
In this conversation, Alan and Kate discuss: 
<ul>
<li> Tricks for staying curious as we age</li>
<li>How to talk to someone you disagree with</li>
<li>How Alan hopes to destigmatize Parkinson’s Disease</li>
<li>The difference between empathy and compassion and how to practice these important skills</li>
</ul>
 
<hr>
Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by <a href="https://katebowler.com/podcast/">clicking here</a>.
Follow Kate on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/katecbowler/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katecbowler">Facebook</a>, or <a href="https://twitter.com/KatecBowler">X</a> (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler.

Are you living your best life now? Not always? This is a podcast for you. Duke Professor Kate Bowler is an expert in the stories we tell about success and failure, suffering and happiness. She had Stage IV cancer. Then she didn’t. And since then, all she wants to do is talk to funny and wise people about how to live with the knowledge that, well, everything happens.  Find her online at @katecbowler.

Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/

Are you living your best life now? Not always? This is a podcast for you. Duke Professor Kate Bowler is an expert in the stories we tell about success and failure, suffering and happiness. She had Stage IV cancer. Then she didn’t. And since then, all she wants to do is talk to funny and wise people about how to live with the knowledge that, well, everything happens.  Find her online at @katecbowler.
Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media <a href="https://lemonadamedia.com/" data-stringify-link="https://lemonadamedia.com/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://lemonadamedia.com/</a>

Honest conversation about life's less-shiny moments.

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler

Alan Alda: Stay Curious

What if you started thinking really concretely about small, hard choices? That’s exactly what palliative care physicians do every day. They help us think about what we really want—knowing that we have limited time and limited resources. You’re going to love our guest today, Dr. Kathryn Mannix, palliative care physician and cognitive behavioral therapist. She offers practical steps to help people and their loved ones make sense of what limited choices they have, navigate any pain and fear they may experience, and gives the most comforting speech on what the end of a life looks like that we’ve ever heard. (I promise this is not scary at all. It is perfect.)

In this conversation, Kate and Kathryn discuss:


Why we want to keep a lid on the scary things of life 


What even is palliative care


How palliative care-type thinking can help us live better 


What happens to hope when facing end of life

This is a masterclass in walking right up to the edge with people, in the most gentle, compassionate way. 

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love: 


Sunita Puri on living in uncertainty


Rev. Tom Long on the importance of the rituals for death and dying

 

Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.

Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

This episode originally aired October 2024.

What if you started thinking really concretely about small, hard choices? That&rsquo;s exactly what palliative care physicians do every day. They help us think about what we really want&mdash;knowing that we have limited time and limited resources. You&rsquo;re going to love our guest today,&nbsp;Dr. Kathryn Mannix, palliative care physician and cognitive behavioral therapist. She offers practical steps to help people and their loved ones make sense of what limited choices they have, navigate any pain and fear they may experience, and gives the most comforting speech on what the end of a life looks like that we&rsquo;ve ever heard. (I promise this is not scary at all. It is perfect.)
In this conversation, Kate and Kathryn discuss:
<ul>
<li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted">
Why we want to keep a lid on the scary things of life&nbsp;
</li>
<li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted">
What even is palliative care
</li>
<li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted">
How palliative care-type thinking can help us live better&nbsp;
</li>
<li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted">
What happens to hope when facing end of life
</li>
</ul>
This is a masterclass in walking right up to the edge with people, in the most gentle, compassionate way.&nbsp;
If you liked this episode, you&rsquo;ll also love:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted">
<a href="https://katebowler.com/podcasts/sunita-puri-the-uncertainty-specialist/">Sunita Puri</a> on living in uncertainty
</li>
<li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted">
<a href="https://katebowler.com/podcasts/number-our-days/">Rev. Tom Long</a> on the importance of the rituals for death and dying
</li>
</ul>
<hr>
&nbsp;
Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by <a href="https://katebowler.com/podcast/">clicking here</a> or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.
Follow Kate on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/katecbowler/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katecbowler">Facebook</a>, or <a href="https://twitter.com/KatecBowler">X</a> (formerly known as Twitter)&mdash;@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.
This episode originally aired October 2024.

Listen Again: Living with the End in Mind with Kathryn Mannix

Does life ever feel like an endless to-do list? Like if you could just wake up tomorrow with a little more discipline, you’d finally master your schedule, achieve balance, and feel…enough? 

On today's episode, Oliver Burkeman (bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals) and Kate unravel some of the beautiful lies we cling to about time and control, the fantasy of hyper-efficiency, and what it might look like to embrace the limits that make us who we are. 

In this conversation, Kate and Oliver discuss: 


Some of the most common self-help myths that stand in our way


Why the relentless pursuit of self-improvement often leaves us feeling empty, anxious, and overwhelmed. 


How embracing our limits can lead to more contentment

This is a conversation about limits—not as something to overcome, but as a doorway to something richer, deeper, and (dare I say) more human.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love: 


Katie Couric on The Courage to Try (and Wisdom to Know When to Let Go)


Susan David on Toxic Positivity


Samantha Irby on Doing My Best (Life Now)


Elizabeth Gilbert  on Why Your Creativity Matters

Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here.

Subscribe to Kate’s Substack for blessings, essays, and reflections that hold what’s hard and beautiful. 

This episode originally aired December 2024.

Does life ever feel like an endless to-do list? Like if you could just wake up tomorrow with a little more discipline, you&rsquo;d finally master your schedule, achieve balance, and feel&hellip;enough?&nbsp;
On today's episode, Oliver Burkeman (bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals) and Kate unravel some of the beautiful lies we cling to about time and control, the fantasy of hyper-efficiency, and what it might look like to embrace the limits that make us who we are.&nbsp;
In this conversation, Kate and Oliver discuss:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted">
Some of the most common self-help myths that stand in our way
</li>
<li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted">
Why the relentless pursuit of self-improvement often leaves us feeling empty, anxious, and overwhelmed.&nbsp;
</li>
<li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted">
How embracing our limits can lead to more contentment
</li>
</ul>
This is a conversation about limits&mdash;not as something to overcome, but as a doorway to something richer, deeper, and (dare I say) more human.
If you liked this episode, you&rsquo;ll also love:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted">
<a href="https://katebowler.com/podcasts/katie-couric-the-courage-to-try-and-wisdom-to-know-when-to-let-go/">Katie Couric</a> on The Courage to Try (and Wisdom to Know When to Let Go)
</li>
<li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted">
<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=kate+bowler+Susan+David&amp;sca_esv=076c6e27218f3cb7&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS985US985&amp;ei=KBhXZ5rhOJa5wN4P4dW6mAY&amp;ved=0ahUKEwialZqji5uKAxWWHNAFHeGqDmMQ4dUDCA8&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=kate+bowler+Susan+David&amp;gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiF2thdGUgYm93bGVyIFN1c2FuIERhdmlkMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAFIswNQwgFYwgFwAXgAkAEAmAF6oAF6qgEDMC4xuAEDyAEA-AEC-AEBmAICoAKFAcICDhAAGIAEGLADGIYDGIoFwgILEAAYsAMYogQYiQXCAgsQABiABBiwAxiiBJgDAIgGAZAGBpIHAzEuMaAHzAM&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp#:~:text=Search%20Results-,Toxic%20Positivity,https%3A//katebowler.com%20%E2%80%BA%20Podcasts,-Meet%20Dr%20Susan">Susan David</a> on Toxic Positivity
</li>
<li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted">
<a href="https://katebowler.com/podcasts/samantha-irby-im-doing-my-best-life-now/">Samantha Irby</a> on Doing My Best (Life Now)
</li>
<li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted">
<a href="https://katebowler.com/podcasts/why-your-creativity-matters/">Elizabeth Gilbert </a> on Why Your Creativity Matters
</li>
</ul>
<hr>
Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by <a href="https://katebowler.com/podcasts/new-year-same-me/">clicking here</a>.
<a href="https://katebowler.substack.com/" data-start="2069" data-end="2132">Subscribe to Kate&rsquo;s Substack</a> for blessings, essays, and reflections that hold what&rsquo;s hard and beautiful.&nbsp;
This episode originally aired December 2024.

Listen Again: Oliver Burkeman on New Year, Same Me

What happens when joy shows up anyway? In their third annual Happy Crappies, Kate and her dear friend Kelly Corrigan dare to name what went right in 2025 — personally, professionally, and globally — without apology or superstition. From deeply human moments that no machine could replicate, to long-overdue reckonings that reframe decades of pain, they trace the quiet ways meaning emerges when people really see one another. Along the way, they explore what joy actually is (and isn’t), why it so often arrives as a surprise, and how naming the cost of love might be one of the most hopeful acts we have.

What happens when joy shows up anyway? In their third annual&nbsp;Happy Crappies, Kate and her dear friend Kelly Corrigan dare to name what went right in 2025 &mdash; personally, professionally, and globally &mdash; without apology or superstition. From deeply human moments that no machine could replicate, to long-overdue reckonings that reframe decades of pain, they trace the quiet ways meaning emerges when people really see one another. Along the way, they explore what joy actually is (and isn&rsquo;t), why it so often arrives as a surprise, and how naming the cost of love might be one of the most hopeful acts we have.

Alan Alda: Stay Curious

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