Susan Cain || The Beauty of Bittersweet

Today we welcome Susan Cain. She is the author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, which spent eight years on The New York Times bestseller list, and has been translated into 40 languages. Susan’s TED talk has been viewed over 40 million times and was named by Bill Gates as one of his all-time favorite talks. Her new masterpiece is called Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole.

In this episode, I talk to Susan Cain about the complex emotion of bittersweet. We explore melancholy and how the intertwined recognition of beauty and impermanence can be tapped for creative pursuits. Susan also talks about how existential longing is a natural part of the human condition, allowing us to form deeper connections with one another. We also touch on the topics of creativity, spirituality, relationships, grief, and mortality.

Website: susancain.net

Twitter: @susancain

Topics

The spectrum of bittersweet
The paradox of tragedy
Melancholy is not always depression
Longing for Eden
Spirituality is a manifestation of longing
Existential longing, awe, and wonder
Reaching through acts of love
The new science of transcendence
Mortality and transhumanism
Maslow’s plateau experiences
The epigenetics of inherited trauma
Follow your existential longing

About the guest

Susan Cain

Podcast Guest

Susan Cain is an American writer and lecturer best known for her work on introversion and the inner life. She is the author of the bestsellers Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking and Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole, and her TED Talk has been viewed more than 40 million times.

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11 years of
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Susan Cain || The Beauty of Bittersweet

Susan Cain

11 years ofhuman possibility

11 years of
human possibility