The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant

What happens to integrity when cheating becomes easier and the world seems to reward people for cutting corners? In this episode of The Curiosity Shop, Adam shares what happened when he discovered that students were planning to use AI to cheat on an exam. Brené and Adam move into a much larger conversation about honesty, character, and moral identity. Together, they explore when using AI is inherently cheating, why monitoring people isn’t enough to make them trustworthy, the difference between shame and adaptive guilt, and what research reveals about building a stronger moral compass. They also unpack why honor codes can sometimes backfire, how inconsistent accountability undermines trust, and what dimension of character we often overlook. Ultimately, Brené and Adam explore the difference between wanting to be seen as a good person and choosing to become the kind of person who does the right thing even when no one else is watching.

There’s Really Only One Way to Stop Students From Cheating – Adam Grant, August 26, 2026, The New York Times

Cheating: Why Students Do It and How We Can Help Them Stop – Donald McCabe, 2001, American Educator

Brené Brown: The Rage Bucket Theory – Trevor Noah, June 4, 2026, What Now? with Trevor Noah

Adam Grant Gives Trevor an Intellectual Wedgie – Trevor Noah, August 2024, What Now? with Trevor Noah

Pickleball Line Rules: Calling the Ball “In” or “Out” – PlayPickleball.com, July 31, 2024, YouTube

Cheating in the Age of Generative AI: A High School Survey Study of Cheating Behaviors Before and After the Release of ChatGPT – Lee et al., 2024, Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence

Addressing Academic Dishonesty in Higher Education: A Systematic Review of Generative AI’s Impact – Sharma & Panja, 2025, Open Praxis

As Schools Reconsider Cursive, Research Homes in on Handwriting’s Brain Benefits – Jonathan Lambert, May 11, 2024, NPR

How Learning Handwriting Trains the Brain: The Science Behind the Cursive Wars – Mariana Lenharo, February 2, 2026, Nature

The Importance of Cursive Handwriting Over Typewriting for Learning in the Classroom – Ose Askvik et al., 2020, Frontiers in Psychology

Why Cursive Handwriting Is Good for Your Brain – Christopher Bergland, October 2, 2020, Psychology Today

The Effects of Handwriting Experience on Functional Brain Development in Pre-Literate Children – James & Engelhardt, 2012, Trends in Neuroscience and Education

How Handwriting Trains the Brain – Gwendolyn Bounds, October 5, 2010, The Wall Street Journal

The Self-Importance of Moral Identity – Aquino & Reed, 2002, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Does Moral Identity Effectively Predict Moral Behavior? A Meta-Analysis – Hertz & Krettenauer, 2016, Review of General Psychology

Competition and Cheating: Investigating the Role of Moral Awareness, Moral Identity, and Moral Elevation – Vadera & Pathki, 2021, Journal of Organizational Behavior

Moral Emotions and Moral Behavior – Tangney et al., 2007, Annual Review of Psychology

Shame and Guilt – Tangney & Dearing, 2002, Guilford Press

Shame, Guilt, and Depressive Symptoms: A Meta-Analytic Review – Kim et al., 2011, Psychological Bulletin

Shame v. Guilt – Brené Brown, January 14, 2013, brenebrown.com

Protecting Our Attention, Time and Humanity in a World That Won’t Slow Down – Brené Brown, August 20, 2026, The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant

Effectiveness of Ex Ante Honesty Oaths in Reducing Dishonesty Depends on Content – Zickfeld et al., 2025, Nature Human Behaviour

Committed Dishonesty: A Systematic Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Social Commitment on Dishonest Behavior – Zickfeld et al., 2024, Psychological Bulletin

Detecting and Preventing Cheating in Exams: Evidence From a Field Experiment – Cagala et al., 2024, Journal of Human Resources

The Honor Committee – University of Virginia, honor.virginia.edu

Effects of Honor Code Reminders on University Students’ Cheating in Unproctored Exams – Zhao et al., 2023, Contemporary Educational Psychology

Honor Codes and Other Contextual Influences on Academic Integrity: A Replication and Extension to Modified Honor Code Settings – McCabe et al., 2002, Research in Higher Education

Academic Dishonesty: Honor Codes and Other Contextual Influences – McCabe & Treviño, 1993, Journal of Higher Education

Bicentennial Analysis – UVA Honor Committee, 2019, University of Virginia

Culture Is Not the Problem. Tolerated Behaviour Is. – John Amaechi, February 15, 2026, Giant! with John Amaechi

Making a Pledge Can Encourage Honest Behavior—If the Wording Is Right – Simon Makin, Scientific American, February 26, 2025, Scientific American

"Do or do not. There is no try” - Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back, Screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, 1980, [Video] YouTube

I Solemnly Swear I’m Up to Good: A Megastudy Investigating the Effectiveness of Honesty Oaths on Curbing Dishonesty – Zickfeld et al., 2024, HAL Preprint

Trump Reports Over $1 Billion in Income From Crypto Ventures – TIME, June 30, 2026, TIME

Now Available: The President’s and Vice President’s Public Financial Disclosure Reports – U.S. Office of Government Ethics, 2026, U.S. Office of Government Ethics

Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012 – U.S. Congress, 2012, Pub. L. No. 112-105

This Is Your Brain on Drugs – Partnership for a Drug-Free America, 1987, YouTube

Project D.A.R.E. Outcome Effectiveness Revisited – West & O’Neal, 2004, American Journal of Public Health

New Approaches to Youth Substance Misuse – American Psychological Association, March 2024, Monitor on Psychology

Beyond Pleasure and Pain – Higgins, 1997, American Psychologist

Self-Discrepancy: A Theory Relating Self and Affect – Higgins, 1987, Psychological Review

Possible Selves – Markus & Nurius, 1986, American Psychologist

Unwanted Identities: A Key Variable in Shame–Anger Links and Gender Differences in Shame – Ferguson et al., 2000, Sex Roles

Shame Resilience Theory: A Grounded Theory Study on Women and Shame – Brown, 2006, Families in Society

The BRAVING Inventory – Brené Brown, brenebrown.com

An Integrative Model of Organizational Trust – Mayer et al., 1995, Academy of Management Review

The Halo Effect: Evidence for Unconscious Alteration of Judgments – Nisbett & Wilson, 1977, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Integrity Is Choosing Courage Over Comfort – Brené Brown, brenebrown.com

The Self-Importance of Moral Identity – Aquino & Reed, 2002, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

The Optics of Lying: How Pursuing an Honest Social Image Shapes Dishonest Behavior – Guzikevits & Choshen-Hillel, 2022, Current Opinion in Psychology

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones – James Clear, 2018, Avery
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this solo episode of The Curiosity Shop, Brené Brown turns to questions and comments from her LinkedIn community to explore what it means to protect our humanity and attention in a world moving faster than ever. She digs into where AI can support our work without replacing human discernment, why "work slop" costs leaders real cognitive bandwidth, and how leaders can tell the difference between polished output and actual understanding. Brené also unpacks Aiko Bethea's idea that transformation requires grief, reflects on what her conversation with Rebecca Lowe revealed about preparation and presence, and explores how pausing and active listening are essential parts of meaningful conversation. Along the way, she explains why she wears two watches and shares the story of getting fired from a house-cleaning job… and the unexpected lesson it taught her about why shiny can never replace mastery.

Brené Brown — Brené Brown, LinkedIn (Profile)

Adam Grant — Adam Grant, LinkedIn (Profile)

AI, Commencement Speeches, and Why Human Thinking Still Matters — Brené Brown & Adam Grant, June 11, 2026, The Curiosity Shop (Podcast)

The Rise, Fall, and Surprising Survival of WordPerfect — Jonathan Scott, January 15, 2023, Retro Tech Reads (Post)

Why Do Podcasters Wear Headphones While Sitting Next To Each Other? — Ray Malik, January 25, 2025, How-To Geek (Article)

AI-Generated “Workslop” Is Destroying Productivity — Kate Niederhoffer et al., September 22, 2025, Harvard Business Review

On Death and Dying — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, 1969, Macmillan (Book)

Stages of Grief Portrayed on the Internet: A Systematic Analysis and Critical Appraisal — Kate Anne Avis et al., 2021, Frontiers in Psychology

Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit — Brené Brown, 2025, Random House (Book)

Multitasking: Switching Costs — American Psychological Association, 2006, APA

Center for Humane Technology — Center for Humane Technology, humanetech.com

Brené with Father Richard Rohr on Breathing Under Water, Falling Upward, and Unlearning Certainty, Part 1 of 2 — Brené Brown, 2022, Unlocking Us (Podcast)

Brené with Father Richard Rohr on Breathing Under Water, Falling Upward, and Unlearning Certainty, Part 2 of 2 — Brené Brown, 2022, Unlocking Us (Podcast)

The Two Halves of Life With Brené Brown — Center for Action and Contemplation, 2024, Everything Belongs (Podcast)

Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life — Richard Rohr, 2024, John Wiley & Sons (Book)

Kairos: The Right Moment or Occasion — Barbara Baert, Institute for Advanced Study

The History of the Elgin National Watch Company — Times Ticking, timesticking.com

Aiko Bethea — Aiko Bethea, aikobethea.com

RARE Coaching & Consulting — Aiko Bethea, rarecoaching.net

Brené with Aiko Bethea on Inclusivity at Work: The Heart of Hard Conversations — Brené Brown, 2020, Dare to Lead (Podcast)

Stop Outsourcing Your Judgement: Brené Brown in Conversation with Leadership Coach Aiko Bethea — Brené Brown, April 21, 2026, Fast Company

Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams — Amy C. Edmondson, 1999, Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2)

The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth — Amy C. Edmondson, 2018, Wiley (Book)

Systems Thinking Resources (The Iceberg Model) — The Donella Meadows Project, Academy for Systems Change

Rebecca Lowe Bio & Career Accomplishments — FOX Sports, FOX Sports

Brené with President Barack Obama on Leadership, Family, and Service — Brené Brown, 2020, Dare to Lead (Podcast)

Brené with Brandi Carlile on Music, Mysticism, and Broken Horses — Brené Brown, 2021, Unlocking Us (Podcast)

Brené with Bono on Songs of Surrender and Carrying the Weight of Our Contradictions, Part 1 of 2 — Brené Brown, 2023, Unlocking Us (Podcast)

Dare to Lead Hub — Brené Brown, brenebrown.com

Brené with Barrett Guillen on The Hardest Feedback I've Ever Received, Part 1 of 2 — Brené Brown, 2021, Dare to Lead (Podcast)

The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant — YouTube (Channel)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is it possible to build a community without a 'them'? Author, YouTuber, and podcaster John Green joins Brené Brown and Adam Grant for a wide-ranging conversation on belonging, friendship, and the systems that shape our lives. Together, they explore why sports can create such powerful communities, whether it’s possible to build an “us” without needing a “them,” and why shared projects can help relationships last for decades. John reflects on the challenges of young adulthood, what he learned from working as a hospital chaplain, and why supporting someone in pain sometimes means resisting the urge to fix it. The conversation also moves through why frictionless access, not just awareness, is essential to helping people get the care they need, the role coaches can play in athletes’ well-being, and John’s upcoming novel Hollywood, Ending.

Hollywood, Ending - John Green, September, 2026, hollywoodendingbook.com

CrashCourse - Hank Green & John Green, YouTube

Demonic males: Apes and the origins of human violence - Wrangham & Peterson, 1996, Houghton Mifflin.

The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex - Charles Darwin, 1871/1999, Project Gutenberg

Not Like Me = Bad: Infants Prefer Those Who Harm Dissimilar Others - J. Kiley Hamlin, 2013, Psychological Science

The Social Self: On Being the Same and Different at the Same Time - Marilynn B. Brewer, 1991, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

The Away End - Episode 1: John Green & Daniel Alarcon Dissect the 2026 World Cup Draw - The Away End, 2026, YouTube

Roger Bennett – Men in Blazers Media Network

Developmental Sequence in Small Groups - Bruce W. Tuckman, 1965, Psychological Bulletin

The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times - Pema Chodron, 2002, Shambhala

The Framework for Leading With Both Care and Accountability - Brené Brown, 2026, The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant

"The Fault in Our Stars" Author John Green on Reaching Young Adults and Dealing With Mental Illness - CBS News, 2020, 60 Minutes (CBS News)

The Social Determinants of Mental Health and Disorder: Evidence, Prevention and Recommendations - James B. Kirkbride, 2024, World Psychiatry

Single-Session Interventions for Mental Health Problems and Service Engagement: Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses - Jessica Schleider et al., 2025, Annual Review of Clinical PsychologyAdministrative Burdens in the Social Safety Net - Herd and Moynihan, 2024, Journal of Economic Perspectives

Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Mental Health Help-Seeking in Young People: A Systematic Review - Gulliver, Griffiths & Christensen, 2010, BMC Psychiatry

The Inverse Care Law - Julian Tudor Hart, 1971, The Lancet

Rebooting Psychotherapy Research and Practice to Reduce the Burden of Mental Illness - Alan E. Kazdin & Stacey L. Blase, 2011, Perspectives on Psychological ScienceAre Mental Health Awareness Efforts Contributing to the Rise in Reported Mental Health Problems? A Call to Test the Prevalence Inflation Hypothesis - Lucy Foulkes & Jack L. Andrews, 2023, New Ideas in Psychology

How Coaches Can Be a Source of Mental Health Support for Student-Athletes - Madeline Will, 2024, Education Week

Meet the Genius Behind America’s Best Roadside Attraction - Show and Tell, Atlas Obscura, YouTube

Kate Bowler - Kate Bowler, katebowler.com

How the Intention to Share Can Undermine Enjoyment: Photo-Taking Goals and Evaluation of Experiences - Alixandra Barasch, 2018, Journal of Consumer Research

Optimal Distinctiveness Theory: A Framework for Social Identity, Social Cognition, and Intergroup Relations - Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, 2010, Advances in Experimental Social Psychology
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does it take to stay calm when millions are watching? Rebecca Lowe, the host of NBC’s Premier League coverage and Fox’s record-breaking 2026 World Cup broadcast, joins Brené Brown and Adam Grant to explore why preparation—not confidence—is her real superpower; the weight of being one of the only women in the room; and what it really means to lead when things get chaotic. Together, they unpack the difference between presence and preparedness, the “permission slip” moment that defines great leadership, and why the loudest person in the room isn’t always the one in charge. Along the way, Rebecca reflects on breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry, how she earns trust from personalities like Zlatan Ibrahimović, and the teachable habit she uses to keep her co-hosts focused on live TV.

The Return of Coach Lasso – NBC Sports, 2014, YouTube

Nessun Dorma, Rome 1990 – Luciano Pavarotti, 1990, YouTube

Double Standards for Competence – Martha Foschi, 2000, Annual Review of Sociology

"Executive Presence" Is Overrated – Adam Grant & Brené Brown, 2025, Instagram

Entrepreneur Passion and Preparedness in Business Plan Presentations – Xiao-Ping Chen, 2009, Academy of Management Journal

Beyond Nine to Five – Lieke ten Brummelhuis, 2017, Academy of Management Discoveries

Building atomic habits with James Clear – Adam Grant (Host), July 21, 2023, ReThinking with Adam Grant

Can Your Employees Really Speak Freely? – James Detert, 2016, Harvard Business Review

Trailblazing Motivation and Marginalized Group Members – Karren Knowlton, 2025, Organization Science

Bullet Time Effect in "Sherlock" the BBC TV Series – Moffat & Gattiss, January 14, 2014, BBC/YouTube

Conversational Style – Deborah Tannen, 2005, Oxford University Press

Who Won't Shut Up in Meetings? – Adam Grant, 2021, The Washington Post

Dare to Lead read-along workbook (Permission Slips) – Brené Brown, 2021, Brené Brown, LLC

Tell Me What I Did Wrong – Stacey Finkelstein, 2012, Journal of Consumer Research

Emotional Contagion – Elaine Hatfield, 1993, Current Directions in Psychological Science

Huge If True – Cleo Abram, YouTube

Range – David Epstein, 2019, Riverhead Books

The science of performing under pressure with Sian Beilock – Adam Grant (Host), March 28, 2023, ReThinking with Adam Grant (“Twisties” discussion at 8:50)

Hidden Potential – Adam Grant, 2023, Viking

What Being Sober Has Meant to Me – Brené Brown, 2019, brenebrown.com

The Gifts of Imperfection – Brené Brown, 2010, Hazelden Publishing

Positive Conceptions of Perfectionism – Joachim Stoeber, 2006, Personality and Social Psychology Review

The Queen Bee Phenomenon – Belle Derks, 2016, The Leadership Quarterly

Some Effects of Proportions on Group Life: Skewed Sex Ratios and Responses to Token Women – Rosabeth Moss Kanter, 1977, American Journal of Sociology

Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex – Kimberlé Crenshaw, 1989, University of Chicago Legal Forum
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why do sports make us cry, unite strangers, and create memories that last a lifetime? In this episode, Men in Blazers founder and CEO Roger Bennett joins Brené Brown and Adam Grant fresh off a 39-day World Cup marathon to explore what the tournament revealed about identity, belonging, and the power of collective effervescence. Together, they unpack the difference between hero players and hero teams, what it means to be a true fan, the political complexities surrounding the World Cup, and how sports create shared experiences that shape our lives. Along the way, Roger shares stories from the road, reflects on the strange grief of “World Cup withdrawal,” and revisits some of the tournament’s most memorable stories, including Erling Haaland’s taxidermy shop detour, the Cape Verde goalkeeper who became a global icon overnight, the controversial red card reversal, and more.

Roger Bennett – Men in Blazers Media Network

The Englishman Who Became America’s No. 1 Soccer Fan – David Waldstein, July 16, 2026, The New York Times

Men in Blazers’ Roger Bennett Eats Two Dinners During the World Cup “Chicken-tinga burros are the Messi of burros.” – Ben Widdicombe, July 17, 2026, New York Magazine

Brené Brown on Surrounding Yourself With People Who Take Pleasure in Your Joy (Schadenfreude vs. Freudenfreude) – Ellen DeGeneres, April 1, 2022, TheEllenShow

Premier League to bring all 20 clubs to U.S. in activation after 2026 World Cup – Victoria Hernandez, July 23, 2026, Yahoo Sports

The Kansas City fanwalk had us all like… – OnsOranje, Royal Dutch Football Association

The Numbers Game: Why Everything You Know About Football Is Wrong – Anderson & Sally, 2013, Penguin

Men in Blazers - “The Women’s Game” and “Vamos” (Platform links) – The Men in Blazers Media Network

New Volume Edited by Phil Smith and Sébastien Tutenges: Collective Effervescence – 2026, Yale Center for Cultural Sociology

ROG’s Heartbreaking Farewell and Stunning Comeback at Goodison Park (Everton) – Roger Bennett, 2026, YouTube

Brené Brown: The Power of Vulnerability & Joy in Liverpool! – Roger Bennett, April, 2025, Men in Blazers (Interview)

Anfield sings 'You'll Never Walk Alone' to kick off new season – NBC Sports, August 15, 2025, YouTube

We Are the World (Cup): A Personal History of the World's Greatest Sporting Event – Roger Bennett, 2026, HarperCollins

Who Belongs? Football and the Reinvention of the Modern Nation – Josh Wilson, 2026, TIME

The definition of a true fan – Adam Grant, Instagram

Folarin Balogun's lifted suspension – Roger Bennett, CBS Morning News, Instagram

This is so awkward: Modern puberty explained – Cara Natterson & Vanessa Kroll Bennett, 2023, Rodale Books

Human challenges in polar and space environments – Sandal et al., 2006, Springer

Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit – Brené Brown, 2025, Random House

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices