For three decades, Jodi Picoult has built stories by immersing herself in perspectives far removed from her own, including those of people whose beliefs she finds deeply difficult.
In this conversation with Jonathan Fields, she explores what that process has taught her about empathy, perspective, and truth, as well as the personal cost of inhabiting another person’s point of view so deeply.
Key takeaways:
- Every person sees themselves differently: The idea that “every villain is the hero of their own story” becomes a lens for understanding how people justify their choices and why stepping inside another perspective can complicate our judgments.
- Empathy can come at a cost: Picoult reflects on what happens when a writer immerses herself deeply in difficult characters and experiences, and how that work can follow her beyond the page into her personal life.
- Small untruths can become harder to undo: Drawing on research she encountered while writing, Picoult discusses why maintaining a lie over time can make it increasingly difficult to reverse course and tell the truth.
- Truth can become complicated when we want to protect others: The conversation examines the space between sugarcoating reality and bending the truth out of love, alongside Picoult’s experience of having her work challenged and banned.
Good Life Project shares powerful stories and science-backed wisdom for living a purposeful life. New episodes usually air every Monday and Thursday.
