
About this episode
John O'Brien discusses the prevalence of rudeness and offers strategies for dealing with difficult people.
If you feel like there's more rudeness in the world, you're not alone. According to John O'Brien, psychologist and author of "Rudeness Rehab," there's a pandemic of incivility. O'Brien says we're seeing bad behavior everywhere, from the streets to the workplace to even the operating room. As part of our Osher Author Talk series, host Henry DeVries talks with O'Brien about the physical and mental toll of experiencing rudeness. O'Brien says we have the power to be our own superhero when dealing rude and difficult people. He calls his approach BAM, which stands for breathing, active listening and mindfulness. Series: "Osher UC San Diego Distinguished Lecture Series" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Show ID: 40599]
People in this episode
Host: Henry DeVries
Guest: John O'Brien
Topics covered
- rudeness
- incivility
- mental health
- communication
- mindfulness
Keywords
- rudeness
- difficult people
- BAM
- breathing
- active listening
- mindfulness
- psychology
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Rudeness Rehab
More episodes of Education Channel (Audio)
- Extreme Events in California’s Changing Climate · May 22, 2026 · 1h 5m
- Extended Studies: Lifelong Learning That Expands Opportunity · February 25, 2026 · 39 min
- Paola Capó-García: Poet Laureate on Humor Intimacy and Voice in Poetry · January 7, 2026 · 25 min
- Engineer Turned Restaurateur: Cris Liang’s Journey · November 29, 2025 · 28 min
- Mobile Mental Health for Students: Triton CORE · October 31, 2025 · 17 min
- The Great Philosophers: Augustine · October 25, 2025 · 1h 3m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Education Channel (Audio) podcast page.