Economist / Educator

Russ Roberts

Economist, research fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, and president of Shalem College in Jerusalem. Host of EconTalk since 2006 with 1000+ episodes. Author of How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life.

Known For

EconTalk podcastHow Adam Smith Can Change Your LifeHoover Institution

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AI Tools May Rewire Cognitive Development in Users

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Anger as Protection: A Mask for Deeper Emotion

Curious

Biographies as Substitute Mentors

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Confidence Comes From Competence and Action, Not Readiness

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Constraints Enable Scaling — Simplicity Over Optionality

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Courage Is a Learnable Skill

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Culture Functions as a Collective Brain

Novel

Environment Shapes Behavior More Than Willpower

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Physical Exercise Is the Single Most Effective Lifestyle Intervention

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Expectation Shapes Experience

Novel

False Information Spreads Faster and Further Than Truth

Canon

The Gut Is a Second Brain — And It Talks to Your First One

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The Hedonic Treadmill — Happiness Returns to Baseline

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Innovation as New Combinations

Curious

Meaning Comes from Responsibility, Not Happiness

Canon

Meditation Is Mental Training, Not Relaxation

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Misaligned Incentives Override Capability

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"What Is the Most Generous Interpretation of This?"

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Close Relationships Are the Strongest Predictor of Life Satisfaction

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Sobriety as a Life Force Multiplier

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Humans Crave Status and Respect More Than Wealth Itself

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Focus Only on What You Can Control

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The True Self vs. False Self — Childhood Adaptations That Persist Into Adulthood

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Episodes

#Are We Alone? Cosmic Loneliness and the Longing to Believe (with Adam Kirsch)Aug 24, 2026 #Dwayne Betts on the IliadJul 20, 2026 #EconTalk Book Club on the IliadJul 6, 2026 #Do Less, Heal More: The Case for Medical Conservatism (with John Mandrola)Jun 29, 2026 #Can a Phone Be a Cow? (with Philip Auerswald)Jun 22, 2026 #Tom Cruise's Body of WorkMay 18, 2026 #Thinking Inside the BoxMay 11, 2026 #Golfing Alone (with Gary Belsky)May 4, 2026 #Claude, War, and the State of the RepublicApr 27, 2026 #Adam Smith's Warning About Wealth, Fame, and Status (with Ross Levine)Apr 20, 2026 #Emily Oster on the Power of Nuance in Public HealthDec 30, 2024 #Fixing Sick CitiesDec 23, 2024 #Translating Life and FateDec 2, 2024 #Reclaiming TribalismOct 7, 2024 #What Modern Medicine Gets WrongSep 16, 2024 #Does Parenting Make You a Better Person?Jul 22, 2024 #Lessons from Lincoln, Then and NowJul 15, 2024 #Reading, Writing, and FightingJul 8, 2024 #When Prediction Is Not EnoughApr 15, 2024 #Rituals Without ReligionApr 8, 2024 #Living with Exponential ChangeMar 11, 2024 #How to Avoid Lying With StatisticsMar 4, 2024 #The Secrets of Great ConversationFeb 26, 2024