Shows
Heterodox AmericanaThe Shower of NowRaphael started taking daily cold showers in July. What resulted from this practice was completely unexpected.2021-11-0256 minHeterodox AmericanaAngie Goes to PragueAngie goes to Prague and regales us with story of food, castles, and Eastern European delights2021-11-0257 minHeterodox AmericanaCultivating Safety and Updating Maslow2021-10-0356 minHeterodox AmericanaHow to Get What You Want in RelationshipsYou may not always get what you want in a relationship, but not asking for what is and keeping your desires hidden is a surer way to not get it. In this episode we look at emotional asymmetry in relationships and the notion of "showing up" for yourself.2021-09-2054 minHeterodox AmericanaThe Key to Long-Term Happiness2021-08-2250 minHeterodox AmericanaRemapping the Mind and Integrating the BodyWe talk about how to expand the contents of your mind and, by extension, the mind itself. We deal with some possibly helpful approaches to dealing with rumination, and how to use novel mental representations to change the quality of your life.2021-08-2255 minHeterodox AmericanaThe Delta DilemmaApparently the complicated re-emergence of people and culture now has to content with the complicated re-emergence of COVID-19. As the Delta variant spreads throughout the world, we again have to contend with the same set of spirit-sinking decisions. Nobody ever said global pandemics would be easy.2021-08-2247 minHeterodox AmericanaComplicated (re-)Emergence and the Vaccine DilemmaGoing from quarantine to socializing again has been super weird for lots of people. That, plus... what to do about this vaccine thing, anyway? To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? That is the question.2021-05-0249 minHeterodox AmericanaWoke and Woker - When Cancel Culture Cancels its OwnIn this episode, we talk about more than just cancel culture and wokism, we also talk about the changing nature of our economy, the impact of the gig economy, job security (career security, really) and the slow death of our universities. Where are we headed?2021-04-2550 minHeterodox AmericanaOn Raising Daughters pt.3: Chivalry vs. Preparedness2021-01-0319 min
Heterodox AmericanaOn Raising Daughters pt.3: Chivalry vs. Preparedness2021-01-0319 minHeterodox AmericanaOn Raising Daughters pt.2: MenstruationA continuation on our discussion of how to be thoughtful about raising daughters with an eye toward the development of their full humanity. This time we talk about the general cultural discourse around menstruation.2020-12-2737 minHeterodox AmericanaOn Raising Daughters pt.2: MenstruationThis time we talk about the general cultural discourse around menstruation.2020-12-2737 minHeterodox AmericanaOn Raising Daughters pt.1: SexualizationThis first part addresses the subtle, inadvertent sexualization that happens to so many girls even at home. We talk about how to recognize it and what to do about it.2020-12-2040 minHeterodox AmericanaOn Raising Daughters pt.1: SexualizationThe first part of a 7-part series on raising emotionally healthy daughters. This first part addresses the subtle, inadvertent sexualization that happens to so many girls even at home. We talk about how to recognize it and what to do about it. An important discussion even if you don't have daughters, but especially if you do.2020-12-2040 minHeterodox AmericanaWhy Acting "Against Your Own Interests" ISN'T Irrational and Why You Probably Do it Too!Whether in electoral politics or at the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas, how can we make sense of the seemingly irrational behavior of people who act against their own best interests. Hint: their "best" interests is not what we say it is. We explore the...2020-12-1347 minHeterodox AmericanaWhy Acting "Against Your Own Interests" ISN'T Irrational and Why You Probably Do it Too!Whether in electoral politics or at the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas, how can we make sense of the seemingly irrational behavior of people who act against their own best interests. Hint: their "best" interests is not what we say it is. We explore the layers of decisions and interest in this episode.2020-12-1347 minHeterodox AmericanaPandemic Fatigue vs The Zombie ApocalypseAre we tired of doing this yet? Figuring out protocols are inherently challenging for our automatic thinking brains. How to act in a pandemic is beyond whatever intuitive mechanism has evolved in us as a species. Outside of...2020-12-0641 minHeterodox AmericanaPandemic Fatigue vs The Zombie ApocalypseAre we tired of doing this yet? Figuring out protocols are inherently challenging for our automatic thinking brains. How to act in a pandemic is beyond whatever intuitive mechanism has evolved in us as a species. Outside of scientific/mechanistic/strategic thinking there is simply no way to understand something as small as a virus. What we do in its presence should be informed by protocol; not hubris.Also... Zombies!2020-12-0641 minHeterodox AmericanaWrapping up the Worst. Year. EVARReflections on 2020 and the Kick-Off for season 22020-11-3044 minHeterodox AmericanaWrapping up the Worst. Year. EVARReflections on 2020 and the Kick-Off for season 22020-11-3044 minHeterodox AmericanaIs the Happiness of our Children Important as Parents?A continuation of our discussion in E51 around parenting, this time we look at parental relationships with younger children where considerations of "prestige" don't necessarily apply. Instead, we ask, "What do we want for our children?", and we examine...2020-11-2242 minHeterodox AmericanaIs the Happiness of our Children Important as Parents?A continuation of our discussion in E51 around parenting, this time we look at parental relationships with younger children where considerations of "prestige" don't necessarily apply. Instead, we ask, "What do we want for our children?", and we examine competing ideas of child happiness.2020-11-2242 minHeterodox AmericanaThe Role of Prestige in Teens and Pre-teens (...and parents)Somehow this episode morphed into a discussion about the impact of prestige and prestige-seeking behavior on kids. We started off with a wider intention of understanding the parent-child relationship, but ended up focused on this narrow aspect.We'll...2020-10-0845 minHeterodox AmericanaThe Role of Prestige in Teens and Pre-teens (...and parents)Somehow this episode morphed into a discussion about the impact of prestige and prestige-seeking behavior on kids. We started off with a wider intention of understanding the parent-child relationship, but ended up focused on this narrow aspect.We'll continue the wider discussion (including exploration, attachment, and mirroring) in future episodes2020-10-0845 minHeterodox AmericanaThe Mind-Body Connection in Breaking Through Your Comfort ZoneBe Limitless!2020-09-2943 minHeterodox AmericanaThe Mind-Body Connection in Breaking Through Your Comfort ZoneBe Limitless!2020-09-2943 minHeterodox AmericanaScarcity, Abundance, and the Psychology of "Not Enough"We try our best to elucidate the scarcity mindset and offer ways toward a path of abundance.2020-09-221h 00Heterodox AmericanaScarcity, Abundance, and the Psychology of "Not Enough"If there's a single pernicious idea that dogs our ability to contribute, it's that the world is zero-sum and there's not "enough". We try our best to elucidate the scarcity mindset and offer ways toward a path of abundance (literally and metaphorically [and metaphysically?]). There is enough for nearly all of us but our functional fixedness prevents us from seeing the what's available.2020-09-221h 00Heterodox AmericanaMansplaining 2.0 - Why Mansplaining FEELS Like a Thing... But Isn'tIn Ep.26 "The Art of Mansplaining", we talked about the phenomenon that so many women feel as Raphael was insisting that, "it's not a thing." This time we explore if there is any reality to a feeling that so many people have. We compare the phenomena of 'whitesplaining', 'goysplaining', 'straightsplaining' and 'cissplaining' and ask, "what's actually happenning, here?"2020-09-131h 03Heterodox AmericanaMansplaining 2.0 - Why Mansplaining FEELS Like a Thing... But Isn'tWe compare the phenomena of 'whitesplaining', 'goysplaining', 'straightsplaining' and 'cissplaining' and ask, "what's actually happenning, here?"2020-09-131h 03Heterodox AmericanaConstructions of Identity and the Seeds of American RuinWe're on the verge of something catastrophic and identity is at the center of it. "What is identity?" and "what is a group?" This is an exploration of how identity works and the necessity to re-orient our politics.2020-09-081h 06Heterodox AmericanaConstructions of Identity and the Seeds of American RuinWe're all arguing about the wrong stuff; the wrong identity politics; the wrong "us". We explored identity politics in Episode 5, but we weren't able to drill down and take a deep examination of the question, "what is identity?" and "what is a group (with respect to group identity)?" This is an exploration of how identity works and the necessity to re-orient politics (in a non-kumbaya way). What's at stake is clear to some, but not-so-obvious to most. We're on the verge of something catastrophic and identity is at the center of it.2020-09-081h 06Heterodox AmericanaThe Paradox of Stewardship: Why your present self sabotages your future selfWe explore the psychological difficulties of stewardship vs expediency and the associated pay-offs. It's NOT pretty.2020-09-0146 minHeterodox AmericanaThe Paradox of Stewardship: Why your present self sabotages your future selfStewardship is the process of taking care of the think that you already have... so that you can keep having it. While the value of this is obvious to good stewards and makes enough sense to the rest of us, in general... we don't do it. If we did, the "check engine" light wouldn't exist.We explore the psychological difficulties of stewardship vs expediency and the associated pay-offs. It's NOT pretty.2020-09-0146 minHeterodox AmericanaThe Neurobiology of Sin or "Not Going to Your Grave With Your Music Still in You"Is it possible to think about sin in neurobiological terms? What if sin is real and not just confined to what we learned from religious realms. In this episode we bounce around an idea that sin is an emotion with its own biochemistry and something that we can all relate to. We use some recent breakthroughs in the biochemical understanding of emotion to frame the conversation.If sin is real, then what is it's evolutionary or biological purpose. This is the topic we'll explore, here. Hold on to your religious or atheistic chairs. We're going in.2020-08-1045 minHeterodox AmericanaThe Neurobiology of Sin or "Not Going to Your Grave With Your Music Still in You"In this episode we bounce around an idea that sin is an emotion with its own biochemistry and something that we can all relate to.2020-08-1045 minHeterodox AmericanaChange Your Context. Choose Something Different. Do Something New.We loop back around to ways of thinking about mental health during a pandemic. Obviously the US is suffering disproportionately in this regard, but the underlying perspectives are applicable universally.Let us know what you think! 2020-08-0555 minHeterodox AmericanaChange Your Context. Choose Something Different. Do Something New.We loop back around to ways of thinking about mental health during a pandemic. Obviously the US is suffering disproportionately in this regard, but the underlying perspectives are applicable universally.Let us know what you think!2020-08-0555 minHeterodox Americana“Americanism”, The Fakeness and Realness of Racial Identity, and The Nation’s Unwillingness to Face its PastI sit with Victor Jackson—an insightful, young thought leader in Philadelphia—and we hash out, among other things the US’s unique refusal to be accountable, the false promise of full inclusion, and the pitfalls of socially constructed identities*explicit language2020-07-281h 14Heterodox Americana“Americanism”, The Fakeness and Realness of Racial Identity, and The Nation’s Unwillingness to Face its PastI sit with Victor Jackson—an insightful, young thought leader in Philadelphia—and we hash out, among other things the US’s unique refusal to be accountable, the false promise of full inclusion, and the pitfalls of socially constructed...2020-07-281h 14Heterodox AmericanaSam Harris, the Reality of Racial Bias in Policing, and Speaking Truth to Cancel CultureWe talk with Dave Ramsey (daveramseymusic.com) about the potential social landmines of talking about opinion that break from received orthodoxy. Much of this episode refers to Sam Harris's podcast episode: Can we pull back from the brink? (https://samharris.org/podcasts/207-can-pull-back-brink), but our discussion should be robust enough to stand alone as we discuss these core issues.We also talk about what the data disparities around police shootings of unarmed black men really says, and the cultural shifts after the George Floyd moment. Let us know what you think!2020-07-061h 29Heterodox AmericanaSam Harris, the Reality of Racial Bias in Policing, and Speaking Truth to Cancel CultureWe talk with Dave Ramsey (daveramseymusic.com) about the potential social landmines of talking about opinion that break from received orthodoxy. Much of this episode refers to Sam Harris's podcast episode: Can we pull back from the brink?...2020-07-061h 29Heterodox AmericanaUse Theory of Mind and Strategic Thinking to Reduce StressWe talk about strategies for organizing the things you can control, how to build better models of your social world2020-06-2935 minHeterodox AmericanaUse Theory of Mind and Strategic Thinking to Reduce StressWe struggled with this title, but this is actually a good show. We talk about strategies for organizing the things you can control, how to build better models of your social world. We both found it really helpful to hash these idea out. Let us know what you think.2020-06-2935 minHeterodox AmericanaRead Your "Woke" Booklist... But That's Not EnoughWe talk with community organizer and activist Ben Blei and try to get a perspective on the role White people have to play in helping all Americans to get freer2020-06-1952 minHeterodox AmericanaRead Your "Woke" Booklist... But That's Not EnoughWe talk with community organizer and activist Ben Blei and try to get a perspective on the role White people have to play in helping all Americans to get freer2020-06-1952 minHeterodox AmericanaWhere Do We Go From Here (What's Changed)?We talk about the aftermath. The US has seen such an upheaval. We'll see what happens.2020-06-0956 minHeterodox AmericanaWhere Do We Go From Here (What's Changed)?Things feel different in the United States. If this energy will last, we won't know. But I'm nervously optimistic that we might end up in a new place. A better place. Time will tell2020-06-0956 minHeterodox AmericanaGeorge FloydWe just take a look at what happening in our cities and talk about the murder of George Floyd and some broader implications. This is hard.2020-06-0254 minHeterodox AmericanaGeorge FloydWith a spotlight finally shone on the problem lethal force used police departments across the U.S., how do we make sense of the death of Mr. Floyd and explain just why his case is both emblematic of the problem and vastly different in its presentation. How did we get here?We just take a look at what happening in our cities and talk about the murder of George Floyd as well as some of the broader implications. This episode was hard.2020-06-0254 minHeterodox AmericanaThe Path of Meaning and the Path of JoyWe hint and the dual traditions of thinking about what makes life worth living, but mostly look at contemporary manifestations of how to live a life of meaning and how to live a life of joy. They're not the same but they overlap. But in what way and how do they differ? Can you have Joy without meaning or meaning without joy? The works of Jordan Peterson and Martin Seligman help us to explore this dichotomy.2020-05-2457 minHeterodox AmericanaThe Path of Meaning and the Path of JoyWe look at ideas of how to live a life of meaning and how to live a life of joy.2020-05-2457 minHeterodox AmericanaKeeping Chaos At BayWith so many systems breaking down, how do we best prepare for the future? We're talking not just thriving, but for some, actually survival. We explore the perils of homeostasis and talk a little about how our relationship with meat might be irrevocably altered.2020-05-0951 minHeterodox AmericanaKeeping Chaos At BayWith so many systems breaking down, how do we best prepare for the future? We're talking not just thriving, but for some, actually survival. We explore the perils of homeostasis and talk a little about how our relationship with meat might be irrevocably...2020-05-0951 minHeterodox AmericanaDon't Assume, Ask!Questions are perhaps the most powerful tool which allows us to interrogate the worlds inside and outside of us. Yet many of us don't ask enough question and end up trapped in our own thinking2020-05-0453 minHeterodox AmericanaDon't Assume, Ask!Questions are perhaps the most powerful tool which allows us to interrogate the worlds inside and outside of us. Yet many of us don't ask enough question and end up trapped in our own thinking2020-05-0453 minHeterodox AmericanaHow America's Original Sin Affects Our CoVid ResponseWe discuss how the 18th century conflict of slavery informed the way we cast states' rights and how the culture of "states' rights" informs our response to the pandemic2020-04-2731 minHeterodox AmericanaHow America's Original Sin Affects Our CoVid ResponseWe discuss how the 18th century conflict of slavery informed the way we cast states' rights and how the culture of "states' rights" informs our response to the pandemic2020-04-2731 minHeterodox AmericanaAre Never-Biden Bernie Loyalists Misguided?Less that 24 hours after the suspension of Bernie Sanders's campaign, his hold-out supporters were being shamed and mocked by 'vote-blue' people. In this episode we examine the complexity of political preferences and try to understand why what may seem...2020-04-1329 minHeterodox AmericanaAre Never-Biden Bernie Loyalists Misguided?Less that 24 hours after the suspension of Bernie Sanders's campaign, his hold-out supporters were being shamed and mocked by 'vote-blue' people. In this episode we examine the complexity of political preferences and try to understand why what may seem like an obvious choice to some, becomes far less obvious to those in radically different circumstances2020-04-1329 min