Dr. Rick Hanson

John, I'm really happy to be here. Truly, not a platitude. I've looked forward to this. I've really enjoyed the connection with you in our few minutes before we started. And I just think this is a great opportunity. And I feel connected already in some ways to the people who are listening as well.

John, I'm really happy to be here. Truly, not a platitude. I've looked forward to this. I've really enjoyed the connection with you in our few minutes before we started. And I just think this is a great opportunity. And I feel connected already in some ways to the people who are listening as well.

John, I'm really happy to be here. Truly, not a platitude. I've looked forward to this. I've really enjoyed the connection with you in our few minutes before we started. And I just think this is a great opportunity. And I feel connected already in some ways to the people who are listening as well.

That's good. The thought arising in my mind is, I hope I didn't suck too bad. But anyway.

That's good. The thought arising in my mind is, I hope I didn't suck too bad. But anyway.

That's good. The thought arising in my mind is, I hope I didn't suck too bad. But anyway.

Wow. Good for you. Yeah.

Wow. Good for you. Yeah.

Wow. Good for you. Yeah.

I've been on a lot of things and no one's ever asked me that. That's such a penetrating, interesting question. So one part of it was that growing up, I was a shy, nerdy person and I skipped a grade and I have a late birthday. So I was very young going through school, a little late into puberty as well. And so I was routinely picked last for PE sports teams.

I've been on a lot of things and no one's ever asked me that. That's such a penetrating, interesting question. So one part of it was that growing up, I was a shy, nerdy person and I skipped a grade and I have a late birthday. So I was very young going through school, a little late into puberty as well. And so I was routinely picked last for PE sports teams.

I've been on a lot of things and no one's ever asked me that. That's such a penetrating, interesting question. So one part of it was that growing up, I was a shy, nerdy person and I skipped a grade and I have a late birthday. So I was very young going through school, a little late into puberty as well. And so I was routinely picked last for PE sports teams.

And my dad, even though, as I've mentioned, was a cowboy, born on a ranch in North Dakota in 1918. He was not into athletics, so he never threw a ball with me, while being still a very loving and engaged father. And so rock climbing for me became, and that's been my particular entry into wilderness, rock climbing, technical climbing.

And my dad, even though, as I've mentioned, was a cowboy, born on a ranch in North Dakota in 1918. He was not into athletics, so he never threw a ball with me, while being still a very loving and engaged father. And so rock climbing for me became, and that's been my particular entry into wilderness, rock climbing, technical climbing.

And my dad, even though, as I've mentioned, was a cowboy, born on a ranch in North Dakota in 1918. He was not into athletics, so he never threw a ball with me, while being still a very loving and engaged father. And so rock climbing for me became, and that's been my particular entry into wilderness, rock climbing, technical climbing.

When I started doing it right out of college, it was a way for me... I'm going to use a really funny word here, a term, to claim my manhood. In a sense, I just felt more badass, like I could do this. And I was athletic, and I actually am fairly athletic. And so in a lot of the early rock climbers, especially, they came out of Caltech and JPL and Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

When I started doing it right out of college, it was a way for me... I'm going to use a really funny word here, a term, to claim my manhood. In a sense, I just felt more badass, like I could do this. And I was athletic, and I actually am fairly athletic. And so in a lot of the early rock climbers, especially, they came out of Caltech and JPL and Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

When I started doing it right out of college, it was a way for me... I'm going to use a really funny word here, a term, to claim my manhood. In a sense, I just felt more badass, like I could do this. And I was athletic, and I actually am fairly athletic. And so in a lot of the early rock climbers, especially, they came out of Caltech and JPL and Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

It appeals to a kind of a determined, slightly obsessive-compulsive personality, which I'm sure I have, rock climbing, vroom, vroom, vroom. So it really fed me emotionally. So that was important. But I think also more broadly, as I've come to realize what we feel in nature and you reported it and neurologically, there's some interesting underlying circuitry related to this.

It appeals to a kind of a determined, slightly obsessive-compulsive personality, which I'm sure I have, rock climbing, vroom, vroom, vroom. So it really fed me emotionally. So that was important. But I think also more broadly, as I've come to realize what we feel in nature and you reported it and neurologically, there's some interesting underlying circuitry related to this.