Curious Minds at Work

Author: Gayle Allen

Want to get better at work? At managing others? Managing yourself? Gayle Allen interviews experts who take your performance to the next level. Each episode features a book with insights to help you achieve your goals.
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Language: en-us

Genres: Arts, Books, Science, Social Sciences

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CM 329: Tania Lombrozo on Our How Explanations Shape Our Lives
Saturday, 3 October, 2026

We’re constantly seeking explanations for why things happened. Why did a project fail? Why did someone behave the way they did? Why did one approach work when another one didn’t? But explanations don’t just help us understand the past. They influence what we do next. The explanation we land on can affect what we learn, how we see others, and the decisions we make. And if we anchor on the wrong explanation, we can end up solving the wrong problem. Tania Lombrozo studies how this works. She’s a professor of psychology at Princeton University and author of the new book, Why We Ask Why: The Science of Explanation and the Human Drive to Understand. Her research helps us understand why we’re so driven to seek explanations, how they shape the way we think and act, and how we can get better at using them in our work and lives. Before we start, one quick ask. If you like the podcast, please take a moment to leave a rating on iTunes or wherever you subscribe. Your feedback sends a strong signal to people looking for their next podcast. And if you’re wondering what I’m curious about this week, be sure to listen to the end of the episode. Resource Links The Secret to Efficient Learning Interview with Steven Sloman author of The Knowledge Illusion The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.