Hold That Thought

Becca Havian and Taylor Lord

“Hold That Thought” is something you say when you don’t want the conversation to rush ahead but still want to see where the idea leads. This podcast lives in the pause: the space between reaction and reflection, focus and exploration, where ideas stretch and change. Blending research, storytelling, and reflection, each episode examines the forces that shape how we think, relate, and make meaning of ourselves and the world around us. Episodes are organized into mini-series that explore a concept from multiple angles, creating space for deeper and more connected conversation.

  1. 6 hrs ago

    How a Piece of Paper Became the Most Powerful Object on Earth

    You probably rarely think about money as an invention — it feels more like just a fact of the world. But money as we know it is only about 5,000 years old. This is episode 2 of our mini-series Reality, By Agreement, where we look at the rules, systems, and social arrangements that feel inevitable but exist only because enough of us agree to live by them. This episode of Hold That Thought traces the history of money: where it came from, why economists still argue about its origins,  what a World War II prisoner-of-war camp revealed about how an entire economy can emerge from agreement, and how quickly our systems fail when we lose our trust in its value.  Because money isn’t a fact of nature. A piece of paper only “counts as” currency because enough of us agree to treat it that way.  Themes: History, money, society, behavioral evolution, currency, social contract, community Resources: Philosophy club: Money as a Collective Imaginative Construct To Know for a Fact: The Construction of Social Reality Slow Read Book Club: Chapter 2, The Myth of Barter, in Debt The First 5,000 Years by David Graeber The Myth of the Myth of Barter David McWilliams (on the history of money)  The History of Money A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding Cryptocurrency The History of Money: A Story of Humanity, David McWilliams

  2. 31 July

    The Weekend Is Less Than 100 Years Old

    Why do we work five days a week? Why is Saturday our day of play or chores and Sunday our day of rest? The modern weekend isn’t natural or ancient — it’s a 20th-century invention shaped by religion, labor unions, factory owners, and federal laws.  In this episode of Hold That Thought we explore the construction of the weekend and how it came to be, from its roots in the Jewish and Christian Sabbath through labor movements and factories, to Henry Ford’s decision to give his workers two days off. Finally, we discuss how our modern-day work culture shapes our understanding of rest and leisure and how we’re both looking to create more space in our weeks.  This is the start of our new mini-series, “Reality, By Agreement,” where we’re looking at the systems and social arrangements that feel inevitable, but exist only because enough of us agree to them. Themes: Weekend, schedule, time, history, culture, society, leisure, community, organizing, sabbath  Resources: The modern phenomenon of the weekend 10 Countries Experimenting With a 4-Day Work Week Greece introduces ‘growth-oriented’ six-day working week What Americans Actually Do All Weekend, In 2 GraphicsWhy We Work 5 Days a WeekWhy You Don't Feel as Fulfilled From Your Job as You Think You ShouldWhere did the weekend go? How work stole our Saturdays and SundaysTriathlons, ultramarathons and ambitious baking: why is modern leisure so competitive?Let’s bring back the Sabbath as a radical act against ‘total work’7 Sabbath Tips from 15 Years of PracticeIs Sabbath Really About Rest — or Resistance? The Week: A History of the Unnatural Rhythms That Made Us Who We Are by David M. Henkin  Work Won't Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone by Sarah Jaffe

  3. 24 July

    The Surprising Link Between Embarrassment and Trust

    You probably hate the feeling of embarrassment: the flushed cheeks, the racing heart, the voice in your head berating you for whatever faux-paus you’ve done. But that feeling of embarrassment might just be what allows other people to trust you more and forgive you faster. In this episode of Hold that Thought, we explore the emotion of embarrassment, its evolutionary roots in trust and social harmony, its psychological ties to self awareness, and how knowing more about this emotion can make us less controlled and cowed by it.  Key Words: Embarrassment, shame, guilt, self-awareness, psychology, trust   Resources: Oh no you didn’t! Embarrassment acts as a social glue that can strengthen our relationships, but it also has a dark side, research finds.  Flustered and faithful: embarrassment as a signal of prosociality Embarrassment: A Form of Social Pain Embarrassment & CBT

  4. 17 July

    Why Humans Evolved to Gossip

    SHHH. We’re spilling the beans. On gossip.  It’s hard not to feel excited when someone tells you they have something juicy to share. But in the next moment you may feel guilty. Isn’t gossiping bad to do? Well… perhaps not always. And perhaps it’s one of humanity’s oldest social tools. In this episode of Hold That Thought we explore the psychology of gossip, why humans evolved to gossip, and how it can actually help with cooperation, community and building trust. We also chat through the different types of gossip and the importance of finding your own line of what feels harmless (or dare we say helpful?) and when it turns destructive and toxic.  Whether you're a self-proclaimed gossip or someone who avoids it entirely, this episode reframes one of our most misunderstood social behaviors. Topics: Gossip, community, anthropology, language, evolution, rumors, society Resources: Why do people gossip? Psst—Wanna Know Why Gossip Has Evolved in Every Human Society? Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language Psst. The Science of Gossip The Delicate Art of Gossip How the Gossip Became a Woman  UC Riverside study busts myths about gossip

  5. 10 July

    What Anger Wants

    Anger can be corrosive, scary, something to control. But it’s also one of the most intelligent emotions we have.  This week on Hold That Thought we’re looking at anger, and challenging the assumption that it’s inherently bad. Anger is a signal, a form of information, and one of your body’s oldest survival tools. It tells you when a boundary needs protecting. When a need isn’t being met. It gives you fuel when there’s a problem that needs solving. And when we learn to listen and get close to our anger without letting it control us we can learn more about ourselves and the lives we want to live.  Topics: Anger, boundaries, psychology, rage, self-understanding, relationships Resources: Dr. Gabor Maté — How to Process Your Anger and Rage  Anger Has Benefits for Attaining Goals The gift and power of emotional courage How to be Angry Better; The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos What Is Our Rage Telling Us? With Dr. Becky Kennedy; We Can Do Hard Things  Resources: Working with Anger; Tara Brach

  6. 3 July

    The Case for Sensitivity

    Have you ever been told to “toughen up”? Have you ever wished for thicker skin? Have you ever asked yourself, “why am I so sensitive?”  Have you ever been told to "toughen up"? Have you ever asked yourself, “why am I so sensitive?” If you have ever found yourself wishing for thicker skin, you might be a highly sensitive person. But being highly sensitive can be a superpower not a weakness.  In this episode of Hold That Thought we explore sensory-processing sensitivity, not as a flaw to overcome but as a powerful way of relating to the world. Sensitivity can make us more creative and more receptive to positive reinforcement. It can help us be more honest with ourselves and make better decisions. It can broaden our emotional landscape and our appreciation of beauty. We unpack our own experiences of being sensitive people, explore its evolutionary niche and discuss new found genetic breakthroughs in sensory-processing sensitivity science.  Topics: Sensitivity, sensory-processing sensitivity, psychology, emotions, personal growth Donate to Venezuela Earthquake Relief:  Matching campaign to targeted relief  HazloHoy (coordination across efforts)   Website to verify donation information Resources: Sensory-processing sensitivity and its relation to introversion and emotionality Sensory processing sensitivity: a review in the light of the evolution of biological responsivity Why Being Sensitive Is a Strength Dandelions, tulips and orchids: evidence for the existence of low-sensitive, medium-sensitive and high-sensitive individuals 3 Secrets to Becoming Emotionally Intelligent  The Differential Susceptibility Hypothesis: Sensitivity to the Environment for Better and for Worse Your Brain Doesn't Work the Way You Think It Does The Benefits of Being Highly Sensitive Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Reactivity to Daily Events Dr. Elaine Aron on the Highly Sensitive Person Serotonin Transporter Gene as a Predictor of Stress Generation in Depression Evolution of the concept of sensory processing sensitivity and its measurement: The Highly Sensitive Person scale-revised

  7. 27 June

    The Benefit of (the) Doubt 

    Is doubt good or bad for decision making? Is doubt healthy or damaging? We tend to treat doubt like a warning sign: proof that we’re not ready, not capable, or headed in the wrong direction. Self-doubt is paralyzing and doubt in others is a weakness. But what if doubt of all kinds was actually a cognitive reflex working in our favor.  In this episode of Hold That Thought we explore the benefit of doubt. Doubt can make us better leaders, learners and decision makers. Doubt can be a means to question the harmful storylines in our heads. Doubt can be sharpened as a tool for self-understanding, rather than rejected as a symptom of confusion. Doubt is a critical element of intellectual humility and mental flexibility.  What is the difference between healthy and unhealthy doubt? Healthy doubt pauses automatic belief  to ask better questions, challenge the status quo and live in intellectual humility. Healthy doubt gives us space from our minds’ unreliable narrators Unhealthy self-doubt (especially fear-based) goes straight to shutdown   Unhealthy doubt breeds mistrust  In this episode we unpack both healthy and unhealthy doubt and we  figure out how to listen and learn from our doubt without letting it control us.   Topics: Doubt, decision making, psychology, neurobiology, self-understanding, leadership skills, leadership styles, intellectual humility, cognitive flexibility,  Resources: Benefit of the doubt: a new view of the role of the prefrontal cortex in executive functioning and decision making Neural Correlates of Doubt in Decision Making Doubt is a Cognitive Reflect, Not a Sign Selections from Keats’s Letters The Decision Lab: Daniel Khaneman The Power of Doubt You Can’t Not Believe Everything You Read Thinking Fast and Slow - Daniel Khaneman

  8. 20 June

    Why You Can't Sit Still Anymore

    Boredom: a feeling we’re taught to avoid at all costs, and a state of mind that our brain actively seeks to escape. We often associate boredom with a state of “lacking”; a lack of stimulation,a lack of direction, a lack of purpose. But as soon as you dig into boredom, you quickly see it plays a propulsive, integral role in our self development, our creativity, and even human progress. Join hosts Becca and Taylor in this episode of “Hold That Thought” to discuss the purpose of boredom and how we might slow down in a world of endless distractions, to sit long enough to see what it has to offer.  Topics: Boredom, creativity, human psychology, human development, neuroscience, personal development, mindfulness, meditation  Resources: How to Stop Avoiding Boredom and Embrace Doing Nothing Ancient Humans Didn’t Get Bored… We Do. Here’s Why Boredom: Is it Good For You Why Being Bored Is Actually Good For Your Brain  You Need to be Bored: Here’s Why The Surprising Power of Boredom The Psychology of Optimal Experience Pensées, Blaise PascalBoring Places Make Interesting Artists

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About

“Hold That Thought” is something you say when you don’t want the conversation to rush ahead but still want to see where the idea leads. This podcast lives in the pause: the space between reaction and reflection, focus and exploration, where ideas stretch and change. Blending research, storytelling, and reflection, each episode examines the forces that shape how we think, relate, and make meaning of ourselves and the world around us. Episodes are organized into mini-series that explore a concept from multiple angles, creating space for deeper and more connected conversation.

Information

  • Creator
    Becca Havian and Taylor Lord
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Becca Havian and Taylor Lord
  • Show Website
    Hold That Thought

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