Episode 228: In early January, advice is everywhere. Friends offer encouragement. Social media fills with tidy aphorisms. But beneath the flood of guidance sits an uncomfortable question we rarely confront: How much of what happens to us is actually within our control?

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada take on that question by examining the role chance plays in shaping lives — and how ignoring it can distort the way people judge themselves and others.

The conversation begins with a familiar moment: times of transition. New jobs, moves, health scares and relationship changes often leave people searching for direction. Those moments, Rada notes, are when advice feels most powerful — and most dangerous. Kyte argues that advice often sounds wiser in hindsight than it truly is, especially when people mistake favorable outcomes for proof that certain paths were inevitable.

Throughout the episode, the hosts explore why stories of achievement tend to emphasize effort and intention while quietly overlooking randomness, timing, and circumstance. That omission, they suggest, fuels harsh self-judgment and unfair assumptions about others. When things go well, people feel deserving. When they do not, blame comes easily.

Kyte draws on philosophy, behavioral research and personal experience to explain how probability, preparation and habit matter — but never operate alone. A discussion of health decisions, including lifestyle changes prompted by medical warning signs, illustrates how agency and uncertainty coexist rather than compete. Doing the “right” things, Kyte says, increases odds but never guarantees results.

Episode 227: As the calendar turns and uncertainty once again shapes politics, technology and everyday life, The Ethical Life returns to a familiar exercise: looking ahead while holding the past accountable.

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada are joined by Scott Milfred, Lee Enterprises’ national opinion editor, for a wide-ranging conversation about what the coming year may hold — and what last year’s confident calls reveal about the limits, temptations and value of prediction.

The episode spans politics, pro sports, technology and health care, with the hosts weighing which forces are likely to drive headlines and which may quietly fade. Along the way, they examine how incentives, public trust and unintended consequences shape outcomes long after predictions are made.

Before closing, the hosts revisit the six forecasts offered one year ago, assessing what proved prescient and what missed the mark.

Episode 226: As Christmas approaches, memories have a way of resurfacing — sometimes warmly, sometimes painfully, often with more force than expected. In a holiday-themed episode, hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada take a close look at why this happens, and what it means for how people live, relate to and care for one another.

The conversation centers on nostalgia — not as a vague sentiment, but as a powerful psychological and ethical force that shapes expectations, family dynamics and personal well-being during the holidays. Drawing on recent psychology research, personal stories and everyday experiences familiar to many listeners, the hosts examine why memories tied to Christmas feel especially vivid and emotionally charged.

The hosts explore how holiday traditions — from meals and decorations to music and family rituals — can ground people in connection and continuity. Remembering loved ones who are gone, revisiting childhood experiences or repeating familiar customs can offer comfort and a sense of belonging. At its best, nostalgia helps people understand their own story and motivates them to create meaningful moments for others in the present.

But the episode also confronts the darker side of holiday remembering. Idealized memories can distort reality, create unrealistic expectations and quietly turn celebration into pressure. When people chase a version of the past that never fully existed, disappointment often follows — especially when family relationships are strained, gatherings fall short of expectations, or loved ones are absent. For some, the holidays heighten loneliness rather than ease it.

Through stories ranging from cherished family recipes to awkward childhood gifts and unexpected acts of generosity, the hosts explore how memory is inherently selective. They consider whether it is acceptable — or even wise — to smooth rough edges when retelling family stories, and how storytelling itself shapes moral identity over time.