Dear Listener,

I don’t know whether I stand on the shoulders of giants, as the saying goes, but I do know I get to interview them sometimes. And that may be the greatest thrill of this phase of my career. All of my guests I respect, but only a very few do I revere. And only a very few truly intimidate me with their intellect, output, and impact on the world.

This week’s Stay Tuned guest is such a person. Professor Daniel Kahneman is a universally-acknowledged giant in the field of psychology, which is to say he is a giant in a host of fields, not just because of the impact of his work on the science of economics, for which he won a Nobel prize. His research and writing have also revolutionized thinking in education, law, medicine, politics, and even professional sports. As Barack Obama said when he awarded Kahneman the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, “In a storied career in Israel and America, he basically invented the study of human decision-making.” That’s quite the invention.

In approaching the interview, my first befuddlement was how to address this eminent scholar. I knew from our mutual friend Adam Grant that Kahneman goes simply by “Danny,” and always has, and though it is the man’s preferred moniker, the nickname struck me as too informal. So I joked with him that perhaps I could call him “Sir Danny.” I am not usually so obsequious.