What if insubordination and rebellion were a necessary next step on the Quest for the Good Life? What if, instead of slowing things down, they were actually a short cut to a more Utopian society?

We’d have to rethink how we listen, react and support dissenters. And show dissenters a path to being heard, being influential and having persuasive appeal.

In this CoachXConversation, Todd Kashdan talks in depth about what he’s discovered after 6 years of research.

Dr. Todd B. Kashdan is Professor of Psychology at George Mason University. He is the author of Curious? Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life (William Morrow). He conducts research on curiosity, positive emotions, meaning and purpose in life, mindfulness, gratitude, social relationships, the cultivation of health and well-being, and stress and anxiety. As a clinical psychologist, trained in cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness approaches, he is in a unique position to provide a deeper understanding of how positive psychology can be used to transform people’s lives.

Todd is a central figure in positive psychology research, co-author of the forthcoming book Designing the Future of Positive Psychology (Oxford University Press), and associate editor of the Journal of Positive Psychology. He also knows all or most of the key players world-wide. In 1994, he wrote the chapter on Curiosity in the classic, Character Strengths and Virtues. He has received several awards for his teaching as decided by students and other professors throughout the state of Virginia. He is the parent of young twin girls (he too is a twin) and lives with his wife in Fairfax, Virginia.