#603. Why Dwight from The Office (Rainn Wilson) Is Calling for a “Spiritual Revolution”

Ten Percent Happier
May 29, 2023
#603. Why Dwight from The Office (Rainn Wilson) Is Calling for a “Spiritual Revolution”
[CLEAN]
Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris
Transcript

Why, you might fairly ask, am I interviewing Rainn Wilson, best known for his star turn on the sitcom The Office playing Dwight Schrute, the hilariously dysregulated paper salesman with a lust for power and a tragic haircut? Why, you may ask, am I interviewing that dude about mental health and spirituality?

Because in real life, Rainn Wilson has spent many, many years wrestling with religion, sobriety, and marital ups and downs, and he's got a new book called Soul Boom in which he cracks a lot of jokes and also makes a dead serious case for a spiritual revolution. (I'll explain exactly what he means by that.) 

In this episode we talk about:

  • the role of the Baha'i faith in his life
  • why he was so miserable at the height of The Office's popularity
  • what he considers his greatest achievement in life
  • the importance of spiritual pilgrimage 
  • the ingredients of the perfect religion, which he insists must include potlucks. 

A little bit more about Rainn: he won three Emmys for his work on The Office. He hosts a podcast called Metaphysical Milkshake, and he's got a new travel series on Peacock called Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss

Where to find Rainn Wilson online: 

Additional Resources: