George Saunders On: Getting Un-Stuck, Calming the Inner Critic, and Building Empathy Without Becoming a Chump

This is the 10% happier podcast. I'm Dan Harris. Hello, my fellow suffering beings. How are we doing today? Today I'm going to talk to

one of the greatest living novelists about how to get out of stuckness and self-criticism, how to be less judgmental of yourself and other people, how to be empathic without being a chump, how empathy, properly understood, actually enhances your edge rather than eroding it, and how thinking and talking about the afterlife can improve your life right now. I always love talking to George Saunders. This is his third tour of duty on this show. Many of you are familiar with George, but real quick, he won the Man Booker prize for his excellent novel, Lincoln and the Bardo, and he's back with a new novel called Vigil, which I have read and it's excellent.

George also teaches creative writing at Syracuse University and hosts Story Club, which is a popular substack where he analyzes classic short stories. Real quick before we dive in here, don't forget to check out my new app. It's called 10% with Dan Harris, and you can sign up at danharris.com, the most egotistical web address in the world. There's a free 14-day trial if you want to check out the app before you buy it. Let me just tell you though, we've got an amazing and growing library of guided meditations from amazing teachers, including people like Joseph Goldstein.

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