Hard Knox with Amanda Knox Why Adaptation Is a Human Superpower (Maya Shankar)
Jan 27, 2026
Maya Shankar, cognitive scientist and author of The Other Side of Change, explores how hardship reveals identity and sparks transformation. She discusses why uncertainty can feel worse than pain. Topics include tolerance for ambiguity, distinguishing control from acceptance, building agency within constraints, and using fiction and service to reimagine possible selves.
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Audit Past Changes To Find Your Bias
- Inspect past unexpected changes to see if your instinct was self-blame or external blame.
- Use that reflection to identify your default locus of control and correct unreasonable self-blame.
Dwayne Betts' Prison Revelation
- Dwayne Betts discovered dignity and poetry behind bars after meeting Bilal, who modeled disciplined, caring behavior.
- That moral elevation led Dwayne to daily poetry and later Yale Law and the MacArthur Genius award.
Use Moral Elevation To Expand Possibilities
- Seek moral elevation by observing others' exemplary behavior to expand your possible selves.
- Use those role models to imagine new futures and crack open stalled identities.
