How Polio Made a President

How Polio Made a President

Of the dozens of men who have served as US president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt had a particularly close connection with the citizens he served. The only president elected to four terms, Americans hung FDR's picture up in their homes, wrote him thousands of letters, and regularly tuned in to listen to his fireside chats.

My guest would say that much of the depth, gravitas, and empathy Roosevelt was able to convey to the country was not something inborn, but in fact grew out of a tragedy which befell him at the age of 39: the contraction of polio. Jonathan Darman is the author of Becoming FDR: The Personal Crisis That Made a President, and today on the show, he paints a portrait of what Roosevelt was like before he got polio, and how, despite charm and ambition, he was considered shallow and a political lightweight. We then discuss what it was like for FDR to get polio, what he did during years of bedridden convalescence, and how the disease and his rehabilitation changed him. We talk about how the influence of FDR's polio experience can be seen in the way he guided the country through the Depression and WWII, and the lesson in realistic optimism he offers us today.

Connect With Jonathan Darman

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jaksot(1157)

The Mystery of Courage

The Mystery of Courage

Courage is one of our most prized and celebrated virtues. But once you really start exploring it, the nature of courage is surprisingly hard to pin down.Here to help us explore the fascinating complic...

31 Maalis 56min

The Mental Skills for Becoming an Everyday Genius

The Mental Skills for Becoming an Everyday Genius

We tend to think of genius as something you’re born with — a rare trait possessed by the Einsteins and Teslas of the world. But what if many of the abilities we associate with genius — a great memory,...

24 Maalis 49min

The Hidden Power of Heat — How a Good Sweat Heals Your Body and Mind

The Hidden Power of Heat — How a Good Sweat Heals Your Body and Mind

Cold exposure has gotten a lot of attention the past few years, with people dunking themselves in ice baths for the sake of their health and well-being. But, good news here, exposing yourself to heat ...

17 Maalis 47min

The Invisible Limits Holding You Back (And How to Change Them)

The Invisible Limits Holding You Back (And How to Change Them)

When we fail to make desired progress in life, most of us put the blame on physical and environmental limits. But my guest says that what's really holding people back is what's in their heads.Nir Eyal...

10 Maalis 51min

The Power of a Purpose-Driven Life

The Power of a Purpose-Driven Life

When it comes to building a happy and meaningful life, most of us rely on a grab bag of strategies — habits and goals around work, relationships, and health. But my guest today would argue that in the...

3 Maalis 53min

Born to Carry — How to Build Strength, Stamina, and Sanity Through Rucking

Born to Carry — How to Build Strength, Stamina, and Sanity Through Rucking

If you're looking for a way to improve your fitness, boost your mental health, and reconnect with a deeply human activity — all without going to the gym or pounding your knees on a daily run — then ru...

24 Helmi 51min

How to Have the Conversations You’ve Been Avoiding

How to Have the Conversations You’ve Been Avoiding

The awkward silence at work when everyone knows a project is going off the rails.The simmering resentment in a marriage over an issue neither spouse will confront.The dysfunction in a church where cer...

17 Helmi 48min

Ecclesiastes on Enjoying Our Weirdly Unsatisfying Lives

Ecclesiastes on Enjoying Our Weirdly Unsatisfying Lives

Of all the books in the Bible, Ecclesiastes is arguably the most philosophical. Dark, experiential, existential, and unsparingly honest about the human condition, it wrestles with work, money, ambitio...

10 Helmi 55min

Suosittua kategoriassa Koulutus

rss-murhan-anatomia
psykopodiaa-podcast
voi-hyvin-meditaatiot-2
adhd-podi
rss-narsisti
aamukahvilla
rss-rahamania
rss-liian-kuuma-peruna
rahapuhetta
rss-vapaudu-voimaasi
psykologia
rss-koira-haudattuna
rss-eron-alkemiaa
rss-the-leafy-lounge
rss-duodecim-lehti
rss-valo-minussa-2
leikitaanko-laakaria
jari-sarasvuo-podcast
mielipaivakirja
rss-turun-yliopisto