Kelly Corrigan
Kelly Corrigan is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, host of the PBS interview series Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan, and host of the podcast Kelly Corrigan Wonders, where she leads conversations about well-being, purpose, and impact.
People Underestimate How Rewarding Small Social Interactions Will Be
University of Chicago behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley argues that people routinely forgo small acts of connection because they wrongly expect them to be awkward, unwelcome or unrewarding. In a research-focused Aspen Ideas Festival conversation with Kelly Corrigan, Epley says that misprediction affects encounters with strangers and friends alike, from starting a conversation to expressing gratitude or offering condolences. His case is not for constant sociability, but for testing the pessimistic forecasts that keep people from reaching out.
One Semester of Civics Cannot Sustain Democratic Agency
In an Aspen Ideas Festival session with Kelly Corrigan, civics educator Sharon McMahon argues that American democracy is weakened by civic ignorance, thin school requirements and an information environment where charisma often substitutes for accountability. Her case is that civics cannot be treated as a one-semester subject: citizens need enough knowledge to understand power, evaluate sources, tolerate disagreement and act without giving in to despair.