pixel
Being Well Podcast: Against Nonchalance: Why Caring is Cool in 2026
December 29, 2025

Not caring – or nonchalance – is having a cultural moment. Nihilism is in, trying too hard is cringe, and the best way to cope with an often disappointing world is by not getting that invested. There’s just one problem: it’s hard to live a meaningful life without caring. In this episode of the Being Well Podcast, Forrest and Dr. Rick close 2025 by making the case for healthy caring: choosing objects of care wisely, prioritizing process over outcome, and cultivating equanimity without slipping into apathy. They do this by exploring four common obstacles that keep people from caring, sharing practical ways to work with each of them.

Key Topics

  • 0:00: Intro and the four problems with caring
  • 6:40: Finding intrinsic motivation 
  • 11:05: The people you admire care, and the people that judge you don’t matter
  • 20:22: The risks of caring: disappointment and facing the “dreaded experience”
  • 33:25: “I don’t care about anything”
  • 44:01: Managing defeatism and nihilism
  • 1:01:25: Recap

Forrest is now writing on Substack, check out his work there.

Share this episode on:

Support the Podcast

Special Offers from Our Sponsors

Zocdoc

Go to https://Zocdoc.com/BEINGWELL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today.

Function

Check your health the way I do with 160+ lab tests and access to scans through Function, all for only $365 a year. Learn more at https://functionhealth.com/BEINGWELL and use code BEINGWELL25 for a $25 credit.

Join Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson every week on the Being Well Podcast for lively and thought-provoking conversation and practical tips for being happier, building inner strengths, and getting the most out of life.

Change Your Mind

Feeling Stuck? Change Your Old and Negative Thoughts, Patterns, and Attitudes

Start stepping into more useful, hopeful thoughts about yourself and others with this 6-week course that starts August 8.

Just One Minute - Best Well-Being Courses

Build a Happier, Healthier Mind in Just a Minute or Two a Day

57 Practical, Positive Ways to Feel Better Now

Get Rick’s Free Weekly Newsletter

Get a weekly practice and the latest Being Well Podcast delivered right to your inbox.

loading

Ask Rick and Forrest a Question!

loading

Recent Episodes