Finding the Magic in Everyday Life with Thoreau and Eric Weiner

About this episode

As we move through our busy lives, it’s easy to stop noticing the tiny, beautiful things all around us. But rediscovering the sense of wonder we had as children might not only bring us more joy — it could also help us better navigate life’s hardest moments. Dr. Laurie explores that idea with traveling philosopher and former NPR correspondent Eric Weiner, author of The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers. Eric shares what he’s learned from walking in the footsteps of Henry David Thoreau, including how the 19th-century philosopher can help us live better in the modern day and see beauty in the things we usually overlook. Experts Mentioned: • Eric Weiner, journalist, author, and philosophical traveler • Henry David Thoreau, 19th-century American philosopher, poet, environmental scientist, and political activist • Socrates, ancient Greek philosopher • Epicurus, ancient Greek philosopher • Arthur Schopenhauer, 19th-century German philosopher • Ralph Waldo Emerson, 19th-century essayist, poet, and philosopher • Confucius, ancient Chinese philosopher • Nathaniel Hawthorne, 19th-century American novelist and short-story writer • Leslie Perri