About this episode
Reminder: Join Richie & Cort tonight at 8pm ET for our monthly AMA HEREIn today’s episode of Dharma Lab, Cort and Richie explore a radical and hopeful idea from their upcoming book Born to Flourish: that we all come into the world with an innate capacity for kindness, compassion, and human flourishing. Through personal stories, recent science, and ancient Buddhist wisdom, they reveal how reconnecting with our true nature can transform not only ourselves but also our divided world.“It’s probably more important today than at any other time in my life to really affirm this statement: that we are born to flourish. And this isn’t vacuous hope—it’s hope grounded in practice and in science.” - Dr. Richard DavidsonThis Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS* Cort shares a heartwarming memory of teaching his three-year-old son about “Buddha nature” and the pure joy it sparked in him* Richie presents stunning research showing that 100% of six-month-old babies naturally prefer kindness over meanness - scientific proof we’re wired for goodness* How Buddhist psychology teaches that suffering often stems from forgetting our fundamental wholeness and getting trapped in limiting (and changing) identities* Practical tips for daily life: seeing the Buddha nature in others during interactions, practicing “just like me” reflections, and shifting from a “fixing” mindset to appreciating what’s already whole* How viewing harmful behavior as arising from confusion rather than fundamental evil can transform rage into compassion, even toward difficult public figures* A powerful reminder that flourishing isn’t just a belief system—it’s a practice of actually seeing ourselves, others, and the world differentlyOur new book is coming out next month! Pre-order Born to Flourish and get:* Live access to an exclusive Born to Flourish Launch Event* Richie and Cort’s personal reading list on the art of flourishing* A daily protocol for training the mind to flourish* 1-year paid membership to Dharma Lab with weekly essays, research updates, podcasts, and member-only online eventsFrom the archives:Podcast Chapter List00:00 – Are We Really Born to Flourish?Why this claim matters more now than ever—and why it’s grounded in science, not blind optimism.
