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. 4d ago

    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

    32 min

  2. Jun 20

    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

    39 min

  3. Jun 12

    The Hidden Purpose of Nostalgia

    Have you ever been transported back in time by a song and felt a mix of melancholy and happiness, gratitude and longing? Maybe you’ve experienced the compulsion while on an airplane to look back at all photos and reminisce on the past? That patchwork of emotions is called nostalgia and in this episode of Hold That Thought, hosts Taylor and Becca explore the role nostalgia plays in our human experience. Contrary to early theories, the human tendency towards nostalgia holds a valuable purpose. Rather than keeping you stuck in the past, nostalgia supports personal and existential continuity and can minimize feelings of helplessness, pain and loneliness during periods of uncertainty and transition.  This is episode one of the Hold That Thought miniseries ‘And We Called Them Weeds’, exploring the power and beauty of human traits, emotions or experiences we may have dismissed as negative in the past.  Topics: Nostalgia, memory, psychology, social sciences, transition, personal growth, continuity,  Research:  The psychology of nostalgia and getting stuck in the past Five Ways Nostalgia Can Improve Your Well-Being Speaking of Psychology: Does nostalgia have a psychological purpose? With Krystine Batcho, PhD Clay Routledge Water From the Lake of Memory: The Regulatory Model of Nostalgia Gen Z is feeling nostalgic for a life they never knew The science behind the internet’s unstoppable nostalgia addictionNostalgia fosters self-continuity: Uncovering the mechanism (social connectedness) and consequence (eudaimonic well-being)

    35 min

  4. Jun 5

    Why This Scientist Says You Should Pick More Berries

    Have you ever just felt so connected to a piece of the natural world and loved it so much that it becomes a part of your sense of self? In this episode of “Hold That Thought” hosts Becca and Taylor explore what it means to love a place through the teachings of indigenous writer and thinker Robin Wall Kimmerer. They reflect on Kimmerer’s most recent reframing of our relationship to the natural world: that loving the land begins with realizing the land loves us back. Through the lens of berry picking, reciprocity and attention, they ponder Kimmerer’s deceptively simple invitation for humans to care more deeply for nature. And celebrate her ability to notice this web of mutual care between and among nature, animals and humans. Themes: Nature, reciprocity, Robin Wall Kimmerer, belonging, environmental stewardship, indigenous knowledge, community, gratitude, berry picking, attention Resources: This land is my land: Psychological ownership increases willingness to protect the natural world more than legal ownership Why Worry About the Agriculture of the Middle?  Robin Wall Kimmerer: The Land Loves You Back The three sisters Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

    24 min

  5. May 29

    The Third Place Is Disappearing (and It’s Making Us Lonelier)

    Where do you go to socialize, learn and connect, outside of work and home? The third place.  In this episode of Hold That Thought hosts Taylor and Becca explore the concept of the “village innkeeper” and “village tavern keeper” — the archetype of place makers and creators of third spaces. They use these archetypes to explore elements of place making, and interrogate the fact that while third places may have been easier to find in the past, we have no less a need to find or create our own third places in the present.  Themes: Third places, socializing, archetypes, medical archetypes, social connection, history, politics, coffee houses, taverns, bars  Resources: My favorite definition of the third place A writer’s perspective: medieval innsCaravanserai Medieval inns Monastic Doors Are Open for Travelers The Symbolism & Meaning of Inn Tavern HistoryHow Coffee Fueled Revolutions—and Revolutionary Ideas The Coffee House: A Cultural History  London Pubs

    42 min

  6. May 22

    Is the Funniest Person in Your Life Actually the Most Honest?

    The hardest truths are hardest to hear, but the ones most worth paying attention to. In this episode of Hold That Thought hosts Taylor and Becca explore how the ‘Town Fool’ or ‘Jester’ character throughout history has been the person who uses humor to tell the hardest truths. They explore everything from the science of humor, to the imperative of political satire in political freedom, to how accepting the fool within ourselves is instrumental in making us more whole.  Who in your life is your Town Fool? Who uses humor to help you see the things you might be most afraid of looking at directly?  Let us know in the comments below. Resources: The Paradox of the Fool Jimmy Kimmel rejects White House criticism over Melania widow joke Happy together and sad together: Impact of emotional similarity on task motivation in groups. Humor, Laughter, and Those Aha Moments Political humor is no laughing matter How Trump’s America changed political satire – for both liberals and conservatives CBS Cancels Itself, Not Just Colbert Stephen Colbert Announces The Cancellation Of “The Late Show” Strike Force Five Returns to Celebrate Stephen Colbert The Psychology of The Fool The Jester’s Scepter: How Political Satire Shapes Our Democracy While Making Us Laugh ‘Packaging evil into something funny’: is making fun of Trump now just ‘clownwashing’?

    36 min

  7. May 15

    The Town Crier: From Medieval Rumors to Modern Misinformation

    Oyez, Oyez! In this episode of Hold That Thought, hosts Becca and Taylor continue their fourth mini-series “Archetypes of a Village,” this time following the infamous ‘Town Crier’. From his origins in ancient Greece, his heyday in medieval Europe and his presence in Colonial America they chat through the many (often sordid) hats this town-person has worn across time. Becca and Taylor end the episode by exploring elements of our modern day news that are similar to characteristics of the Town Crier’s time. Topics: Town Crier, News Cycle, Social Media, News, Gossip, Society, Psychology, Village Archetypes, Ancient Greece, Roman Empire References: Town Criers Were the Original Social Media The Town Crier American Guild of Town Criers Fact-checking misinformation about the Correspondents' Dinner shooting How Propaganda Shaped History The Guelphs vs. Ghibellines Feud That Turned Italian Cities Into Battlefields The Tree of Fertility in Massa Marittima Column: Why a correspondents’ dinner at a White House ballroom could endanger press freedomApril 27, 2026: White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect charged with attempting to assassinate the president

    35 min

  8. May 8

    The Wounded Healer: Caregiving and Its Costs

    What does it mean to be a caregiver, and what does it mean to receive care? In this episode of Hold That Thought, hosts Becca and Taylor continue their fourth mini-series “Archetypes of a Village.” This week’s episode focuses on the Healer/Caregiver and explores the patterns, character traits and origins of the archetype. It explores the concept of the Wounded Healer and shares stories of people who use their personal experiences to better administer care to others. Becca and Taylor challenge the ways in which our current models make caregiving harder but also explore and celebrate the alternative models of care and community that can make all the difference. Topics: Healing, Caregiving, Care, Illness, Community, Village, Modalities of Healing Resources: The Healer Archetype Explained The Wounded Healer Wounded Healer The Wounded Healer Project The International Center for Reiki Training Tai-Chi For Health Institute How I Survived Caregiving PBS: Caregiving Surviving the Unthinkable: My Journey Back From Jumping Off The Golden Gate Bridge Lessons from Traditional Societies on Raising Children, Caring for the Elderly I Knew the Data on Caregivers. My Stroke Made It Real Valuing the Invaluable 2026

    39 min
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5
out of 5
8 Ratings

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
    2K
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Becca Havian and Taylor Lord
  • Show Website
    Hold That Thought

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