No Stupid Questions

Angela Duckworth, the psychologist who popularized the concept of grit, teams up with tech executive Mike Maughan to tackle questions about human behavior that most of us think about but rarely discuss out loud. Can you actually change your personality? Why do some people love rules and others hate them? Is there a right way to apologize? The format is a genuine back-and-forth conversation. Duckworth brings the research, often citing specific studies and explaining the methodology in accessible terms. Maughan brings the practical, real-world perspective and a willingness to play devil's advocate. The chemistry between them keeps episodes moving briskly through their typical 32 to 39 minute runtime. Produced by the Freakonomics Radio Network, the show benefits from the same production standards as its parent podcast. Episodes arrive weekly, and the archive now holds over 300 of them. The 4.6-star rating from 3,400-plus reviews suggests that the audience appreciates the show's ability to make social science feel conversational rather than clinical. What makes No Stupid Questions work is that the hosts take the questions seriously even when they sound trivial on the surface. An episode about why people are late to meetings can become a rich discussion about respect, time perception, and cultural norms. Duckworth has a knack for connecting everyday frustrations to the research literature without making it feel forced. It is the kind of show that makes you a slightly more thoughtful person without realizing it is happening.