David DeSteno

Now, I want to be clear that

surrendering doesn't mean like, well, that's it.

I'm giving it up to God.

I'm not doing anything, right?

It's not that.

It means doing the best you can, but at a certain point, realizing that you only have so much control.

And once you've done the best you can,

then you put the rest in a higher power's hands.

And so people call it surrender even in scientific literature, but I like to think about it as more of a collaboration between a junior and a senior partner.

That is, we as the junior partner have a role that is to do the best we can, but we realize that it's not all resting on our shoulders all the time, nor do we have all that control.

And so at a certain point,

that acceptance comes in offering it up.

And to the extent that you offer it up and believe there's a force of some type, whoever you conceive of it out there,

that has your best interests in mind, that can be a comforting thought.

And people say, well, Dave, isn't that just the opiate of the masses?

And I'm like, I don't think so.

I mean, as a scientist, I can't tell you if God exists.

It's not my job as a scientist.

There is no experiment that can prove it one way or the other.

So I'm not advocating that you should believe or you shouldn't.