Doing Well: The Wellbeing Science Insights Podcast · Life Management Science Labs

Ross E. O’Hara, Ph.D.: Nudging—The Catalyst to Ignite Your Love of Learning | Doing Well #76

·1 hr 1 min·4 clips

Nudging works best when the environment changes, not just motivation.

Lu Mo opens by introducing Ross O'Hara and framing the conversation around nudging and love of learning. The show treats love of learning as one of the wellbeing science ideas it wants to make practical. Ross describes it as staying open to growth over time. He gives simple examples, like taking art or cooking classes. He also points to his own training routine at a gym. For him, learning can mean paying closer attention to how his body works now that he is 40. The conversation keeps the idea personal rather than abstract. Ross then moves into nudging. He notes that nudging is often discussed at a broad institutional level. Universities, for example, can use it to shape student experience. Here the focus shifts to the individual level. The point is to set up an environment that makes change as easy as possible. Ross connects that idea to behavioral science. He suggests that change is hard enough already. People should not make it harder on themselves than it needs to be. Instead, they can lean into human tendencies and biases. That way, the environment does some of the work. The discussion stays warm and accessible. Lu Mo keeps the exchange moving with curiosity and affirmation. The episode closes with Ross reflecting on years of doing this work. The whole conversation leaves learning sounding less like school and more like an ongoing way of living.

As heard by us

A clear, practical look at how nudging can make learning and growth part of everyday life.

Ross O'Hara treats nudging as a practical way to make curiosity part of daily life, not something saved for classrooms. He keeps the idea grounded by moving through ordinary examples: taking art or cooking classes, training at a gym, and noticing how a body changes after 40.

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Why you'd press play

Make learning feel easier, steadier, and more natural to start.

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