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Staying Human with Dr. Vivek Murthy

Vivek Murthy 3 Episodes Aug 18, 2026

Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, hosts a podcast exploring what it means to live a fulfilling life. Through conversations with diverse guests, he delves into topics like redefining success, finding purpose, and fostering connection and community. The show challenges listeners to move beyond quick fixes and consider deeper, more human ways of living.

Episodes

Robert Putnam: What Does It Mean To Be a Social Capitalist? (and how does it affect our health?) Aug 18, 2026 44:29 How many of us have felt the deep need to belong, but weren’t sure where to start? In this episode, recorded live at WBUR in Boston, Vivek sits down with the Harvard professor, author, and friend for a wide-ranging conversation on building community. Robert Putnam saw America's social fracturing coming decades before anyone else did. His book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of Am

Maya Shankar: What Happens When Life Changes Our Plans? Aug 4, 2026 54:09 Ten years ago, Vivek and Maya Shankar met in a meeting at the White House; he still doesn't remember what the meeting was about, but he remembers being struck by her brilliance, and even more by her warmth. They stayed in touch, became close friends, and now, a decade later, Maya has traded her work as a cognitive scientist and White House advisor for a new mission: helping people underst

Dr. Robert Waldinger: What does 85 years of research reveal about a Good Life? Jul 21, 2026 01:08:20 What makes a good life? Is it accomplishment and wealth? Meaning and purpose? Relationships?This is the question Dr. Robert Waldinger, a Harvard psychiatrist, has spent decades exploring as the fourth director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development – the world's longest-running study of adult life and happiness – following hundreds of people since 1938 and still running today. Robert i

Jennifer Wallace: Why Don’t We Feel Like We Matter? Jul 7, 2026 01:07:59 A lot of us move through our days on autopilot, heads down, just clearing the to-do list. And somewhere in there, we stop noticing the small signals that tell us we matter. We stop sending them, too.In this episode, Dr. Vivek Murthy sits down with journalist Jennifer Wallace, author of MATTERING: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose. They get into why so many people feel in

Atul Gawande: What Does Death Teach Us About How To Live? Jun 23, 2026 01:15:27 Are we paying too much attention to how long we live, and too little to how well we live?For most doctors, the goal is to help patients live as long as possible. But more time and more life aren’t always the same things. In this episode, host Dr. Vivek Murthy and guest Dr. Atul Gawande, surgeon and author of the landmark book Being Mortal, discuss a question neither of them were trained a

David French: How Can We Come Together Across Divides? Jun 9, 2026 01:13:42 We’re living in an era where division often feels like the status quo, and it's affecting us on a personal level. A 2025 study from the American Psychological Association found 62% of adults say polarization is a significant source of stress in their lives.How can we bring people together, especially across divides, whether they’re a friend, neighbor, stranger, or family member? How do we

Kate Bowler: Is Joy Possible When Things Are Difficult? May 26, 2026 01:13:41 What does it mean to feel joy amid moments of real difficulty and even sorrow? Not in the sense of being falsely upbeat or pretending that everything’s ok—but as a way to sit with and honor what’s going on in our lives.Kate Bowler is a bestselling author known for her writing about loss, grief, and hope. She’s also a professor at Duke University who studies the history of religion, and ho

Announcing Staying Human with Dr. Vivek Murthy May 19, 2026 01:23 What if, instead of looking for quick fixes or life hacks, we asked: what does it take to live a truly fulfilling life? Join Dr. Vivek Murthy, 19th and 21st U.S. Surgeon General as he explores what it means to stay human though interviews with people from all walks of life. Substack vivekmurthy.substack.com/IG @drvivekmurthy

Staying Human with Dr. Vivek Murthy

Episodes

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