Designing a Life that Matters

Designing a Life that Matters

From Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

April 27, 2026 · 51 min

About this episode

Dave Evans discusses a new approach to building meaningful lives through design thinking.

We tell ourselves that meaning comes from impact, passion, or finding the “one right path.” But these beliefs can leave us feeling stuck —even when our lives look perfectly fine on paper. Behavioral scientist Dave Evans describes a new approach, borrowed from design thinking, to help us build lives that feel more alive, flexible, and real.

People in this episode

Hosts: Shankar Vedantam, Hidden Brain

Guest: Dave Evans

Topics covered

  • design thinking
  • meaning in life
  • behavioral science
  • personal development
  • flexibility

Keywords

  • meaning
  • impact
  • passion
  • design thinking
  • behavioral science

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