Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From the Radiolab podcast: A man on a mission to make a movement to make you feel better about yourself … and maybe change the world.
Most of us spend some part of our lives feeling bad about ourselves and wanting to feel better. But this preoccupation is a surprisingly new one in the history of the world, and can largely be traced back to one man: a rumpled, convertible-driving California state representative named John Vasconcellos who helped spark a movement that took over schools, boardrooms, and social-service offices across America in the 1990s. This week, we look at the rise and fall of the self-esteem movement and ask: Is it possible to raise your self-esteem? And is trying to do so even a good idea?
Special thanks to the University of California, Santa Barbara Library for use of audio material from their Humanistic Psychology Archives and to their staff for helping locate so many audio recordings.
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by Heather Radke and Matt Kielty
Produced by Matt Kietly
Flute performance and compositions by Ben Batchelder
Voiceover work by Dann Fink
Fact-checking by Anna Pujol-Mazzini and Angely Mercado
and edited by Pat Walters
EPISODE CITATIONS:
Articles -
UCSB Humanistic Psychology Archive (zpr.io/HfVjUmvcVevE)
Books -
Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It's Doing to Us (zpr.io/eGRyqz9zNQHu) by Storr, Will. Counterpoint, 2018.
A Liberating Vision (zpr.io/tJn7BR5m84fv) by Vasconcellos, John. Impact Publishers, Inc., 1979
The Therapeutic State (zpr.io/tJn7BR5m84fv) by Nolan, James, Jr. NYU Press, 1998
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Photo illustration by Jared Bartman
Video by W. Harry Fortuna
From the Radiolab podcast: A man on a mission to make a movement to make you feel better about yourself … and maybe change the world.
Most of us spend some part of our lives feeling bad about ourselves and wanting to feel better. But this preoccupation is a surprisingly new one in the history of the world, and can largely be traced back to one man: a rumpled, convertible-driving California state representative named John Vasconcellos who helped spark a movement that took over schools, boardrooms, and social-service offices across America in the 1990s. This week, we look at the rise and fall of the self-esteem movement and ask: Is it possible to raise your self-esteem? And is trying to do so even a good idea?
Special thanks to the University of California, Santa Barbara Library for use of audio material from their Humanistic Psychology Archives and to their staff for helping locate so many audio recordings.
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by Heather Radke and Matt Kielty
Produced by Matt Kietly
Flute performance and compositions by Ben Batchelder
Voiceover work by Dann Fink
Fact-checking by Anna Pujol-Mazzini and Angely Mercado
and edited by Pat Walters
EPISODE CITATIONS:
Articles -
UCSB Humanistic Psychology Archive (zpr.io/HfVjUmvcVevE)
Books -
Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It's Doing to Us (zpr.io/eGRyqz9zNQHu) by Storr, Will. Counterpoint, 2018.
A Liberating Vision (zpr.io/tJn7BR5m84fv) by Vasconcellos, John. Impact Publishers, Inc., 1979
The Therapeutic State (zpr.io/tJn7BR5m84fv) by Nolan, James, Jr. NYU Press, 1998
🎧 Subscribe to Radiolab wherever you listen to podcasts: lnk.to/radiolab!youtube
🔎 Subscribe to Radiolab on YouTube: bit.ly/3I9KI53
🖋 Subscribe to Radiolab’s Newsletter: radiolab.org/newsletter
🌱 Check out Radiolab's Starter Kit Playlist: bit.ly/3sX8f4P
👍 Like this video ✏️ and leave us a comment!
Follow Radiolab:
Instagram — instagram.com/radiolab
X — https://x.com/Radiolab
Facebook — facebook.com/Radiolab
Threads — threads.net/@radiolab
TikTok — tiktok.com/@radiolab
Our newsletter includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up here: radiolab.org/newsletter
Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab today: radiolab.org/the-lab
Photo illustration by Jared Bartman
Video by W. Harry Fortuna
