Blocked and Reported Live with Katie Herzog & Benoit Denizet-Lewis
Apr 29, 2026
Benoit Denizet-Lewis, journalist and Emerson College teacher who writes on identity and transformation, chats about why people change and how communities shape that process. He recounts personal stories, explores sexual fluidity and public reactions to changing identities, and dives into meditation, self-help trends, and the surprising forces that nudge people to become someone new.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Change Is Both Personal Experience And Social Story
- Change involves both inner experience and social reaction rather than just a private decision.
- Benoit studies what it feels like to be a changed person and why others accept or disbelieve transformation, using identity politics and personal stories as evidence.
Personality Is Malleable But Largely Stable
- Personality traits can shift a bit with effort but core traits remain relatively stable.
- Benoit cites recent research and his own experience: targeted efforts produce small changes while most personality evolution happens unintentionally via aging, medication, or life cycles.
Social Forces Drive Most Personal Transformation
- We often overstate conscious control over personal change; social forces drive most transformations.
- Benoit explains people change to belong, because of shame from their original group, or due to available identities on a social 'identity menu.'
