Episode

Why Knowing Your True Self Is So Difficult, with Eric Oliver

Podcast: Big Brains
Published: Jan 22, 2026
Duration seconds: 1911
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Summary

The process of understanding who we are is a lifelong journey for many of us. For two decades, that question has been one that University of Chicago scholar Eric Oliver has asked his students in class—and inspired him to write a new book called "How to Know Your Self: The Art & Science of Discovering Who You Really Are." A renowned political scientist, Oliver draws upon science, philosophy, psychology and his personal experiences to better examine the mysteries of the human experience—and explore what it truly means to be “you.”