Author: Know Why

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Is “Follow Your Passion” A Lie?

Book Review: You Have a Calling by Karen Swallow Prior (Summer Series 2025)

Are you trying to find your calling in life? Are you just trying to find a job? Either way, it can be a frustrating time.

The job market is changing. AI is threatening many collar jobs. A bachelor’s degree isn’t the ticket to success it once was. Meanwhile, culturally accepted wisdom about passion, vocation, and job satisfaction isn’t always rooted in the truth—about happiness, about God, or even about ourselves.

Thankfully, Karen Swallow Prior offers wisdom and clarity in her new book, You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful. In this episode, Liberty shares some key takeaways from the book, tying them into previous series on the Know Why Podcast.

More Resources:

You Have a Calling by Karen Swallow Prior

Know About Thriving At Work, a Know Why Podcast Series

What Gen Z’s Work Priorities Reveal About Human Needs, Longing, and Purpose (Know Why Podcast, Summer Series 2025)

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Live Streaming Life Away?

Summer Series 2025

Are we at risk of live streaming our lives away?

In a world where large amounts of young people spend more time “connecting” online than in physical life, where we are constantly plagued by FOMO and the urge to share every moment on social media, we risk losing the very life we are trying to preserve in digital memory.

While convenient and sometimes helpful tools, social media and smart technology can present a counterfeit to our needs for identity, connection, and purpose if we’re not careful.

Do you agree or disagree? Share your thoughts below!

More Resources:

If I Don’t Post About My Vacation, Did It Even Happen? 

Teens Are Spending Nearly 5 Hours Daily on Social Media 

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Podcasts

Doe This New Study Reveal the Keys to Human Flourishing?

Summer Series 2025

What makes people happy in life? In this episode, Liberty highlights research from the Global Flourishing Study, a 5-year research project that measures human flourishing using a broad range of questions.

Led by social scientists from Harvard and Baylor University, and in partnership with Gallup and the Center for Open Science, the Global Flourishing Study has produced findings indicating that our idea of what makes someone “happy” could be all wrong.

Listen to find out what it really takes to flourish, and how this new evidence underscores what the Know Why Podcast has previously highlighted: namely, the importance of relationships, meaningful connection, and religious belonging.

More Resources:

Global Flourishing Study

The Happiest Country in the World Isn’t What You Think (NYT)

Why are the Wealthy So Unhappy? (World)

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Why Men (And All Humans) Need Sacrificial Relationships

Summer series 2025

Young men are in crisis. A recent article argues that married fatherhood is the key to solving the masculinity crisis, because married fatherhood gives men the meaning in life they inherently desire. It’s true that humans need human relationships to be fulfilled, and that marriage incentivizes fathers to invest in their children. But is there more to it that that?

What if our need for other people is more than an evolutionary accident, and actually a sacred design? What if marriage is more than a cultural construct that incentivizes paternal involvement, and actually a demonstration of the highest form of love? What if all of us—not just men—need to know that we are needed, and find our greatest fulfillment in sacrificial love over selfish pursuits?

Listen to know why, and don’t forget to check out past series at KnowWhyPodcast.com.

More Resources:

Married Fatherhood Is the Key To Solving The Masculinity Crisis 

Is looking for a “best friend” getting in the way of building a village? 

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Should You Be Friends With Political Opponents?

Summer Series 2024

How politically diverse is your friend group? If your answer is “not very,” you’re not alone. Nearly half of U.S. voters view their political opponents as “downright evil,” according to a 2024 poll. Fewer and fewer people live in politically diverse areas, and digital media exacerbates our ideological bubbles.

But Americans miss out on a lot of good things when we avoid people who think differently than we do. In this episode, Liberty discusses why political polarization has worsened, why it’s a problem, and how we can fix it.

More Resources:

You Don’t Need the Same Politics to Surf Together

How Can I Keep Faith Above Partisanship? Interview With Chris Butler 

Them: Why We Hate Each Other—And How to Heal by Ben Sasse 

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Podcasts

Are Your Beliefs Based on Hot Takes or Ideas?

Plus: Know Why’s 100th Episode Celebration!

Are your opinions based more on hot takes or real ideas? Liberty spends the first half of this episode discussing why young adults are more likely to build their worldview on a foundation of “takes” rather than carefully considered ideas. This results from things like social media algorithms to the way modern classrooms teach English and literature.

Then, she switches gears to commemorate Know Why Podcast’s 100th episode! You’ll hear short clips from Know Why’s top five most popular episodes, which showcase the range of topics and perspectives featured on the podcast.

We don’t want you to have takes, but ideas you can hold with confidence, which is why the Know Why Podcast started in the first place. Help us celebrate episode 100 by liking, commenting, subscribing, and sharing Know Why with a friend!

More Resources:

The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books (The Atlantic)

KnowWhyPodcast.com

Why is Anger Unhealthy? Know About Jesus: Interview with Brant Hansen (Part 2) 

Is Social Media Robbing Me of a Richer Life? Know About Healthy Tech Habits: Interview With Dr. Brad East

Does Christmas Have Pagan Origins? Interview with Joshua Barnes 

Did Jesus Prescribe Gender Roles? Know About Jesus: Interview with Dr. Sandra Glahn (Part 2)

Are All Pro-Lifers Religious? Know About Pro-Lifers: Interview With Monica Snyder (Part 1) 

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Podcasts

Coping With Fear and Anxiety Amid World Chaos

Summer Series 2025

If you’re on social media apps like TikTok and Instagram, you’ve seen the videos—reels using satire, sarcasm, and dark humor to react to recent events in the Middle East. Cynical, offbeat humor is typical of a generation accustomed to “unprecedented times,” but is often used to mask a deeper sense of fear and anxiety about what’s going on.

In this episode, Liberty draws on principles found in the Bible and often repeated by mental health experts for truly coping with anxiety about global events. It is possible to find inner peace with Jesus in a dangerous, unstable world.

More Resources:

Gen Z, Iran, and the Mass Panic Happening on TikTok – USA Today

How Can I Feel Safe in an Unstable World? Interview With Dr. Tanita Maddox 

What Did Jesus Say About Overcoming Anxiety? Interview With Lauren McAfee 

Is it Possible to Thrive With Anxiety and Depression? Interview With Ben Bennett 

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Podcasts

Why is Gen Z Returning to Religion?

Summer Series 2025

For decades, religious affiliation has dropped off with each new generation. But with Gen Z, that trend appears to be stalling. Why are young adults returning to religion, especially traditionally conservative expressions of religion like Catholicism?

Liberty suggests that in today’s chaotic world, young people want more than vague spirituality and moral relativism, and they’re finding it in the pews their parents abandoned.

More Resources:

Why is Gen Z More Religious Than Previous Generations? (Northeastern Global News)

How Catholicism Got Cool (The Free Press) 

“Know About Creating,” Know Why Podcast Series

“Know About Jesus,” Know Why Podcast Series

“Know Why God is Good,” Know Why Podcast Series 

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Podcasts

What Gen Z’s Work Priorities Reveal About Human Needs, Longing, and Purpose

Summer Series 2025

Deloitte’s 2025 Global survey of Gen Zs and millennials reveals that at work, young adults prioritize mentorship, meaning, and financial security. But survey answers reveal deeper themes at play, including strong needs for a secure identity and a sense of purpose. What do these deeper themes reveal about who we are as humans? That’s what Liberty tackles in this 20-minute episode, drawing on experts featured in Know Why’s past series, “Know About Thriving at Work.”

More Resources:

Deloitte 2025 Global Survey on Gen Z and Millennials

Know About Thriving At Work: A Know Why Podcast Series

The Religion of Workism is Making Americans Miserable

The Secret to Happiness at Work 

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Podcasts

God’s Goodness, Foundations of Humanity, and AI

Recap and Preview

Liberty recaps this season’s two series, Know Why God is Good and Know About AI. Then, she previews what viewers can expect from the Know Why Podcast over the summer and in the months ahead.

Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share!

More Resources:

Know Why God is Good series

Know About AI series

Contact Liberty