The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant

Are You a Preacher, Prosecutor, Scientist, or Politician? | The Curiosity Shop

Do you find yourself defaulting to “Preacher” mode when you’re under pressure, or starting to act like a “Prosecutor” when someone challenges your ideas? Brené and Adam unpack four mental modes – Preacher, Prosecutor, Politician, and Scientist – to explore why we often cling to being right rather than getting it right. In this episode, they discuss how these defensive stances are shaping our response to AI, Brené’s “bounce” method for emotional hypothesis-testing, Adam’s go-to “strategy of small losses,” and ways to stay curious when the stakes are high. #BrenéBrown #AdamGrant #thecuriosityshop Don't miss a video! Subscribe NOW: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCuriosityShop About The Curiosity Shop: Research professor Brené Brown and organizational psychologist Adam Grant are partnering on a new weekly podcast grounded in an unflinching commitment to learning and unlearning. At a time when public discourse rewards certainty over inquiry, The Curiosity Shop features two of the world's most sought-after experts on connection, change, and leadership making the case for slowing down, asking better questions, and embracing informed complexity over easy answers. Bringing together their left and right brain sensibilities — she’s a qualitative researcher; he’s a quantitative researcher — they explore some of the defining questions of our time, unpack the research reshaping how we live, lead, and love, and dive deep into the ideas, evidence, and cultural moments intriguing them the most. New episodes drop every Thursday. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Connect with The Curiosity Shop: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriosityshop/ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1730985049 Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/3oEPsPKDhPVoNNL7pH5db6?si=e2483abb4eed4b03 Connect with Brené Brown: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brenebrown/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenebrown/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brenebrown/ Connect with Adam Grant: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamgrant/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adammgrant/ X: https://x.com/adammgrant/ ============================= Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction and Emoting 2:45 - Thinking Under Threat 8:55 - Testing Your Gut with Small Experiments 22:48 - The Integrity of Commitment: The Making of This Podcast 27:20 - Four Thinking Modes: Scientist, Preacher, Prosecutor, Politician 34:00 - When Opinions Become Beliefs 41:00 - The Social Costs of Changing Our Minds 51:40 - A Missing Mental Model: Teacher 59:40 - Wrap up Show Notes: https://thecuriosityshop.com/podcast/are-you-a-preacher-prosecutor-scientist-or-politician/ Are You a Preacher, Prosecutor, Scientist, or Politician? | The Curiosity Shop https://www.youtube.com/@TheCuriosityShop

Brené BrownhostAdam Granthost

May 14, 202657mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: May 14, 2026
Duration: 57m
Channel: The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Do you find yourself defaulting to “Preacher” mode when you’re under pressure, or starting to act like a “Prosecutor” when someone challenges your ideas? Brené and Adam unpack four mental modes – Preacher, Prosecutor, Politician, and Scientist – to explore why we often cling to being right rather than getting it right. In this episode, they discuss how these defensive stances are shaping our response to AI, Brené’s “bounce” method for emotional hypothesis-testing, Adam’s go-to “strategy of small losses,” and ways to stay curious when the stakes are high. #BrenéBrown #AdamGrant #thecuriosityshop Don't miss a video! Subscribe NOW: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCuriosityShop About The Curiosity Shop: Research professor Brené Brown and organizational psychologist Adam Grant are partnering on a new weekly podcast grounded in an unflinching commitment to learning and unlearning. At a time when public discourse rewards certainty over inquiry, The Curiosity Shop features two of the world's most sought-after experts on connection, change, and leadership making the case for slowing down, asking better questions, and embracing informed complexity over easy answers. Bringing together their left and right brain sensibilities — she’s a qualitative researcher; he’s a quantitative researcher — they explore some of the defining questions of our time, unpack the research reshaping how we live, lead, and love, and dive deep into the ideas, evidence, and cultural moments intriguing them the most. New episodes drop every Thursday. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Connect with The Curiosity Shop: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriosityshop/ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1730985049 Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/3oEPsPKDhPVoNNL7pH5db6?si=e2483abb4eed4b03 Connect with Brené Brown: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brenebrown/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenebrown/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brenebrown/ Connect with Adam Grant: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamgrant/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adammgrant/ X: https://x.com/adammgrant/ ============================= Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction and Emoting 2:45 - Thinking Under Threat 8:55 - Testing Your Gut with Small Experiments 22:48 - The Integrity of Commitment: The Making of This Podcast 27:20 - Four Thinking Modes: Scientist, Preacher, Prosecutor, Politician 34:00 - When Opinions Become Beliefs 41:00 - The Social Costs of Changing Our Minds 51:40 - A Missing Mental Model: Teacher 59:40 - Wrap up Show Notes: https://thecuriosityshop.com/podcast/are-you-a-preacher-prosecutor-scientist-or-politician/ Are You a Preacher, Prosecutor, Scientist, or Politician? | The Curiosity Shop https://www.youtube.com/@TheCuriosityShop

SPEAKERS

Brené Brown
host
Research professor and author/podcaster known for work on vulnerability, courage, and leadership.
Adam Grant
host
Organizational psychologist and author focused on motivation, learning, and rethinking beliefs.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant, featuring Brené Brown and Adam Grant, Are You a Preacher, Prosecutor, Scientist, or Politician? | The Curiosity Shop explores four mindsets shaping how we argue, learn, and change minds Grant explains that under stress people default to preaching (defending sacred beliefs), prosecuting (trying to win arguments), or politicking (seeking approval), which crowds out rethinking.

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