Daniel Everett
Author, Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes
Next Level Healing·September 2, 2026·57 min·1 min read
What the Happiest People He'd Ever Seen Taught Him About Fear & Happiness | Daniel Everett
With Daniel Everett
In this episode
What if everything our culture teaches us about happiness is wrong? Daniel Everett spent 30 years with the Pirahã, an Amazonian tribe with no depression, suicide, or word for the past. He shares what they taught him about living a life free from fear.
Featured book
- Get the book →
Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes
by Daniel Everett
Show notes
Daniel Everett, professor of cognitive sciences at Bentley University and author of Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes, joins Dr. Tara Perry to share what 30 years living among the Pirahã people of the Amazon taught him about happiness, fear, and the stories Western culture tells itself. He arrived as an evangelical missionary. He left a changed man.
The Pirahã have no suicide, no panic attacks, no depression, and no word for the past they refuse to carry. In this episode, Daniel breaks down exactly how they live, and what the rest of us might be doing wrong.
Key takeaways
- [03:19] Daniel went to the Amazon to convert the Pirahã — and calls his failure the best thing that ever happened to him.
- [05:15] When Daniel described suicide to the Pirahã, they burst out laughing. They had never heard of such a thing.
- [17:27] The only behaviors the Pirahã consider unacceptable are losing your temper, violence, and forcing others against their will.
- [34:21] The Pirahã live entirely in the present — not talking about the past or future is a deliberate cultural value, built into their language.
- [37:20] Every few months, Pirahã people change their names after a significant event — a practical way to leave the past behind and become someone new.
- [43:16] The Pirahã's self-confidence, resilience, and fearlessness in the face of genuine daily danger ultimately cost Daniel his Christian faith.
Transcript
We're enriching transcripts across the catalog. In the meantime, listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or use the player above.