More than a decade after Being Mortal was published, Dan Harris talks with Atul Gawande about its unexpectedly hopeful message: when facing serious illness or declining independence, better decisions can begin by asking what matters most to a person’s life rather than simply what medicine can do.
The conversation also extends into aging, purpose, Gawande’s work in global health, and the possibilities and limitations of AI in medicine.
Key takeaways include:
- Ask what makes life worth living: Gawande discusses four questions that can transform conversations about serious illness and declining independence by clarifying a person’s priorities, fears, goals, and acceptable trade-offs.
- More treatment isn’t always the better goal: The episode explores a randomized study in which patients receiving palliative care from the start lived 25% longer, challenging the assumption that choosing quality of life necessarily means sacrificing longevity.
- Our priorities can change as life feels more fragile: Drawing on psychologist Laura Carstensen’s work, Gawande discusses how awareness of life’s limits can shift perspective and influence what people value as they age.
Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris offers practical tools and expert conversations for a calmer, more mindful life. New Episodes air every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
