Give and Take

Episode 227: Lost In Thought, with Zena Hitz



June 7th, 2020  •  47 mins 36 secs  •  Download (43.6 MB)  •  Link with Timestamp

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My guest is Zena Hitz. She's the author of "The Intellectual Life." In an overloaded, superficial, technological world, in which almost everything and everybody is judged by its usefulness, where can we turn for escape, lasting pleasure, contemplation, or connection to others? While many forms of leisure meet these needs, Zena Hitz writes, few experiences are so fulfilling as the inner life, whether that of a bookworm, an amateur astronomer, a birdwatcher, or someone who takes a deep interest in one of countless other subjects. Drawing on inspiring examples, from Socrates and Augustine to Malcolm X and Elena Ferrante, and from films to Hitz’s own experiences as someone who walked away from elite university life in search of greater fulfillment, "Lost in Thought" is a passionate and timely reminder that a rich life is a life rich in thought.