This Is Why I Find Pema Chödrön So Essential | The Ezra Klein Show

What do you do when you feel anxious or insecure? Many of us try to push the feeling away, or we ruminate on it, or try to solve it, or avoid the thought altogether. But what would happen if we did the exact opposite? The Buddhist nun and teacher Pema Chödrön is the author of many beloved books, including “When Things Fall Apart,” “Welcoming the Unwelcome” and — my personal favorite — “Comfortable With Uncertainty.” And she has a way of inviting people to befriend the parts of life that typically induce dread — from uncertainty and suffering to loss and discomfort. And she argues that the process of sitting with these experiences and emotions actually releases their power over us. In a time as chaotic and tumultuous as ours, she has so much practical wisdom to share. In this conversation, she shares what it looks like to actually let go of difficult emotions, the art of “collaborating with reality” when things don’t go as expected, and how to awaken yourself to the “nowness” of life. 0:00 Intro 2:25 How to relate with discomfort 5:24 Befriending anxiety 10:20 Locating discomfort in the body 15:48 Meditation without fixing 18:01 Lean into the sharp points 21:06 Collaborating With Reality 24:06 Pain vs. suffering 32:13 Butterflies without drama 33:59 Beyond the comfort zone 35:39 Meditation 37:57 Boredom 43:37 Life without devices 53:58 The paradox 1:08:11 Nowness 1:13:34 Book recommendations Read the full transcript here: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/op... Watch more on ‪@EzraKleinShow‬ Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-...