Podcasts about bf skinner

American psychologist and social philosopher (1904-1990)

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Jesus Changes Everything
JCE ep 5.28.25 Sacred Marriage, Grands; National Senility; Month of Sundays, Ephraim and Manasseh; Thinking Outside the Box

Jesus Changes Everything

Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2025 35:40


Lisa and I begin a conversation on the blessings and challenges of grandparenting. I consider how the former president's cognitive failures are mirrored in our own. We look at Jacob's blessing of his two grandsons, Ephraim and Manassah. Finally, we consider how BF Skinner's behaviorism is absurd in itself.

Sixteen:Nine
Gregg Zinn, SmarterSign

Sixteen:Nine

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2025 37:00


The 16:9 PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY SCREENFEED – DIGITAL SIGNAGE CONTENT Digital menu boards have long been marketed and positioned as a way to deal digitally with how what's available to order can change through a business day. I'd argue much of the critical thinking around how to do menu boards well hasn't progressed much beyond ensuring the item descriptions and prices are large enough for customers to read from the other side of an order counter. New York-based software and services firm SmarterSign has been in the digital signage industry for coming on 20 years, and has found something of a niche in working with QSR chains on optimized menu boards that are not only legible and visually pleasing, but boost sales performance for operators. Co-founder Gregg Zinn has an interest and passion for the science of advertising and marketing, and he's started writing a series called Digital Menu Board Mastery that gets into the design and psychological weeds of how to lay out and manage menu boards that influence customer ordering decisions and drive higher profits for operators. In this podcast, we get into some interesting things that most menu board sellers and users have probably never considered - stuff like psychological pricing anchors and the so-called golden zones for menu layouts. It's a really interesting chat ... Greg, thank you for joining me. Just to get started, can you give me a rundown on SmarterSign, what it is, how long you've been around, that sort of thing?  Gregg Zinn: Sure. Thank you very much for having me. SmarterSign was founded in 2006, so we've been doing this for just short of 20 years and it was founded by me and my primary business partner, Peter. We got together and both came from technology consulting, building applications for larger organizations, helping them understand how to use technology to make their businesses operate better.  I had actually done some digital signage. My first digital signage was done at Mall of America in the mid 90s working with Mel Simon, I have always been very intrigued by it. I had this vision of a Blade Runner future, where every surface was a communication vehicle and I was just very fascinated with the concept of digital signage, and I also saw that it was gonna be a burgeoning industry that had a lot of runway for the industry to grow and when we looked at the industry, we really found that there were two kinds of providers in the industry, and you probably remember back then, there were providers who were very technology oriented like Cisco, who were very good at moving data around networks, but didn't really have a lot of tools for content control. And there were companies like Scala who had a great software platform, a really powerful software platform, but it didn't really allow business operators to take complete control, and we saw that as the sweet spot for digital signage is moving business operators closer to their message and being able to impact their communication, whether it was in a corporate communication environment, a retail environment, or really what became our biggest market, which is food service, restaurants, digital menu boards.  I think a lot of the reason why digital menu boards became such a big and important part of our business is because of this approach of moving that communication control closer to the business operator. We've spent close to 20 years really working on perfecting as much as we can the tools to bring that vision to life.  So would you describe the company as a CMS software company or more of a solutions firm?  Gregg Zinn: Yeah, that's a great question. So really we view ourselves as two parts of the same solution. One is, one is a software provider that provides great software for controlling digital signage networks, and that's end-to-end from content creation, scheduling, distribution, and playback, and then the other piece is really the services piece of it, and I think that is equally important to the software piece of it, because these business operators are using a new tool, even business operators who have been doing it for 15 years, it's still relatively new to them. So being able to provide that layer of service and support underneath them, and when I say service and support, I'm not just saying, here's how to use our software. I'm talking about how to use this tool for your business. Here are the business opportunities for you. Here are the things that you can do with these tools. I think it's really important, and, for me, as part of the business, it's been a big focus, and I try to influence the software development to accommodate as much of that as possible and make it as intuitive as possible. But a lot of it is just working with business operators, so the service piece of it is really important.  Where's the company based?  Gregg Zinn: Our headquarters is in New York and I am based in Chicago. I moved to Chicago, just short of eight years ago. My wife's family is from Chicago. I was living in Chelsea in Manhattan, and my young sons are getting to school age and New York City is very challenging for raising children. We were living in 700 square feet in Chelsea and the truth is, it was fantastic. I love New York. I'm a New Yorker through and through. But my wife's family is from the Chicagoland area, the suburbs of Chicago, and we decided to pick up and move here, and now instead of looking at concrete and windows, I'm looking at a lake.  Yeah, it's good to have that relief valve as well, the in-laws and extended family where you can say, “hey, we need to do this, can you guys take the kids?” Plus they see more of their family.  Gregg Zinn: It's incredible. We do Sunday dinners and I love having the family around and it's great for me, it's great for my boys and now they're getting on in their teen years and doing all that stuff and it's great to see them grow up in this environment. I got in touch because I noticed on LinkedIn you posted a piece about Menu Board Mastery and I clicked through and had to look at it and I thought, oh, this is interesting because as somebody's been around digital signage as long as you, maybe not quite a few, mid 90s, I only got in late 90s, but nonetheless, we've both been around it a long time. I know that menu boards can be done badly, but I tend to think they're done badly when they're eye charts and there's way too much stuff on there, or quite simply, they're just not working. But your Menu Board Mastery pieces take a look at the science of it and of layout and the thinking and everything else. So I thought that would make a great conversation to get into, first of all why you felt it useful to put this together and then get into some of the key tenets of it.  Gregg Zinn: Really the thing is, I've had so many conversations with business operators, at all levels, and that could be from single location operators to multinational operators and all of them seem to struggle with putting a strategic foundation underneath the concept of what they're gonna display, and even this many years into it, many of them just see digital as a more efficient way to get their print menu up on the screen, and even when they were doing their print menu, I don't really believe that they were tapping into some of the core ideas of using this as an incredible marketing tool.  When I look at digital menus, I think a digital menu should be your perfect salesperson. If you could have that person talking to that customer and guiding them through consuming from your restaurant in a way that is ideal for you, and ideal for them, having it be the perfect salesperson. I think that's really important, and a lot of businesses have struggled to do that. So I took a look at this, and I thought, what if I put a series together that takes very interesting, proven, scientific complex ideas and makes them highly practical? And this has really been a core philosophy for me since I was a teenager.  When I first read BF Skinner's Beyond Friedman Dignity and David Ogilvy's Confessions of an Advertising Man, I became fascinated with how people interact with information and how behavior is impacted by communications, and those various tools and many boards are no different. So I thought about giving people some very practical ideas. I want to make this industry better, like ever since we started SmarterSign, I don't want to just have a great business in the industry. I want this industry to be important. I want this industry to really impact businesses and be indispensable as part of the complete operation for every business. Obviously that helps my business. But it also energizes me. It engages me.  Another key piece of my philosophy has always been moving people from theory to practice as quickly and easily as possible. Nobody ever said theory makes perfect. Practice makes perfect and helps people move to practice practical ideas and I use the phrase, “Is this practical?” all the time. You can have all of these great ideas and all of these visions for what can be, and you can sit there and ruminate, but really, when it comes down to it, where the rubber meets the road is where value is created, and can you put this into practice was the vision behind this series. The first article that you put out was about visual attention. When you talk about visual attention, what do you mean? Apart from the obvious.  Gregg Zinn: Yeah, and it's funny because there are some very obvious things, but there also are some well-studied scientific understandings about how people's eyes move in the interpretation of information and I think in the article, we point out two very well-known, established patterns of how people interact with information.  There is the F-pattern of how your eyes scan information, and that is typically for menus or information that is very text rich, and your eyes go across the top and then they go down to the middle and then across a little bit more, and then they go down to the left hand side and understanding the way that people's eyes are gonna be moving across your information helps you prioritize where you put your information that's important to your business, and I want to talk about what information is important to your business because getting to businesses do not really know how to take advantage of this tool. I think this is a really important piece of it, and I am going to be writing an article about this, and it's been a big focus as well.  But let me continue on with the other way that people interpret information, and that is The Golden Triangle, and it starts in the middle, moves to the upper right, moves to the left, and these two visual patterns have been proven time and time again with eye trackers and studies to see how people interpret visual information in front of them. The Golden Triangle is very helpful for highly visual menus, and really the key spot in that menu is that upper right hand corner. If you can put your really high value items in that upper right hand corner, you are going to see a change in your outcomes, for the better. It's such an interesting thing, and this is part of getting back to why the series is here. I want to be able to provide tidbits of information like that to help businesses change their outcome, and obviously for the better.  Is this something you discovered or you've known because you've had that interest for a very long time in it? I'm curious if you started working with QSRs and restaurant chains and advocated doing this, and then did the reading and found out, oh, there's actually a science behind this.  Gregg Zinn: Yeah, it's really a mixture of both because I had studied these concepts, and they were very interesting to me, all the way back in the 90s. They were very interesting ideas to me. Even before that, managing behavior was always interesting to me. But as I started to work in the practical environment of working with businesses, I was able to apply those ideas and see how they impacted. So I was able to grow a clear understanding of how these ideas very specifically relate to these types of business problems. So it has been a full circle since I was interested in it, I was able to apply it, and now I'm able to move and help businesses perfect it.  So one of the things you get into is positioning, like what should go where and how you wanna have prime positions for your high margin items and signature items, that sort of thing. I've not thought about that at all. I've just thought that companies just laid things out the way they laid out their print menus and didn't really think too much about that stuff, or maybe they don't.  Gregg Zinn: Many of them don't think about it and actually very early on, working with businesses, 2006-2007, I had come up with this idea called The Prominence Pyramid. The idea behind The Prominence Pyramid was to help businesses identify. What are the most important menu items on your menu? And most businesses couldn't identify it. I was really surprised to walk into the c-suites of large organizations and ask them very simple questions about what are the most important items on their menu and they were not able to answer that.  But we would guide businesses through this process of putting items on a pyramid, say at the top of the pyramid. These are the most important items for you, and they're the most important for top line revenue. They're the most important for margin, they're the most important in terms of branding and customer experience, and those are the items that should have prominence within your visual space because they're the ones that are gonna help push your business forward. There are so many moving parts to this as we're moving forward, and as AI has become part of the mix of tools, it's a very exciting time for me because I feel like we can use these tools to help give insights very quickly to businesses using real data using, using these known scientific ideas to help them get these ideas in front of them, and then once you know that, once you know what should be presented in these prominent areas in the visual space, then you could do things like change the sizing, change the coloring, add boxes around them, animate those sections, put little tags, customer favorites.  Actually, we have a customer who just did this who just did this. He wanted to promote this one item, so we put a tag that said “Customer favorite” and sales immediately increased on this item. So we know that these tools can help change business outcomes. It's just a matter of helping businesses get there. And I think this series is gonna help people get there in bite-sized movements.  So when you talk about things like prime positions, that's in your F-pattern or Golden Triangle, there's certain positions that are gonna be optimal. That's where the eye goes naturally?  Gregg Zinn: Yeah, it's crazy. It's crazy to think that these are actually things, but they've proven, studied, scientifically that this is the way eyes move to interpret information.  So some of the other variables, and you've already mentioned it, are things like white space and borders around stuff, contrast, the font size.  To me, being a knucklehead and not really spending a lot of time talking about QSRs, I just see ones where I can't read this, and my eyesight's assisted, but when I've had my glasses on, it's 2020, and I still struggle to read it.  Gregg Zinn: Yeah, it drives me crazy and I don't know if you have seen this, but I can send you a link to it. I had done a series called the Digital Menu Board Scorecard, and it was an evaluation of menu boards in the wild, not necessarily SmarterSign customers. But menu boards that we had seen, we'd take pictures of them, and we'd break down what are they were doing well, what are they doing poorly and we give them a score on a number of characteristics like branding, layout, organization, and actually, it's funny, just last week I was in the airport and I saw a menu from a pretty big QSR, and I just thought: Who made this menu? This is just terrible.  I won't mention their name because I don't want to get in trouble.  When you did the scorecard, were you handing out as many “A”s?  Gregg Zinn: Yeah, there were some As, there were few, very few, but every once in a while we'd come across a menu board where the business had a really good balanced sense of brand presentation, strategic organization, overall design, effectiveness of the menu to get people to order. That's actually one of the key things when you look at menus. Outside of getting their attention, it is how quickly can you get somebody through the process of making a decision and this is particularly true for digital drive-through, has been a real focus and we've seen some really interesting things done in that realm. For example, having the menu change at 8:00 PM to be a more limited menu on the drive-through, so that it changes the operations from a kitchen point of view, but also gets people through the line quicker.  One of the questions I wanted to ask was, is the thinking and the layouts and everything else different between the screens over the counter, the screens in a self-service ordering kiosk, and then the screens in the drive-through? Gregg Zinn: Yeah, absolutely, and if you look at our customers who are doing interior menu boards and exterior menu boards, the layouts, the structures, the approach to the menus are different. It's just different. It's a different mind frame. It's almost a different form factor in many cases because a lot of times the drive through's gonna be portrait, and many times the interior board's gonna be landscape.  But the whole business mission is really different, and taking advantage of what each of those environments do better. We don't do any touchscreen ordering. I have a love-hate relationship with the concept of it. I'm old school. So when I go into a sandwich shop, I want to talk to the person who is going to be able to take down my details of what I want, and I want to be able to say them and have them articulate that to the kitchen. Personally, I find it very difficult to do the touchscreen ordering and get that right and have the same level of customer experience.  AI is gonna change that because AI is going to somehow offer voice to AI ordering, which will take some of that UI cloudiness out of the mix. You mentioned AI. I'm curious about computer vision and the idea that, I've heard this said, I don't know what it is really being done in-store. I've heard about it in drive-throughs, but dynamically adjusting menus based on the profile of the people who are approaching the counter. Gregg Zinn: Yeah, there's a few things that we've been working with in terms of studying, how this can be done in an effective way. It's a highly strategic concept and, as I mentioned earlier, businesses are really just struggling to translate their static menu to a digital menu in a very strategic way, but we're pushing this forward, and there are other technologies.  There's license plate reader technology for drive-throughs where the same car is coming through, and you could tie it to their past consumption and we're gonna get there, and I think with AI, we're gonna get there much quicker and I'm super happy about that. Because I have been sitting in the running blocks waiting for the gun to go off and I'm excited about what AI means to accelerate some of this progress.  When you started, almost 20 years ago now, APIs were known but they weren't widely available and I suspect it was very difficult to talk to a restaurant about actually jacking into their restaurant management systems in any way, but we're now in a very different world, and that's all possible.  Is it being done? And how do you best leverage that other than the very simple stuff like price changes in the store system, you want to automatically change on the screen? Gregg Zinn: Right now the two primary mechanisms that are interacting, that operating data with the marketing data on menu boards, are price changes. So having the POS system be the source of that price, that's your operating data, and that operating data points should be filtered through to your menu boards. You shouldn't have to manage it in two pieces.  The second piece is inventory. We work with a lot of customers who run out of individual products, and that creates frustration for the customer, and it creates frustration for the person taking the order. So having the ability to show that something's currently sold out, is something that we're seeing being used. Again, this comes down to: Can so much more be done? Yeah, so much more can be done.  But getting over that, what should be done, as opposed to what can be done. It's also part of my core philosophy is, a lot of things can be done, but only some things should be done. So we've stayed away from novelty. We've stayed away from a lot of the things that people are saying, whoa, what about this? What about that? We try to keep it as practical as possible. But we're gonna see a big shift. I don't know if you know the company Palantir. I love Palantir as a company. I love what their vision for using AI is. People ask me questions about it all the time because I'm in technology. People ask me about AI people who are late, not in the technology industry, and late people, and I always point to Palantir as somebody who is an applied AI company. They're using the data to determine what should be done as opposed to what could be done and I think they're doing a really great job of it. They're really leaders in that space. Now, they're not menu boards, but I do follow what they're doing because I think that they're very innovative in terms of how they're looking at the connection between data operations, real world and practical application. In my years doing consulting, I've done quite a bit with some big companies, but the only QSR I worked with was a coffee chain and when I went in to start working with them, they talked about a bunch of things and I asked them about menu boards and takeovers, which I had seen in some of their stores where all of the menus went away and they had a tiled piece of creative, pedaling a particular promoted product and they said that they did some interview intercepts with customers and pretty uniformly the customer said, stop screwing around, just show me the damn menu, and I've since been in a number of restaurants where I had to wait for the menu items that came up because they were promoting something or other on the screen for 5-10 seconds and it irritated the living hell out of me. Is it something you advocate? Just get to the point; don't try to be fancy here. Forget the video, just show me the items and pricing.  Gregg Zinn: Yeah, intuitively for me, that customer response is obvious. They're trying to interact with a piece of data to place an order, and then all of a sudden it's gone and they're waiting. They have no idea how long it's gonna be before it comes back, and then they've gotta go find their spot on the menu again. So intuitively for me, we have always guided people against it. We've had customers asked to do it. Of course, our platform can do it. But it is not a good idea. Now, that being said, with digital menu boards and you've seen them in QSRs, there's a lot of visual space, so you can use a portion of that visual space to do those kinds of marketing techniques. One of the really interesting things that we had seen, so we did an observational study of a food court, working with a customer who had a restaurant, a pizza restaurant, and a food court. We did an observational study, and we saw that nobody looked up at the menu when they came over to the counter to order. They didn't care about the pricing, they didn't care about anything. They never looked up. But the menu boards were not being used properly to get people over to their restaurant as a choice. So what we recommended was: these really aren't digital menu boards in so much as they're digital billboards, and you need to use these as a “come eat pizza” sign, as opposed to thinking of it as a digital menu board. So we used some of the visual space as a “come eat pizza”, and we were able to draw some of that audience thinking maybe they'd go get Chinese food or Chipotle or another option over to them. So that's another way where you can impact outcomes by using the visual space as opposed to just menu boards.  What do you do with restaurants? I think about one up here, Tim Horton's here in Canada that started out doing coffee and donuts and pastries and now does endless kinds of food items, and they've got a menu list that's far longer than it was when the chain first started.  What do you do when you have customers who have like 40 SKUs and you've only got so much real estate on a screen?  Gregg Zinn: It's a big challenge, and it's a funny thing because, when I look at operations like that, I've never run a restaurant, but when I think of the ideal process to get customers through and order your food, I think of a business like In and Out Burger. They've got a very specific menu. People come there for those items. They love those items.  We have a lot of customers who have these extensive menus. I don't love it from an operations point of view, but from a presentation of the menu point of view, it's a matter of just being very organized in how you present that information so that you are able to get that broad menu into somebody's eyes, get them to where they want to order. If they want something that's savory as opposed to something sweet, get their eyes to that.  A good example of that is Dairy Queen has a pretty extensive menu, and they've got food and ice creams and just being able to segment that out. So on their drive-throughs, for example, we do a number of franchisees for Dairy Queen. On their drive-throughs, they've got one complete panel, that's just their sweet treats. They've got a middle panel that is promotion, key promotional items, LTOs and things like that, and then they have a right screen that is their savory items, their burgers and sandwiches and hot dogs and things.  The post that you have up right now about this Mastery series has to do with price anchors. That's not a term I know much about. What do you mean by that?  Gregg Zinn: It's another behavioral technique where you can establish a baseline in a customer's mind by putting an item that you don't really expect anybody to consume, but what it does is it creates a mental baseline of price expectation, so that you can have them pay a premium price for that second level item, without feeling like this is too expensive. So it really is a decoy. It's like look over here, this item is $30, but here's a really good value item at $22. It's so interesting to me because particularly in the past five years, pricing's gotten outta control, and, for so many reasons. Supply chain issues, obviously going back to 2020 with Covid but pricing has gotten crazy, and my favorite burger place in New York City, actually where I got engaged, when I got engaged, the burger was, yeah, I'm a huge burger guy, but it was my second date with my wife. We went there, and we're both burger people, and that's where I proposed ultimately.  You got engaged on our second date?  Gregg Zinn: Oh, no, we went on our second date to this burger place. Seven years later, we got engaged, but in that same spot, but the burger was like $6 at that point, and now it's like 18.  Oh, for God's sake.  Gregg Zinn: Yeah, and even the QSRs I go into sometimes, and I just think, who could afford $60 for a family of four?  It just doesn't seem like an affordable approach and I will tell you that from a pricing strategy point of view, all of the QSRs are recognizing this, and they're trying to adapt. We're already out of time, but I wanted to ask one more question, just around when you're going into a new customer and you start talking about what we've just discussed, kind of the science and the thinking behind it, are minds a little bit blown because they're wanting to do digital menu boards because it's a pain in the ass to change the print ones, and they haven't thought much beyond that? Gregg Zinn: We take it slow. It's been over 20 years and we've learned you can't just go in gangbusters and put all of these ideas in their heads about what's possible because it'll just confuse the situation. So we go slow with our customers. We meet them where they are. Fix the first obvious problem, and then you can go from there. Gregg Zinn: Yeah, and I've said it a number of times in this call if it's not practical, it can't be done.  All right. This was great. If people wanna find out more about SmarterSign and read these articles, they can find 'em on smartersign.com.  Gregg Zinn: They can, yeah. All the articles are there. In the resource section, right? Gregg Zinn: Yeah, and we've got a bunch of videos on our YouTube channel, of course, posting on other social channels like LinkedIn. But yeah, the primary source would be on smartersign.com.  Perfect. All right. Thank you, sir.  Gregg Zinn: Yeah, thank you so much. It was really nice talking to you and re-meeting you again.

No Dumb Questions
200 - Swiper, No Swiping

No Dumb Questions

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2025 73:37


THIS EPISODE BROUGHT TO YOU BY: You'll notice that there's no sponsor in this episode.  We'd love it if you'd consider supporting on Patreon.   PATREON - patreon.com/nodumbquestions  STUFF IN THIS EPISODE: An Early Edison Wax Cylinder Home Recording Over There Irish Eyes Swiper No Swiping - Dora the Explorer B.F. Skinner Pavlov's Dog Freedom app Definition of Virile HGModernism - You're Not Addicted to tiktoks… Algorithms are breaking how we think When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert Percy Jackson (Lotus Casino Scene) The dark side of AI voice cloning - Jeff Geerling CONNECT WITH NO DUMB QUESTIONS: Support No Dumb Questions on Patreon if that sounds good to you Discuss this episode here NDQ Subreddit Our podcast YouTube channel Our website is nodumbquestions.fm No Dumb Questions Twitter Matt's Twitter Destin's Twitter SUBSCRIBE LINKS: Subscribe on iTunes Subscribe on Android OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS ARE ALSO FUN: Matt's YouTube Channel (The Ten Minute Bible Hour) Destin's YouTube Channel (Smarter Every Day)

The Innovation Show
Steve Kerr - Reward Systems Part 2

The Innovation Show

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2024 42:54


Creating Effective Reward Systems   In this episode of The Innovation Show, we welcome back Steve Kerr to discuss how to create positive reward systems within organizations. Steve details the 'bullseye exercise' and emphasizes the importance of defining performance in actionable terms. He shares insights from his experience at GE, covering the implementation of the 'wing to wing' approach, the impact of stretch goals, and strategies for devising comprehensive metrics. Throughout the conversation, Steve highlights the necessity of aligning rewards with business objectives and fostering a culture of candor and innovation.   00:00 Introduction and Overview 01:12 Defining Performance in Actionable Terms 01:28 The Bullseye Exercise 02:47 Connecting Incentives and Rewards 04:25 Challenges in Measurement and Bureaucracy 05:35 Real-World Examples and Cost Analysis 07:13 The Importance of Candor and Rational Behavior 14:04 Stretch Goals and Organizational Culture 23:06 Challenges in Rewarding Employees 23:23 Understanding Quartiling and Quotas 24:07 Jack Welch's Bottom 10% Rule 29:31 Financial and Non-Financial Rewards 31:54 The Importance of Timeliness in Rewards 37:31 Wing to Wing: Seeing Through the Customer's Eyes 42:26 Conclusion and Final Thoughts   On the Folly of Rewarding A,While Hoping for B   Aidan McCullen, Steve Kerr, reward systems, employee behavior, BF Skinner, dysfunctional behaviors, fixing reward systems, CEO memo, leadership development, GE, Goldman Sachs, ultimate rewards, boundaryless organization, performance measurement, innovative culture, healthcare system, preventive care, stretch goals, Jack Welch, candid culture

The Innovation Show
Steve Kerr - Reward Systems: Does Yours Measure Up?

The Innovation Show

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2024 23:19


Fixing Dysfunctional Behaviors in Organizations   In this episode, our guest Steve Kerr shares insights from his book on reward systems. He explains how flawed reward systems can lead to irrational behaviors in employees similar to B.F. Skinner's 'blaming the rat' theory. Kerr discusses the importance of effective measurement and reward systems in organizations and provides practical steps to realign them for better outcomes. He uses analogies from the healthcare system and historical military examples to highlight the pervasive issues and solutions for leadership in various contexts. This discussion is crucial for anyone involved in organizational transformation and leadership.   00:00 Introduction to Reward Systems 00:52 Meet Steve Kerr: Leadership and Legacy 01:28 The Folly of Rewarding A While Hoping for B 01:49 Three-Step Process to Realign Reward Systems 02:38 Measurement and Performance: Key Insights 04:31 Healthcare System Example: Misaligned Rewards 08:08 Stretch Goals and Innovation Challenges 12:33 Military Analogy: World War II vs. Vietnam 14:28 Organizational Dynamics and Leadership Challenges 16:04 Effective Performance Reviews 20:22 Creating a Candid Culture 22:07 Conclusion and Next Episode   On the Folly of Rewarding A,While Hoping for B   Aidan McCullen, Steve Kerr, reward systems, employee behavior, BF Skinner, dysfunctional behaviors, fixing reward systems, CEO memo, leadership development, GE, Goldman Sachs, ultimate rewards, boundaryless organization, performance measurement, innovative culture, healthcare system, preventive care, stretch goals, Jack Welch, candid culture

School For The Dogs Podcast
"Daddy's Home, and He's Pissed": What Bad Dog Training Can Teach Us About Authoritarianism

School For The Dogs Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2024 20:10


In this episode, recorded on November 6th, I recap some of the weird moments having to do with pets and other animals in the run up to the election, from Peanut the Squirrel to Kristi Noem shooting her puppy, several stories about people eating dogs and beyond. But the apex of the weirdness came to me in in a speech where Carlson Tucker starts off talking about how American's are too nice to dogs, and then devolves into talking about how those on the left need to be, well… spanked. As a positive reinforcement trainer, I cannot help but reflect on the Trump's win through the lens of animal behavior, as I've come to understanding it through working with dogs. This leads me to wonder what would happen if political governance wasn't rooted in punishment? Is it possible that helping people to better understanding and applying positive reinforcement in dog training could have broader implications for society? Maybe? Maybe. Maybe if we all spent more time training, we'd at least spend less time doomscrolling… This episode includes parts from the last two chapters of my new book, How To Train Your Dog With Love + Science, one about studies that have been done on spanking kids and the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior's recommendations on using punishment with dogs, and the other on BF Skinner's suggestion for change people's behavior on a societal level without force.An audiobook version of the book has just been released from Tantor Press, narrated by Eunice Wong. If you'd like a review copy of the audiobook, I have a handful of download codes I can share to the first few people who email me to ask! Put audiobook in the subject.Ruff timeline:00:00 Reflecting on the Election Through a Behavioral Lens 00:52 Donald Trump's Childhood and Authoritarianism 02:01 Weird Moments in the Presidential Campaign Note: I edited both the Carlson and Noem clips here for length but without changing the meaning. I felt that playing the clips in full was just too inhumane. 05:54 Tucker Carlson's “Daddy's Home” Speech 07:05 The Role of Punishment in Behavior 08:19 Positive Reinforcement in Dog Training 11:28 The Importance of Good Dog Trainers 13:02 Book ExcerptLinks: Boston Globe article I wrote about Romney and his dog in 2012Mary Trump's Too Much and Never Enough Youtube: Dog BonkingAudio montage clips:Trump “Eating The Dogs”RFK Jr whale incidentRFK Jr denies eating dogRFK Jr bear cub story Kristi Noem reads from her bookJD Vance on peanut the squirrel JD Vance on cat ladies Tucker Carlsons's Georgia Speech This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dogtraining.substack.com

The Inner Game with Lindsey Wilson
Extended Episode - Finding Opportunity with Positive Psychologist, Chris DeSantis

The Inner Game with Lindsey Wilson

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2024 58:22


My interview earlier this year with Positive Psychologist, Chris DeSantis was such a goldmine that I immediately asked him to come present to our Insider Mastermind to teach them about positive psychology. In our first episode together, Chris introduced positive psychology, but we really just scratched the surface. I'm thrilled to say that this episode goes so much deeper and leaves you with so many actionable ways to better help your athletes. In this episode, Chris dives deep into his positive psychology philosophies. As the first person to get his advanced degree in Positive Psychology, he has a unique, valuable, even revolutionary perspective on just about everything related to mental training. Chris shares personal stories and examples of his coaching, and shows what it's really like to take a client through negative visualization. He even shares the script he uses with athletes so that you can start using this tool right away in your own coaching practice. And since we were live on a coaching call with The Insider Mastermind, he answers loads of real questions from real mindset coaches. This episode is robust enough to listen to on it's own, and is also a great follow up to our first interview together, so tune in and let me know on IG @lindseypositiveperform what you think of the episode! Follow Chris Website: https://chrisdcoach.com/Instagram: @chrisdcoach Resources: Download our free e-book: “How to Become a Mental Performance Coach”: This FREE, ultra-simple guide will show you how YOU can make mindset coaching your full-time career or part-time hustle. (Even without your PhD). Take the first step to becoming the mindset coach you've been dreaming of: https://www.positiveperformancetraining.com/guide The Mindset Coach Academy Certification: If you are ready to step into your purpose as a Positive Performance Certified Mindset Coach, join our waitlist to be the first to know when enrollment opens: https:www.positiveperformancetraining.com/MCACertification Here's a glance at the episode… [0:55] Chris starts the episode by talking about some of the positive psychology concepts (like “growth mindset”) that have gone mainstream, and how these interpretations fall short. [3:30] Classical psychology asks, “What's wrong here, and how do we fix it? Positive psychology asks “What is the situation, and where is the opportunity?” [6:06] Why do people practice visualization? Chris explains the value of visualization, and how it helps the human brain prepare for high stakes situations. [8:46] There are a lot of unwitting disciples of BF Skinner, The King of Behaviorism. Chris believes humans are more complex than these studies are able to measure. Chris talks about how behaviorism feeds oversimplified assumptions about visualization. [13:58] If your goal is to NOT think about something, you've set an impossible goal. Chris gives a “white bear” analogy that proves his point. [17:54] Chris describes what's happening in your brain during fight or flight, and how he helps to coach swimmers through the “worst case scenario”. [20:15] Chris shares a specific example of working with an athlete and how he utilized negative visualization to help her move through her fears proactively. [24:53] Sharing personal examples, Chris talks about a situation with a swimmer, one challenge of working with young athletes, and the importance of keeping everything in perspective. [31:35] Bianca asks how Chris handles athletes who say “I don't know” in response to his questions. Chris talks about his background in sports media and what it taught him about getting information out of athletes (like Michael Phelps). [34:59] Lindsey shares a different way she has used negative visualization as an athlete, and the way she teaches it today. [39:39] Lindsey and Chris discuss the role of negative visualization in calming the nervous system. Chris answers some questions from the group, starting with one student that asks if negative visualizations should be followed up with positive visualizations. [45:40] The Insider Mastermind students are challenged to come up with a metaphor to help athletes release feelings after going through a negative visualization. [47:36] Chris chats about his understanding of the relationship between Michael Phelps and his coach. A student asks how Chris finishes a negative visualization session with an athlete. Chris explains his intuitive approach, and relates to feeling nervous about using negative visualization as a coach. [51:39] Lindsey wraps up the episode with a quick chat about fear of failure, how to anticipate obstacles, and how anxiety can increase by ignoring the worst case scenario. Chris shares his contact information and plugs his podcast, The Swim Brief. NEGATIVE VISUALIZATION - SCRIPT Ask your athelte to sit down and prepare to visualize. Then move through the following questions: What is the worst that could happen? How will I feel if that happens? What will happen next? Continue to ask “what will happen next” until you get to the existential question. The purpose of this exercise is: To be able to relay to the subconscious, “We've thought it all the way through, you don't need to bring it up anymore”. To validate yourself emotionally by telling yourself, “It makes sense that I'm worried about this.” For you, as a coach, to understand the root of the issue to better coach them up. Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts “I love Lindsey's straight forward, realistic approach to motivation and living your best life.”

The Inner Game with Lindsey Wilson
Extended Episode - Finding Opportunity with Positive Psychologist, Chris DeSantis

The Inner Game with Lindsey Wilson

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2024 58:22


My interview earlier this year with Positive Psychologist, Chris DeSantis was such a goldmine that I immediately asked him to come present to our Insider Mastermind to teach them about positive psychology.   In our first episode together, Chris introduced positive psychology, but we really just scratched the surface. I'm thrilled to say that this episode goes so much deeper and leaves you with so many actionable ways to better help your athletes. In this episode, Chris dives deep into his positive psychology philosophies. As the first person to get his advanced degree in Positive Psychology, he has a unique, valuable, even revolutionary perspective on just about everything related to mental training. Chris shares personal stories and examples of his coaching, and shows what it's really like to take a client through negative visualization. He even shares the script he uses with athletes so that you can start using this tool right away in your own coaching practice. And since we were live on a coaching call with The Insider Mastermind, he answers loads of real questions from real mindset coaches. This episode is robust enough to listen to on it's own, and is also a great follow up to our first interview together, so tune in and let me know on IG @lindseypositiveperform what you think of the episode! Follow Chris Website: https://chrisdcoach.com/ Instagram: @chrisdcoach    Resources:   Download our free e-book: “How to Become a Mental Performance Coach”: This FREE, ultra-simple guide will show you how YOU can make mindset coaching your full-time career or part-time hustle. (Even without your PhD). Take the first step to becoming the mindset coach you've been dreaming of: https://www.positiveperformancetraining.com/guide    The Mindset Coach Academy Certification: If you are ready to step into your purpose as a Positive Performance Certified Mindset Coach, join our waitlist to be the first to know when enrollment opens: https:www.positiveperformancetraining.com/MCACertification  Here's a glance at the episode…   [0:55] Chris starts the episode by talking about some of the positive psychology concepts (like “growth mindset”) that have gone mainstream, and how these interpretations fall short.    [3:30] Classical psychology asks,  “What's wrong here, and how do we fix it? Positive psychology asks “What is the situation, and where is the opportunity?”   [6:06] Why do people practice visualization? Chris explains the value of visualization, and how it helps the human brain prepare for high stakes situations.   [8:46] There are a lot of unwitting disciples of BF Skinner, The King of Behaviorism. Chris believes humans are more complex than these studies are able to measure. Chris talks about how behaviorism feeds oversimplified assumptions about visualization.   [13:58] If your goal is to NOT think about something, you've set an impossible goal. Chris gives a “white bear” analogy that proves his point.    [17:54] Chris describes what's happening in your brain during fight or flight, and how he helps to coach swimmers through the “worst case scenario”.   [20:15] Chris shares a specific example of working with an athlete and how he utilized negative visualization to help her move through her fears proactively.    [24:53] Sharing personal examples, Chris talks about a situation with a swimmer, one challenge of working with young athletes, and the importance of keeping everything in perspective.    [31:35] Bianca asks how Chris handles athletes who say “I don't know” in response to his questions. Chris talks about his background in sports media and what it taught him about getting information out of athletes (like Michael Phelps).   [34:59] Lindsey shares a different way she has used negative visualization as an athlete, and the way she teaches it today.    [39:39] Lindsey and Chris discuss the role of negative visualization in calming the nervous system. Chris answers some questions from the group, starting with one student that asks if negative visualizations should be followed up with positive visualizations.    [45:40] The Insider Mastermind students are challenged to come up with a metaphor to help athletes release feelings after going through a negative visualization.    [47:36] Chris chats about his understanding of the relationship between Michael Phelps and his coach. A student asks how Chris finishes a negative visualization session with an athlete. Chris explains his intuitive approach, and relates to feeling nervous about using negative visualization as a coach.    [51:39] Lindsey wraps up the episode with a quick chat about fear of failure, how to anticipate obstacles, and how anxiety can increase by ignoring the worst case scenario. Chris shares his contact information and plugs his podcast, The Swim Brief. NEGATIVE VISUALIZATION - SCRIPT Ask your athelte to sit down and prepare to visualize. Then move through the following questions: What is the worst that could happen? How will I feel if that happens? What will happen next?    Continue to ask “what will happen next” until you get to the existential question. The purpose of this exercise is: To be able to relay to the subconscious, “We've thought it all the way through, you don't need to bring it up anymore”. To validate yourself emotionally by telling yourself, “It makes sense that I'm worried about this.” For you, as a coach, to understand the root of the issue to better coach them up. Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts “I love Lindsey's straight forward, realistic approach to motivation and living your best life.”

History & Factoids about today
Aug 18-Fajitas, Women Can Vote, 1st Miss America, Robert Redford, Patrick Swayze, Christian Slater, Edward Norton

History & Factoids about today

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2024 13:14


National Fajita day.  Entertainment from 1959.  Women gain right to vote, Mt. Whitney climbed for 1st time, First mail order catelog.  Todays birthdays - Virginia Dare, Merriweather Lewis, Margaret Gorman, Shelly Winters, Robert Redford, Patrick Swayze, Dennis Leary, Madeleine Stowe, Christian Slater, Edward Norton, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Andy Samberg.  BF Skinner died.Intro - Pour some sugar on me - Def Leppard    https://defleppard.com/Bad fajitas - Brent Rivera & Eve GutowskiA big hunk o' love - Elvis PresleyWaterloo - Stonewall JacksonBirthdays - 50 Cent    https://www.50cent.com/She's a beauty - The TubesLike the wind - Patrick SwayzeMalcom & Eddie TV themeExit - Its not love - Dokken     https://www.dokken.net/Photo is of Margaret Gorman 1st Miss AmericaFollow Jeff Stampka at Facebook and Cooolmedia.com 

Let's Talk About CBT
Let's talk about... going to CBT for the first time

Let's Talk About CBT

Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2024 47:08


We're back! Let's Talk about CBT has been on hiatus for a little while but now it is back with a brand-new host Helen Macdonald, the Senior Clinical Advisor for the BABCP. Each episode Helen will be talking to experts in the different fields of CBT and also to those who have experienced CBT, what it was like for them and how it helped. This episode Helen is talking to one of the BABCP's Experts by Experience, Paul Edwards. Paul experienced PTSD after working for many years in the police. He talks to Helen about the first time he went for CBT and what you can expect when you first see a CBT therapist. The conversation covers various topics, including anxiety, depression, phobias, living with a long-term health condition, and the role of measures and outcomes in therapy. In this conversation, Helen MacDonald and Paul discuss the importance of seeking help for mental health struggles and the role of CBT in managing anxiety and other conditions. They also talk about the importance of finding an accredited and registered therapy and how you can find one. If you liked this episode and want to hear more, please do subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow us at @BABCPpodcasts on X or email us at podcasts@babcp.com. Useful links: For more on CBT the BABCP website is www.babcp.com Accredited therapists can be found at www.cbtregisteruk.com Credits: Music is Autmn Coffee by Bosnow from Uppbeat Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/bosnow/autumn-coffee License code: 3F32NRBYH67P5MIF   Transcript: Helen: Hello, and welcome to Let's Talk About CBT, the podcast where we talk about cognitive and behavioural psychotherapies, what they are, what they can do, and what they can't. I'm Helen Macdonald, your host. I'm the senior clinical advisor for the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies. I'm really delighted today to be joined by Paul Edwards, who is going to talk to us about his experience of CBT. And Paul, I would like to start by asking you to introduce yourself and tell us a bit about you. Paul: Helen, thank you. I guess the first thing it probably is important to tell the listeners is how we met and why I'm talking to you now. So, we originally met about four years ago when you were at the other side of a desk at a university doing an assessment on accreditation of a CBT course, and I was sitting there as somebody who uses his own lived experience, to talk to the students, about what it's like from this side of the fence or this side of the desk or this side of the couch, I suppose, And then from that I was asked if I'd like to apply for a role that was being advertised by the BABCP, as advising as a lived experience person. And I guess my background is, is a little bit that I actually was diagnosed with PTSD back in 2009 now, as a result of work that I undertook as a police officer and unfortunately, still suffered until 2016 when I had to retire and had to reach out. to another, another psychologist because I'd already had dealings with psychologists, but, they were no longer available to me. And I actually found what was called at the time, the IAPT service, which was the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies. And after about 18 months treatment, I said, can I give something back and can I volunteer? And my life just changed. So, we met. Yeah, four years ago, probably now. Helen: thank you so much, Paul. And we're really grateful to you for sharing those experiences. And you said about having PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and how it ultimately led to you having to retire. And then you found someone who could help. Would you like to just tell us a bit about what someone might not know about being on the receiving end of CBT? Paul: I feel that actual CBT is like a physiotherapy for the brain. And it's about if you go to the doctors and they diagnose you with a calf strain, they'll send you to the physio and they'll give you a series of exercises to do in between your sessions with your physio to hopefully make your calf better. And CBT is very much, for me, like that, in as much that you have your sessions with your therapist, but it's your hard work in between those sessions to utilize the tools and exercises that you've been given, to make you better. And then when you go back to your next session, you discuss that and you see, over time that you're honing those tools to actually sometimes realising that you're not using those tools at all, but you are, you're using them on a daily basis, but they become so ingrained in changing the way you think positively and also taking out the negativity about how you can improve. And, and yeah, it works sometimes, and it doesn't work sometimes and it's bloody hard work and it is shattering, but it works for me. Helen: Thank you, Paul. And I think it's really important when you say it's hard work, the way you described it there sounds like the therapist was like the coach telling you how to or working with you to. look at how you were thinking and what you were doing and agreeing things that you could change and practice that were going to lead to a better quality of life. At the same time though, you're thinking about things that are really difficult. Paul: Yeah. Helen: And when you say it was shattering and it was really difficult, was it worth it? Paul: Oh God. Yeah, absolutely. I remember way back in about 2018, it would be, that there was, there was a fantastic person who helped me when I was coming up for retirement. And we talked about what I was going to do when I, when I left the police and I was, you know, I said, you know, well, I don't know, but maybe I've always fancied being a TV extra and, That was it. And I saw her about 18 months later, and she said, God, Paul, you look so much better. You're not grey anymore. You know, what have you done about this? And it was like, she said I was a different person. Do I still struggle? Yes. Have I got a different outlook on life? Yes. Do I still have to take care of myself? Yes. But, I've got a great life now. I'm living the dream is my, is my phrase. It is such a better place to be where I am now. Helen: I'm really pleased to hear that, Paul. So, the hard work that you put into changing things for the better has really paid off and that doesn't mean that everything's perfect or that you're just doing positive thinking in the face of difficulty, you've got a different approach to handling those difficulties and you've got a better quality of life. Paul: Yeah, absolutely. And don't get me wrong, I had some great psychologists before 2016, but I concentrated on other things and we dealt with other traumas and dealt with it in other ways and using other, other ways of working. I became subjected to probably re traumatising myself because of the horrendous things I'd seen and heard. So, it was about just changing my thought processes and, and my psychologist said, Well, you know, we don't want to re traumatise you, let's look at something different. Let's look at a different part and see if we can change that. And, and that was, very difficult, but it meant that I had to look into myself again and be honest with myself and start thinking about my honesty and what I was going to tell my psychologist because I wanted to protect that psychologist because I didn't want them to hear and talk about the things that I'd had to witness because I didn't think it was fair, but I then understood that I needed to and that my psychologist would be taken care of. Which was, which was lovely. So, I became able to be honest with myself, which therefore I can be honest with my therapist. Helen: Thank you, Paul. And what I'm hearing there is that one of your instincts, if you like, in that situation was to protect the therapist from hearing difficult stuff. And actually the therapist themselves have their own opportunity to talk about what's difficult for them. So, the person who's coming for therapy can speak freely, although I'm saying that it's quite difficult to do. And certainly Post Traumatic Stress Disorder isn't the only thing that people go for CBT about, there are a number of different anxiety difficulties, depression, and also a wider range of things, including how to live well with a long term health condition and your experience could perhaps really help in terms of somebody going for their first session, not knowing what to expect. As a CBT therapist, I have never had somebody lie down on a couch. So, tell us a little bit about what you think people should know if they are thinking of going for CBT or if they think that somebody they care about might benefit from CBT. What's it like going for that first appointment? Paul: Bloody difficult. It's very difficult because by the very nature of the illnesses that we have that we want to go and speak to a psychologist, often we're either losing confidence or we're, we're anxious about going. So I have a phrase now and it's called smiley eyes and it, and it was developed because the very first time that I walked up to the, the place that I had my CBT in 2016, the receptionist opened the door and had these most amazing engaging smiley eyes and it, it drew me in. And I thought, wow. And then when I walked through the door and saw the psychologist again, it was like having a chat. It was, I feel that for me, I know now, I know now. And I've spoken to a number of psychologists who say it's not just having a chat. It is to me. And that is the gift of a very good psychologist, that they are giving you all these wonderful things. But it's got to be a collaboration. It's got to be like having a chat. We don't want to be lectured, often. I didn't want to have homework because I hated homework at school. So, it was a matter of going in and, and talking with my psychologist about how it worked for me as an individual, and that was the one thing that with the three psychologists that I saw, they all treated me as an individual, which I think is very, very important, because what works for one person doesn't work for another. Helen: So it's really important that you trust the person and you make a connection. A good therapist will make you feel at ease, make you feel as safe as you can to talk about difficult stuff. And it's important that you do get on with each other because you're working closely together. You use the word collaboration and it's definitely got to be about working together. Although you said earlier, you're not sure about the word expert, you're the expert on what's happening to you, even though the therapist will have some expertise in what might help, the kind of things to do and so there was something very important about that initial warmth and greeting from the service as well as the therapist. Paul: Oh, absolutely. And you know, as I said earlier, I'm honoured to speak at some universities to students who are learning how to be therapists. And the one thing I always say to them is think about if somebody tells you their innermost thoughts, they might never have told anybody and they might have only just realised it and accepted it themselves. So think about if you were sitting, thinking about, should I put in this thesis to my lecturer? I'm not sure about it. And how nervous you feel. Think about that person on the other side of the, you know, your therapy room or your zoom call or your telephone call, thinking about that. What they're going to be feeling. So to get through the door, we've probably been through where we've got to admit it to ourselves. We then got to admit it to somebody else. Sometimes we've then got to book the appointment. We then got to get in the car to get the appointment or turn on the computer. And then we've got to actually physically get there and walk through. And then when we're asked the question, we're going to tell you. We've been through a lot of steps every single time that we go for therapy. It's not just the first time, it's every time because things develop. So, you know, it's, it's fantastic to have the ability to want to tell someone that. So when I say it's fantastic to have the ability, I mean, in the therapist, having the ability to, to make it that you want to tell them that because you trust them. Helen: So that first appointment, it might take quite a bit of determination to turn up in spite of probably feeling nervous and not completely knowing what to expect, but a good therapist will really make the effort to connect with you and then gently try to find out what the main things are that you have come for help with and give you space to work out how you want to say what you want to say so that you both got , a shared understanding of what's going on.So your therapist really does know, or has a good sense of what might help. So, when you think about that very first session and what your expectations were and what you know now about having CBT, what would you say are the main things that are different? Paul: Oh, well, I don't actually remember my first session because I was so poorly. I found out afterwards there was three of us in the room because the psychologist had a student in there, but I was, I, I didn't know, but I still remember those smiley eyes and I remember the smiley eyes of the receptionist. And I remember the smiley eyes of my therapist. And I knew I was in the right place. I felt that this person cared for me and was interested and, you know, please don't think that the, the psychologist before I didn't feel that, you know, they were fantastic, but I was in a different place. I didn't accept it myself. I had different boundaries. I wanted to stay in the police. I, you know, I thought, well, if I, you know, if I admit this, I'm not going to have my, my job and I can't do my job. So a hundred percent of me was giving to my job. And unfortunately, that meant that the rest of my life couldn't cope, but my job and my professionalism never waned because I made sure of that, but it meant that I hadn't got the room in my head and the space in my head for family and friends. And it was at the point that I realized that. It wasn't going to be helpful for the rest of my life that I had to say, you know what, I'm going to have to, something's going to have to give now. And unfortunately, that was, you know, my career, but up until that point, I'm proud to say that I worked at the highest level and I gave a hundred percent. Now I realised that I have to have a life work balance rather than a work life balance, because I put life first. And I say that to everybody have a life work balance. It doesn't mean you can't have a good work ethic. It doesn't mean you can't work hard. It's just what's important in that. So what's the difference between the first session then and the first session now? Well, I didn't remember the first session. Now, I know that that psychologist was there to help me and there to test me and to look at my weaknesses. Look at my issues, but also look at my strengths and make me realize I'd got some because I didn't realise I had. Helen: That's really important, Paul, and thank you for sharing what that was like. I really appreciate that you've been so open and up front with me about those experiences. Paul: So let's turn this round to you then Helen as a therapist And you talked about lots of conditions, and things that people could have help with seeing a CBT therapist because obviously I have PTSD and I have the associated anxiety and depression and I still deal with that. What are the other things that people can have help with that they, some that they do have heard, have heard of, but other things that they might not know can be helped by CBT? Helen: Well, that's a really good question. And I would say that CBT is particularly good at helping people with anxiety and depression. So different kinds of anxiety, many people will have heard, for example, of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, or Generalized Anxiety Disorder where people worry a lot, and it's very ordinary to worry, but when it gets out of hand, other things like phobias, for example, where the anxiety is much more than you'd expect for the amount of danger people sometimes worry too much about getting ill or being ill, so they might have an illness anxiety. Those are very common anxiety difficulties that people have. CBT, I mean, you've already mentioned this, but CBT is also very good for depression. Whether that's a relatively short term episode of really low mood, or whether it's more severe and ongoing, then perhaps the less well known things that CBT is good for. For example, helping people live well if they have a psychotic disorder, maybe hearing voices, for example, or having beliefs that are quite extreme and unusual, and want to have help with that. It's also very good for living with a long term health condition where there isn't anything medical that can cure the condition, but for example, living well with something like diabetes or long term pain. Paul: interestingly, you spoke about phobias then, Is the work that a good therapist doing just in the, the consulting room or just over, the, this telephone or, or do you do other things? I'm thinking of somebody I knew who had a phobia of, particular escalators and heights, and they were told to go out and do that. You know, try and go on an escalator and, they managed to get up to the top floor of Selfridges in Birmingham because that's where the shoes were and that helped. But would you just, you know, would you just talk about these things, or do you go out and about or do you encourage people to, to do these with you and without? Helen: Again, that's, that's a really good point, Paul, and the psychotherapy answer is it depends. So let's think about some examples. So sometimes you will be mostly in the therapist's office or, and as you've mentioned, sometimes on the phone or it can be on a video call. but sometimes it's really, really useful to go out and do something together. And when you said about somebody who's afraid of being on an escalator, sometimes it really helps to find a way of doing that step by step and doing it together. So, whether that's together with someone else that you trust or with the therapist, you might start off by finding what's the easiest escalator that we've got locally that we can use and let's do that together. And let me walk up the stairs and wait for you and you do it on your own, but I'll be there waiting. Then you do it on your own and come back down and meet me. Then go and do it with a friend and then do it on your own. So, there's a process of doing this step by step. So you are facing the fear, you are challenging how difficult it is to do this when you're anxious. But you find a place where you can take the anxiety with you successfully, so we don't drop you in the deep end. We don't suddenly say, right, you're going all the way to the fifth floor now. We start one step at a time, but we do know that you want to get to the shoes or whatever your own personal goal and motivation is there's got to be a good reason to do it gives you something to aim towards, but also when you've done it, there's a real sense of achievement. And if I'm honest as a therapist, it's delightful for me as well as for the person I'm working with when we do achieve that. Sometimes it isn't necessarily that we're facing a phobia, but it might be that we're testing out something. Maybe, I believe that it's really harmful for me to leave something untidy or only check something once. We might do an experiment and test out what it's like to change what we're doing at the moment and see what happens. And again, it's about agreeing it together. It's not my job to tell somebody what to go and do. It's my job to work with somebody to make sure that they've got the tools they need to take their anxiety with them. And sometimes that anxiety will get less, it'll get more manageable. Sometimes it goes away altogether, but that's not something I would promise. What I would do is work my very hardest to make the anxiety so that the person can manage it successfully and live their life to the full, even if they do still have some. Paul: And, and for me, I think one of the things that I remember is that my, you know, my mental health manifested itself in physical symptoms as well. So it was like when I was thinking about things, I was feeling sick, I was feeling tearful. and that's, that's to be expected at times, isn't it? And, and even when you're facing your fears or you're talking through what you're experiencing. It's, it's, it's a normal thing. And, and even when I had pure CBT, it can be exhausting. And I said to my therapist, please. Tell people that, you know, your therapy doesn't end in the session. And it's okay to say to people, well, go and have a little walk around, make sure you can get somebody to pick you up or make sure you can get home or make sure you've got a bit of a safe space for half an hour afterwards and you haven't got to, you know, maybe pick the kids up or whatever, because that that's important time for you as well. Helen: That's a really important message. Yes, I agree with you there, Paul, is making sure that you're okay, give yourself a bit of space and processing time and trying to make it so that you don't have to dash straight off to pick up the kids or go back to work immediately, trying to arrange it so that you've got a little bit of breathing space to just make sure you're okay, maybe make a note of important things that you want to think about later, but not immediately dashing off to do something that requires all your concentration. And I agree with you, it is tiring. You said at the beginning it's just having a chat and now you've talked about all the things that you actually do in a session. It's a tiring chat and tiring to talk about how it feels, tiring to think about different ways of doing things, tiring to challenge some of the assumptions that we make about things. Yes it is having a chat, but really can be quite tiring. Paul: And I think that the one thing that you said in there as well, you know, you talk about what would you recommend. Take a pen and paper. Because often you cannot remember. everything you put it in there. So, make notes if you need to. Your therapist will be making notes, so why can't you? And also, you know, I think about some of the tasks I was given in between my sessions, rather than calling it my homework, my tasks I was given in between sessions to, I suffered particularly with, staying awake at night thinking about conversations I was going to have with the person I was going to see the next day and it manifested itself I would actually make up the conversations with every single possible answer that I could have- and guess what- 99 times out of 100 I never even saw the person let alone had the conversation. So it was about even if I'm thinking in the middle of the night, you know, what I'm going to do, just write it down, get rid of it, you know, and I guess that's, you know, coming back again, Helen to put in the, the ball in your court and saying, well, what, what techniques are there for people? Helen: Well, one of the things that you're saying there about keeping a note and writing things down can be very useful, partly to make sure that we don't forget things, but also so that it isn't going round and round in your head. The, and because it's very individual, there may be a combination of things like step by step facing something that makes you anxious, step by step changing what you're doing to improve your mood. So perhaps testing out what it's like to do something that you perhaps think you're not going to enjoy, but to see whether it actually gives you some sense of satisfaction or gives you some positive feedback, testing out whether a different way of doing something works better. So there's a combination of understanding what's going on, testing out different ways of doing things, making plans to balance what things you're doing. Sometimes there may be things about resting better. So you said about getting a better night's sleep and a lot of people will feel that they could manage everything a bit better if they slept better. So that can be important. Testing out different ways of approaching things, asking is that reasonable to say that to myself? Sometimes people are thinking quite harsh things about themselves or thinking that they can't change things. But with that approach of, well, let's see, if we test something out different and see if that works. So there's a combination of different things that the therapist might do but it should always be very much the, you're a team, you're working together, your therapist is right there alongside you. Even when you've agreed you're going to do something between sessions, it's that the therapist has agreed this with you. You've thought about what might happen if you do this and how you're going to handle it. And as you've said, sometimes it's a surprise that it goes much better than we thought it was going to. So, so we're testing our predictions and sometimes it's a surprise. It's almost like being a scientist. You're doing experiments, you're testing things out, you're seeing what happens if you do this. And the therapist will have some ideas about the kind of things that will work. but you're the one doing, doing the actual doing of it. Paul: And little things like, you know, I, I remember, I was taught a lovely technique and it's called the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, technique about when you're anxious. And it's about, I guess it's about grounding yourself in the here and now and not, trying to worry about what you're anxious about so you try and get back into what is there now. Can you just explain that? I mean, I know I know I'm really fortunate. I practice it so much. I probably call it the 2-1 So could you just explain how what that is in a more eloquent way than myself? Helen: I think you explained that really well, Paul, but what we're talking about is doing things that help you manage anxiety when it's starting to get in the way and bringing yourself back to in the here and now. And for example, it might be, can I describe things that I can see around me? Can I see five things that are green? Can I feel my feet on the floor? Tell whether it's windy and all of those things will help to make me aware of being in the here and now and that the anxiety is a feeling, but I don't have to be carried away by it. Paul: And there's another lovely one that, I, you know, when people are worrying about things and, it's basically about putting something in a box and only giving yourself a certain time during the day to worry about those things when you open the box and often when you've got that time to yourself. So give yourself a specific time where you, you know, are not worrying about the kids or in going to sport or doing whatever. So you've got yourself half an hour and that's your worry time in essence. And, you know, I use it on my phone and it's like, well, what am I worrying about? I'll put that in my worry box and then I'll only allow myself to look at that between seven and half past tonight. And by the time I've got there, I'll be done. I'm not worrying about the five things. I might be worrying slightly about one of them, but that's more manageable. And then I can deal with that. So what's the thought behind? I guess I've explained it, but what, what's the psychological thought behind that? And, and who would have devised that? I mean, who are these people who have devised CBT in the past? Because we haven't even explored that yet. Helen: Well, so firstly, the, the worry box idea, Paul, is it's a really clever psychological technique is that we can tell ourselves that we're going to worry about this properly later. Right now, we're busy doing something else, but we've made an appointment with ourselves where we can worry properly about it. And like you've said, if we reassure ourselves that actually, we are, we're going to deal with what's going on through our mind. It reassures our mind and allows it not to run away with us. And then when we do come to it, we can check, well, how much of a problem is this really? And if it's not really much of a problem, it's easier to let it go. And if it really is a problem, we've made space to actually think about, well, what can I do about it then? so that technique and so many of the other techniques that are part of Cognitive and Behavioural psychotherapies have been developed in two directions, I suppose. In one direction, it's about working with real people and seeing what happens to them, and checking what works, and then looking at lots of other people and seeing whether those sorts of things work. So, we would call that practice based evidence. So, it's from doing the actual work of working with people. From the other direction, then, there is more laboratory kind of science about understanding as much as we can about how people behave and why we do what we do, and then if that is the case, then this particular technique ought to work. Let's ask people if they're willing to test it out and see whether it works, and if it works, we can include that in our toolkit. Either way, CBT is developed from trying to work out what it is that works and doing that. So, so that's why we think that evidence is important, why it's important to be scientific about it as far as we can, even though it's also really, really important that we're working with human beings here. We're working with people and never losing sight of. That connection and collaboration and working together. So although we don't often use the word art and science, it is very much that combination Paul: And I guess that's where the measures and outcomes, you know, come into the science part and the evidence base. So, so for me, it's about just a question of if I wanted to read up on the history of CBT, which actually I have done a little. Who are the people who have probably started it and made the most influence in the last 50 years, because BABCP is 50 years old now, so I guess we're going back before that to the start of CBT maybe, but who's been influential in that last 50 years as well? Helen: Well, there are so many really incredible researchers and therapists, it's very hard to name just a few. One of the most influential though would be Professor Aaron T. Beck, who was one of the first people to really look into the way that people think has a big impact on how they feel. And so challenging, testing out whether those thoughts make sense and experimenting with doing things differently, very much influenced by his work and, and he's very, very well known in our field, from, The Behavioural side, there've been some laboratory experiments with animals a hundred years ago. And I must admit nowadays, I'm not sure that we would regard it as very ethical. Understanding from people-there was somebody called BF Skinner, who very much helped us to understand that we do things because we get a reward from them and we stop doing things because we don't or because they feel, they make us feel worse. But that's a long time ago now. And more recently in the field, we have many researchers all over the world, a combination of people in the States, in the UK, but also in the wider global network. There's some incredible work being done in Japan, in India, you name it. There's some incredible work going on in CBT and it all adds to how can we help people better with their mental health? Paul: and I think that for me as the patient and, and being part of the BABCP family, as I like to, to think I'm part of now, I've been very honoured to meet some very learned people who are members of the BABCP. And it, it astounds me that, you know, when I talk to them, although it shouldn't, they're just the most amazing people and I'm very lucky that I've got a couple of signed books as well from people that I take around, when I do my TV extra work. And one of them is a fascinating book by Helen Macdonald, believe it or not on long term conditions that, that I thoroughly recommend people, read, and another one and another area that I don't think we've touched on that. I was honoured to speak with is, a guy called, Professor Glenn Waller, who writes about eating disorders. So eating disorders. It's one of those things that people maybe don't think about when they think of CBT, but certainly Glenn Waller has been very informative in that. And how, how do you feel about the work in that area? And, and how important that may be. I know we'll probably go on in a bit about how people can access, CBT and, you know, and NHS and private, but I think for me is the certain things that maybe we need to bring into the CBT family in NHS services and eating disorders for me would be one is, you know, what are your thoughts about those areas and other areas that you'd like to see brought into more primary care? Helen: Again, thank you for bringing that up, Paul. And very much so eating disorders are important. and CBT has a really good evidence base there and eating disorders is a really good example of where somebody working in CBT in combination with a team of other professionals, can be particularly helpful. So perhaps working with occupational therapists, social workers, doctors, for example. And you mentioned our book about persistent pain, which is another example of working together with a team. So we wrote that book together with a doctor and with a physiotherapist. Paul: Yeah, yeah. Helen: And so sometimes depending on what the difficulties are, working together as a team of professionals is the best way forward. There are other areas which I haven't mentioned for example people with personality issues which again can be seen as quite severe but there is help available and at the moment there is more training available for people to be able to become therapists to help with those issues. And whether it's in primary care in the NHS or in secondary care or in hospital services, there are CBT therapists more available than they used to be and this is developing all the time. And I did notice just then, Paul, that you said about, whether you access CBT on the NHS and, and you received CBT through the NHS, but there are other ways of accessing CBT. Paul: That was going to be my very next question is how do we as patients feel, happy that the therapist we are seeing is professionally trained, has got a, a good background and for want of a phrase that I'm going to pinch off, do what it says on the tin. But do what it says on the tin because I, I am aware that CBT therapists aren't protected by title. So unfortunately, there are people who, could advertise as CBT therapist when they haven't had specific training or they don't have continual development. So, The NHS, if you're accessing through the NHS, through NHS Talking Therapies or anything, they will be accredited. So, you know, you can do that online, you can do it via your GP. More so for the protection of the public and the making sure that the public are happy. What have the BABCP done to ensure that the psychotherapists that they have within them do what they say it does on the tin. Helen: yes, that's a number of very important points you're making there, Paul. And first point, do check that your therapist is qualified. You mentioned accredited. So a CBT psychotherapist will, or should be, Accredited which means that they can be on the CBT Register UK and Ireland. That's a register which is recognised by the Professional Standards Authority, which is the nearest you can get to being on a register like doctors and nurses. But at the moment, anyone can actually call themselves a psychotherapist. So it's important to check our register at BABCP. We have CBT therapists, but we have other people who use Cognitive and Behavioural therapies. Some of those people are called Wellbeing Practitioners that are probably most well known in England. We also have people who are called Evidence Based Parent Trainers who work with the parents of children and on that register, everybody has met the qualifications, the professional development, they're having supervision, and they have to show that they work in a professional and ethical way and that covers the whole of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. So do check that your therapist is on that Register and feel free to ask your therapist any other questions about specialist areas. For example, if they have qualifications to work particularly with children, particularly with eating disorders, or particularly from, with people from different backgrounds. Do feel free to ask and a good therapist will always be happy to answer those questions and provide you with any evidence that you need to feel comfortable you're working with the right person. Paul: that's the key, isn't it? Because if it's your hard-earned money, you want to make sure that you've got the right person. And for me, I would say if they're not prepared to answer the question, look on that register and find somebody who will, because there's many fantastic therapists out there. Helen: And what we'll do is make sure that all of those links, any information about us that we've spoken in this episode will be linked to on our show page. Paul, we're just about out of time. So, what would you say are the absolute key messages that you want our listeners to take away from this episode? What the most important messages, Paul: If you're struggling, don't wait. If you're struggling, please don't wait. Don't wait until you think that you're at the end of your tether for want of a better phrase, you know, nip it in the bud if you can at the start, but even if you are further down the line, please just reach out. And like you say, Helen, there's, there's various ways you can reach out. You can reach out via the NHS. You can reach out privately. I think we could probably talk for another hour or two about a CBT from my perspective and, and how much it's, it has meant to me. But also what I will say is I wish I'd have known now what, or should I say I wish I knew then what I knew now about being able to, to, to open myself up, more than, you know, telling someone and protecting them as well, because there was stuff that I had to re-enter therapy in 2021. And it took me till then to tell my therapist something because I was like disgusted with myself for having seen and heard it so much. But actually, it was really important in my continual development, but yeah, don't wait, just, just, you know, reach out and understand that you will have to work hard yourself, but it is worth it at the end. If you want to run a marathon. You're not going to run a marathon by just doing the training sessions when you see your PT once a week. And you are going to get cramp, and you are going to get muscle sores, and you are going to get hard work in between. But when you complete that marathon, or even a half marathon, or even 5k, or even 100 meters, it's really worth it. Helen: Paul, thank you so much for joining us today. We're really grateful for you speaking with me and it's wonderful to hear all your experiences and for you to share that, to encourage people to seek help if they need it and what might work. Thank you. Paul: Pleasure. Thanks Helen.

Kennel Kelp Holistic Health Care
What is Operant Behavior via BF Skinner?

Kennel Kelp Holistic Health Care

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 29, 2024 23:00


Buckle Up for Round 7 with PsychoTherapist Byron Athene, from The United Kingdom! Get ready for a fascinating conversation with Byron Athene, psychotherapist and returning guest for his seventh appearance on the BH Sales Kennel Kelp Holistic Healing Hour Podcast! This time, we'll delve into the world of BF Skinner and Operant Conditioning. Join us as Byron sheds light on the science behind behavior and its practical applications in our daily lives. We'll explore: The power of reinforcement and punishment in shaping behavior.How to understand and utilize Operant Conditioning principles for personal growth and positive change.The potential implications of these concepts in various aspects of life. Grandpa Bill is hoping to Spark Listener Engagement: What personal experiences have you had with Operant Conditioning, either in your own life or observing others?How can we leverage the principles of Operant Conditioning to overcome challenges and achieve our goals?Share your thoughts and questions by leaving a voicemail message"How I'm Using Operant Conditioning to [Your Goal]"

BH Sales Kennel Kelp CTFO Changing The Future Outcome
Unlocking the Secrets of Behavior: A Deep Dive into B.F. Skinner

BH Sales Kennel Kelp CTFO Changing The Future Outcome

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2024 40:55


Welcome, dog lovers and behavior enthusiasts, to the BH Sales Kennel Kelp Holistic Healing Hour Podcast! Today, join Grandpa Bill, your trusty guide through the fascinating world of animal wellness, as we embark on a two-part exploration of a giant in the field of psychology and behaviorism: B.F. Skinner! Before we dive into the mind of this influential figure, let's set the stage. Behaviorism, in a nutshell, is the study of observable behavior and how it's shaped by its consequences. Think of it as understanding how past experiences influence future actions. Enter B.F. Skinner (1904-1990): Key Concepts of Operant Conditioning In this first part, let's explore some of the core principles Skinner identified: Positive reinforcement: Rewarding a desired behavior to increase its likelihood (e.g., praising your dog for calmly sitting). Negative reinforcement: Removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase a desired behavior (e.g., taking off your dog's leash when they stop pulling). Punishment: Delivering an unpleasant stimulus to decrease an unwanted behavior (e.g., using a gentle "no" when your dog jumps on people). Extinction: Withholding reinforcement for an unwanted behavior, leading to its gradual decrease (e.g., ignoring your dog's whining until they calm down). Unpacking the Human Puzzle: A Deep Dive into B.F. Skinner (Part 1) Welcome, listeners, to the BH Sales Kennel Kelp Holistic Healing Hour Podcast! Buckle up as Grandpa Bill, your guide to understanding ourselves and others, takes us on a two-part exploration of human behavior through the lens of a fascinating figure: B.F. Skinner! We all do things for a reason, but what shapes our choices and actions? That's where behaviorism enters the picture. It's the study of observable behavior and how it's influenced by its consequences. Think of it as understanding why we do what we do and how past experiences might color our future behavior. Enter B.F. Skinner: Key Concepts of Operant Conditioning Let's explore some of the cornerstones Skinner identified: Positive reinforcement: Rewarding desired behavior to make it more likely (e.g., praising your child for doing chores). Negative reinforcement: Removing something unpleasant to encourage a desired behavior (e.g., taking away screen time until homework is done). Punishment: Delivering something unpleasant to discourage unwanted behavior (e.g., a time-out for hitting). Extinction: Withholding reinforcement for unwanted behavior, leading to its gradual decrease (e.g., ignoring whining until it stops). B.F. Skinner: Understanding Our Choices (Part 1) - The Science of Shaping Behavior#psychology, #behaviorism, #BFSkinner, #operantconditioning, #selfimprovement, #personalgrowth,dog training,BF Skinner vs Carl Jung B.F. Skinner: Focus: Observable behavior and its response to consequences. Theory: Operant conditioning - behavior is controlled by its consequences. Emphasis: External factors shaping behavior through reinforcement and punishment. View of individual: Shaped by environment and experiences. Role of the unconscious: Not considered relevant. Carl Jung: Focus: Unconscious mind and its impact on personality and behavior. Theory: Analytical psychology - personality is comprised of conscious and unconscious elements. Emphasis: Internal factors like archetypes and collective unconscious influencing behavior. View of individual: A unique product of conscious and unconscious forces. Role of the unconscious: Fundamental to understanding human behavior and motivation. Holistic Health Secrets and Life-Sales Strategies with Grandpa Bill Nourish Your Soul, Boost Your Business: The BH Sales Kennel Kelp Holistic Healing Hour Experience Website: https://www.7kmetals.com/grandpabill Website:https://www.myctfo.com/index.html YouTube: Bill Holt@billholt8792 Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/bill.sales.524 Social Media:https://www.instagram.com/bradybrodyboy12/ Voicemail Message Board: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bhsales --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bhsales/message

Passing the Counseling NCMHCE narrative exam
Skinner

Passing the Counseling NCMHCE narrative exam

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2023 10:59 Transcription Available


Curious about how we can modify our behaviors and actions by altering the environment around us? This episode is a deep exploration into the world of B F Skinner, a pioneer in the field of psychology. We unpack his groundbreaking work in radical behaviorism, a thought-provoking approach that focuses solely on observable behavior. We dissect Skinner's theories and delve into his unique experiments with the operant conditioning chamber, also known as the Skinner box.The journey doesn't stop there, we unravel the fascinating concepts of positive and negative reinforcement, respondent behavior, and shaping. Bringing these theories to life, we discuss a real-world case of reducing neck ticks in a young boy, Josiah, by applying Skinner's principles in a clinical setting. This episode offers an exciting exploration into the impact of environment on our behaviors and actions. Prepare to view psychology from a whole new perspective!If you need to study for your national licensing exam, try the free samplers at: LicensureExamsThis podcast is not associated with the NBCC, AMFTRB, ASW, ANCC, NASP, NAADAC, CCMC, NCPG, CRCC, or any state or governmental agency responsible for licensure.

Daniel Ramos' Podcast
Episode 416: 30 de Diciembre del 2023 - Devoción matutina para Adultos - ¨Yo estoy contigo

Daniel Ramos' Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2023 3:56


DEVOCIÓN MATUTINA PARA ADULTOS 2023“YO ESTOY CONTIGO”Narrado por: Roberto NavarroDesde: Montreal, CanadáUna cortesía de DR'Ministries y Canaan Seventh-Day Adventist Church   30 DE DICIEMBRE                                                  "EL QUE LOS LLAMA ES FIEL, Y ASÍ LO HARÁ" Que Dios mismo, el Dios de paz, los santifique por completo, y conserve todo su ser--espíritu, alma y cuerpo- irreprochable para la venida de nuestro Señor Jesucristo. El que los llama es fiel, y así lo hará (1 Tesalonicenses 5:23, 24, NVI). Un día, el famoso psicólogo y líder del conductismo BF Skinner se encontró con el dramaturgo inglés George Bernard Shaw. Tras un efusivo saludo, Skinner le dijo a Shaw: "Su libro inspiró mi carrera. Me convenció de una vez y para siempre de la profunda verdad del conductismo". Shaw pensó que aquello era una broma y le dijo: "¡Pensé que mi libro destruía el argumento del conductismo de una vez y para siempre!". El problema radicó en que Skinner no acabó de leer el libro. En los primeros capítulos Shaw había construido un caso en favor del conductismo, pero en el último capítulo Shaw desmontó todo lo que había dicho en los capítulos anteriores. Una lectura incompleta le dio a Skinner una perspectiva equivocada. *Hemos llegado al final de un año. Son muchos los capítulos que hemos terminado, los episodios que han concluido, pero todavía no hemos terminado de leer los capítulos restantes del libro de nuestra vida, lo que hemos visto es una versión incompleta. En este momento puedes tener una versión errada, limitada, de ti mismo y de tu futuro; pero no te puedes detener, debes seguir avanzando hasta que llegues al último capítulo y veas cómo Dios cumplió en ti esta promesa: "Que Dios mismo, el Dios de paz, los santifique por completo, y conserve todo su ser -espíritu, alma y cuerpo" irreprochable para la venida de nuestro Señor Jesucristo. El que los llama es fiel, y así lo hará" (1 Tesalonicenses 5:23, 24, NVI).Tras analizar profundamente tu vida, quizás te hayas dado cuenta de que todavía no eres santo, que no eres irreprochable, que tu espíritu, alma y cuerpo prefieren caminos que los alejan de la voluntad divina. Sin embargo, si sigues leyendo, si sigues avanzando por fe, verás que el último capítulo de tu vida demostrará que Dios es fiel, que él cumplirá lo que ha prometido y que tú estarás de pie cuando suceda "la venida de nuestro Señor".Ni tú ni yo somos fieles, pero Dios es fiel y él sí cumplirá su promesa. Lo verás cuando llegues al final del "libro".* Burke Hedges, Lea y hagase rico (Buenos Aires: Time & Money Network Editions, 2002), págs. 36, 37. 

Origins: Explorations of thought-leaders' pivotal moments
Mark Granovetter - Weak ties, living questions, and the history and future of social science

Origins: Explorations of thought-leaders' pivotal moments

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2023 60:57


Mark Granovetter has made and remade our understanding of social networks, social theory, collective action, and economic sociology, making and remaking our world in the process. It would not be hyperbole to say that few living scholars have had the influence of Mark Granovetter.  Origins Podcast WebsiteFlourishing Commons NewsletterShow Notes:Attorney for the Damned by John A. Farrell (9:00)Interest in world history (10:00)A History of the Modern World (11:00)Why are there revolutions? (12:00)Philosophy of science (13:00)Carl Hempel (13:00)What does it mean to explain in science? Talcott Parsons (15:00)BF Skinner (16:00)A philosophy of asking questions (17:00)"The function of general laws in history" (18:00)Universal peeking out from the particular (20:00)Max Weber (23:00)Norbert Weiner (30:00)The Strength of Weak Ties (30:00)The Great Fear of 1789  by Georges Lefebvre (31:00)Harrison White (33:00)Anatol Rapoport (37:00)Stanley Milgram (40:30)Danielle Allen (43:00)Threshold analysis (45:00)Lightning round (54:00)Book: Economy and Society by Max WeberPassion: anywhere asking questions that expand youHeart Sing: working on new book and teachingScrewed up: life balanceFind Mark online:https://sociology.stanford.edu/people/mark-granovetter'Five-Cut Fridays' five-song music playlist series  Mark's playlistLogo artwork by Cristina GonzalezMusic by swelo on all streaming platforms or @swelomusic on social media

The EduGals Podcast
Unpacking the Evolution of Schools and Grading - E134

The EduGals Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2023 24:03 Transcription Available


This week, we are continuing our book study with chapter 2 of Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms by Joe Feldman. Specifically, we will dive into the history of schools and grading and examine what's changed and what's not changed (which is a lot!).If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don't miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!Featured Content**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/134**Chapter 1 - E130Changes in society that affected our model of schoolManufacturing - need for factory workers, prepare students to be good employees, critical thinking is highly valued nowMigration and Immigration - assimilation, movement from rural to urban, FNMI, history repeats itselfIntelligence Testing and Categorization - IQ tests used for streaming purposes, IQ tests not equitable, created barriers to pathways for students, de-streaming is beginning to address these inequities, college vs university pathway (college is much more career-focused which is great)Progressive Educators - John Dewey was ahead of his time, he saw the inequities that existed and saw school as a way to improve position in society, other behaviourists (BF Skinner, Pavlov) - operant conditioning applied to our education systemHow did this impact schools?Quiet vs noisy classrooms - humans are social, quiet is no longer as valued, mastery-based learning supports active and collaborative classrooms where all students are on taskLearning skills - not a lot of change, skills like following directions, punctuality are still highly valuedHistory of GradingVery descriptive and individualized and shifted to letter grades for efficiency reasonsNow we are returning to more descriptive and individualized feedbackBell Curves - if grades fit within a bell curve, it means that the approach taken had no impact on student learning; instead, we want to see skews towards higher achievement to show a positive impactSupport the showConnect with EduGals: Twitter @EduGals Rachel @dr_r_johnson Katie @KatieAttwell EduGals Website Support the show

Education Technology Society
Audrey Watters' ‘Second Breakfast'

Education Technology Society

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2023 22:09


Until recently, Audrey Watters was one of the most prominent and prolific critics of digital technology and education – dubbed  ‘ed-tech's Cassandra'.Then in 2021, she published a book, quit Twitter, and wound up her highly influential ‘Hack Education' blog.In this episode, we catch up with Audrey about her new ‘Second Breakfast' project, and her pivot to writing about fitness technologies, food and exercise.Audrey talks about the parallels between fitness tech and digital education, the enduring legacy of BF Skinner in current Silicon Valley thinking, as well as her reflections on the relentless grind of critiquing EdTech.**Link to Audrey's ‘Second Breakfast' Sub stack 

History & Factoids about today
Aug 18th-Fajitas, 1st Miss America, Robert Redford, Patrick Swayze, Christian Slater, Edward Norton

History & Factoids about today

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2023 12:20


National Fajita day. Entertainment from 2014. 19 Amendment to contitution ratified giving women right to vote, Mt. Whitney 1st climbed, 1st mail order catelog. Todays birthdays - Virgina Dare, Merriweather Lewis, Margaret Gorman, Shelly Winters, Robert Redford, Patrick Swayze, Dennis Leary, Madelaine Stowe, Christian Slater, Edward Norton, Malcolm Jamaal Warner, Andy Samberg. BF Skinner died.Intro - Pour some sugar on me - Def Leppard http://defleppard.com/Bad fajitas - Brent Rivera & Eve GutowskiDespacito - Luis fonzi Daddy Yankee Jusin Beiber Do I make you wanna - Billy CurringtonBirthdays - In da club - 50 Cent http://50cent.com/She's a beauty - the TubesLike the wind - Patrick SwayzeMalcom & Eddie Tv them songExit - It's not love - Dokken http://dokken.net/ https://coolcasts.cooolmedia.com/show/history-factoids-about-today/

Matters of Life and Death
Surveillance capitalism 1: Trillions of data points, clickbait, an advertising arms race, and BF Skinner's pigeons

Matters of Life and Death

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2023 32:59


Every tap, swipe and click we make on our phones, tablets and laptops is being recorded by big tech firms. This is often called surveillance capitalism – a network of products and services we use every day which sucks up large quantities of data about us and then sells it on to advertisers at huge profits. It's garnering increasing concern from citizens and regulators around the world, but should we care as Christians? What impact is this system having on once flourishing industries such as journalism or bookselling, let alone on us as human beings? And why have tech companies made their products so addictively hard to put down and stop tapping, swiping and clicking? Some extra reading... Surveillance capitalism: the hidden costs of the digital revolution, Jonathan Ebsworth, Samuel Johns, Michael Dodson, Cambridge Papers June 2021 The Question of Surveillance Capitalism, Nathan Mladin and Stephen Williams, in The Robot will see you Now: Artificial Intelligence and the Christian Faith, ed John Wyatt and Stephen Williams, SPCK, 2021 The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, Shoshana Zuboff, Profile Books, 2019 Atlas of AI: Power politics and the planetary costs of artificial intelligence, Kate Crawford, Yale University Press, 2021 Irresistible: The rise of addictive technology and the business of keeping us hooked, Adam Alter, Penguin, 2017 Hooked: how to build habit forming products, Nir Eyal, Penguin, 2019 Weapons of Math Destruction, Cathy O'Neil, Penguin, 2017 Subscribe to the Matters of Life and Death podcast: https://pod.link/1509923173 If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, visit John's website: http://www.johnwyatt.com For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com  

The Learning & Development Podcast
Pivot To Performance With Carl Binder

The Learning & Development Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2023 52:25


In this episode, Carl Binder talks about Pivot to Performance, and his methodology, and brings this to life with real-life examples. Carl is CEO of The Performance Thinking Network, helping organisations accelerate results through the performance of their people.  A widely published author, keynote speaker, and consultant, Carl began as a Ph.D. student with B.F. Skinner at Harvard, and has spent over 40 years bringing behaviour science into practical, down-to-earth application. KEY TAKEAWAYS You can deliver fantastic training, but if the business does not make changes to provide the right conditions to enable people to apply what they have learned, better results will not be generated. What you want is ongoing accomplishment-based talent development.  Using plain English is essential for making your training accessible to all and getting stakeholder buy-in. Design is all about the stuff that supports behaviour. In particular, the conditions people work in. To get engagement, you need to evangelise about the process and benefits. Without it, people will not understand and will not buy in. You need to give people the time and space to become fluent in using tools. Delivering training at the right pace and in bursts that prevent fatigue is essential. BEST MOMENTS 'You need to define performance first. ' 'An accomplishment has to be an accountable thing.' 'Generic training, and development, I think is just enormously wasteful.. ' 'People who are just going to do the same old thing, the same way they always do as a checkbox, probably are not going to be my clients.. ' GUEST RESOURCES You can follow and contact Carl via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcarlbinder/ Website: https://www.performancethinking.com ABOUT THE GUEST Carl Binder Carl is the CEO of The Performance Thinking Network. He was one of the last graduate students of BF Skinner at Harvard University.  He has published dozens of articles, chapters, and books and presented dozens and dozens of times, and workshops and presentations at conferences. Carl is the recipient of two of ISPs highest awards, the Thomas F Gilbert Award, and the honorary life member award. He's also received the Fred s Keller Award from the American Psychological Association for his work in education. And he's received a lifetime achievement award from the organisational behaviour management network, a sub-discipline of ABA, the Association of Behaviour Analysts. VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/ ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Freudian Sips
109. B(ox) F(anatic) Skinner

Freudian Sips

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2023 63:45


This week, the gals are talking about the father of operant conditioning, BF Skinner. Since he was a pretty firm atheist who didn't believe in all that ‘free will' jazz, he theorized that a person's behavior is trained by a series of rewards and punishments, and he made all sorts of boxes to prove it! He made boxes for rats, boxes for babies, just so many boxes. So turn up the volume on your podcast box and let Anna and Bonnie reward you with some knowledge! If you'd like to read more about Skinner's life and theories, head on over to www.freudiansipspod.com for notes and links on the episode page.

Coach-Labs The Podcast
Aflevering 18 - Speelsheid met Joost

Coach-Labs The Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2022 43:59


In deze aflevering praten Maarten en Gerd-Jan met Joost. Hoe kun je speelsheid inzetten in je werk als coach. Kun je meetings veranderen, wat doe je wanneer en waarom en hoe kun je er morgen mee beginnen?----------Tip Maarten: De Wim Hof methodeTip Joost : Ideale wereld van BF Skinner

OBS
Att vara ledare är inte att alltid ha rätt

OBS

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2022 9:59


Vad händer om man låter en grupp chefer uppleva svår och ibland obehaglig konst på sin ledarskapsutbildning? Författaren och journalisten Eva-Lotta Hultén funderar över samtidens ledarskapsideal. ESSÄ: Detta är en text där skribenten reflekterar över ett ämne eller ett verk. Åsikter som uttrycks är skribentens egna.Snabbt och vant målas sexdockans bröstvårtor. Flinka fingrar monterar ihop sprayflaskor. Back efter back med små såsförpackningar travas på höjden. Håglösa uniformerade människor rabblar Företagets öde är mitt öde. Företagets ära är min ära. Prisbelönta dokumentären Ascension av filmaren Jessica Kingdon skildrar kinesiskt arbetsliv. På en kurs får deltagarna i detalj lära sig hur de ska nicka, vinka och le i affärslivet. Det är lätt att förfasa sig över det inrutade och hierarkiska i scenerna från Kina men det finns paralleller på närmare håll. Den som läser västerländsk managementlitteratur kan hitta instruktioner som beskriver exakt hur man som chef ska prata till och hantera sina medarbetare. Liknande manualer går att finna för lärare och föräldrar. Råd som tycks utgå från att den ene bara är arbetsmaterial för den andre. Medicinforskaren Julia Romanowska påpekar att ett sådant förhållningssätt är att betrakta som beteendeteknologi, en term som förknippas med behavioristen BF Skinner och hans idéer om att utveckla människan genom betingning. I boken Schibboleteffekten beskriver Romanowska hur hon i en forskningsstudie lät femtio chefer få en kort gemensam grundkurs i ledarskap. Hälften fick sedan fortsätta med en traditionell ledarskapsutbildning medan övriga fick delta i tolv sammankomster med intensiva konstupplevelser kallade schibboletföreställningar. Starka, ofta obehagliga eller skrämmande texter av författare som Etty Hillesum, Franz Kafka och Fjodor Dostojevskij varvades med klassisk musik och skriftlig reflektion och samtal. I den första föreställningen möttes Bibelns Höga visan och nobelpristagaren Elfriede Jelineks skildring av ett förhållande präglat av sexuellt våld. Några deltagare blev så illa berörda att de gick ut ur salen. Andra blev arga och upplevde sig manipulerade. Men efterhand som träffarna blev fler hände saker med deltagarna. De kapitulerade och lät sig beröras och uppröras utan att kräva svar på vad som var nyttan med det hela. Flera berättade om känslor av solidaritet och samhörighet och en vilja att lindra andras lidande. En deltagare skriver i samband med en föreställning, i ett tillstånd som kanske kan liknas vid eufori: Mycket har hänt inom mig ikväll. Jag känner faktiskt fullt ut att jag skulle kunna lämna allt jag har och utgå från en helt annan plats i livet. () Blir sugen på att spela dragspel. Jag ska lära mig spela dragspel. En annan skriver: Jag får en enorm lust att åka hem och baka bröd till min familj, jag känner en vördnad och kärlek för livet. Slut citat. Trots det mörka innehållet i texterna berättar flera i sina skriftliga reflektioner att deras livslust och glädje växer. Romanowska ser samtidigt en förskjutning hos deltagarna. De går från att tänka i termer av makt till att tänka i termer av ansvar.Jag har bara i korta perioder av mitt vuxna liv haft en chef eller själv varit ledare och är inte bekväm i någon av rollerna. Allra värst har det varit under chefer som använt vår personliga relation till att få mig att göra vad de bestämt redan i förväg. Jag tror inte att någon människa mår bra av att ses som en robot att programmera. Inte heller att någon mår väl av att vara den som manipulerar eller ser på andra enbart som medel för att uppnå vissa mål. I de intervjuer som gjordes med deltagarna i schibboletgruppen åtta månader efter experimentet berättade de att de sov bättre, hade mer energi, var gladare och hade bättre självkänsla än tidigare. Hos den kontrollgrupp som fått en traditionell chefsutbildning var resultaten de motsatta. Och trots att de själva tyckte sig ha blivit bättre chefer fick de sämre omdömen av sina medarbetare än före kursen. De traditionellt chefsutbildade mådde alltså inte bara sämre, de blev också sämre chefer av kursen de gick. Medarbetarna till schibboletprogrammets chefer var i stället nöjdare med dem. Både chefer och medarbetare hade dessutom mätbart högre halter av ett hormon som hjälper oss att hantera stress. I den andra gruppen hade både chefer och medarbetare fått sänkta nivåer. Musik och litteratur måste kanske inte förstås omedelbart för att betyda något för oss. Och det som får oss att blomstra kanske inte är den falska trygghet som en tydlig ledare ger, utan mötet med en människa som kan omfamna komplexiteten hos såväl sig själv som andra. En av schibboletdeltagarna skriver efter kursen: Den ömhet och respekt jag kände för var och en i gruppen var applicerbar på andra eftersom den var en ömhet och respekt för människans väsen. Också läraren Maria Wiman bemöter sina medarbetare med ömhet och respekt för deras väsen. Tillsammans med sina elever formar hon en undervisning som blir till nytta för andra och erbjuder eleverna djup känsla av mening. Ofta börjar det med att eleverna blir upprörda över, eller uppspelta av något. Maria Wiman lyssnar och åker med men styr med lätt, och ibland mer fast, hand i de riktningar som gör det möjligt att också få med det stoff som läroplanen stadgar. I boken Värdeskapande lärande i praktiken beskriver hon deras olika projekt som kan handla om att starta insamlingar till hjälpverksamhet, bygga en informationskampanj, läsa högt för äldre eller skriva egna veckobrev om vad som händer i skolan och skicka till föräldrar och mor- och farföräldrar. Maria Wiman berättar om ett lyhört samspel med eleverna. Vad får dem engagerade? Vilka är de? Vad har de att bidra med?Som ledare kan man luta sig mot sin formella makt. Sådan har man i kraft av sitt ämbete och det kan vara rätt att fördela arbetsuppgifter, befordra eller degradera, straffa eller belöna. Informell makt kan i stället bygga på att man är den med mest kunskaper och erfarenheter eller störst klokskap. Vill man se engagemang och utveckling tyder forskning på att det är klokare att luta sig mot sin informella makt, oavsett om man är företagsledare, lärare eller förälder. Underkastelse är inte det mest utvecklande förhållningssättet i något sammanhang eller någon relation.  Att vara ledare är inte att alltid ha rätt, även om många ledarskapsteorier, inte minst för föräldrar, tycks utgå från det. Det kryper i kroppen på mig när jag läser förnumstiga artiklar om vikten av att som förälder benhårt stå fast vid vad man beslutat. Själv har jag föredragit att lära mina barn att goda argument kan löna sig och att kompromisser är både möjliga och nödvändiga. Ibland misslyckas jag och får be mina barn om ursäkt. När jag lyssnar på dem så lär de mig hela tiden att bli en bättre förälder.I vår samtid ropas det ofta på starka ledare som är tydliga och kan konsten att förenkla, men vad vi behöver är primärt något annat: Ledare som slutar hantera, manipulera och dumförklara sina medarbetare, underordnade, elever, väljare eller barn. Individer som vågar tänka och känna och lyssna och som står ut med att låta Höga visa möta Elfriede Jelinek.Eva-Lotta Hultén, författare och journalist

The Bledsoe Show
The Cure for a Curse

The Bledsoe Show

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2022 82:27


00:00.33 mikebledsoe Yes, I was just writing I was doing my books waiting on that max here and. 00:01.00 Max Shank Oh. 00:07.77 Max Shank We were just saying. It's nothing like a ah novel. It's nothing like a ah book. But that's how it all really began was we wanted to write down that you owe me 10 goats and I owe you. My daughter's hand in marriage when she comes of age or something like that right? it's it's Contracts. It's contracts. Basically I O use. 00:25.60 mikebledsoe Yeah I remember. Ah yeah, it's a recording of of transactions so recording of contracts agreements the I remember um watching my. 00:42.30 Max Shank It's like the word record you record a record. 00:44.30 mikebledsoe yeah yeah I remember watching my dad do the books for his business back in like you know the 80 s and 90 s you know I wasn't I wasn't aware enough to know what he was doing until probably the early 90 s but ah. 00:49.82 Max Shank Yeah. E. 01:03.41 mikebledsoe Yeah I just remember him like having an actual book of things and and writing in the ledger where the money went and this not I Just remember like that was the most frustrated I ever saw him like. 01:11.51 Max Shank Oh. 01:18.76 Max Shank Is. 01:20.69 mikebledsoe Like the guy. The guy's a craftsman right? He he was a craftsman and so like ah he was a builder like he did a lot of ah home improvements but also built these really amazing cabins from scratch and yeah. 01:24.29 Max Shank What craft. 01:36.18 Max Shank No shit building a cabin from scratch is like a really cool thing I think now that's what I think is cool now I think that is cool now I used to think lifting something really really big over your head was super cool. 01:39.60 mikebledsoe Yeah, so he was. 01:43.13 mikebledsoe Totally. 01:52.25 mikebledsoe Um, yeah, yeah. 01:55.28 Max Shank And it still kind of is but now making your own cabin from scratch that is fricking cool. 02:01.27 mikebledsoe Well, it's interesting because you know he was so gifted at that and then because he wanted to do things the way he wanted to do them meant that he was going to own his own business which then came with all these other ah requirements. Ah, for. 02:18.27 Max Shank Who. 02:20.53 mikebledsoe To do that because and really the only reason is required is because you have to pay taxes. Other than that you you wouldn't actually have to maintain books. It'd probably be beneficial to maintain books to maintain a ah record of of your transactions and all that stuff. 02:31.97 Max Shank Yeah. 02:37.60 mikebledsoe But I think a guy like that would have done better just to have been winging it the whole time and put more of his attention into what he was actually skilled at. 02:45.24 Max Shank Man that speaks so much to me because we could talk about this probably all day right? where these different personality types crazy thrive in one way and then really struggle in another way and it's like how do you. Compound and multiply your zone of Genius while minimizing the damage of one of these let's just call it a ah deficit or or just like a ah simple lack of desire to do you know back in the day if if you went out on the hunt. 03:15.51 mikebledsoe Um, what. 03:22.60 Max Shank Crafting is like a version of hunting or gathering kind of you can make that that leap it's about energy transformation and generation. Ah, there was no need to really keep a record because you either came home with food or you did not. There's no like little book. Oh I can. 03:35.72 mikebledsoe Right. 03:41.83 Max Shank Didn't get food again today. It's like no, we all know. 03:43.47 mikebledsoe Yeah I think the only like thinking ahead that people had to do early on was if you lived up North you had to think about the seasons changing but aside from that you know if the the closer you move to the equator the less. 03:53.97 Max Shank Um, yeah. 04:01.48 mikebledsoe You really have to keep a record or think about much of the past or the future. It really is about. Did you bring home a kill today or did you find some food today or are we warm. Are we comfortable today? Yeah, so yeah, the um I you know what I I find to be interesting is. 04:10.29 Max Shank Right. 04:21.38 mikebledsoe I avoided doing the books in my business I avoided doing bookkeeping anything with finance at all and so ah, a little over a year ago I decided to I was talking to a friend I was talking to a friend like two and a half years ago and he was like well. 04:27.48 Max Shank It. Ah. 04:40.29 mikebledsoe You know you've never done your books I go no he goes you should probably do your books at some point just so you you know what's happening in the business like at a very granular level and I go I go. Okay, he goes I Still do my books and he's he runs multiple companies and. 04:47.89 Max Shank I. 04:58.20 mikebledsoe This and that definitely a different personality than I am right? but but he was right. There was a there was a there was something about the business I didn't quite understand yes I could get by without it I didn't need to do it. But if I rip. 05:00.86 Max Shank Um, yeah. 05:09.86 Max Shank Um, well, you're a star Mike you can make it you can make it work even if it's not a good plan and I can relate. 05:23.74 mikebledsoe It's how you broke up for a None 05:24.72 Max Shank Oh you can make a good plan Work. You can make a bad plan work. Ah, just because you have those skills and I can super relate to that and when you're ah less wise you trick yourself into thinking. That you had a good plan but really, you had a shit plan and you just happened to pull a miracle out of your ass. 05:48.20 mikebledsoe Yeah, there's a pattern of behavior if you were to look back that the ah and it it is. It's like my whole family The ah the whole family. There was a saying growing up was like a ble so could fall into a pile of shit and still smell like a rose. 05:57.65 Max Shank But. 06:08.40 mikebledsoe like like 1 of those like we would put ourselves in these predicaments. But somehow we'd fucking escape. Yeah yeah, and it was kind of like a running joke. But the the thing is is when that is true when that's happened enough times. It starts. 06:14.20 Max Shank Find the shower. Yeah. 06:22.76 Max Shank Oh. 06:27.66 mikebledsoe It's It's hard to make planning important when not planning you still get pretty good Results. Maybe not the ultimate result you're looking for but pretty good results and I think most people have ah they have developed some type. Of something in their personality ah patterns of behavior in their life where they have continued to get a reward and so that's why they keep behaving that way even though there might be some people saying hey you might want to try it this other way. It's like why would I listen to somebody suggesting to do it another way unless my weight. Hasn't been working but what happens is as we get to a certain point that has happened with me. It's like I keep butting up against the same ceiling right? It's like oh every time I try to make more than this amount of money I hit the ceiling every time I do this I hit a ceiling and or every time I have a certain goal I hit a ceiling in the in. 07:17.28 Max Shank Oh. 07:22.65 Max Shank On. 07:27.70 mikebledsoe Reason is because the thing that got me to where I am now is probably the thing that's going to hold me back moving forward and I'm ah I'm a huge fan of of ah knowing your weaknesses and studying it. 07:33.46 Max Shank Interesting idea. 07:46.19 mikebledsoe A little bit just so you know what you don't know like I I do I learn enough about finance so that I know how to I can at least spot the Bs I can tell if somebody else knows what they're talking about. But if I don't know anything about it and I just straight up delegate it Out. I I think that's dangerous because I've done that before and gotten burned. How about you have you had like business partnerships and stuff like that where like not necessarily because somebody burned you. But. 08:12.67 Max Shank Um, like you repeat that you you receive you repeat the same pattern is that what you're asking or. 08:18.90 mikebledsoe No, no, no like if you don't know enough about a task that you have not developed yourself and say you completely outsource that task That's that's a problem. 08:29.86 Max Shank Oh yeah, yeah, you put something you put something outside of your observation and and it leaves you vulnerable in in several ways I know at Discount Tire They don't promote anyone from the outside. It's only from the um. 08:47.60 mikebledsoe Yeah, um. 08:49.31 Max Shank The bottom up the whole thing and it's all about knowing every part of the process. Ah dude, you've said so many things that I want to respond to I took a couple notes here and the first one was ah in relation to the the bookkeeping. It's like. 09:01.15 mikebledsoe You. 09:07.88 Max Shank Reminded me immediately of the word intuitive eating and intuitive movement. So now we have intu intuitive finances. Ah here here on our show. We do intuitive finance is a new course coming out featuring ah featuring ah the. 09:19.79 mikebledsoe Let me go see if that domain's available. 09:26.96 Max Shank The crypto prince Mike Bledso and the ah the dinosaur. 09:29.82 mikebledsoe Um, there's like so many domains I have to buy right now just spitting them out. Yeah. 09:35.97 Max Shank Totally all right? So check it, you have intuitive eating and intuitive movement people are probably familiar with those terms but None of the things I was talking with my buddy about ah we're like man how are you shouldn't do. Intuitive eating if you suck like if you don't have knowledge and skills like intuitive eating is for sure the best way I would I mean it's a bold claim intuitive eating can be wonderful but you but also you need to have. 10:05.30 mikebledsoe Well, you have to be in touch with your intuition for it to work for 1 10:14.61 Max Shank Some understanding of what is in the food like you can't if you go on just like pure ah like gut reaction. You're just going to eat ah like chips and soda pop all day long because it's delicious. So with finances you dig into the books a little bit. 10:17.74 mikebledsoe By the way. 10:34.52 Max Shank Now you might have a chance to approach something. That's a little bit more intuitive because now you have that vocabulary that ah understanding of the elements right? So that was the None thing I thought of um, it made me laugh. 10:50.14 mikebledsoe Let's you got to have this structure. You have to have this structure in order to flow and like an intuition and flow go hand in hand. Yeah, exactly. 10:55.40 Max Shank Right? We're talking about that last week right we were talking about that last week. The pipes are the structure and it harnesses the flow in the direction you want it to go ah and then the other thing that was interesting. We were talking about how? ah. A good outcome doesn't mean you had a good plan and if you're a super achiever guy. You can basically make a bad plan work and you don't want to conflate those 2 you don't want to confuse those things and think oh my plan was good. Really no, you're a stud but your plan sucks and so that's kind of. Looking at those weaknesses and then finally um, the the the identity perpetuating patterns is a funny one to me like if you ah I don't I don't know if this is true. It feels kind of true to me. But if you pride yourself and you label yourself as someone who's extremely tough who can take a lot of punishment and get back up every time they fall down. I have this idea that life is going to feed you more of that. What do you What do you think about that your identity perpetuating your reality. 12:15.37 mikebledsoe Um, oh yeah, absolutely the? Ah ah well what we have to talk about the reticular activating system in this case and ah the RAS as a part of the brain. 12:27.38 Max Shank Save the 10 dollars words for another podcast you son of a bitch. 12:34.80 mikebledsoe Is responsible for so spotting things. So for instance, um, if I go buy a red pickup truck. What am I going to see a lot of on the road red pickup truck. We all know this we've all heard you know and we've all had the experience of. 12:35.99 Max Shank Fucking nerd. 12:45.98 Max Shank You. 12:52.32 mikebledsoe We become interested in something and then all of a sudden we we start seeing it everywhere and we see it's a sign. Um and and so ah, the same thing happens with identity. If we believe something about ourselves and I like the way you talk about identity max which is you know the story we tell ourselves about ourselves if we that is our identity and we have this story about what is true I also like to think about what we believe to be true about ourselves and what we believe to be true about the world. Those are the None big things to have beliefs about right? It's either a belief about self or belief. 13:28.64 Max Shank Yeah, maybe that's what encompasses your identity right? is your place in the world. Also it's not just the label you attach to yourself. It's um, there's that classic phrase is you know. Life is happening for you. Some people believe and some people believe life happens to you I used to start off asking people questions like ah do you feel Life is more like a game a show or a ride I used to start all my like coaching programs with these weird. 13:47.29 mikebledsoe Right. 14:07.70 Max Shank Questions and then I'd ask people what the word intelligent means and people would stumble all over it and have no clue what smart even means and it was just like this fun thing but depending on how you see life if you see life is more like a ride you might have a hell of a wild and awesome ride. But it's going to be different than someone who thinks they are playing a game that they must win right? It's going to be huge difference. 14:27.60 mikebledsoe Yeah, totally yeah, right is passive that it's happening and there's not much I'm going to do um, a game I'm an active participant. It might be great. Ah. 14:36.17 Max Shank Um, and it might be great. It might be great. The the thing is like I want to I make sure that people understand I'm not trying to say that one is superior although I love games and winning is fun. Winning isn't everything. But it's the only thing right? There's that all like ah but I've I've met people who live life like it's a ride and they they do well and they're very happy and I've seen people who. Live life like a game and it's a real challenge the whole time and it doesn't look as far and vice versa. So There's quadrants you know. 15:19.30 mikebledsoe Yeah, well I think the ride I think the ride is a good way to go if you have momentum in a certain direction. There's like because well well what? what? ah. 15:32.12 Max Shank Everybody's got momentum in a certain direction dude like you the word momentum starts with the word mom. As soon as you get launched out of a vagina there is momentum to you. 15:42.85 mikebledsoe Yeah, well if you're if you're in a poor trajectory and you're on a ride then it's not a good thing. But if you have if you're going in a great direction with Momentum then the ride is probably really good for you. So. 15:45.53 Max Shank Your life has momentum as soon as you cross the gate. Yeah. 15:58.64 Max Shank I Like that we're going to bring it back to physics here. Yeah, we're going to coast a little bit kick push kick push Coast right? I think with when it comes to work which is ah a big part of. 16:05.45 mikebledsoe Exactly exactly. 16:17.36 Max Shank Ah, even having any accounting or bookkeeping to do. It's um, it's nice to remember that the suffering that you feel the amount of effort you apply has ah very little to do. 16:35.71 mikebledsoe Yeah. 16:35.97 Max Shank With the result you know, ah Momentum and Aerodynamics are a really really nice example of that. So just just having ah a better, a better setup can be. Be a huge difference maker. It doesn't matter how much effort or suffering goes into it I think that's ah, another big identity thing I know for me that was ah that was a challenge I Thought that suffering was proportional to success or or good or goodness right? Um, and I think. 17:08.96 mikebledsoe Yeah, yeah. 17:13.79 Max Shank A lot of people still do believe that is my guess so like. 17:14.60 mikebledsoe They do I talk to people who do all time I Want to go back to like the the collecting of evidence for what you believe about the world and what you believe about yourself. So this this identity you know who you believe you are and what you believe the world is and how you fit inside of it. 17:26.34 Max Shank Oh. 17:33.77 mikebledsoe You These are all just a series of narratives that are playing out most of these narratives were set up when you were a kid and you what you've been doing the whole time. He's been collecting evidence to support it you ah the that part of your. 17:42.86 Max Shank I. 17:53.20 mikebledsoe Brain doesn't go out there looking for things that don't support it. They're going out there look for things that do support it and so you can tell? Yeah, so when you yeah so when you have stacked a lot of time. 18:03.25 Max Shank Confirmation Bias I think is what that's called think like racism like racism you you get up ah in the morning your parents are racist. They're saying bad things about the neighbors. Maybe you live in a bad area where. 18:14.32 mikebledsoe Um, yeah. 18:20.45 Max Shank All your neighbors are bad white and black and yellow and different colors alike but you only look out like what you were saying with your ah reticular activating system is you look out for those things and not only is it that you see them. Because what you notice is so different than what you see and you just confirm those beliefs over and over again because your vision is crazy small and Selective. You know, kind of going back to the vision Piece. It's a very complex mechanism that. Creates a total illusion inside your brain. 19:02.83 mikebledsoe There was a I was listening to a podcast by Lex Friedman the other day I forget who shared it with me. Um, but he's he's ah interviewing this like evolutionary physicist I don't know like so some some dude that's they. Is way smarter than either None of us and he was talking about. 19:24.72 Max Shank Well I resent that clearly you don't know what the word smart means. 19:29.65 mikebledsoe Ah, this guy. Ah, basically through mathematics is able to demonstrate how our perception is. It's impossible for our perception to match reality. And in fact, it's so far from reality that. Which which isn't not news to you or me but to a lot of people. They they do think that they're noticing some things and then they're perceiving others when in fact, it's None perception that's happening and if we look out through lens of evolution then what we're what we have is. Ah. Ah, ah, the fittest right? It's it's the fittest is what evolves it's not It's not the truth. So the truth does not actually ah doesn't come into play when it comes to survival so whatever you whatever you need to perceive in order to survive. Is how your entire consciousness will develop. 20:33.22 Max Shank When you say truth What do you mean because I I would agree that what a person sees is dependent on their memory because what they're what they're doing is they're differentiating ah the way a picture is interpreted. 20:50.10 mikebledsoe And um. 20:52.71 Max Shank And the picture is just simply about the ah um, the reception of light and we only have a small visible spectrum. So you're talking about the truth being everything versus what is visible to the naked eye. Oh then. 21:08.25 mikebledsoe That's correct. 21:11.57 Max Shank Absolutely I mean there's ah there are some great pictures. You can look up on the electromagnetic spectrum That's like a really cool ah thing to check out. Everything is just buzzing around and some of it. We can see and some of it. We can't and some animals. 21:26.57 mikebledsoe Yeah, and but it's not. It's not necessary. Yeah. 21:30.52 Max Shank And see ultraviolet and Infrared. It's not Useful. It's really about what is a um I feel like I say it all the time.. It's like what is a predictable Pattern. What is a predictable pattern if you have a really hard turtle shell on your back. It's predictable that. Nothing is going to bite through it as long as you're inside the shell if you're inside a cave and the cave is sealed the the jaguar or the leopard or the line will not get you in the night those kind of things are um. 21:52.83 mikebledsoe Yeah, yeah. 22:09.88 Max Shank Stuff that we've learned based on what we've seen but it's not the the whole picture right. 22:13.80 mikebledsoe No, no. But yeah, so we look for the fact is almost nobody has an accurate understanding of the world or of themselves. Well that. 22:26.49 Max Shank What do you mean? almost nobody who's this who's this guy that has it all figured out I want to meet this dude and. 22:32.64 mikebledsoe There's this one guy there's this one guy I think that he may have it figured out but he'll remain nameless. 22:40.97 Max Shank He's the one he's the 1 standing on the milk crate at the corner of a Columbus and None right? it it is probably someone like that I mean hey yeah, the concept. 22:44.00 mikebledsoe For sure for sure. He's the fuck crazy fucker lives under the bridge. Well, there's a have you read? the have you read this series by Jed Mckenna okay Jeed Mckenna wrote a ah. 22:57.58 Max Shank M. 23:00.16 mikebledsoe Series. The first book is called spiritual enlightenment The damnedest thing and um I used to be really hesitant to even mention it in public. But I've gotten a little bit looser because you know what if you want to destroy your entire ego. You know who am I to stop you So the. This guy. Ah, this guy wrote this book on Enlightenment. He basically outlines how spirituality is actually ah will keep you from being enlightened and really creates a distinction between the 2 And you know that the the deal is you can't explain what enlightenment is because it's something that would only you can only experience once it's you can only experience it and then once you've experienced it. There's no going back to the illusion and. 23:53.90 Max Shank Well, and once again, what are we trying to describe when we say the word enlightenment so just getting really right? It's ah it's a sign. It's a symbol that we're using to determine like this feeling that we we have this feeling in mind. 23:57.14 mikebledsoe Was It's indescribable. Well well being well being well being. Well different people. Well a lot of people see it as a feeling but the the way the guy describes it This book is that you only see you you know the absolute truth at all times you're. 24:11.78 Max Shank Right? and. 24:21.41 Max Shank Yeah. 24:23.10 mikebledsoe You stabilize that state of consciousness and um, basically life gets incredibly boring because there's no narratives I mean you can witness narratives but you're not actually participating um in them anymore at all. 24:37.11 Max Shank Um, yeah. 24:42.64 mikebledsoe There's nothing to believe about yourself. There's nothing to believe about the world outside of what you can directly validate for yourself through observation and even then the story that tying the the dots together to create a narrative just doesn't exist anymore. 24:59.11 Max Shank It would be so hard to function with other people if you actually did that it'd be. 25:03.36 mikebledsoe Well well in the book If you read the book series. You'd really, there's he he's basically documenting conversations and he fucking almost hates having to interact with people. You know it's It's not a you know he basically just sees everybody as little children. 25:15.30 Max Shank Um, right. 25:21.59 Max Shank Well that I agree with I mean people are like little children. Um. 25:23.32 mikebledsoe Well, he gets into that in the book as well. I think you would enjoy the series. Yeah, it's a it's a trilogy. It's it's I chuckled my way through it and it was. It was pretty good. Ah although I. 25:30.36 Max Shank The series. Okay. 25:40.35 Max Shank I Feel like. 25:42.47 mikebledsoe Read it in 2017 at it early Twenty seventeen it ah it did do a number on me totally totally. 25:46.65 Max Shank Ah, might hit a little different now too. Ah I liked what you said about spirituality getting in the way of enlightenment because when I think of the word enlightenment I Like you know me I like to keep things as simple as possible because I'm not as smart as all these science guys and. 25:55.97 mikebledsoe Yeah, yeah, yeah. 26:11.66 Max Shank When I think of enlightenment I think about just a reduction in in mass. So you're you're reducing So you're trying to literally make yourself lighter. Yeah, it's like I wrote this phrase down that I've always loved. It's like you can only sharpen. 26:20.42 mikebledsoe It's a destructive process. 26:31.20 Max Shank By removing material like otherwise it's a different thing but you sharpen something by taking stuff away and ah there are a lot of different analogies in some ancient wisdoms About. You know, don't be sharp like a sword you know, let yourself become dull and plain like a stone in a River and that kind of stuff and I really resonate with that and the more you have to keep up with these stories the the more you are burdened. And so it's like how do you find a way to fully connect which is like flow in that moment without getting attached and you realize every attachment you have is derived from that identity that you have all all the attachments. Are in relation to your identity. It's like a big net where you're the center spoke or maybe a wheel where you're in the center and it's all these relationships with everything else. 27:30.19 mikebledsoe Well, the way the way that Jed ah he describes it in the book. He's like you know, a lot of people like to think about what you're talking about these these these beliefs that are in our consciousness like I believe they're in this beautiful web. Or a net or something like that he goes the reality is it's a rat's nest. You have no idea what belongs where until you start pulling a thread and and even then you don't know what? Ah every what all it was connected to and um, yeah, so like that that really hit home for me when. 27:59.22 Max Shank Um, oh yeah. 28:08.74 mikebledsoe Because I up to that point I was thinking Oh there's this beautiful web and if I pull this part of the web then I'm not really sure what'll happen on this other side of the web but he's like now it's a Rat's nest. It's just as a is a disaster zone inside of people's minds. Oh. 28:17.48 Max Shank E. 28:23.29 Max Shank Um, often yeah. 28:27.88 mikebledsoe Which I find to be accurate because anytime I've worked with people through like a belief and then we watch it dissolve. There's just no way to predict how that's going to impact their life. It's like oh I didn't know it wass going to impact that area of your life in that way. Okay, that was a surprise. 28:43.17 Max Shank Some people are more attached. Some people are a little some people have a pretty easy time letting stuff go and some people have ah a really hard time or. 28:44.79 mikebledsoe Some people are more attached. 28:52.64 mikebledsoe I have um so I have a ah story to share I have a ah mentee I was talking to yesterday and he goes mike do you believe in curses I was like well um, you know. If you're talking about someone putting a curse on you if you believe someone put a curse on you then the only way the curse will work is if you believe that the curse is real if you believe that someone put a curse on you then it weren't like you you are cursed and and. 29:21.25 Max Shank Um, then it definitely worked. You're fucked. That's yeah. 29:29.50 mikebledsoe And you're the only one that can undo it right? and so and so that was That's how I started he goes. He's like well well I met this guy and he said that he said that Um, my family had a curse and I. 29:43.89 Max Shank Sounds like 1 of them spiritual ah barriers to enlightenment perhaps or maybe he was right I don't I don't know. 29:48.16 mikebledsoe Yeah, well well Ego I Go what? Well I say I I was like well we have to Define Curse of course that we we do that on the show at Lot. We Define things and I was like like look I don't I don't necessarily believe in curses in the way that ah. People who use that language probably believe in them because I don't need to believe in the curse I Um I I think that people use that language when they're actually confused about what that is. It's like this. It's mystical. And that's one of the things that ah jeed was getting in the book with spirituality is there's so so much mysticism and that is there's so much mystery, There's so much that we don't understand that you have to buy into and that happens a lot in spirituality people start throwing these words around and I don't know what they're talking about. 30:44.60 Max Shank On. 30:44.85 mikebledsoe And I'm pretty sure they have no idea what they're talking about because they just strung together a bunch of words that don't make any sense to to anybody in the room and if I were to ask them to break it down in plain language. It's not going to happen and so anytime anyone starts using a lot of flowery language. Both me my fiancee would just leave. 30:55.95 Max Shank Um, right. 31:04.62 mikebledsoe Like neither one of us like to put up with that that shit you know and so that there's a lot of people in the quote unquote conscious community that exists that like you know I think they're doing good stuff I like them and all that but we're probably not going to hang out I don't want to like those people are confused. And so ah, what. 31:25.45 Max Shank How could people not be confused I mean we act like it's just been this sequential build. But the reality is that cultures and nations and peoples and laws have just been patched together ah time and time again with. Almost never having a chance to really clean the slate. That's why when you have something like America it's like whoa. It's not totally blank slate but it's it's pretty close. They were like okay, let's let's think about this real quick like. 31:54.53 mikebledsoe It was. It was pretty. It was pretty blank. 32:04.41 Max Shank What are we going to do here and because and then of course now what we have is just the patchwork quilt of that initial weaving and we're just sticking stuff in here and we're like oh yeah, the school's not doing so good so they need more tests or we'll teach them the tests ahead of time and. 32:09.64 mikebledsoe Yeah, yeah, yeah. 32:23.67 Max Shank It's just all these fucking patches and ah so it's no wonder that it's just this absolute cluster fuck like you were saying where most of the stuff you just have to take on faith Ah, which of course is kind of kind of back to. Well. 32:35.95 mikebledsoe We you don't have to I I I try not my my goal is I tell people a lot of times they'll ask me what I believe I go and I said you know I don't believe in much of anything if I can't validate it for myself then I'm gonna tell you. 32:42.72 Max Shank Yeah I mean. 32:55.92 mikebledsoe I don't know. Ah there are things that are useful if I were to believe when I believe this way it's something I can't validate for myself. But I can validate the result of believing it which is ah something I want in my life or something I don't want in my life. So I I like to. 32:56.92 Max Shank O. 33:04.61 Max Shank And. 33:11.30 Max Shank E. 33:14.52 mikebledsoe Be able to admit that I have no idea what the truth is but I do know what's useful and ah there are some things that I can validate for myself and I just know that now going back to the curse and and a curse on the family the the way that I. I Talked about that with him is that every family has a curse and the yeah and they they have some blessings as well. But the but the curse. 33:40.63 Max Shank Whoa How about a blessing do they have blessings Also because if you can curse another person then it would stand to reason that you could also bless them The logic's not sound completely. But. 33:48.22 mikebledsoe Um, yeah, you could. 33:55.70 Max Shank If you believe that you can be cursed. You probably also believe someone could say a prayer for you or give you a blessing or cast a magical spell. 33:59.91 mikebledsoe But I think we've all seen this like I think what? But what he was talking about is that there's a trend in his family. There's a trend of this pattern of behavior and and it seems mysterious to to them and maybe to people around them who who. 34:08.84 Max Shank In. 34:19.57 mikebledsoe Are Not very good at paying attention. Um, they're not in that practice and so but if you pay attention close Enough. You have well there is a pattern of behavior that's leading to these cursed results right? These results to seem to be a curse. Well the curse is going to be a mystery until you. Until you go to? why are people why? what is the behavior that's leading to this and where did that behavior come from and. 34:45.17 Max Shank Back to curiosity if you can get to that state like then then that's like as close as you can get to a ah blank slate moving forward is to get curious about what is rather than confirming what you believe I think is the. 34:52.22 mikebledsoe Key So curiosity keep curiosity. 35:04.14 Max Shank The major key so you're curious about what is or perhaps what can be ah and that way you are not confirming the pre-existing beliefs right? Which definitely feels more stable I mean everything. All the all this talk about writing stuff down and recording things is to increase predictability and stability. So I feel comfortable lending you the None goats. 35:30.35 mikebledsoe Yeah, well this is what as you I said Curiosity is the cure for curses. So if you if we're going to show title somehow. So so so um, look so I'm talking to him and I go. 35:38.60 Max Shank Um, cool. That's that sounds nice. 35:50.26 mikebledsoe This is the curse is what your parents learn from from their parents and then what they taught you is is there's an ancestral pattern of behavior that's playing out and if you don't understand how that pattern works then it's going to be mysterious. And then someone's going to come along and and use the label curse because it's the word curse is kind of a mysterious thing in itself like Witches curse things and that you know it's kind of like it's magic. Yeah, so like I and then so I have to go back in that. Yeah. 36:15.78 Max Shank Um, yeah, like a Hex or something like that. Yeah, but you can use magic for good too. You know. 36:24.97 mikebledsoe It to something that's magical or mystical is just something you don't understand how it works yet. Yeah. 36:29.62 Max Shank Yes, exactly magic You don't get the trick and as soon as you know how it works. It's not magic anymore. It's just a trick hey do the trick. You know it's magic when you don't follow what's happening and most things really are magic I'm a very curious guy I don't like to not know stuff. 36:36.33 mikebledsoe Now. 36:47.11 mikebledsoe Yeah. 36:49.43 Max Shank Honestly, maybe it's maybe it's a character defect or an an effect I don't I don't know exactly what it is but ah, it's really difficult actually to know how stuff works just if you look around wherever you are right now and just try to figure out how all the stuff is working. Unless you are a like Captain Science or something like that. You're going to find it really taxing to figure out how everything works in the world around you and I think one of the things about objectivism which is where i'm. Trying to come at things from it's weird I'm like objectivist in terms of like if it works I'm going to use it and that's good enough for me and also a more metaphysical connection to an everlasting eternal and infinite source that is. Totally the opposite of objective. It's completely subjective. It's like a feeling that it's funny because it's either ah true or not true and so if I am making myself. Believe that it is true and it gives me a good feeling then I just kind of gave myself a little blessing basically and I think that's a lot of what religion is about It's like hey you know what it feels good that there is a wise fatherly figure who's not too hands on. 38:06.49 mikebledsoe Exactly. 38:21.42 Max Shank By the way, not an overbearing parent or father figure all powerful looking out for me. He loves me says so in the book. That's that's going to feel pretty nice I can totally understand what I would feel nice. Are you kidding. 38:33.16 mikebledsoe Yeah, well you know, ah this brings up. Yeah well well I see a huge like a really beneficial place for religion. Um, you know when I look at when I look at you know people that are you know mainstream people. 38:38.37 Max Shank About the boost in morale. 38:47.62 Max Shank Fanatics. Oh. 38:51.95 mikebledsoe Religion is a really great way to get them to behave like if somebody doesn't hasn't been through the questions and the logic and really sat with themselves and have an understanding of like ah of karma basically cause and effect how you know if I do this and I get this result. Most people have no idea that person is going to do really good going to church on Sunday and having the None commandments repeated to them and because the 10 commandments. It's kind of hard hard to argue with that shit like. 39:26.10 Max Shank It's a bit outlandish really I mean no killing or coveting the neighbor's wife give me a break. 39:30.48 mikebledsoe I think there was there was I think the one that don't covet your neighbor's wife is the only one that does not include an action that every the 9 commandments was don't do these things and then the last one was like. 39:47.64 Max Shank Don't even want this. 39:49.67 mikebledsoe Stamp out that desire like it was the it was the only one that was around desire. Everything else was about behavior so which is really really interesting that it that it that it was wrapped like that which I think is also really good advice. Ah you want to be miserable. 39:58.36 Max Shank Um, it's like yeah, ah. 40:07.81 Max Shank Just covet everything You don't have. 40:08.31 mikebledsoe Like it. Yeah I mean just means to have envy you know to be jealous like it's like oh you know that dude's wife is hotter than mine I I think about her all the time talk about suffering you want to make yourself suffer. 40:21.16 Max Shank How about the illusion. How about the illusion like that I mean you bring up a great point could talk about it all day. But I won't I mean look at what we do to fabricate a better illusion shiny sports cars glittery tits. We're doing the whole nine yards just to. We're so hyper audio visual. We're so hypervisual. It's insane and you know that. 40:46.44 mikebledsoe I think 75% of your perception at least seventy five eighty percent on the yeah well the eyes are just an extension of your nervous system. It's just like your nerves have come out and it makes more sense. It makes sense. 40:53.42 Max Shank Um, it's like. 41:00.69 Max Shank Yeah, yeah, no I follow I Follow what you're ah what you're going at um I think it's interesting. A lot of people consume media now with the sound off and it's just visual isn't that interesting. 41:03.82 mikebledsoe Now. 41:10.63 mikebledsoe I Do I I I have everything set up to where I have to like purposely turn the sound on and and I hope if you don't have a caption on your video I'm I'm skipping right over because I don't want to interrupt I don't want to interrupt my music. 41:19.50 Max Shank Um, yeah. 41:24.52 Max Shank Um, oh shit game over that. 41:29.22 mikebledsoe And got my music playing to my phone now I'm going to have some fucking Instagram real barin now get out of here. So I caption everything. Ah. 41:33.86 Max Shank Totally totally totally. But I think that just goes to show that we we are. We're very one-dimensional and very heavily focused on the vision and this whole this whole thing. It's like we're not quite. 41:42.53 mikebledsoe Yeah. 41:52.86 Max Shank Um, full slaves to our primal ah lust and hunger which that's pretty fun. That's one good option but we're also not fully bought in to this enlightened state either. You know? So we're not we're not really ah enjoying the primal ah savageness and we're also not really in the egoless enviousless wrathless smoothness of ah you know, connected communication and communion. With other things and ah creatures in your universe which is your unique perspective. So. It's a but it's a real bummer to be between those 2 is that's like the worst place you don't really get the benefit of either None you know you're. 42:35.65 mikebledsoe Yeah, ah. 42:46.30 mikebledsoe Ah, yeah. 42:49.76 Max Shank Lizard Brain afraid all the time you're not really getting the you know the the lust and the hunger they're full due and you're not on the the wizard mode either sounds awful just bought in the illusion. 42:58.50 mikebledsoe Terrible terrible. So ah, so so there there was this moment I had where I um I really got to have um, an appreciation for religion I was it was ah. 2018 I was in ah Paris France and I went to see Notre ah Notre Dame um and before it burned ah and I got to go I walked in. 43:22.62 Max Shank Any. 43:33.80 Max Shank Um I did too. It was awesome I might have been there in the same year I might have been there at like the same time is fucking weird. We were there on a date. 43:36.17 mikebledsoe So cool. So I walked in I'm looking at oh oh weird. So they add all this these ah these these monk These monks had like these hats. You know you saw like the hats with the Jewels and. 43:50.57 Max Shank Just kidding like. 43:55.44 mikebledsoe And everything and are and I'm in there and I'm looking at the the cathedral from inside and I go and then I went and looked at the outside I was like man there is a lot of symbolism here and I was like this is super psychedelic like yeah, what I'm looking at. 44:08.63 Max Shank Um, lot of fancy hats in religions too. 44:13.71 mikebledsoe What I'm looking at is it looks very mystical and reminds me I remember looking at this one piece and I was like that's a fucking dmt trip right? there I'm gonna tell you right now I've I've been there and I and then I started seeing it everywhere I was like this is. These cathedrals in Europe are so psychedelic and so I'm in Notre domina and I'm like I'm like okay I'm getting a download here. Let's go home. Went back to the apartment I booked a tour. 44:32.94 Max Shank Um. 44:45.59 mikebledsoe For the next day I was like I need I need like a proper tour this me wandering around and by myself not going to cut it and so what do I do I drop acid before the tour because I'm a genius and ah. We signed up for a group tour but we were me and my ex-wife were the only 2 that signed up so we had a private tour while on Assad and we we got to go the guy was like I normally don't tell people about this because if there's catholics ah in the group they get really triggered. 45:06.25 Max Shank Amazing. 45:20.80 mikebledsoe Because there was so much of the symbolism on the church was taken from ah ancient Egypt and and basically every religion up to that point is represented in in Notre Dame um which makes it even more interesting than some of the other cathedrals. Yeah, it's. 45:34.90 Max Shank See I didn't I didn't even know that that's awesome I checked it out but I did not get a tour I Certainly didn't get that. 45:40.33 mikebledsoe Ah, there there is references in the architecture to ah the chakras 7 chakras it's very it to me. It was like very blatant but ah to someone who's. 45:48.49 Max Shank So now. 45:54.34 Max Shank Ah, neat. That's awesome. That's neat. No no, no, that's neat. No, that's really cool. This is neat. 45:59.19 mikebledsoe Ah, he said 8 I was like but ah that is neat. So so i' go inside and I and I get to spend a couple I you know how long I spend because I'm on asset two or three hours with this tour guide and we're just jamming I'm like just pulling all the information out of him and I'm like I'm like well what do you think about this, he goes. 46:13.30 Max Shank A. 46:18.69 mikebledsoe Oh you're one of those I was like yeah man I don't care like like let's really go there So I got to go there with this guy and basically what I got the conclusion I came to is these monks are sitting in the church in a dark room and they're in there just chanting chanting for days. 46:19.83 Max Shank Are in. 46:37.72 mikebledsoe Chanting and chant they're getting into these psychedelic states they're doing it through chanting. Maybe they're drinking some wine and chanting and they're getting into this weird state and maybe there's some mushrooms in the wine who the fuck knows and they get these. They get all this information they get they get to have contact. 46:43.57 Max Shank Yep. 46:56.58 mikebledsoe With the divine this they have this mystical experience that they then get their experience truth in a way that you can't explain to somebody else. But once you have this experience. You go. You know we probably you know. 47:06.12 Max Shank Oh. 47:13.26 mikebledsoe Property rights is a thing and the cat back then the Catholic Church controlled property if you want to buy or sell you know your deed it was held with the Catholic Church and and Notre Damme was ah was it started being built I want to say in 808 or 900 somewhere there and wasn't finished until like well technically still not finished. But. I think it was ah like a none project so it was not a short project. 47:36.19 Max Shank Um, the 151516 sounds right to me fifteen sixteen hundred I can't recall maybe as late as 17 47:43.49 mikebledsoe Well I think they then I think they may have had like a finishing point but then they started up again and depending on who was who was who believed what at the time they would like tear down a statue and put a different statue up and all the shit. Yeah. 47:51.63 Max Shank Rebuilding and building. 47:59.10 Max Shank Funky right? I remember there were some cool statues and like gargoyles and devils on the outside and shut like that there. It was actually the outside was super hardcore I remember looking at that for a long time. There was a lot of angels and demons. 48:01.37 mikebledsoe Um, yeah, it's like like super hardcore. 48:14.38 mikebledsoe And Mary with Mary with a torch surrounded by gargoyles and yeah, it's fucking wild and so um, so I I got thinking about it and I got to appreciate I go all these peasants outside they're giving them gifts because they come out. 48:15.38 Max Shank Devils and freaky shit. Yeah, you know that would. 48:33.28 mikebledsoe After days of chanting go I got the message I had a meeting with god I had this divine mystical experience and you know what Don not don't try to fuck your buddys wife you know, ah and you shouldn't steal shit and you know what I mean like. 48:49.10 Max Shank Um. 48:52.30 mikebledsoe All these rules were created by the church. Um, but they're not they weren't new but like there was other rules like they had you know the church was running shit back then they were really running shit until around the fifteen hundreds and so um, ah. 48:55.35 Max Shank Um, well those aren't new ideas though at that point either. 49:03.78 Max Shank Yeah. 49:11.68 mikebledsoe I Really just got a big appreciation for religion at that point because I go well for me to expect for everybody to have had I've had a lot of mystical experiences. You know that the meeting with God has happened several times where. 49:23.44 Max Shank Um. 49:29.44 mikebledsoe I Go into this really deep state and things become very obvious and the behaviors that follow like oh yeah I should change this I shouldn't shouldn't behave like this anymore like this because I'm at a blindment with this other thing and so as like I'm just making myself miserable. 49:35.35 Max Shank What. 49:47.91 mikebledsoe So when I first had that experience I go everybody should have this experience and then after years of promoting people to have this experience I Realized a ah most people are not willing to have the experience. They're not. They're not even curious about it. It's not interesting to them and then B some people. 49:52.47 Max Shank Um I. 50:02.82 Max Shank And. 50:06.73 mikebledsoe Become curious about it and they probably shouldn't have touched it because they don't they couldn't they they can't handle. There's they don't have enough like some type of mental construct in order to handle the the weight of that experience because you're going from 0 to 60 50:24.37 Max Shank Um. 50:26.10 mikebledsoe And ah and a split second with some of these things. Um, and so. 50:29.42 Max Shank Yeah, it's way faster than chanting. It's like you can achieve kind of a similar experience with a lot of different things like you can get the runners high or you can just ah smoke a blunt or something like that you can chant for three days or you can just drop some acid. 50:41.10 mikebledsoe Totally yeah. 50:47.13 Max Shank And so we have all these shortcuts to get into that state and I think it's a connected and receptive state. It allows you to see past your own illusion I think it it temporarily depending on the dosage right. 51:03.32 mikebledsoe Yep. 51:04.40 Max Shank Temporarily takes away that tight grip on the um ego that you've built essentially as a suit of armor to survive the environment that you live in and we live in an environment where stories matter quite a lot I Mean. Like the the reality of how I am on a day-to-day. Basis is so different than from what you would find if you just searched for me on the internet. You would think that all I do is play Sports lift weights. 51:33.37 mikebledsoe Um, yeah. 51:40.74 Max Shank And dance in my backyard with my shirt off but I call it mobility instead of dancing and that would be That's like the whole thing. That's that's the illusion that's out there. So whatever. Whatever avatar you project out you you use it. Maybe not as armor maybe almost as like a scuba suit to enter the environment of society that we're in so it's natural that you would want to do that. You'd want to have armor plating you'd want to have these ah pretty colors on this avatar. So people really like it and maybe someone will even love you. If Your feathers are are pretty enough and so everything is just reinforcing these ideas but it's still coming from like a lizard brain type of desire and so it's no wonder that people are a little tangled up. Like in like a ah web of self and parents and teachers and fame and shame and blame and all these different things like that's why when you were like oh people are just children I'm like yeah they're like often abused children and abuse is like. It happens in so many different ways. It's like ah probably like 1 of the least popular things to talk about is rape but the only problem with rape is the lack of consent because nearly everybody is on board with sex and a lot of people from both genders like raping. Also. But that's like maybe even another. Ah, that's a different can of worms that I'm not not looking to unpack right now off the cuff because well look. It's um. 53:23.68 mikebledsoe Why'd you even mention it. 53:29.53 Max Shank People have their boundaries crossed in a lot of different ways and the the thing is it's that feeling of having your boundary crossed and so people feel um, abused or diminished or beaten down or taken from in a lot of different ways and so it's like. That idea that ah wherever you get wounded the bone grows back twice as strong like the calcification is like your personality from all these miniature traumas you've had and if someone's. Forcing you to do None thing or another they're still forcing you to do None thing or another and how you can harmonize that into the future is going to determine how you find the world and you know there are different levels of trauma. But if you're not willing to let it go. You are just going to go ah equal and opposite to that force basically right. 54:25.32 mikebledsoe Yeah, yeah, yeah. 54:31.37 Max Shank Ah, yeah, So I'm not Surprised. People are all all twisted up with identity and perception and I know personally I've found a lot of peace through trying to see things as they are. And it's not something that is like on off switch but it can happen really fast all at once. In fact, just for anyone listening. It's kind of an interesting thing in my experience. It's not a linear progress on this sort of. Thinking it All. It's like giant leaps forward and then a little plateau and then a giant leap forward and then a little Plateau I don't know what it's been like for you. But. 55:17.51 mikebledsoe Yeah, it? um well the giant leaps forward or never yeah, they can be difficult. But yeah, it seems like seems like there's this giant leap forward then I got to stabilize the jump right? There's not a. So like oh I jump forward and everything's Great. It's like oh now because in those giant leaps especially if you have a shift in your own identity then everybody in your life. You're about to ah destroy their expectations of you. The stability is gone. 55:37.27 Max Shank But. 55:49.48 Max Shank Well, the Stability's gone right? The stability. 55:54.85 mikebledsoe There's chaos it creates chaos and it creates chaos for your friends and your family because they can count on you to behave like this whether it's a good behavior or not and they're even looking to count on. They're counting on you to behave poorly and then all of a sudden you do something in order to be successful. 56:05.51 Max Shank Right. 56:13.73 mikebledsoe And they may even get mad at you about it. They like like I've I've had people in the past that were like mad that I was successful enough to where I didn't have to run my gym anymore they were like oh you're like leaving. 56:17.74 Max Shank They'll definitely get mad at you about it. A lot of the time. 56:26.48 Max Shank A. 56:30.18 mikebledsoe Things behind you, you're you're changing and you're a different person like and they're mad about it I go Well yeah, that was isn't that the point like what do you think I was doing all this work for to stay the same. 56:34.66 Max Shank Um, yeah, yeah, dude I remember that I remember the one that made me laugh The hardest um I fired this guy who worked for me because he was lying to me. 56:54.19 mikebledsoe Yeah. 56:54.45 Max Shank And if I can't trust someone. It's basically like see you later you know and 1 of the members at my gym texted me and said I can't believe you did this. You're really ruining my happiness. 57:05.62 mikebledsoe Ah, you're in charge of their happiness. All of a sudden. 57:11.00 Max Shank I just thought it was so funny. It was like anything different. This guy's like totally lost it and you know there are two sides to every story right? So there's no point in trying to have like an argument about its rightness or wrongness it. It just is what it is. It's like that Mark Twain quote how his. Taylor was the only reasonable person because he took his measurement new every time instead of measuring him against how he was in the past and dude absolutely like if you quit drinking I think that's ah one that a lot of people relate to you know. 57:34.38 mikebledsoe Um, yeah. 57:45.54 mikebledsoe Oh yeah. 57:48.86 Max Shank Ah, used to be a bit of a party animal or just ah, a different type of party animal and as soon as you stop as soon as you stop doing that They're like what do? what are you doing? You're you're like ditching us. Oh you're too good for us or something I guess like no man like just doing a different thing. 57:51.25 mikebledsoe Yeah I had the same thing quit drinking. Yeah. 58:03.26 mikebledsoe Well it kind of sucks when you stop drinking because I had this experience I remember it was yeah it's like well 20 I remember it was like 2013 and i. 58:12.44 Max Shank That's where our culture has fun for adults. That's like the place. 58:21.61 mikebledsoe I had to actually cut back on drinking a little bit up to that point not completely I started smoking a little bit of weed when I was my and 2011 so I started smoking weed because I didn't like how I was behaving when I was on alcohol I was. Blacking out I was doing and saying stupid shit. Um I was around like my gym members. You know I'd be out at a bar with gym members. The next thing you know like like what what did I say last night I don't even know? Yeah, yeah, yeah, the next day is like. 58:52.55 Max Shank Feeling of up. 58:57.14 mikebledsoe I Just I don't know what I did but I got this feeling. It wasn't good. You know, ah and so I cut back the drink and I I discovered that weed if I smoked a little weed before I went out I would drink way less and then weed would make me way less aggressive. 58:59.53 Max Shank Right. 59:14.18 mikebledsoe So I could still be out I could still be sociable. 59:14.87 Max Shank Um, oh you think Alcohol alcohol is like so crazy when you think about it that we're just like yeah whatever you can have it have as much as you want? whatever. 59:21.30 mikebledsoe Yeah, yeah, yeah, but but I was using the weed to like offset the you know it calm me down and and then I would just drink less and because I was already kind of feeling it if I drink too much while being high that ah that. Wasn't fun I would I would hit it. 59:40.75 Max Shank But it sounds like yeah I mean it sounds like you got to that point where you were ah using your intuition and getting curious about it instead of just writing the momentum of like oh it's Friday let's all get drunk because that's just what we do and I think a lot of folks. 59:52.70 mikebledsoe Yeah now. 01:00:00.12 Max Shank Maybe don't even like it that much. They just want to be liked so they'll do the thing that gets people to like them. You know, drinking can be a competition that you can win speaking of life as a game. 01:00:04.36 mikebledsoe Well, it's. 01:00:12.87 Max Shank As soon as I figured that out I was like hey I bet I could poison myself twice as fast as you motherfucker and that everyone's like yeah you did it. 01:00:19.94 mikebledsoe Yeah, yeah, if you ever win a drink game. It doesn't It's never as cool as you think it's gonna be and a lot of people need that liquid courage. You know like it's the only way they can. It's like ah well it's it's it's well they have to like D It's like. 01:00:34.52 Max Shank Be sexual. It's the only way they can like let their guard down. 01:00:39.39 mikebledsoe It detaches them from themselves enough to where they can just kind of let loose. But anyways I digress I um so in 2013 I started eating way more psychedelic mushrooms and then after my None big psychedelic mushroom experience. 01:00:44.50 Max Shank Um, yeah. 01:00:56.66 mikebledsoe I cut out alcohol a hundred percent I 01:01:00.40 Max Shank Dude, we should do a series of shows on a different substance every week guys. We're gonna start it. Nice and simple coffee week. One is coffee nice and simple week two. We bring out a little booze week 3 weed week 4 01:01:03.90 mikebledsoe Ah, it's not the None time I've heard this pitch. 01:01:12.40 mikebledsoe I want to do it now I want to do it's a lead magnet. It's a lead magnet. We'll do 10 shows on 10 different substances and there's ah the lead magnet is that you can um you have to figure out which substance we were on. It's a mystery. 01:01:17.14 Max Shank Okay, we're going to go in Spain. 01:01:31.10 mikebledsoe During the show and if you can match it up successfully you get a prize. Yeah, you have to like you know label it. There's gonna be 10 shows 10 substances definitely social security number. Um yeah I think that's a great idea. So. 01:01:32.90 Max Shank Um, and you only get None guess. You got to enter your social security number. 01:01:49.87 mikebledsoe Started eating mushrooms and I cut out alcohol completely and I was the guy you know I owned the gym I was I had a a house with a big backyard at a pool and you know I I bought the house because it was a great place to entertain guests. So I'm throwing these parties I got a keg in the backyard like we're doing everything. 01:01:52.25 Max Shank A. 01:02:08.74 mikebledsoe I'm not drinking and it's not 1 those things where I'm like I'm trying not to drink is just like I really just don't give a fuck about having a drink at all like someone can hand me a beer and it's like 0 desire. Yeah. 01:02:09.43 Max Shank Yeah. 01:02:20.10 Max Shank But well you got something better something that that suits you better. That's what it's about right? It's like let's get intuitive about the different medicines that we're applying. 01:02:28.91 mikebledsoe Yeah, and so I just remember this one afternoon I've got a bunch of people in my house were standing in a circle. Everyone's got a red solo cup in their hand I'm drinking water and I'm happy as a clam. And I probably smoked a little bit of weed. Um, but I kept on trying to have conversations that had way more depth than what I would have when I was on alcohol and I just remember people looking at me weird I Remember people getting uncomfortable and walking away and it was. 01:02:54.51 Max Shank Or you can. 01:03:06.10 mikebledsoe It was all of a sudden there was this barrier between me and the people who I had been getting drunk with for years and having a good time with and when I look back and I go oh I just wasn't meeting their expectation of who they believe Mike Bletzo to be. They didn't know what to do with me and in fact. 01:03:20.41 Max Shank Inhale. 01:03:23.72 mikebledsoe Probably didn't weren't that interested in talking to me because they were wanting to talk to a guy that was more like who I was behaving like and so. 01:03:31.56 Max Shank And I mean your cells are all changing except for like neurons basically throughout your whole life. They're they're dividing and dying and dividing and dying. They're going through this process of death and rebirth and so. 01:03:38.33 mikebledsoe Yeah. 01:03:50.75 Max Shank If most of your cells are different seven years later wouldn't like you also be quite different seven years later and the fact of the matter is your brain and the pathways in your brain can change way way faster. 01:03:57.28 mikebledsoe Absolutely. 01:04:10.50 mikebledsoe Well yeah, the first was it in and exercise sci

School For The Dogs Podcast
Happy Birthday Karen Pryor! Dr. Julie Vargas, daughter of B.F. Skinner, on the importance of this nonagenarian's work in the field of positive reinforcement-based animal training

School For The Dogs Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2022 26:54


Karen Pryor turns ninety on May 14th! Annie is celebrating today and... plotting continued celebrations on this podcast in the coming year. If you're a Karen Pryor fan, join the celebration! If you're not, you'll enjoy learning why she is so worthy of it. In this episode, Annie interviews BF Skinner Foundation president Dr. Julie Vargas, about the importance of this incredible scientist, writer and entrepreneur who, over the last thirty years, has done more than probably anyone else alive to help show people how we can use operant conditioning and secondary reinforcers to train dogs with rewards: aka, clicker training. When her husband bought Sea Life Park in the 1960s, Pryor was tasked with training the dolphins to perform. She got her hands on a paper written by students who were working in BF Skinner's Harvard lab, and it outlined the basics of operant conditioning and how to use a secondary reinforcer, like a whistle, to pinpoint the moment a desired behavior occurred. It further described how to then use successive approximations to shape the behavior using reinforcement. She took what she had learned about dolphins and wrote a book about about using positive reinforcement in everyday life: Don't Shoot The Dog!, then started doing seminars on how to use a clicker with dogs in the 1990s. In the 2000s, she started running Clicker Expo, a conference which brings the worlds best positive-reinforcement trainers together several times a year, and began training dog trainers through her Karen Pryor Academy. Follow us on Instagram, @schoolforthedogs, where we are giving away her book Reaching The Animal Mind and a signed clicker this weekend. Learn more about Dr. Vargas: https://www.juliesvargas.com/ Learn more about Karen Pryor: https://karenwpryor.com/biography/ Learn more about the BF Skinner Foundation: http://bfskinner.org Books: Don't Shoot The Dog! https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Shoot-Dog-Teaching-Training/dp/1860542387 Reaching The Animal Mind https://www.amazon.com/Reaching-Animal-Mind-Clicker-Training/dp/0743297776 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/dogs/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dogs/support

The David Knight Show
Mon 25Apr22 The Rockefeller Connection: Shanghai, Shield T3, & The Next USA Lockdown

The David Knight Show

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2022 181:46


* The Rockefeller Connection: Shanghai, Shield T3, & The Next USA Lockdown — as media pretends Shanghai is justified* Steve Pieczenik hoaxed Clarence Thomas' wife with "Sting" election lie"Voices of April": Chinese people's cry for help, censored* Wikipedia memory holes corporation at center of Hunter Biden investigation as* Italian city rolls out Chinese social credit tracking but with a BF Skinner twist* Biden extends vaccine mandate for Canadian & Mexican borders even as he prepares to throw Mexican border wide open* Twitter begins censoring questions about climate "science"* Wales to begin COMPULSORY sex & religious education for children beginning at age 3. The fight between parental rights and state power* BBC brags "Dr. Who" will be used to push trans-narrative. Should they call it Dr. What?* More data about explosion in all cause deaths of young people* Massive study involving 4 countries show heart disease soaring by 120x's after vaccination* Rhode Island bill to mandate vaccination or face monthly fines is introducedFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.comIf you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showYou can now support the show while purchasing gold and silver: www.davidknight.goldOr you can send a donation throughZelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at:  $davidknightshowBTC to:  bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Mail: David Knight POB 1323 Elgin, TX 78621

The REAL David Knight Show
Mon 25Apr22 The Rockefeller Connection: Shanghai, Shield T3, & The Next USA Lockdown

The REAL David Knight Show

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2022 181:46


* The Rockefeller Connection: Shanghai, Shield T3, & The Next USA Lockdown — as media pretends Shanghai is justified* Steve Pieczenik hoaxed Clarence Thomas' wife with "Sting" election lie"Voices of April": Chinese people's cry for help, censored* Wikipedia memory holes corporation at center of Hunter Biden investigation as* Italian city rolls out Chinese social credit tracking but with a BF Skinner twist* Biden extends vaccine mandate for Canadian & Mexican borders even as he prepares to throw Mexican border wide open* Twitter begins censoring questions about climate "science"* Wales to begin COMPULSORY sex & religious education for children beginning at age 3. The fight between parental rights and state power* BBC brags "Dr. Who" will be used to push trans-narrative. Should they call it Dr. What?* More data about explosion in all cause deaths of young people* Massive study involving 4 countries show heart disease soaring by 120x's after vaccination* Rhode Island bill to mandate vaccination or face monthly fines is introducedFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.comIf you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showYou can now support the show while purchasing gold and silver: www.davidknight.goldOr you can send a donation throughZelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at:  $davidknightshowBTC to:  bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Mail: David Knight POB 1323 Elgin, TX 78621

Weird Studies
Episode 117: Time is a Child at Play: On the Mystery of Games

Weird Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2022 68:22


The topic of games and play has fascinated JF and Phil since the launch of Weird Studies. Way back in 2018, they recorded back-to-back episodes on tabletop roleplaying games and fighting sports, and more recently, they did a two-parter on Hermann Hesse's The Glass Bead Game, a philosophical novel suggesting that all human culture tends toward play. In this episode, your hosts draw on a wealth of texts, memories, and nascent ideas to explore the game concept as such. What is a game? What do games tell us about life? What is the function of play in the formation of reality? Support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/weirdstudies) Find us on Discord (https://discord.com/invite/Jw22CHfGwp) Get the new T-shirt design from Cotton Bureau (https://cottonbureau.com/products/can-o-content#/13435958/tee-men-standard-tee-vintage-black-tri-blend-s)! Get your Weird Studies merchandise (https://www.redbubble.com/people/Weird-Studies/shop?asc=u) (t-shirts, coffee mugs, etc.) Visit the Weird Studies Bookshop (https://bookshop.org/shop/weirdstudies) Buy the Weird Studies soundtrack (https://pierre-yvesmartel.bandcamp.com/album/weird-studies-music-from-the-podcast-vol-1) REFERENCES Roger Caillois, Man, Play, and Games (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9780252070334) Johan Huizinga, Homo Ludens (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781621389996) Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781405159289) Bernard Suits, The Grasshopper: Games, Life, and Utopia (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781554812158) Jobe Bittman, The Book of Antitheses US version (https://us.lotfp.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=87), EU version (http://www.lotfp.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=412) Weird Studies, Episode 6, Dungeons and Dragons (https://www.weirdstudies.com/6) Weird Studies, Episode 7, Boxing (https://www.weirdstudies.com/7) C. Thi Nguyen, Games: Agency as Art (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9780190052089) Eduardo Vivieros de Castro, Cannibal Metaphysics (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781517905316) BF Skinner (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._F._Skinner), American psychologist Heraclitus, Fragments (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9780142437650)

DeepMind: The Podcast
Better together

DeepMind: The Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2022 34:32


Cooperation is at the heart of our society. Inventing the railway, giving birth to the Renaissance, and creating the Covid-19 vaccine all required people to combine efforts. But cooperation is so much more. It governs our education systems, healthcare, and food production. In this episode, Hannah meets the researchers working on cooperative AI, and hears about their work and influences from the famous American psychologist - and pigeon trainer -  BF Skinner to the strategic board game Diplomacy. For questions or feedback on the series, message us on Twitter @DeepMind or email podcast@deepmind.com Interviewees: DeepMind's Thore Graepel, Kevin Mckee, Doina Precup & Laura Weidinger CreditsPresenter: Hannah FrySeries Producer: Dan HardoonProduction support: Jill AchinekuSounds design: Emma BarnabyMusic composition: Eleni ShawSound Engineer: Nigel AppletonEditor: David PrestCommissioned by DeepMind Thank you to everyone who made this season possible!  Further reading: Machines must learn to find common ground, Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01170-0Introduction to Reinforcement Learning, DeepMind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pWv7GOvuf0B.F. Skinner, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._F._SkinnerThe Tragedy of the Commons, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commonsStaving Off The Ultimate Tragedy Of The Commons, Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/georgebradt/2021/11/02/staving-off-the-ultimate-tragedy-of-the-commons-by-making-better-complex-decisions-cooperatively-in-glasgow/Understanding Agent Cooperation, DeepMind: https://deepmind.com/blog/article/understanding-agent-cooperationThe emergence of complex cooperative agents, DeepMind: https://deepmind.com/blog/article/capture-the-flag-science

A Mental Health Break
Self-Sabotage, DNA, Stanford Prison Study

A Mental Health Break

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2022 19:59


Some people are born with a drive often seen in entrepreneurs, pro-athletes, inventors, adventurers and Navy SEALs. It's in their DNA — research has shown that certain genes can manifest resilient and highly focused people who can also be impulsive and easily distracted. While these traits enabled our ancient ancestors to survive, if you have these traits today, it can create havoc in your life. You may be diagnosed with ADHD or OCD. But what the world tells you is a disorder may actually be your greatest gift.This show offers a one-of-a-kind conversation including his distortion on self-sabotage, the Stanford Prison Study, and a spotlight story on BF Skinner. WELCOME BACK to A Mental Health Break. This is the podcast where we normalize the conversation on mental health. After Host Vincent A. Lanci suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and into recovery, he learned that he needed to prioritize my mental health. He wants to help you do the same.Dr. Doug Brackmann is a distinguished psychologist, author of Driven: Understanding and Harnessing the Genetic Gifts Shared by Entrepreneurs, Navy SEALs, Pro Athletes, and Maybe YOU and creator of the Driven Assessment and Shooting Meditation. With dual PhDs in Psychology, Douglas Brackmann specializes in practices that hone in on the genetic gifts of roughly 10% of the population. Dr. Doug has spent his entire career working with top performers to help them overcome their limiting beliefs, stop their cycle of shame, and achieve the ultimate personal and professional successes. He has now turned his sights on developing content, tools, and even a Driven community toempower Driven people everywhere to end self-sabotage and live the life they've always wanted.Contact: Meghan@IAmDriven.comWebsite: www.IAmDriven.comMental Health Week: https://www.amazon.com/Mental-Health-Week-Vincent-Lanci/dp/0578676168/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=mental+health+weekMr. Lanci Talks Mental Health: https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Lanci-Talks-Mental-Health/dp/0578784661/ref=sr_1_2?crid=58KRJ9LE9C47&dchild=1&keywords=mr+lanci+talks+mental+healthFor Digital Editing, email PodcastsByLanci@Gmail.comHost Name: Vincent A. Lanci (PodcastsByLanci@Gmail.com)Stream Podcast On All Platforms: buzzsprout.com/743867YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCy0dil34Q5ILEuHgLVmfhXQWebsite: vincentalanci.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/amentalhealthbreakwithvincentalanciThis episode is brought to you by Tampa Counseling and Wellness- Dedicated to helping individuals looking to positively transform their lives through compassionate counseling and wellness coaching. If you struggle with depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues, call today for a free consultation. (www.tampacounselingandwellness.com) (1 813 520 2807)Happy | https://soundcloud.com/morning-kulishow/happy-background-music-no-copyright-fun-royalty-free-music-free-downloadAdventure by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons Attribution-ShareA

Beauty and the Biz
Surgery, Staff and Snow with P. Daniel Ward, MD (Ep.137)

Beauty and the Biz

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2022 56:59


⬇️. ⬇️. ⬇️. Hello, I'm sure you are [painfully] aware that it's no longer enough to be an excellent surgeon in order to be successful. That's a given. It's just as important to gain other new skills as the world changes around you. That's why we talk about the business and marketing of plastic surgery on the Beauty and the Biz Podcast. And why I interviewed P. Daniel Ward, MD.     Dr. Ward is a facial cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon in private practice with three offices throughout Utah. Listen in as Dr. Ward talks about how he has grown his own successful cosmetic practice by: Bringing on key team players to free him up to do what he does best Managing both the surgical and non-surgical demands of his patients Where social media fits into his marketing plan and a whole lot more Dr. Ward also mentioned that in 2013, Forbes reported that Salt Lake City was the vainest city in the United States! Who would have thought?!? Visit Dr. Cole's website at https://www.wardmd.com If you want to talk more about your specific situation, just leave me a message at https://www.CatherineMaley.com, or DM me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/CatherineMaleyMBA.

Ethical Schools
From Skinner to computer-based education: Can machines teach?

Ethical Schools

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2022 44:30


We speak with independent journalist Audrey Watters, author of "Teaching machines: The history of personalized learning," about the origins of teaching machines and the pedagogies that incorporate mechanical devices for teaching and learning. Ms. Watters explains how BF Skinner's emphasis on behaviorism, in combination with commercial opportunism, has led in some cases to the supplanting of teachers by computer software.

The Philosophers Stoned

Utopia. Not Fruitopia. BF Skinner imagined a Utopian community called "Walden 2," where people are raised in carefully controlled environments. Walden 2's Planners and Managers would use "behavioural engineering" to eliminate human flaws like greed and violence, allowing human nature to flourish. We discuss his brilliant but flawed Utopian project.

The Nonlinear Library: Alignment Forum Top Posts
The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human ValuesRobust Delegation by Rohin Shah

The Nonlinear Library: Alignment Forum Top Posts

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2021 10:08


Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values, published by Rohin Shah on the AI Alignment Forum. This is a linkpost for The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values, by Brian Christian, was just released. This is an extended summary + opinion, a version without the quotes from the book will go out in the next Alignment Newsletter. Summary: This book starts off with an explanation of machine learning and problems that we can currently see with it, including detailed stories and analysis of: - The gorilla misclassification incident - The faulty reward in CoastRunners - The gender bias in language models - The failure of facial recognition models on minorities - The COMPAS controversy (leading up to impossibility results in fairness) - The neural net that thought asthma reduced the risk of pneumonia It then moves on to agency and reinforcement learning, covering from a more historical and academic perspective how we have arrived at such ideas as temporal difference learning, reward shaping, curriculum design, and curiosity, across the fields of machine learning, behavioral psychology, and neuroscience. While the connections aren't always explicit, a knowledgeable reader can connect the academic examples given in these chapters to the ideas of specification gaming and mesa optimization that we talk about frequently in this newsletter. Chapter 5 especially highlights that agent design is not just a matter of specifying a reward: often, rewards will do ~nothing, and the main requirement to get a competent agent is to provide good shaping rewards or a good curriculum. Just as in the previous part, Brian traces the intellectual history of these ideas, providing detailed stories of (for example): - BF Skinner's experiments in training pigeons - The invention of the perceptron - The success of TD-Gammon, and later AlphaGo Zero The final part, titled "Normativity", delves much more deeply into the alignment problem. While the previous two parts are partially organized around AI capabilities -- how to get AI systems that optimize for their objectives -- this last one tackles head on the problem that we want AI systems that optimize for our (often-unknown) objectives, covering such topics as imitation learning, inverse reinforcement learning, learning from preferences, iterated amplification, impact regularization, calibrated uncertainty estimates, and moral uncertainty. Opinion: I really enjoyed this book, primarily because of the tracing of the intellectual history of various ideas. While I knew of most of these ideas, and often also who initially came up with the ideas, it's much more engaging to read the detailed stories of _how_ that person came to develop the idea; Brian's book delivers this again and again, functioning like a well-organized literature survey that is also fun to read because of its great storytelling. I struggled a fair amount in writing this summary, because I kept wanting to somehow communicate the writing style; in the end I decided not to do it and to instead give a few examples of passages from the book in this post. Passages: Note: It is generally not allowed to have quotations this long from this book; I have specifically gotten permission to do so. Here's an example of agents with evolved inner reward functions, which lead to the inner alignment problems we've previously worried about: They created a two-dimensional virtual world in which simulated organisms (or “agents”) could move around a landscape, eat, be preyed upon, and reproduce. Each organism's “genetic code” contained the agent's reward function: how much it liked food, how much it disliked being near predators, and so forth. During its lifetime, it would use reinforcement learning to learn how to take actions to maximize these rewards. When an organism reproduced, ...

Squanderlust
38: Unreliable, compelling, expensive

Squanderlust

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2021 22:51


Ever played a video game long after you meant to stop? What about staying in a toxic workplace or relationship? Ever looked back and thought "Why did I keep doing that?!" It might be operant conditioning - the way we respond to rewards especially unreliable and unpredictable rewards. Skinner Boxes (developed by BF Skinner) are a tool psychologists use to study animal behaviour, which can teach us about our choices as humans, and why we sometimes act against our own interests. Especially when we're faced with casinos, high-stress jobs, and charming but moody people.In this solo episode Martha explains how to spot a Skinner Box and how to get out before it costs you a fortune. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Psyda Podcast with Minhaaj
Natural Language Understanding - Walid Saba

Psyda Podcast with Minhaaj

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2021 120:43


Walid S. Saba is the Founder and Principal AI Scientist at ONTOLOGIK.AI where he works on the development of Conversational AI. Prior to this, he was a PrincipalAI Scientist at Astound.ai and Co-Founder and the CTO of Klangoo. He also held various positions at such places as the American Institutes for Research, AT&TBell Labs, Metlife, IBM and Cognos, and has spent 7 years in academia where he taught computer science at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, theUniversity of Windsor, and the American University of Beirut (AUB). Dr. Saba is frequently an invited speaker at various organizations and is also frequently invited to various panels and podcasts that discuss issues related to AI and Natural Language Processing. He has published over 40 technical articles, including an award-winning paper that was presented at theGerman Artificial Intelligence Conference in 2008. Walid holds a BSc and an MSc in Computer Science as well as a Ph.D. in Computer Science (AI/NLP) which he obtained from Carleton University in 1999. 00:00 intro 01:00 Language as a mental construct, PAC, Subtext in Sentences 06:28 OpenAI's Codex Platform, Below Human Baseline Performance of NLP 18:00 Comprehension vs Generation, Search vs Context 19:20 Sophia the Robot, Shallow ethics in AI and Commercialisation of Academia 27:40 Bad Research Papers, Facebook runaway train & AI Godfathers Cult. 32:30 AI leaders and Profiteering, Unethical Behaviour of Influencers. 37:50 Non-Verbal Component of Natural Language Understanding, Prosody and Accuracy Boost 41:33 Ontologik's NLU Engine, Adjective Ordering Restriction Mystery 43:58 Ontological Structure and Chomsky's Universal Grammar, Discovery vs Creation 45:31 Entity Extraction and How Ontologik's Engine tackles this Problem 47:50 Language Agnostic Learning, Foreign Language Learning, and Pedagogy of Linguistics 54:00 First Language, Blank State and Missing Sounds in Some Languages 55:20 Real-time Language Translation Engines, AR/VR Aids and Commercial Utility 01:01:00 Sentiment Analysis, Language Policing & Censorship 01:04:00 Ontological Structures, Gender Bias and Situational Paradox 01:09:00 3 Foods for Rest of the Life & Fad Food Indulgence 01:11:00 Inspiration for Getting into the Field, Career Ideals & Cultural Influence 01:15:30 Epistemology, IQ and The Bell Curve 01:17:00 Einstein's IQ, Haircut, Social Skills, and Success Rubric 01:22:00 Attracting Brilliant Talent Around the World, Ivy League PhDs & Standardised Testing 01:28:40 Unsupervised Learning, Accuracy & Comprehensibility in NLU 01:30:20 BF Skinner, Pavlovian Dogs, Skinner has been Skinned. 01:37:50 Human Behavioral Biology, Endocrinal System similarities with Humans yet they don't learn Languages. 01:45:30 Language as an expression of Genetic differences, Big Five & Phenotype. 01:49:40 IBM Watson Personality Insights, Text-based personality Inferences. 01:55:30 Long Short Term Memory Issue in Ontologik's Engine, Computational Complexity, Timeline for Release

The Science of Self
B.F. Skinner And Behaviorism

The Science of Self

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2021 13:50


Behaviorism is the idea that the environment shapes all behavior. To control yourself, take steps to exercise control over your environment. B.F. Skinner, a forerunner of the behaviorist school of psychology, theorized that human beings behave the way they do because they have been conditioned by their environment to do so. According to this view, all behaviors are therefore learned responses shaped by external factors. Skinner pioneered the concept of operant conditioning, a process in which behavior is shaped by reinforcement and punishment. Reinforcement pertains to those consequences of a behavior that make that behavior more likely to occur again in the future. Positive reinforcement involves the provision of a pleasant or rewarding consequence, while negative reinforcement consists of removing an unpleasant circumstance after a certain behavior. Both types of reinforcement condition a person to repeat the behavior in the time to come. Punishment, in contrast with reinforcement, is anything that makes a behavior less likely to occur again in the future. When a behavior is punished, the person learns to avoid doing the same behavior again. You can use principles of conditioning to set up your life in such a way that your environment supports your self-discipline instead of undermining it. Make an honest assessment of your environment and try to identify the external factors that influence and shape your behavior. Questions or comments regarding the podcast? Email the show at HollinsPodcast@NewtonMG.com or let us know what you think at http://bit.ly/hollinscomment Hear it here - http://bit.ly/philosophieshollins Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-home Peter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition. Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think. For narration information visit Russell Newton at https://bit.ly/VoW-home For production information visit Newton Media Group LLC at https://bit.ly/newtonmg #Behaviorism #BFSkinner #Conditioning #Pavlov #psychologist #SelfDiscipline #Skinner #B.F.SkinnerAndBehaviorism #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #PeterHollins #TheScienceofSelf Behaviorism,BF Skinner,Conditioning,Pavlov,psychologist,Self Discipline,Skinner,B.F. Skinner And Behaviorism ,Russell Newton,NewtonMG,Peter Hollins,The Science of Self

TrueLife
The World According to George # 1

TrueLife

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2021 41:10


Listen to the gentleman at time stamp 20:30https://youtu.be/rV2FCreE_p0Transcript: Speaker 0 (0s): Welcome back. My friends. How in the heck are you guys doing well? I'm sorry. Are you ladies and gentlemen doing well? I just thought I would check in and a kind of go over some rough terrain. No one has conspiracies. They're fun. Right? It's fun to think about. And it's interesting to think about, especially now when the world seems to make no sense of what the heck is going on in this world. Right? Isn't it crazy? It's so crazy to me from COVID-19 to meet shortages to gas, shortages, to inflation. Let me ask you this. Do you think that all these shortages, that the inflation, that the instability, do you think those are symptoms of COVID-19 or do you think maybe it's part of the plan of COVID 19? What do you guys think? It's so interesting to me to try and decipher what a could possibly be. And that's what I want to cover. There's a lot of information coming out right now about the lab leak theory is everybody familiar with what that is? The lab leak theory states that the COVID 19, that the Wu Han novel Corona virus was made in a lab. And with that , There was a very funny skit by John Stuart and Stephen Colbert, where John Stewart went on stage on a mainstream American news channel and made that claim. He says, isn't it odd that the Wu Han novel Corona virus was found by a lab named the Wu Han Corona, no novel Corona virus lab. And when you, when you just peel back the onion a little bit, it's like, how can it not be that like how much spin does it have to be for us to not look at the facts? Another interesting point that I noticed was that if you want to know what's going on, it's not enough to read the papers in our country. It's not enough to read a right leaning paper and a left leaning paper because ultimately those people are the same. You know what I mean? By that? Like people, oh, all, all Republican or Democrat, these are two different parties wrong. It's one big party. It's like a magic trick. You know, when you think of David Copperfield or Houdini or David Blaine magic is baby based on misdirection. Look here, not here. Look here, not here. Right? It's slight of hand. And it is a illusion. It is a distraction. And that, to me, my friends, just what the Corona viruses, that is what COVID-19 is a link to some, I will link to this interview. I saw it was a gentleman from India. Apparently India is getting hit really hard right now, you know, and they are working diligently to find out more about this virus. And they had some really interesting panel's on there. And they had a, a, a gentleman that came on, it was like a, five-person a round table. And four out of the five agreed that it was made in China with funding from the U S but it gets better not just funding from the us, but directly from Dr. Fowchee and a gentleman named Peter dat, Dan Zack, Peter Danza. Here's how they broke it down. There's a military base on the east coast called Fort Dietrich that was working on gain of function research. For those of you that don't know what a gain of function is. A gain of function is creating man-made disease is that could possibly possibly happened in the future deadly diseases. And you might think yourself, why would anybody make a deadly man-made disease that we don't currently have? Well, the argument is that just in case nature made it, we would be able to have a vaccine. That's one idea. Another idea is that this is a biological warfare and that we are desperately trying to create new man-made diseases. So we can kill people that we don't like. And the truth is it's probably both those things. So that's what they were working on at Fort Dietrich. And who was in charge of the funding at Fort Dietrich was Dr. Fowchee. The idea of gain of function was frowned upon and ultimately disbanded by Congress and our government. They said, this is a bad idea. Let's not do it. However, because they had a little bit of time and funds. That's a very important because they had money left over. That was appropriated to this research. They farmed it out to the Wu Han lab and China. So they shut down in Fort Dietrich, but they still have a funding. They took all that money and they sent the money over to research in China to do this gain of function. And that is where the Corona virus came from. It's a mix of American funding in a Chinese lab. This is basically what the Indian researchers have found. So they know, in my opinion, the research they have is a no brainer. That's exactly what happened. That's exactly what happened now, in my opinion, which is even more interesting is the medical research they've done. Now. There's such intelligent DRS and incredibly intelligent people throughout the world. And I found like this Indian news channel, just to be riveting, they went in to talk about how this particular disease was made. And I want to share that with you guys. So the spike protein let's think of a ball, a tennis ball with what they think of a sea urchin. And you guys ever seen a sea urchin. It's like a little ball with all these huge spikes coming out. And that's exactly what a spike protein looks like. So the spike protein gets injected. I'm sorry. The spike protein goes in to, well, let, let us talk a little bit about how viruses occur naturally before we get into the injections. So the virus usually is contracted into the nasal passage or the mouth, and then that's the upper respiratory system. The spike protein usually stays in that area and can be defeated by the immune system when it gets into the lungs. If it goes down deeper into your throat, that's when you start getting people who have pneumonia. That's when you started getting these, these other respiratory issues. So people with asthma, people with bronchitis, there are a lot more at risk than people who don't have those because people who tend to get those two things tend to have an immune system that's somewhat compromised, making it easier for the COVID-19 to get into the lungs. The Indian doctors went on to say that D biological makeup of our, in fact, like a block chain, you can see where they have been spliced. You can see what part of a virus is here and what part of a virus is there in according to these virologists, there is no doubt. There can be no doubt. This is a man made a virus. And I know that some people are thinking, oh, George, what about the paper in the Lancet? What about the seven doctors that came out in the beginning? So there's no way this is a manmade disease. Well, the problem with that is, again, our friend Peter Danzig, this gentlemen is responsible for funding hand lab. He's a virologist. And he also wrote a paper that said that couldn't be man-made. So at the very least, the paper in the Lancet is a conflict of interests. The very least at the most, it's an attempt to cover up a biological weapon that was released on the public. That's a possibility. It's a real possibility. It's a real possibility. There is a Luke Monte, Monte Negro. I know I'm butcher in that name, but I believe it's something like that. Luke Montenegro, he is a Nobel Laureate in the field of sirens in the field of science, specifically in viruses. He is a no bell Laureate. When it in virology, this gentlemen has been making the rounds. He agrees that this virus is man-made and he agrees that the vaccines actually, he doesn't call them vaccines. He calls them gene therapy because the MRN a vaccines be at the Moderna and the Pfizer, as well as the Johnson and Johnson. These are all gene based therapies. They're not vaccines. They have been a emergent. They have been given emergency approval by the FDA, which is different than approval by the FDA. You see what the emergency approval, there can be no liability. There can be no  Speaker 1 (11m 27s): Done by the pharmaceutical companies, Speaker 0 (11m 31s): But what's really, really scary about the vaccines. According to this Nobel Laureate, is that what these vaccines, these gene therapies are going to do is they're going to cause your immune system to be hyper vigilant specifically with Corona virus variance. Does that make sense? Gene therapy is training your body to attack these specific Corona virus like variance. Well, your immune system would work by. So you're normally would like we talked to, you would get the virus through your nasal passage or through your mouth, and it would come from the outside into your body. And that is how the immune system is used to attacking viruses. When you get it from the outside, into your nose, into your body, then the immune system knows how to attack it. What the gene therapy is doing is injecting the spike proteins into your body. You see that's the opposite way it normally comes. The virus usually comes from the outside in it doesn't come from the inside out. And because of the size of the spike protein, this gentleman is saying that it's a large spike protein. And because I guess it's coming from the inside because they're injecting it into your body. It's causing incredibly disruptive problems with the immune system. This man-made spike protein is attaching itself to cell walls. It's attaching itself to Speaker 1 (13m 24s): A Speaker 0 (13m 25s): Parts of the brain. You know, viruses don't normally get into the brain. He says that what you're seeing with what, with people who get the vaccines is a lot of blood clotting. Some of them we're in the brain, some were in the heart and that we haven't seen anything yet. He said that within two years, the law term ramifications of people who got the vaccine or the gene therapy, we're going to be in a world of trouble, a world of trouble because their body has been trained to a hundred attack, this type of Corona virus. So when next fall and next flu season, if there's another, it doesn't even have to be the Wu Han virus. If there's a Corona virus, there's a good chance that these experimental gene therapies is going to cause your body to violently attack itself. When it's introduced into a new Corona virus and the ramifications are going to be the same. So bell Laureate says that the number is that they are trotting out about people being saved by this virus is complete bullshit. Like you don't see that guy on TV. You have to look for him. An interesting question to ask yourself is, do you think that this just escaped the lab? Or do you think that this was released from the lab? There's plenty of evidence for both plenty of evidence for both? No. I think it's interesting to tie everything together. Like if we think about, if we just think about where we were before the Corona virus, there was a yellow vest uprisings in France, there was Syriza in Greece. There was a Donald Trump independent movement in the U S that was the Brexit movement in the UK. There was the riots in Hong Kong, the Mideast, the middle Eastern spring. There were people around the world rioting for the end of globalization, there was a middle-class rising up and saying no more. We can't do this. We're getting slaughtered out here. All the money's being kicked up to the global corporations. And there's nothing left for the people in the bottom. That's a fact. Now, if we go back in time a little bit, you know, the, the fourth turning or the, the rise of another generation, Marie Antoinette, let them eat cake moments. It's always the middle-class rising up and slaughtering, violently murdering the political class and the, the top 1%, it's their greed in their selfishness that lead to the violent behavior of the people underneath him. And that was what was all of these riots were about. These riots were about the unfair treatment of the labor class, the unfair treatment of the people below the labor Speaker 1 (17m 16s): Class. Speaker 0 (17m 18s): So if you are the top 1%, if you are the queen of England, if you are the Zuckerberg, if you are the world economic forum, if you are the Davos crowd, what do you do? Well, the only way to continue to rule the world, you see fit is to slaughter your enemies, right? If you look at it, like they're all going to kill us, that we're going to kill them. What are you going to do? You have all the money, you have all the resources. You're gonna try to kill everybody. That's what I think is going on. I think that you're seeing, I think that you're seeing a delusional set of world leaders fearing for their way of life and their family's way of life, capturing all the resources and trying to create a class of serfs forever while maintaining their status while maintaining their stranglehold and the resources of the war, a world. That's one way of looking at it. Another way to look at it is that, you know, maybe there's some really, really fucking smart, goddamn people, right? And all that. A lot of people at the top have worked their fucking ass off to get there. And they probably think the world's not fair. Everybody knows the world's not fair. What could we, could we, as people that have so much try and make the world better for people below us, I think there's a lot of people at the top of that, believe that, or how would you do it? How would you do it? Will, you would look at those state of the world and say, wow, our politicians are so corrupt. They take bribes from lobbyists and they don't. They care about the wellbeing of their people. They care about power. So if we could just get rid of the politician's and have the world run by engineers, then we could, you know, there's more than enough power. There's more than enough food. There's more than enough resources to go around. If we could just distribute them somebody, right. If we could fundamentally change the design of the supply chains, and we could get stuff to people who need it, most, the world would be a better fit a place. So I think there's an argument made for, for that. You know, I think that if we go back to the, like that green movement, or if we just go back to some of what was happening prior to COVID-19, we can see the difference facts that, you know, there was a push against factory farming. There's a push against oil. You know, there was a push against all these things that were quote unquote environmental issues. But here's how you've got to ask yourself, why are those environmental issues? You know, why do we care about meat? Why do we care about gas? What do we care about that? Well, the answer is here in the west. A you can get a hamburger anywhere, right? A cost you that it costs you like a dollar or maybe two bucks now with inflation. But I know that a hamburger would probably cost 20 bucks, but it's subsidized. And there's a bunch of disgusting farming everywhere. That's kind of ruining the land. And no it's a degradation of the environment because of factory farming is a huge problem, especially, and here's the kicker. The rest of the world wants to be like the rich Western countries. They want to be able to go get a hamburger. Some are, they wanna be able to drive the car. They want all the same things that the people in the rich Western countries have right there. They want to be industrialized. They want to have these things. They want to have all these benefits for their kids and their families and live the Western lifestyle. But if the whole world did that, then the level of degradation on the planet, it would be unlivable. So you can't, you can't just, Can you, you can't just go into another country and say, look, man, you can't live like us. You guys have to be slaves forever. Even though that's what we've been doing, we've been doing. I think it's the, like a in law that says that there must always be an underclass that will do that shitty jobs. And no one wants like that. That's kind of a foundation of capitalism is that there must be a class of slaves to do the shitty work. No one wants to Speaker 1 (22m 6s): That is beneath people. Speaker 0 (22m 8s): I'm not judging. I mean, I'm not saying I believe that what I'm saying that if you take any real economic class or you read any books on economics, then that's pretty much a written rule. And those who tell you, that's not a ruler. So if you want the rest of the world Speaker 1 (22m 32s): To Speaker 0 (22m 34s): Live a better life, that means that people that live in the west have to lead the way. That means we got to do a way with factory form. And that means we've got to do a way with the cards. That means we gotta live a more humble lifestyle. Oh. And here in lies, the problem it's easy. It's easier to not attain something and have something taken away from you. Right? There was a S there was a, a book I read called a called. That was by it's called never split the difference. And it was by the world's leading hostage negotiator. And he spoke a bit about a class at Harvard that he took it and he goes, they did this experiment at Harvard, where they gave a class comes in and they gave half the class, a ceramic mug. And the other the half got no ceramic mug. And they wanted people to team up one person with a mug and one person without a mug. And they said, okay, we want you guys to negotiate. You know, whoever doesn't have the mug, she tried to negotiate to try to buy the mug and let's see what happens. So they did plenty of negotiations and what they found out when they broke everything down. Some people sold some but more people didn't sell. Even when offered, you know, a, a a hundred bucks, the people were like, nah, I like my mug. And the teachers wanted to know why they go look, we gave you that mug for free. Why, why wouldn't you take the free a hundred bucks? And the people said, oh, well, this is my mug now. And I don't want to sell it. So they began to find out that once people have something, economics is irrational, no matter how much money you give someone, they want to keep the thing that belongs to them because they believe it's part of them and they don't want to give it up. So let's factor that into the rich Western lifestyle. People have people in the west have two cars, they have a house, they have a yard, they have a pet. You know, their kid goes to school to take a couple of vacations. They eat meat every day, they drive their fossil fuel car. How do you take that away from them without them fighting? How do you take that stuff away and decrease their level of life style? Well, you have to run a campaign of incredible propaganda. You have to scare them. You have to do a lot of nefarious things in order to break down their psyche. And the most fucked up part is that the people that are running this campaign, that one, a take away the shit from the middle-class. People are not willing to give up anything in theirs. You see that they have these grand allusions in these grand ideas. In order for us to make the world a better place, we have to take a giant shit on the people right below us. Even that if our countrymen, even if there are a family, we've got a steal their shit. So we can make the world a better place for everyone. What they don't understand is that if they want to make the world a better place, they should lead by fucking example, but they're not willing to give up their matches. They're not willing to give up their lifestyle. They want you to give up your lifestyle. Think about people like the Royal family or Leonard, Leonard, a DiCaprio. They fly around their goddamn Jet's and tell you your a piece of shit for fucking driving. An old car. Look at Al gore. This dummy has how many that, what is his carbon footprint? Like if you just think for a minute about the people who are running the carbon footprint game, think about the people that are lying to you and using the environment as a shield. Like I love the planet and everybody, I know that loves the planet, but I hate with a passion. People who try to hide behind environmental regulations to steal from other people. That's a huge problem. That's a huge problem. And most of them say things like, oh, well, we're just doing it to make the world better. No, you're doing it to make yourself better. You lie to yourself about the problem with the planet, and then you steal from everybody else. I think that's kind of where we are. Okay. Now let me try to tie everything together a little bit. So look at these recent hacks, right? What happened? There was a hacker in a pipeline gas shortage. There was a hack on the meat, plants, meat shortage. Like, isn't it interesting that other so-called Russians or other in government people are hacking the very things that the climate warming alarmists want them to hack. Isn't that weird? Isn't it weird that COVID-19 is causing small businesses to shut down, but allowing a large multinational corporations to stay afloat like that to me is not a coincidence. In fact, I believe that a coincidence. It's what you get when you don't have all the facts. A coincidence is what you get. When you apply a bad theory, you're going to see more hacks. And you're going to see more hacks on the industries that the global corporations want. Shut down. You see, they're going to try and modify and utilize BF Skinner type techniques to change your behavior for everyone. It's the hard sell. Oh, and what better way to do it than with an invisible boogeyman, depending on where you are born. There's always an invisible boogeyman. There's the communist. Oh, no. The big, bad calm. You know, there is the terrorist. Oh no. The comm in his hand, a terrorist. Hey, if you don't, if you don't do this terrorist win, Hey man, if they don't stop eating meat, you're gonna kill a planet. Hey man, you didn't take your shoes off a terrorist when, Hey man, we can have that communism. When you said these are all invisible boogie men that have been perpetrated in order to change the behavior of the public through fear. And I'm of the opinion I'm of the opinion that you don't, that there will be T like the people getting injected right now with COVID-19 because make no mistake. Like these are the people that have a most effected. And let me just, I don't it's in my opinion, I don't know. But like, let's say, lets say that these particular gene therapies do cause a violent, a violent sort of a response to the next Corona virus. You see people aren't going to understand that they are, they're not gonna think to themselves. Oh, I got the Corona virus, injection, AKA gene therapy. And now in a new way, when the flu season hits, I'm going to be even worse because my body is going to not attack it in the right way. It's going to hyper attack it and attack my body. While that attacks the virus, the same people that got this gene therapy are going to get hit hard next year and the following year. And it's going to look, it's going to look like it's another wave of viruses. It's going to look like it's another wave. But in reality, it's because of the gene therapy, you see that they are socially engineering or the next wave of viruses by forcing people to take this experimental gene therapy. It's going to cause those people to be in a worse position next year. Why would they do that, George? Well, which one among you? Who among you? What do you want among you thinks that the pharmaceutical companies give one fuck about you. All you have to do is like, you know, how about the immortal life of Henrietta lacks? You know, how about the Tuskegee airmen? Our world is filled with mangled as children. You know, science has zero morals. Science wants to try and explain everything and has no brakes your country, regardless of where you live is filled with human experimentation. Speaker 1 (31m 51s): It's filled with it. It's everywhere. Speaker 0 (31m 55s): Think about this. Look at the demographics of the majority of Western countries in America, a miss paraphrasing here. But I think within the next 20 years, over 50%, it might be 60% of the individuals are going to be over 60 years old. We have no cure for Alzheimer's. We have no cure for, for dementia. We don't have any cure for these diseases that are going to plague our world. And how can you have a vibrant economy when the majority of people in your country are geriatric? How do you take care of them? Not only that, what happens when all of those people that are geriatrics have all the money and they're not spending their money in the economy. Like if you just about it, logically the populations of the west are aging, getting old. They have all the money and it's gonna fucking tank our economy. And it's going to make the world a very uncomfortable place for people that are under the age of 30 or 35, it's going to make, 'em almost destitute. So what do you do? Well, we need, some people say that we need to aggressively aggressively be looking for signs to help people with dementia. We need to be aggressively doing experiments to find out how to cure Alzheimer's do you guys know part of the gene therapy does for this, for these a M R and D vaccines inside the MRN, a vaccine is instructions to fold proteins, I guess folded proteins are also called prions Brian's or what gets people mad cow disease Alzheimer's disease as a form of plaque in the brain that could be proteins that were folded wrong. Speaker 1 (33m 50s): So Speaker 0 (33m 51s): I think plausible to say that this large scale human experimentation on people is an attempt to have an unethical hundreds of millions of people, clinical trials, to try and find cures for new diseases, because we desperately need them. I'm not a judge or a jury, but you're going to do clinical trials on hundreds of millions of people's and ethnicities so that you might find out how to cure a disease. And then you're going to lie to all the people about them. Like what, why would we do that? Why would we do it? No, for a long time. That blew my mind. Like, if you look at the, if you think about the generational gap, like baby boomers like that, my mom, my dad, they were so fearful of this virus. Oh no, Jesus. He's going to kill everybody. Oh, all gonna die in a 600,000 people in America are dead. You know, there's bodies laying on the ground. Like, you know, even like that, my neighbor, I love, I love my family and my neighbors, but they, they, the ones that are Boomer's, they just have this crazy idea of like, you have to get the vaccine, man, you have to get it. I was having a conversation with my neighbor whom I love. And he's like, look, man, you got to get the vaccine. I'm like, why? He's like, what do you mean why? He's like, if you get the vaccine, you have a 0% chance of going to the hospital. I was like talking to myself that I started laughing. You know, I didn't mean to be rude, but I was like what? He goes, yeah. If you get the vaccine, you have a 0% chance of going to the hospital and be in on a ventilator. I just told him, I'm like, are you kidding me? You have a 0% chance of that. I'm like, I don't, I disagree. You're not. And that's not what I read. You know, I've, in my opinion, like the vaccine, AKA, the gene therapy, it doesn't stop transmission. It doesn't stop you from getting it. All that does is potentially potentially make the symptoms a little bit easier and that's not even proven. So I asked him, I'm like, what? Where did you, what did you get your information? You know what all of them do, all of the boomers watch TV. Like that is where the boomers go to get their information. And I don't care if they watch Fox or if they watch CNN, we've already covered it. That's the same. It's just opposite sides of the same coin. Both of those dummies, those channels are pumping this vaccine, propaganda, this gene therapy propaganda. Right? And if that, everybody needs to know if you're in marketing, you understand the term target demographics, right? That if you target, if you aren't Facebook, if you market anywhere, you are asked, what is your target demographics? And I can tell you that when it comes to TV, the target demographics for TV are older people, right? There's a saying that says, if you're over the age of 50, you live in 1970. If you're over the age, if you're under the age of 30, you live in 2010. So the people that are older, the age of 50, they are set in their ways. They get their information from TV. Their brains are not being used. Would you continue to be plastic that the plasticity of their brains is not being utilized? Does that make sense? They're not making new connections. They're happy with the convictions. They have, they're getting their information. And so the government uses that channel of older people, target demographics to hit them with this vaccine. Why? Well, those are the people that are going to be at risk and the next 20 to 30 years. So if the virus comes and all our, our idea that these gene therapy is going to cause those people at a dilator, well, it's no big deal because they economy is gonna be better off because of it. It's going to free up money to go into the economy is going to potentially be recorded so that people can find cures for Alzheimer's. You know what? That it's a giant clinical study on people over the age of 50, because that is going to be a population that's going to drain society. So somewhere along the lines, the decision was made, okay, these people are no longer producing. They are just sitting on money. We don't have social security. They have all the money. These people are dead weight. Let's fucking experiment on them and get them the fuck out of here that also the easiest people to scare, right? They're getting their information from a, a, a resource that is controlled by the government. These are some of the reasons I was just having my mind blown about this. COVID mess you. I haven't really got too much into the inflation aspect of, and maybe I'll say that part for tomorrow or later in the week, but all these things are running together. I think it's in, in summary. Let me say that. I think what we're seeing is a, a radical effort to step on the working class and lower class of people so that the richest wealthiest people can maintain their lifestyle. I think we're seeing a radical, a radical change in the economy. We are seeing Speaker 1 (40m 7s): An attempt to Speaker 0 (40m 10s): Fundamentally shift supply chains, a technocratic take-over and attempt for engineers to run the world instead of politicians, which I'm not against. But it just seems silly to me that the engineers don't understand that if they get rid of the politicians and they are going to become the politician. But I think we're going to continue to see a large-scale devastation. We are going to see a continued hacks on infrastructure, on supply chains and that the time to prepare is now, anyways, that's all I got for you guys today. I love you. I hope your day is going awesome. And I appreciate your taking a moment to spend with me. Let me know what you guys think. Put down in your comments, put down a, a, a, either ideas and a get at me. I love you guys a little hot. 

Bio Pics
BF Skinner and Alan Watts

Bio Pics

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2021 24:59


BF Skinner, famous for his contributions to behavioral psychology. Part two of the show is philosopher Alan Watts, a fascinating thinker. Enjoy!

School For The Dogs Podcast
Training animals outside the Skinner box: Dr. Bob Bailey on the origins of the use of operant conditioning in the commercial realm and beyond

School For The Dogs Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2021 60:13


Dr. Bob Bailey first started training animals professionally more than six decades ago, when he was hired by the military to train dolphins at sea. On that job, he first crossed paths with a couple whose work he'd read read about: Keller and Marian Breland. The Brelands had learned how to use operant conditioning to train animals while working as graduate students in BF Skinner's lab at the university of Minnesota, and were the first to bring the technology out of the lab. Keller's guide to using operant conditioning to train dolphins majorly influenced the career of Karen Pryor, who would later work to bring these force-free methods to dog owners. Dr. Bailey would joined forces with them, and eventually helmed their business, Animal Behavior Enterprises. In advance of a screening of Dr. Bailey's short film Patient like The Chipmunks, Annie interviews Dr. Bailey about his incredible career, the origins of "clicker training," the importance of learning how to train chickens, the progressiveness (or lack there of) in the world of modern dog training, and more. Sign up for the May 22nd screening (and info on buying the Patient Like The Chipmunks DVD) http://schoolforthedogs.com/bailey Photos, manuals and details about Animal Behavior Enterprise and IQ Zoo exhibits: https://www3.uca.edu/iqzoo/Exhibits/exhibits.htm https://www3.uca.edu/iqzoo/documents/documents.htm Related episodes: A brief history of modern dog training https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-brief-history-modern-dog-training-audio-lecture/id1355439730?i=1000514845966 Reading of Page 9 of Dr. Bob Bailey's site https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-training-wisdom-from-page-9-dr-bob-baileys-website/id1355439730?i=1000515871429 Reading of The Misbehavior of Organisms by Marian and Keller Breland https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/misbehavior-organisms-brelands-impactful-article-on/id1355439730?i=1000518316750 Reading of The ABCs of Behavior by Marian Breland https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-annie-reads-from-abcs-behavior-by-marian-breland/id1355439730?i=1000516823369

School For The Dogs Podcast
The Misbehavior of Organisms: The Brelands' Impactful Article on "Instinctive Drift" (Plus: Reminder about this weekend's special film screening with Bob Bailey!)

School For The Dogs Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2021 37:18


This weekend (Saturday April 24th at 4PM ET) we are hosting a screening of the short film Patient Like The Chipmunks, by Drs. Bob Bailey and Miriam Breland-Bailey, followed by a conversation and Q and A session with Dr. Bailey himself. In advance of this event, Annie has recently read aloud some of Dr. Bailey's work. Today, she reads a famous essay written not by him, but by his business partners: the late Keller Breland and Marian Breland (who would later married Dr. Bailey, hence the hyphenated name). This article, The Misbehavior Of Organisms, first appeared in American Psychology in 1961, and was titled in response to BF Skinner's book, The Behavior Of Organisms. The Brelands had worked closely with Skinner as graduate students, and were the first to bring his laboratory work into the commercial realm. There, working with over 100 species of animals, they discovered that it just isn't always possible to operantly condition a behavior. The reason? Sometimes, an animal's baked-in instincts take over and can't easily be overcome. Dr. Bailey's site: http://www.behavior1.com/ Other episodes about Dr. Bailey Training Wisdom From Page 9 of Dr. Bob Bailey's Website https://anchor.fm/dogs/episodes/Bonus-Training-wisdom-from-page-9-of-Dr--Bob-Baileys-website-Plus-Join-Annie-for-a-film-screening-and-Q-and-A-with-Dr--Bailey-on-April-24th-eu9mmo The ABC of Behavior By Marian Breland-Bailey and Bob Bailey https://anchor.fm/dogs/episodes/Bonus-Annie-reads-from-The-ABCs-of-Behavior-by-Marian-Breland-Bailey-and-Bob-Bailey-from-The-Dog-Trainers-Resources-by-The-APDT-Chronicle-Of-The-Dog-euonns

Cañón Cosmo
3x24: Casinos, videojuegos, casinos en videojuegos y B. F. Skinner

Cañón Cosmo

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2021 71:23


Programa de videojuegos. Bueno tras muchos problemas las últimas semanas ya estamos de vuelta para hablar un poco de videojuegos. Esta semana hablamos principalmente de los sistemas de castigo/recompensa de los videojuegos y uno de los conceptos clave para entender el funcionamiento de los videojegos: la caja de skinner. Ademas juntamos esta parte psicologica con como se aplica en el mundo de los juegos de azar y de los efectos que tiene desincentivar frente a prohibir en cuanto a la representacion de los mismos en segun que condiciones.

Cañón Cosmo
3x24: Casinos, videojuegos, casinos en videojuegos y B. F. Skinner

Cañón Cosmo

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2021 71:23


Programa de videojuegos. Bueno tras muchos problemas las últimas semanas ya estamos de vuelta para hablar un poco de videojuegos. Esta semana hablamos principalmente de los sistemas de castigo/recompensa de los videojuegos y uno de los conceptos clave para entender el funcionamiento de los videojegos: la caja de skinner. Ademas juntamos esta parte psicologica con como se aplica en el mundo de los juegos de azar y de los efectos que tiene desincentivar frente a prohibir en cuanto a la representacion de los mismos en segun que condiciones.

School For The Dogs Podcast
Bonus: Annie reads aloud Walden Two Revisited, the 1976 preface to BF Skinner's novel Walden Two

School For The Dogs Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2021 31:51


This is a bonus episode in which Annie reads aloud the preface to Walden Two, BF Skinner's 1948 novel about a utopian community that he imagines could be closely engineered based on what we know about behavioral science, and cooperatively governed based on principles rooted in positive reinforcement. The book was called "fascism without tears" when it was published and also compared to a plan for a dog obedience school for humans. Three decades after writing it, Skinner wrote Walden Two Revisited, which reflected on how society still hadn't done enough to harness the power of non-coercive, non-punitive control in order to better people's lives. Forty-five years hence, has anything really changed? Maybe dog training can help us better understand what Skinner had in mind... Notes: Clubhouse Reading Group on Walden Two: 4/1 at 3PM ET. Need a Clubhouse Invite? Text 917-414-2625 Annie imitates a dial up modem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B8KPvp9eew Buy Walden Two: https://amzn.to/3cKdGL8 3 minute summary of Walden Two, by the Prosocial Progress Foundation

Take Back the Day

When do we self-sabotage? How do we break out of cycles? Can we form new habits? Why did Sam choose to move to a frigid, muddy island off the coast of Europe? We ponder all these questions and more in this episode of Take Back the Day, and along the way we mention: Steven Pressfield and the War of Art (https://stevenpressfield.com/books/the-war-of-art/). Mr. Ferriss (https://tim.blog). BF Skinner and his superstitious pigeons (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/bf-skinner-the-man-who-taught-pigeons-to-play-ping-pong-and-rats-to-pull-levers-5363946/). Atomic Habits by James Clear (https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits). Ira Glass (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ira_Glass). How to With John Wilson (https://www.hbo.com/how-to-with-john-wilson). Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake (https://www.merlinsheldrake.com/entangled-life).

Talks with Trent
Week 24 & 25 (Unit 7: Behaviorism & Social-Cognitive Theories of Personality)

Talks with Trent

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2021 18:07


Episode reviews the behaviorist perspective in understanding personality with BF Skinner and then dives into the Social Cognitive Theories of Rotter (locus of control) and Bandura (social learning theory), and finally ends with understanding personality & culture (individualist vs collectivist).

Paws, Reflect and Learn with Katie
Episode 21: How Do You Fix Bad Dog Training

Paws, Reflect and Learn with Katie

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2021 12:05


Often times we attempt to fix an annoying problem with our dog, but end up creating a larger problem. Once a dog behaves a certain way (example: jumping on guests, begging from the dinner table, stealing from counters) can we change that behavior? The short answer is yes. It take patience and some tough love to solve the issue and create a behavior that we desire. Today's episode discusses how you can accomplish this task using BF Skinner's theory of operant conditioning * Want to learn more about dog training, visit ISCDT.com to enroll in our online dog training course. This course consists of 18 lessons. Students work with dogs throughout the training and their personal mentor guides them by watching a series of videos submitted by students evidencing their work with dogs. Learn how to teach commands and build on those commands so they can be applied during real life situations, regardless of setting or distraction level. We love to chat with fellow dog lovers. Want to speak with us? Send us an email at info@iscdt.com. Source: Webster, Jerry. "ABC: Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/abc-antecedent-behavior-and-consequence-3111263.

The REAL David Knight Show
The David Knight Show - 2021-Feb-18, Thursday

The REAL David Knight Show

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2021 184:59


Power Fail, PR Win? #Wind Industry Goes Full Media Spin Medical Tyranny escalates — * pastor arrested * family detained & fined $18,000 for COVID test 2 hrs expired * concentration camps hailed as "solution" to #lockdown "Conspiracy Theorists" are being designated "Domestic Terrorists" for questioning government's official narrative   How we escape the coming internet purge   Timecodes: 3:55 Rush Limbaugh “on loan from God” — but we ALL are. Rush rose at time when free speech was increasing due to removal of “Fairness Doctrine” that suppressed freedom. It was a VERY different time than now.  But is our greatest threat hyper-partisanism?  Can we break the left/right control?   31:06 There's only one way to transcend the calculated behavioral tyranny of people like BF Skinner, Cass Sunstein   41:50 Because of the pandemic, are Christians finally starting to understand Romans 13 correctly?   52:31 Will the rapid escalation in censorship & deplatforming be the catalyst for people to move to new platforms that are private, decentralized and free?   1:12:17 The Racism (and Marxism) of Reparations as Biden prepares to unleash “reparations for slavery”   1:20:33 Disney's “Cruella” — Hollywicked marketing of evil and violent insanity to YOUR children   1:49:10 Biden & Climate Change Media Spin the Windmill Problem: a revisionist rewriting of the failure to make wind power the hero, not the villain   1:54:12 You'll never guess what Gov Greg Abbott was doing 2 DAYS before the windmills froze and Texas lost power for a week   2:21:09 Canada: Family Fined $18,000 for COVID Tests 2 Hrs Overdue   2:30:09 Pastor Arrested For Holding Church.  It was a case like this that established “jury nullification”, “habeas corpus” — and America   2:51:01 “Doctor” Fauci — no patients treated but he's been involved a LOT of “operations” — Operation Warp Speed, Operation Dark Winter, even a continuation of Operation Paperclip and Operation Mockingbird   2:59:22 Obscene Stock Profits of BigPharma Vaccine Execs — it's about saving lives, right?   Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at thedavidknightshow.com   If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-show Or you can send a donation through, PayPal at:  https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/davidknightshow Venmo at:  venmo@davidknightshow Cash App at:  $davidknightshow BTC to:  bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7  

The REAL David Knight Show
The David Knight Show - 2021-Feb-15, Monday

The REAL David Knight Show

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2021 176:29


Topics by timecode 18:48 Post Office, criticized for slow speed of mail-in election, now makes slow speed permanent, raises rates and cuts air mail — in 2021 govt keeps even the mail from flying   22:12 More details emerge on Nevada wanting to change its economy from organized crime gambling to organized crime of Silicon Valley technocrats running Smart Cities   30:43 Constitutional Convention vote in Montana narrowly defeated.  Why do Republicans mistakenly think a ConCon is good idea?   47:20 Day 338 of Lockdown America Held Hostage: Whipsaw effects of lockdown/open/lockdown are even more damaging for restaurants; Treasury Dept institutes Chinese style surveillance; Israel implements vaccine passports for going to    1:04:17 GOP Congressman demands schools “open NOW”.  But do we want to send our kids to “lockdown” school? Is it BF Skinner abuse?   1:09:28 LA Times freaks out that John MacArthur's large church is holding a conference, expected to draw 3,000 people. But they've already PROVEN SCIENTIFICALLY that there is NO PANDEMIC by 7,000-8,000 people meeting weekly with no Fauci rituals   1:34:26 Forget the courts.  It's time to defend each other from medical tyranny.  Ammon Bundy is setting up networks to do just that.   1:56:22 Logjam of container ships from China off the coast of California shows China has checkmated USA with 4D chess of COVID narrative    2:03:46 Biden makes his move on 2nd Amendment Rights.  Using the anniversary of the Parkland shooting, Biden offers the usual wishlist for gun control that would NOT have made any difference.  But he adds a very dangerous NEW DEMAND   2:23:43 Dept of Homeland turns to “domestic terrorists”.  It was ALWAYS about coming after Americans   2:40:30 Pentagon stepping up the militarized vaccine operation — and other vaccine updates Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at thedavidknightshow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-show Or you can send a donation through, PayPal at:  https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/davidknightshow Venmo at:  venmo@davidknightshow Cash App at:  $davidknightshow BTC to:  bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7

Cafezinho & Comportamento
Café Gourmet e Mulheres na Ciência

Cafezinho & Comportamento

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2021 58:16


No episódio de hoje, Dras. Liliane Rocha e Ana Arantes conversam sobre o dia da Mulher na CIência (11 de fevereiro) e suas experiências e impressões enquanto cientistas e mulheres. #Vale aqui uma correção: O livro que a Dra. Liliane menciona, tem sim um capítulo sobre feminismo!! Esse episodio é patrocinado pelo Café especial extraído na V60. Aqui está a receita: 30 g café Bourbon Amarelo, moído médio-fino (textura de açúcar cristal), 320 ml de água a 96°C 1. Escalde o filtro de papel com água fervente e descarte a água. 2. Coloque o pó no filtro e dê uma batidinha com o coador na mesa/pia/bancada para "assentar" o pó. A superfície tem que ficar lisa. 4. Despeje a água a 96°C no centro do pó, bem devagarzinho em movimentos circulares só até cobrir a quantidade de pó no filtro. Aguarde 30-45s. (A água vai afundar e a superfície do pó vai formar um bolhão e fazer "plof!") 5. Complete com o restante da água e aguarde 3 minutos até passar o café. 6. Coloque em uma xícara aquecida e/ou escaldada. Prove um gole antes de colocar o açúcar. Nesse episódio nos referimos a vários artigos e pesquisas. Aqui está a lista de referências: Couto, A. G., & Dittrich, A. (2017). Feminismo e análise do comportamento: caminhos para o diálogo. Perspectivas em análise do comportamento, 8(2), 147-158. Castro de Carvalho Freitas, J., & Oliveira de Morais, A. Cultura do estupro: considerações sobre violência sexual, feminismo e Análise do Comportamento. Acta Comportamentalia: Revista Latina de Análisis del Comportamiento, 27(1). Silva, E. C., & Laurenti, C. (2016). BF Skinner e Simone de Beauvoir:“a mulher” à luz do modelo de seleção pelas consequências. Perspectivas em análise do comportamento, 7(2), 197-211. Pinheiro, R., & Mizael, T. (2019) Debates sobre Feminismo e Análise do Comportamento. Fortaleza, CE: Imagine Publicações. Ruiz, M. R. (1995). BF Skinner's radical behaviorism: Historical misconstructions and grounds for feminist reconstructions. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 19(2), 161-179. Ruiz, M. R. (1998). Personal agency in feminist theory: Evicting the illusive dweller. The Behavior Analyst, 21(2), 179-192. Terry, C., Bolling, M. Y., Ruiz, M. R., & Brown, K. (2010). FAP and feminist therapies: Confronting power and privilege in therapy. In The practice of functional analytic psychotherapy (pp. 97-122). Springer, New York, NY. DeFelice, K. A., & Diller, J. W. (2019). Intersectional Feminism and Behavior Analysis. Behavior analysis in practice, 12(4), 831-838.

Whad'ya Know Podcast
Whad'ya Know 2-6-21

Whad'ya Know Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2021 61:18


Trump impeached by Screen Actors Guild; Air Force One recovered after Trump ditching in Everglades; BF Skinner's kamikaze pigeons and Chris Boritz, just south of Minneapolis, wins double or nothing Whad'ya Know Quiz challenge--

Create a New Tomorrow
EP 37: Full Episode with Jonathan Pritchard

Create a New Tomorrow

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2021 90:30


Hi, I am Here with Jonathan Pritchard. He Founder of the Hellstrom Group; an international consulting company working with clients like BP, State Farm, United Airlines, and more. Focusing mainly on applied psychology in business, communication, and life. here is the full episode hope you enjoy. Listen in your favorite podcast app.  Ari Gronich 0:01 Has it occurred to you that the systems we live by are not designed to get results? We pay for procedures instead of outcomes, focusing on emergencies rather than preventing disease and living a healthy lifestyle. For over 25 years, I've taken care of Olympians Paralympians a list actors in fortune 1000 companies, if I did not get results, they did not get results. I realized that while powerful people who control the system want to keep the status quo, if I were to educate the masses, you would demand change. So I'm taking the gloves off and going after the systems as they are joining me on my mission to create a new tomorrow as I chat with industry experts, elite athletes, thought leaders and government officials about how we activate our vision for a better world. We may agree and we may disagree, but I'm not backing down. I'm Ari Gronich and this is create a new tomorrow podcast. Welcome back to create a new tomorrow. I'm your host, Ari Gronich and with me today, and I have to change my voice for him because he is the magician Jonathan Pritchard. Been on stage with Chris Angel. He's been on stage in war times and good times. He's traveled the world learning the psychology and the experiential mindset of imagination design theory of mind. Jonathan Prichard, tell us who you are. jonathan pritchard 1:42 Hi, hey, glad to be here, man. Thanks for the rockin intro. I just always have to say I was backstage with Chris Angel. I haven't been on stage with him. I was strictly behind the scenes. I got that face for radio kind of thing going on. So yeah. Basically, my my background is I grew up doing magic tricks. When I was a teenager, I got interested in mind reading tricks. And that was my area of specialty. I met my mentor James Randi, who recently passed away, he at the time had a million dollar challenge to anybody who claimed to be genuinely psychic or have supernatural powers like that. Well, you show us then you get a million dollars. And I handled applications and designed testing protocol for that million dollar challenge. And that's when I saw every way that people were trying to scam their way to the money and figured I can do these scams better than they can. And then that's how my showbiz career started. So from there, I have traveled the world entertain the troops overseas, and consulted for some of those big names we'd all recognize. And I used the psychology and skills and principles to make Austin our long show. But I eventually realized, you know, it's nice distracting people from their problems for an hour. But these principles I use onstage can be used offstage to help solve those problems permanently so that you get more interesting problems. Like Alright, I like that process. And from there expanded out to the coaching and speaking and training and, and all that kind of giving people a peek behind the curtain. Look at how your brain works. So that's why I've been able to consult with fortune 500 clients and a whole bunch of training, stuff like that. But it all centers around just being fascinated by how people think. Ari Gronich 3:45 So I want you to unpack for me one thing. I saw it on America's Got Talent, some magician, he was touching Simon's hand, or was it Simon's or I don't know, he was touching either Simon's or the other guy's hand. And then the other person's hand rate rose, because they were mentally connected with their psychic. So I want to unpack that because it always intrigues me. Not when you can pull stuff out of your jacket in weird ways that you can't see. But when are your sleeves or what? But when when you can touch somebody's body and somebody else raises their hand. jonathan pritchard 4:27 All I can say about that is I am really good friends for more than a decade with the guy who came up with that trick. So I will pass along your sentiments to him. That is a trade secret that if you haven't spent a lifetime of self denial, alone in a room to learn those skills and techniques, you you don't have the experience and background to to handle those kinds of secrets. So I'm I'm really saving you from yourself there. Ari Gronich 4:59 Alright, so you're not The man in the black mask, I was just checking to see if you were the man in the black mass. jonathan pritchard 5:05 But know that given what that's Yeah, the the masked magician is is to be a really fascinating story. That's kind of insider baseball trade secret stuff. But it's, it's actually really cool because the the guy who came up with that idea really loves magic. And the explanations for Season One, are really wacky. They're, they're functional, but they're not actually plausible. They weren't actual secrets, he drempt up most of the explanations, but the producers don't have experience in the magic world. So they don't know it's a fake explanation. So they were exposing imaginary secrets, which to me is a hilarious meta con. And it gets famous than they want to do season two, but it's kinda like, well, I'm out of ideas. So let's, let's call this off. They fired him. And that's the thing with a mask. Anybody could wear it. So now, season two and three, they were actually revealing the real work. But yeah, it's kind of when you when you try to control a beast you conjure, it's probably going to destroy you. Ari Gronich 6:20 Yeah, so you know, that gets me to my favorite kinds of topics, which is, how is it that the audience, the people, the citizenry are? So under the spell of the magician's of the systems that we're in? Because psychologically speaking, it doesn't make sense to me? I can see it, why can't you see it? Right? It's like, is my is my way of looking at it. Like, I can see that big agriculture is poisoning our food. Why can't you see that? And why is it? Why is it okay? That you see it? If you see it? And don't care? Like why? What is it about the psychology, the mindset of people, that allows them to be so duped out of doing actions that are in their own self interest that are in their own betterment? jonathan pritchard 7:30 That's a big question. Let me let me try to approach it with with this. Do you have your cell phone next to you? Yeah. All right, would you put it face down? In front of you? Yeah. Right. Because this, this is kind of an experiment to see how your brain works. And kind of based on the numbers, we look at our phones, at least a couple 100 times a day, right? if not more, and you're often going to your main home screen to open up different apps and that kind of thing. So at least 50 ish times of those 200 times you're looking at your phone, you're seeing your home screen. And there are apps, there are widgets, there's a clock somewhere on there, who who cares, right? I want you to think about what icon or widget would be in the upper left hand corner of your main home screen on your phone that you've already seen 20 times today. Okay, so I need to think about what that is. And in just a moment, but not quite yet. Because there's a little bit of process to this. In just a moment. I'm going to turn it over, lighted up. unlock your phone. Check to see if you get it right or wrong. Lock your phone and put it facedown. Okay, well, you got to do so go for it. Got it. Right. Not open, not opening it, though. Well, you open up you unlocked it. But did you get the icon? Correct? Ari Gronich 9:17 I got the icon in the top left. Correct. jonathan pritchard 9:20 Outstanding. All right. So you're a very small percentage of the population. That actually gets it correct. But here's another question. Whether you've got an iPhone or an Android, this is the same no matter what on your lock screen. We all see exactly the same thing, which is the time. So without looking at anything else. What exact time is it? Ari Gronich 9:45 I don't know because I haven't been looking at I wasn't looking at it. jonathan pritchard 9:49 Exactly what you were expecting to see and your fundamental values of what you're looking for. prioritizes What your mind will pay attention to you were, you weren't consciously aware of the time, but it was in your visual field. So you perceived it, but you weren't aware of it, because of what information you were looking for means that you're going to filter out everything that isn't your values. So the values you hold, are your pre cognitive filter, to weed out everything that doesn't match what it is you're expecting to see. And that is a fundamental human process, our brains run off about the same amount of electricity that your your refrigerator light runs on. So you've got to have some shortcuts to be able to navigate this confusing thing called reality. So there are all sorts of assumptions and shortcuts and processes in place to help you not be frozen by having to evaluate every single detail that you could possibly be aware of. So within the context of a bigger issue, like agriculture, or whatever, within the context of your previous experience, you have logical reasons for the assumptions and beliefs that you have that build your filters for your future experiences, that will ensure that only the experiences that reinforce those beliefs are let through the gates. So any kind of knowledge or experience that could challenge those filters are kind of kept out before you're ever even capable of being consciously aware of them, because they passed you by 10 seconds ago, and you weren't aware of it in the first place. So if you're not aware of something, you can't use it, you can't leverage it, you can't apply it. And your mind actively is filtering out everything that doesn't align with what you're looking for. Ari Gronich 12:20 Okay, so I'm going to give you a scenario. You're your smoker. You go into a gas station. You see the cigarettes. You're an ex smoker. You still see the cigarettes. You're a non smoker. When I was a non smoker, I didn't see the cigarettes at all. When I started smoking I was, you know, young at the time, mind you. And when I stopped smoking, I still would see the cigarettes. When I started to identify myself as a non smoker, somebody who does not, I don't smoke, I'm not a smoker. I stopped seeing the cigarettes. I'd still go up to the counter. But I would see maybe, you know, if I liked chocolate bars, I'd see the chocolate bar instead of the, you know, the cigarettes. So that would be like a selective eyesight based on preconceived notions, right. So how do you go through life watching your family members and your friends and stuff have cancer and diabetes and heart disease and stuff and not have it be on top of your mind that you're seeing people sick, you're experiencing sick and not associating that sick with any of the habits, behaviors or situations in front of you. jonathan pritchard 14:04 You are the only person who can build your Kung Fu. I can't learn your Kung Fu for you. And trying to learn your Kung Fu for you is the fastest way to drive myself crazy. Because that's not how reality works. So you can do your due diligence, you can voice your concerns, you can try to express your viewpoint. It's just really difficult for you to force learning onto somebody. And that is kind of a fundamental communication issue. Really, which is why can't you see it my way? It is so perfectly clear to me. Why in the world Can't you see it my way. And in one perspective, your domain Finding that they become the mind reader to see the world through your mind. And they haven't spent a lifetime studying human psychology and communication theory. So expecting them to be able to do these things that are nearly superhuman is trying to measure them with your yardstick never going to happen, what you can do is try to put it in, in terms that they can relate to, so that you could at least feel understood, but you can't learn their lesson for them. Ari Gronich 15:36 Obviously, you can't learn somebody's lesson, and nobody's trying to do that. But I can educate somebody on work, life educates them, and it's not about me, it's about what is in the world that people are seeing. So people see their family and friends dying of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc. And they'll still eat massive amounts of sugar, and not worry about, you know, like not care not have a thought that says, maybe the action that I'm taking is a is causing the result that I'm getting. Right? So yes, it's them doing their own Kung Fu, but I'm asking what it is in their own mind. Not anything that I have to say. They're the one experiencing it, they got diabetes, and they're, you know, drinking the soda and eating the sugar. What is it about the mind that makes it so that they are or people in general are so willing to go against their own self interest? Got it. jonathan pritchard 16:48 There's a lot going on, that weaves together to reinforce that behavior. There's a lot that could be going on, too. So that's a difficult thing to nail down as well. But a big part of a lot of our behavior is that it serves some purpose, and is some kind of strategy for need fulfillment. So in some way, their choices are the best strategies, they have to feel important to feel reassured to feel safe to feel connected, to feel valued. Even though it might be a bad strategy is still might be effective. And that's the best way that they know how to fulfill those needs that they've got. So in a way, if they solved those problems, what you're saying is that you're going to remove their strategies to scratch those itches, and to have those needs filled. So you can't really get rid of those strategies, you have to be able to find better strategies to achieve the same outcomes. So that's, that's at the heart of habit changes in in behavioral change, is recognizing what is this doing for me? What am I really getting out of this? And are there better behaviors that will serve me more effectively with fewer downsides. Another angle to that is, most people are using really bad strategies to make change. So the entirely logically consistent belief is that change is impossible. Or change is really difficult, when it's really a measure of an awful strategy that is ineffective to begin with. So then, if everything I do doesn't work, well, then I guess there's nothing that can work. So there's that angle of it. There's another angle, which is sometimes you don't see the negative impact right away. And it's, it's kind of one of those Buddhist things of, you're not punished for your anger, you're punished by your anger. Just the very nature of being angry is itself a damaging experience. That kind of idea. So if, if you're not at that level of discernment and awareness of the impact of your emotional state, your choices it's very difficult to recognize this behavior is immediately bad for me. But most People wouldn't be able to see the effects until it's much, much later. And by then, it's very difficult to tie what action created this outcome. And without that immediate feedback, there's, there's no consequence. I'm doing all these things, and I'm getting away scot free. And it's like, if you're training a dog, you're training a puppy, it needs immediate feedback that that was the right thing to do reinforce that, that was the wrong thing to do. Do not reinforce that. But our cause and effect timeline is from our perception. So distant in time. It's really difficult to relate the consequences to those actions we took last week, six months ago, two years ago. And therefore it gives us the false impression that our actions don't have consequences. And then when the consequences do come do you're going, why did this happen to me? What? Why your universe? This is so out of left field, there's no reason this should happen to me. Sure. Okay. Try selling that somewhere else. I'm not buying it. Ari Gronich 21:26 Yeah, just look at the history of that person. It's interesting. You know, that explains why kids a lot are so willing to you know, eat fast food. I mean, I have kids that they're young. Oh, and, you know, my, my stepdaughters boyfriend said to me the other day, because I asked him why he would be using the microwave, even though he knows that it's not good for him to use the microwave. He's like, I'm young. I'm 20. It doesn't affect me right now. I'll be I'll worry about it when it affects me. Right? He's like, I'm like, Oh, really. So a small effect or a big effect. Right, an imperceptible effect is still an effect of, you know, beyond, right. But I was, I grew up I was a, I call myself a canary in the coal mine. Because I brain tumor when I was really young, and, and symptoms of it that we never knew that it was there until I was 24. symptoms started when I was seven. So I knew that things that I did affected how I felt, right. And so I had a very conscious perception of that at a very young age that the actions that I'm taking, are causing a consequence to, to those actions. And it was immediate, right? It's not like, you know, you have a small gluten intolerance. That doesn't, that causes a minor inflammatory response, not a big one that causes massive stomach pain. Mine was more, you know, things were pretty evident to me. So I was very well trained to become interested in the actions and effects and actions and effects and down the line butterfly effect and things like that. So the question becomes, if the consequence is down the line, how do we get the consequence in their mind? Or how does somebody get the consequence in their mind that their path is leading that way? Because you can't tell a kid that when they're at, they're going to be bent over like this. If they keep looking at the phone all day like this, right? They're gonna be looking at their shoes, they're gonna go, I don't care. I'm straight up right now. Right? So I'm just trying to get like, how do we get the mind to work in a way that is for our benefit instead of for the benefit of our habits and fears? jonathan pritchard 24:16 What's the saying the best way to move a river is at its source. The earlier you can change the greater effect it'll have over time. That's just how it works. In idiot can't learn from their own mistakes. A normal person will learn from their own mistakes, a genius can learn from other people's mistakes. Most normal people require multiple exposures to their own bad choices before they're ever even aware of a choice being made in the first place. And the lesson will continue showing up at louder and louder Levels until it's at the limit of where they can be aware of it. Because the same level of thinking that creates that level of problems isn't going to change. So they can move, they can change environments. But that same decision making structure is still in place. So you'll make the best decisions you could make, which will create those level of problems that you're used to dealing with. So the consequences just keep showing up again and again until that person goes, oh, maybe I'm the problem here. And that, that sometimes can take a lifetime to come to Ari Gronich 25:42 right. So that sounds a little bit like the horse I know is better than the horse I don't know, kind of thing or jonathan pritchard 25:49 it's, it's that beautiful BF Skinner is is a fascinating character to me. He was a behavioral psychologist and an operant conditioning. So we've got Pavlovian conditioning, which is very straightforward. Ring Bell salivate, okay, it's now the bell ringing is associated with food, therefore, the food trigger happens with the bell. Okay, very straightforward. BF Skinner took that a little farther. And what he did was, this part's a bummer, he would starve pigeons to like 75% of their body weight, so they're very food motivated. Okay, he puts them in a little cage box, and there's a lever that the bird could pack. And then food drops out. Very simple, classical conditioning setup here, where if bird hits lever, then food drops out. And very quickly, the bird fingers spat out, kind of go, oh, if I want food, I hit the lever. Okay, my, my input is required for food output. Awesome, I got it. This box is the limit of experience for this bird. The birds context. The whole thing is the box. That's it. bf Skinner's context is the laboratory. And Skinner changes the logic of the box from the lever to an interval of time set to random. So it might be five minutes, this time, it might be 30 seconds next time, totally random. To drop out the food. The food is no longer connected to the to the lever. The bird lacks the contextual awareness to realize that that change has been made. So within the context, the birds experience, food drops out. It's logical belief is I needed to do something for that food to drop out because I've seen that happen 100 times already. So I guess now whatever it was I was just doing is the thing that I need to do to get the food to drop out which at that point was looking over my right shoulder. Okay, so let me let me try that out. I'm going to try this hypothesis looks over my right shoulder and nothing happens. Mm, okay, maybe I didn't do it hard enough. This time, boom, I look over my right shoulder and food drops out. See I knew it. I knew it was looking over my shoulder. You now have a superstitious pigeon. Straight up superstitious pigeon. From its experience, that is a completely logical belief system that is in alignment with its reality. But it's it's not real. But it makes sense. So the bird can't think outside the context of its experience. So back to the question you asked. It's that a person who doesn't expose themselves to new ideas to other perspectives will always be limited to their pre existing structure of assumptions, that the only logical outcome will always be the same belief and decision making. Those are the decisions you make that are your best strategies that will always result in the kinds of problems that you're used to dealing with. Because the problems you're used to dealing with are a result of the quality and strategy of your thinking. So without changing that fundamental structure, you can't help but end up at the same conclusions, the same problems. And those problems are there as a as just a blaring, like foghorn of, Hey, this is the natural consequence of being you right now. If you want better problems, you've got to change the way you think about your opportunities, your relationships, reality, the only thing that can change is your relationship with reality. SATs when you get cooler problems, that's when things change. But that's why you're not going to level up when you're making the same choices. And like, I've had that happen my own life, the best idea I've got. It keeps playing out over two to three years. But I wind up in exactly the same positions, exactly the same problems. It's just that the actors are different, but it's exactly the same script. I'm the only common denominator here. So what am I doing to create these experiences? Okay. Ari Gronich 31:22 So that's, as I said, that sounds a lot like, you know, the saying, Why am I always attracting the same thing in relationship? or Why am I always attracting the same experience in business? Why, you know, why does this happen to me over and over again? Right, I hear that question a lot. I know that, you know, for me, in business there, there's always been a lot of ups and downs, because my experience was, when my parents, when I was young, my parents got into business with somebody, and he ended up stealing their entire business and everything from them, to where we had to move out of my house, we had to the house, my dad actually had built, we had, you know, we were left with nothing and, and had to rebuild. And so I learned, people are unreliable, they will steal for you, if they have an opportunity, they'll take advantage of you if you're nice. Right? So I have all, you know, it was like all these sets of beliefs that would then later on in life, it didn't happen. When I wasn't in business, it happened only when I went into business, but later in life, I start, you know, I recreated those things. Right. So then the question becomes, how does one when they get that awareness that that's happening, then what are some of the techniques they can use to then shift that perspective? Like some actual tangible techniques, if you if you have any, but to shift the so that, okay, I recognize that pattern. I don't like the pattern, but I don't know how to stop the pattern. So how do we how do we get to that stop the pattern and then to the shift into a new, more healthy or what, you know, cleaner, kind of Yeah, jonathan pritchard 33:29 it goes back to the cause and effect, that is such a difficult thing to do, because that pattern might happen six months earlier, before its consequences are loud enough for you to be able to hear them. And by then it's difficult to recognize the state you were in six months ago that led to the choices that led to the six months later consequences. So it's, it's really difficult. This is not easy stuff. It can be simple. Once you understand that it's fairly direct, and it makes sense. But it doesn't mean it's easy. Another thing is to recognize that these are the beliefs, behaviors and systems of decision making, that you've had for a lifetime. And you've had that long to get really good at thinking that way. Thinking is a skill being you is a skill. making the choices that feel right is a skill. And the more you make those choices, the more natural those choices feel. And that's a big part of why you keep making them. Because this is clearly the best way to make this choice. This is clearly my best option. This is the one that feels right. feels right because it's the one you're most familiar with the one you're best at doing. That's why it's the best. It kind of takes a genius to be able to wake yourself up. It's very, very useful to have a mentor, or some external third party person who isn't living in the same context as you are. So that they can recognize those patterns before you do to be able to give you those pattern interrupts of, Hey, why are you doing it that way? What do you mean? I'm, I'm doing it that way. I'm not doing it that way. Yeah, you're you're actually right in the middle of doing it that way. Look, exactly what you're doing. Oh, my god, you're right. I, I am Wait, what? How did I get here what's happening, right kind of wake you up in the middle of that, that natural process. And a big part of it is recognizing that changing your behavior is not going to feel natural. Every instinct you have will tell you that this is wrong. And that this is not the right way to do things. And it will feel like you're dying is basically it. Because what's dying are those ideas that are living in the energy of of your imagination in mind, that are feeding off your decision energy that keeps them alive. So those ideas are going to fight tooth and nail to make sure that you don't kill them. But that's what happens when you start making different choices. You're starting to give that energy to new ideas, the old ideas are not going to go quietly into the night. So just recognize that doing a better strategy. At first is going to feel more uncomfortable and unfamiliar than riding a unicycle and juggling fire. Just know that that's part of the process. Ari Gronich 37:17 That sounds like fun, actually, I'm a Burning Man guy. So I like juggling fire and jonathan pritchard 37:23 a reason I have the the fire juggling tattoo. Ari Gronich 37:27 Absolutely. So So then the question becomes to change your habits. Sometimes we need to change our circumstances, our environment and the people we're around, right? Because we're around people who are like we were or like we are but not like we want to be necessarily. So the uncomfortability that people tend to have when it when it when they're changing or when somebody is changing around them. And the pullback though, the the crab box, you know, like we always are pulling people down instead of lifting them up. So you've got to find people who are where you want to go. Right? And that way you have those mentors and those people who can point out to you and say, so the question becomes at that point, why would those people want to be around you? Because they have to, they have to decide, am I going to mentor this person, I'm going to, you know, beyond our current culture of everybody's a coach and pay me and I'll help you, right? Everybody's, I'm a mentor. But if you have to pay me 50,000 to mentor you. It used to be that was just like, the way that we grew up in the world was we would you know, somebody above would take somebody below and say, Here, come with me. And let's go do this together. Let me teach you let me train you. Let me see. But and, you know, you get the idea that in this current world that we live in, it's difficult to find somebody who's at that level that says, you know, like Andrew Carnegie saying to Napoleon Hill, I will mentor you, you just, you know, go right about it, learn about it. Let's do this. Right. So how to that kind of? Well, you heard the question. jonathan pritchard 39:41 Yeah, there are a couple very, very subtle distinctions that that I think are important to, to nail down. Which is you're right, the crab bucket mentality and people dragging you down because you're useful reassurance. They're to say, like, whatever they're getting out of you being the you You are now, you'll be taking that from them by changing your situation. So there's that to be aware of the danger. The caution I want to pin down is, wherever you go, there you are. And if you make the mistake of believing, changing your environment alone, is what's needed for you to be different you that will quickly turn back into the you, you're used to, because you brought you with you wherever you went, right. So wherever it is, you go very soon, way faster than you think you are making the choices to recreate exactly the same dynamic you ran away from in the first place. So a change of environment is a useful pattern interrupt to hiccup, so that you can take stock of my natural next instinct is to do this. And that way, the same patterns are there, the environments different. So that gives you a chance to recognize those patterns. So that's why it's useful for environment changes. But changing your environment doesn't change you. You bring yourself along with you. So there, that's just kind of the one of the distinctions I want to make, which is, you can't run away, you're not going to go to a new city and start all over again. And things will be different this time. No, six months later, you'll be right back in the same same spot. So the next detail is about well, how in the world do you get a mentor, especially nowadays, the internet and that kind of a thing. Having an in person mentor is awesome. Having direct relationships with them is awesome. But books are the world's best thinkers throughout all written history that you have to learn from. And it's getting mind reading lessons from the world's most effective people. So they have generously distilled a lifetime's worth of valuable insight into a couple of 100 pages that you can read in eight hours. So that same 50,000 hour $50,000, you would need to pay to sit down with Mark Cuban or whoever, for eight hours, you could buy it for five bucks on on Kindle. So there's that angle to it. The other angle is why in the world, with some world class achiever want to hang out with a loser like me. That is a very logical belief, that is a very reasonable thing to keep you away from making those connections. totally makes sense. Doesn't have to be real. But it's logical. And that's the real thorny part of this. All the stuff that's gonna derail you. totally makes sense. It feels right. It's it's logical. Like, yeah, you just built a great case for why this will never happen. But look at that, dude, he shows you that it doesn't have to happen, it can go a different way. So I like to kind of explain that idea. In the context of I just did my mind reading show 70 minute migrating show comedy bringing people up on stage in front of a roomful of people. That's a very uncomfortable situation for a volunteer to be in. But I helped them feel like a million bucks. I set them up for success. I can calm them down, build that rapport, that trust very quickly, the whole whole nine yards. So you do the show. Standing ovation. Okay, I've had some of those to definitely had some of those. So, afterwards, there's going to be three types of people that come talk to me. The first one is going to say, How did you do that trick? Tell me that trick with the hands and touching the hands. How does that work? And then I say it's a mystery. Oh, man, it's woof. Isn't that a good trick? Huh? That's that's level of their interest. The second person will go You know, I've always been interested in mind reading and mentalism and the psychology of humans and, and I'm just super fascinated about it. And then I go Okay, what what books have you read? Like, oh, I, I don't even know where to start. I go, Okay, well, here's a good book to check out. Here's a good book to check out. Here's a good resource, your library 790 8.3 or 790 3.8, whatever, whatever that number is, is the Dewey Decimal number for magic and in games. That's it at libraries. It's sitting right there at your county library. been there for decades, same books since 1950s. Alright, so gave them their lead. The third person will go man, that was a great show loved it. I've been interested in mentalism. And I've read this book. And this trick in that book is my favorite, but I just can't get it to work right? Then I go, I'm sorry, everybody. autograph line is done. I'm going to have to hang out this person, because try to shut me up. Walking that person through. Okay, so your thumb is a little like it's two millimeters away from the perfect position. Now, put it right here. It doesn't that feel like oh, yeah, I can do the thing. So there are a lot of people who demand the answers, go find them yourself. A lot of people want answers, here's where to find them. Here are the answers I've already been searching for, and been trying. And here, here, the frustrations I've had. I'm going to mentor that third person, that third person has already demonstrated that my time is not going to be wasted, by virtue of them already doing what it is that they need to do to win. So coaches want to coach winners. They don't want to they don't want to coach losers, right? You just don't. So make yourself valuable, demonstrate that you're coachable. Don't Don't argue with the person who's already been doing this for 30 years, and can do this in their sleep. So fight the urge to argue with the person who is provably better at doing these things than you are. Because I'm not interested in debating. I'm not interested in arguing. I was a I was competitive debater in high school and college, through all of it. I was a competitive debater, that was the fun time for me to do that. I'm no longer interested in that I'm now interested in creating and building and giving other people the tools and techniques and strategies to build success for themselves. That's what I'm interested in. If you're interested in arguing with me about that's not the way I see it, great, then I don't need to mentor you. And a lot of people make themselves unmaintainable by by fighting to keep their old ways of losing that they will they will give everything they have to hold on to the way they've always done it. And why in the world? Am I going to care more than they do about their problems? So no. So do what you can with what you got. And just do that day in day out. And that's how you show that, hey, I will actually take to heart what you're going to teach me and I want to implement what it is you can show me. The other side of that equation, though the cautionary side is nobody. And I mean, no human being can think outside the box. When somebody says we need to think outside the box, they don't know what they're talking about. Because we're all pigeons in that cage. The only thing you can do is crawl out of your box into somebody else's slightly larger box. The instant you start applying their strategies and advice, you begin building their box. So if the person giving you advice is living a life you wouldn't trade for. ignore it. That's the final litmus test of would I give up everything I have to live the life that persons living. If not, you can completely ignore the advice they're trying to give you because the moment you start listening to it and In making those decisions that are in alignment with what they would do, you're going to start getting the same consequences they do, whether that's getting fabulously rich and wealthy, maybe that's getting rich and wealthy and a horrible home life and their wife hates them. consequences are positive and negative. They're just the natural byproduct of the decisions you make. So make sure that the consequences are worth what they're going to cost you, which is everything that you have right now. Ari Gronich 50:33 Yeah, I call I call it I talked about that in my book with the butterfly effect. I call it nuanced thinking and and, you know, following a path, it's the same thing and operational planning is, what are the actions and then what are the consequences to the consequences to the consequences to the consequences of the one action that was all the way back over here. And, and sometimes it's good, I tell my son, actually, you know, like, there's consequences to everything. If you're late for, you know, get in your car, when it's parked at a parking meter, you're going to get a ticket, if you don't do your homework, it's, you're, you're going to have a consequence, if you do your homework, you're going to have that consequence of learning and growing and changing. And I try to give him that kind of a philosophy. He's seven years old, but he is so smart, so he can understand the words that I'm saying and what I'm telling him. And, and yeah, I find I find that to be really fascinating. What I also find fascinating is how few people even recognize the consequence to their action, long after the action is done, or right away, you know, and what you said earlier is is true that sometimes that consequence comes much later. And it's harder to put the start point of the origin with with the answer. But, you know, Jim Rohn, used to say, you can, you know, you plan, like, say a five year plan. And you say, here's the goal, here's where I'm going. And then within five years, you get there, you're going to get somewhere in five years, you can either have go to a well designed location, or an undesigned location. Right. And so the the consequences of your actions today are five years down the road, it's, it's a way so just backtrack, the goal backtrack, what you want to do. I also like the the conversation that you're talking about needs because everything every action is a response to get a fundamental need met. And I don't think myself included, that majority of people actually write a needs list for anything that they do specifically. So whether it's a relationship, they might say, here's a trait list I want in the person, but not a needless, what is it that I need from a relationship? What is it that I need? From my business? What is it the lifestyle, the need of the lifestyle I want to live What's the need of the health I want to have? And, and and bringing it back to that is that would be a fundamental way to shift the actions is to recognize Okay, here are my fundamental needs which may or may not shift at some point as you grow older and and so on. But it's an interesting thing. I have you know, you brought up things like mentalist you know as far as a profession What do you think of the TV show mentalist or psych or even lied to me? You know, where, where they're talking about body language and what what intrigues me is the amount of information they can gather from the body language and so forth. Do you have any techniques or skills that help somebody become more observant of their surroundings become more and it kind of goes back to that phone thing that you talked about earlier when you had me look at the phone to become that hyper focused where you can see the nuance of an environment? jonathan pritchard 54:40 Yeah, I I am not being trite. I am being ultra literal here, which is they are able to notice so much because they read the script. And I mean, to say Sat. The body language narrative is a useful tool to instill the belief that I can do things that you can't. It's predicated on a fundamental misunderstanding of reality, though. If you were to press any of these body language experts, they the the Balian mode, kind of like, Oh, I'm going to advance this. And then when you attack me, I'm going to retreat to my mode. Right? That process is they claim to be a body language expert. And here's, I know, because here's how human body language works. that argument, though, is founded on the belief that there are universal displays of human emotion, that a smile is always a smile. A frown is always a frown. In that kind of a thing. There are zero, universally applicable human displays of emotion. They are always contextually relevant. Always. So there's, there's no one behavior, that always means the same thing. To put it simply, that fundamentally undermines the entire structure that these body language experts build their, their life on. Right? So then they retreat to Well, I don't I'm not saying that, Jonathan, I mean, that I'm just really good at reading the situation. So why are you taking a two second clip from a three hour conversation? And then espousing that I have a rocky relationship with my my dad? Like, it's it's all hogwash. It's made up. It's, it's modern day phonology. It's tarot cards. It's Barnum statements. So I fundamentally disagree with a lot of body language experts, and the entire structure of their business. Having said that, within the context of a performance, a mind reading show, I'll use that as a useful narrative. To give my audience something to hold on to that explains how I'm able to know these things about somebody when the real method is I stole the information somehow. So it's a useful narrative, to give your mind an explanation. And once your mind has an explanation, it stops looking for the explanation. Ari Gronich 58:09 Right? You're placated. jonathan pritchard 58:10 Yes, you go, I need an answer. Here you go. Oh, I have an answer. Now, my worlds okay. He waved his hand and snapped his fingers. That's how it worked. It sounds stupid when it when you say it out loud in your life. I know that can't be what it is. But your non conscious mind, the mind that filters out the experience, the one that operates off of a lifetime's worth of Yes, how it works, totally buys it totally buys it. So that that's my cautionary tale, which is to say, be aware of those assumptions, that you know what's going on? Because a little knowledge is really dangerous. Ari Gronich 58:56 Right? So the one I hear a lot is your arms are crossed, right? Mm hmm. Yep. Closed to this conversation because your arms are crossed. And so you're closing off and saying no, yeah. Yeah. You know, I could be cold. I again, like Like you said, I could be cold and you know, I could be cold. I could be just like resting on on my belly, you know, place to put my hands I can be as you are, you know, just comfortable and leaning on the, you know, jonathan pritchard 59:29 yes. My chair doesn't have armrests. I gotta, Ari Gronich 59:32 yeah, I don't have them. If I were to read body language. If I were to go by this script, so to speak, I'd say you're closed off right now. If I were to go by my intuition, I'd say he's relaxed. He's open in the conversation. He's having a good time. He's making eye contact. You know, even with the camera, not with me, but you know, I mean, yeah, that's, that's an nuanced way of looking at it versus a prescribed way of looking at it. Right? jonathan pritchard 1:00:05 Right. The Yeah, the the, the way that it works, where you can build it to help you is number of times you've been in this certain kind of dynamic. I've been in my show more than 1000 times. And I have 100 times 1000 data points of picking somebody who's actively scowling. And so within the American context, within the smaller context of my show, within the even smaller context of my audience, in the smaller, smaller context of that audience member, over the years, when I pick somebody who looks like that, my show tends to go wrong. It tends to go very poorly, because 10 times out of 10, I go, you know what, Jonathan, maybe you're just reading too much into this. Maybe he's just cold baby, he's, so let me bring him up. And then every time I bring that kind of person up, that they are not a good experience for the show. And as a steward of the experience for my audience, I'm doing my audience a disservice by picking that person again and again. So what what you can do is look for the baseline of what that person's normal is, then your pattern recognition will be real good at being able to notice deviations from that, that normal. So that's why it's really difficult for a magician or a mentalist to successfully execute a trick with their best friend or family members, or people that spend all day every day you go, I am the great Jonathan Pritchard from and they're like, Jonathan, shut up, I changed your diapers, man, like just stop it and be like, they they know the affectation, right? From the everyday me. So if there's some sort of tick, or weirdness or tension in my shoulder, because I'm uncomfortable, because I'm about to do the tricky move, they will be able to feel that difference. Even if they're not able to point out, Hey, your your right shoulder came up as you were dealing, you need to be aware of that, they'll still be able to go there was something weird. I don't know what it was. But that didn't. I didn't feel like magic that felt like you were trying to do something. And then if I can pull it off with a family member, I know that that skill is is locked down cold, we go all right now there's no chance an audience member is going to be able to perceive that difference from my baseline. All right. Ari Gronich 1:03:16 Right. So I used to do, I'm a hypnotist certified clinical hypnotist, apparently hypnotherapist and I did take the stage course and how to do stage hypnosis. And I'm, I'm pretty good at at picking the right person that is going to be inducible. And, and stuff for fast. Induction Right. Which, by the way, a fast induction is not as fast as it looks, because everything that they said every bit of what they did before they did the induction was the induction. So just as a cautionary tale. But what I was I you know, I've not ever been able to do is somebody who knew me for more than a year. I could never get if, if I if I knew them for more than a year. They knew me they weren't they were they were just wanting to prove that I couldn't do it. Right. Versus versus the opposite. So I totally get that. That's kind of like, you know, the horse, you know, again, the horse you know versus the horse you don't know. When you don't know something. You can be surprised by it. When you know something and absolute. There's nothing to surprise you. So being in the place of allowing a surprise is the place of being curious. And the place of being curious is wanting to have knowledge that you do not currently have or Wanting to extend the knowledge that you do currently have, right? So jonathan pritchard 1:05:04 absolutely. Ari Gronich 1:05:05 So in your line of work, you know, like the things that you do on a daily basis besides the practice besides the stage performing? What is it that you what is like, if there were three things or four things that you can point to that you tell all of your clients that you say to all of the people that are kind of recurring themes? What are those recurring themes that, that you absolutely, you know, that are absolute for you. jonathan pritchard 1:05:45 Learn Kung Fu. Really, all of what we're talking about is concrete. And physics level true. And you learn that the first time you get punched in the face. I don't care what your mindset is, I don't care what your vision board is, I don't care what your motivation was, I don't care how you were feeling. I don't care what you wanted. I don't care what you intended to do. None of that matters, because you just got punched in the face. And you realize that none of that stopped it from happening. And your instructor who loves you enough to punch you in the face, is teaching you something extraordinarily valuable, which is none of that other stuff matters. If you can't even get out of the way of what's happening to you. So learning to control your base layer, your physical layer of reality is step one ground level for being able to affect any other kind of change at more and more abstract levels. So, learn how to stand, learn how to be balanced, learn how to move in a coordinated fashion, in a disciplined system way. The process of developing that skill set is kind of a holographic or fractal or multi level application, however you want to put it, the process of learning that level of it will be the context that you can now apply to your emotions, or your thoughts, or your breath, or your energy or your time. All those other more abstract levels are more difficult to manage, than learning to stand up, right? So having a physical discipline is your most valuable context to explore all these, what sound like abstract ideas, but really, their fundamental truths that you can prove to yourself by virtue of learning how to not get punched in the face. So everybody goes, Oh, Jonathan, what should I do about this? I'm feeling this way or that and then you can always bring it back down to if somebody were trying to punch you in the face in this way. What would you do about it? Well, they shouldn't be punching me in the face. Well, they are. You're fighting reality right? Now. You're refusing to accept what is real. And only by perceiving what is real? Can you do anything about it? So that doesn't matter right now. They're punching you in the face? What are you going to do about it? Well, I don't want them to punch me in the face. That's a logical thing to feel. And that's not going to stop them from punching you in the face. Their fist is coming at you. It's even closer now. Because you've wasted time wondering why they're doing it, and how it makes you feel and why they should or should not be doing this. And none of that stuff matters. What do you do about it? So that, to me is the world's fastest way to cut through all the chicanery and the the whatnot, that's holding you back from doing things differently than how you've always wanted to do them. Because in that context, you can try out those strategies. That usually takes six months to play out. It can take half a second, and then you try it again, and it still doesn't work. Then you try it again, and it still doesn't work. You try it again. And it works even worse that time. And you're proving to yourself, oh, my best strategies are actually pretty awful. So maybe I should think about doing things differently. Okay, teach, what do I do in this situation? All right, well, you got to make sure you maintain your balance, you got to coordinate your structure, you have to move in a United Way with intention. That's the only way that you can interact with reality and survive contact. So, so legit, have some sort of physical practice, and self defense, or martial arts or whatever, is the most fundamental rock solid foundation that you can build from. Nice, yeah, Ari Gronich 1:10:51 I've been a martial artist since I was five. I used to work with the PAL program in Santa Monica. And just kind of funny story is, we were we were training. The pal program is the police activities league. And we were training a bunch of kids that were part of the program. So we teach them school stuff, and then, you know, mentor them on school, and then we would teach them martial arts. And for that privilege, we got to do some adult play with the cops. So we, you know, gun takeaway weapons works and things like that. And I was, I was training one of the the newer adults in, in the class, in self defense. And basically, he was doing a punch to the face, but he would do an angle, so he wouldn't be coming towards my face. Right. So he was not allowing me to block or to do anything, because I could just stand there and I would never get hit. So jonathan pritchard 1:12:07 do me a favor, right? Ari Gronich 1:12:08 I would tell him, you got to hit me in the chin, you got to go straight for my chin was straight for my chin straight for my chin. And eventually, he did. And he hit me square on the chin. And I was like, I just said, Good. Now you're getting it. Right. He didn't want to work with me again. I want him in the gym. But I'm like, you have to do the movement towards the person in a way that's reality based so that they can in reality go to the defense of themselves. Right. So anyway, it's just an interesting story that goes along with what you're saying. And the chicanery. And as we heard people say, the mishegoss, which means meetings, the craziness of it all. You know, it is actually a really good thing for people to do is train their body to be in a battle. I mean, the benefit is that the majority of people who are who learn martial arts will never get in a fight ever, in their life. Because the aura that they put off the the positioning of their body that the way that they stand and walk just says to people, not the person for me to mess with, right. So it's not about enjoying the fight. It's about the persona, the personality. You know, I tell people, I think we need to get people back into a draft of some sort, whether it's military draft, or civil service, some kind of Peace Corps, it should be a mandatory thing to serve the country and create that kind of level of care for the community and society around you. Right. But also, the discipline of the military is is a good aspect to learn as long as you're not losing yourself in the process.You know, yeah, you've got to have a system that sets you free, rather than a system that creates a robot clone of somebody else. Right. And what I loved about Bruce Lee was move like water, you know, like water is you move like water, you flow like what? No set discipline, all of them mix together and then put into action. weigh that anything that comes at him, he's ready for because he didn't train to be rigid, he trained to flow like water. And so you know, good in your mind as well in your body. But what you were saying, you know true that in many cases it starts in the body, the body creates the environment for the mind to thrive. If you have an unhealthy body, you're going to have probably an unhealthy mind or at least a less healthy, less optimized mind. So what would you say? If somebody was at your show? And they start heckling you and telling your tricks from from the audience? What is you know, like, that would be to me a punch in the face, right? So how, how would you because I want you to kind of demonstrate a punch in the fight face and you know, a swerve kung fu is like Aikido is kind of like, use their energy. Right? So how would you How would you deal with that? I wanted to liven it up a little bit. jonathan pritchard 1:16:19 Yeah. One of my kind of Wing Chun Kung Fu, sayings comes to mind, which is the best self defense is to not be their second best is learn Kung Fu. In a way, I just don't show up for that. So at a more fundamental level, I don't get hecklers anymore. Because I don't design my show in a way that encourages them. And I, I, it might look like a punch to somebody else. It might look like a heckler to somebody else. I just see them trying to hug me real good kind of reframe of what's happening. So very rarely do I ever get somebody who's genuinely heckling. Most of the time, if it's a show stopping event, and it's derailing the experience, it's mainly because that person drank too much. And they lacked the context to understand their way of interacting is not helping everybody have a good time. So there's that part of it. And I want to meet that person with love. And that's another angle to the martial arts thing, which is, you don't have to be angry at your opponent. And it doesn't even have to be an opponent. Sometimes the people you love the most are the closest with the most opportunity to hurt you. And you can't slam their head into the wall, in self defense. So you've got to be really skillful at maintaining your boundaries and your safety, while maintaining the physical well being and emotional well being and intellectual well being of the people you care about. So your natural instinct doesn't have to be annihilate this person. Most performers, and especially comedians, that's their deal, man. I had a heckler last night and I got killed it man, I just shut them down. I'm bares them in front of their wife. It was awesome. Right? Like that's their go to is to meet that interaction with destruction. It's that's not my jam. I've designed my my show, my two day workshops, my keynotes, everything essentially follows this same formula, which is right up front. Greet the audience with warmth, and genuine love and appreciation. Because I know how I make a living is an absolute gift. It's an honor, and a privilege. And the moment I take that for granted, it's all over. So I can't ever be a diva. I am supremely appreciative of the way I get to live my life and have built it. So there's that. So when I walk out on stage, that's the vibe. I playfully accentuate the Yes, yes. You don't know it yet. But I deserved every bit of that applause Thank you, thank you, that kind of thing. They kind of go, okay, he he's got a sense of humor about it, but he's confident I get it. So that's a good establishing line. thin, I do things that the audience can't do. Just right up front. All right, everybody. Let's try this thing together. And then I can do it. Nobody else can. And without saying it explicitly, I say Look, I can do things you can't. And the audience gets it because they just watched it happen. They go against you could do things I can't All right. He's, he's the guy that can do things. I get it. Okay. So that gets communicated right up front. And I need to fulfill that expectation that the audience has. We're gonna see a guy who could do things I can't. That's what they want to see happen, right? Like, that's almost literally what they're paying money for, is to see a guy read minds, I can't remind. So this dude says he could read minds. He better reads minds, man, right. So you have to do what they're expecting to fulfill that checkbox. All right, I got my money's worth. I came to see my greeting show. What do you just did some cool stuff. All right. Everything from here is gravy. I want that done as quickly as possible. Because then I shift to Yeah, yeah, it all makes sense that I can do these things. Because I've spent a lifetime learning to do them. I learned to juggle fire when I was 13 years old hammer nails at my nose when I was 15. Eat fire when I was 18. I've got a whole laundry list of weird skills. And none of that is unexpected. Because I'm the dude on stage here. To me, it's more interesting. To help you guys see what you can do. The whole rest of the show is me being the facilitator of making the audience members, the stars of the show. They are the agents of action. They're the person that predicts the future. They're the person that that does everything. So everything I do is focused on highlighting them as the important person. And now I'm kind of like the talk show host. Sure. Everybody knows this Johnny Carson show. Everybody knows it's Jay Leno. Everybody knows it's Letterman. Those are the names. But they're interesting because their guests, and you watch the show, because the interesting conversations they have. So now who's going to heckle me. Because I'm just there to make their friend look good. And now if there is a heckler, or somebody who is interacting in a not okay way within the confines of this performance, I am now in a position to stick up for my friend who's on stage. And I go, Listen, man, this is not easy to do. This is a scary spot to be in. And my friend right here is doing a phenomenal job. And I'm not going to let you steal this moment from them. So if you can't respect that this person is doing something very difficult, right? Now, I'm going to ask you to leave. Because we don't do that here. And then they go, Oh, I didn't know I was being that kind of an idiot. And you're like you were being that kind of an idiot. So I'm giving you this one opportunity, explicitly outlining what behavior I expect from you, which is to sit down, shut up, and clap when it's time. That is the appropriate way to interact with the show right now. That kind of thing, right? The number of times that I've had to do that infinitesimal compared to the number of times I haven't had to do that. But when you structure your show that way, it's no longer Look at me because I'm the cool man. And now it's a contest of wills. That's just inviting the alpha male in the audience who has the identity of I'm the most interesting person in this room. Right, like, and now that Jonathan guy is making me feel threatened, because my girlfriend is watching him instead of me. And now I need to lash out and I need to attack. Oh, it's fake. You're a phony, right? That's the root of that heckling, is threatening that person's identity as whatever. So I don't come out claiming to be the thing that would threaten them. And suddenly that behavior doesn't happen. Ari Gronich 1:24:14 So let's translate that as as kind of the last bit of cool advice. let's translate that to business and life. Right? So you have a template when you go on stage. People don't have a template to live their life, but they can make one. So give us some some hints on how somebody can make a better template. Well, I'm not going to qualify it with better or worse but can make a template for their life. That creates audience participation versus the kind of heckling and interaction right? So lifes participation going with your template versus being a thorn in the template. jonathan pritchard 1:25:10 It's cliche, but for a reason it works. Which is to be more interested in other people than being

What I’m Obsessed With Now
Episode 009 - Behavioural Psychology

What I’m Obsessed With Now

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2021 48:32


Episode three of the modern psychology series and another episode of What I’m Obsessed With Now. This episode leaves the feuding Freud and Jung, as we look at behavioural psychology. We will talk a look at Pavlov and his dogs, James B. Watson the father of the field, Harry Harlow the monster and my personal favourite BF Skinner. These theories are interesting and resonate with the world I see around me, I think you’ll find it just as interesting. A fascinating field, and a great way to end our look at modern psychology.

Portland Free Thinkers Club
Portland Free Thinkers Club Ep. #59: Relearning to Value Our Time

Portland Free Thinkers Club

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2020 19:17


In this episode Derick breaks down why we need to re-learn how to value our time and why establishing and respecting boundaries is key to making that happen. He ponders why we need an elaborate excuse to receive time off from a job (7:21), how we don't sell an employer our skills, rather we sell them our time (6:17), gives some insight behind the Portland Free Thinkers Club intro song (12:38), and lastly, abandoning the status quo and paving a new path (15:03). Support us on Podhero! https://podhero.com/467480-ikv . Or if you don't like middlemen, tip us for our hard work via our CashApp link at the bottom of the show notes. Follow us on Instagram @portlandfreethinkersclub . For more info: www.portlandfreethinkersclub.com/show-notes .Support the show (https://cash.app/$derickgvisuals)

Stories From History's Dust Bin
B. F. Skinner: Psychologist, philosopher, pigeon trainer - Episode 35

Stories From History's Dust Bin

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2020 6:46


Of course you might imagine horses or even fierce dogs and wolves… but let's think a little more creatively.   What about rats? Bats? Elephants? True – those creatures have all been used in warfare.   But what's an animal NO ONE would ever suspect? Is it possible to effectively surprise your enemy with a common, ordinary creature – and who would be able to pull it off?   From The Stories From History's Dust Bin, Volume 3 – comes the story of Dr. Burrhus Frederic Skinner, who, during WWII, was able to weaponize the most ordinary of animals… the pigeon. Stories from History's Dust Bin is a 3-volume set of historical short stories. These are the nuggets of gold that had fallen by the wayside… the little known and unusual. Many of these gems were destined to be forever lost until they were collected, dusted off and brought back to life by author Wayne Winterton.   Each podcast episode features one of over 450 short stories from either Winterton's Award-Winning Stories from Dust Bin series* or the companion volume, From Ace to Zamboni: 101 More Dust Bin Stories, as narrated by either the author or his son, William, or daughter, Jana.   If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us 5 stars and a glowing review on iTunes! And if you don't want to wait a whole week to hear another story from the Dust Bin, consider picking up the books on Amazon (either downloadable or good ol' fashioned ink and paper).   The Entire History's Dust Bin Collection Is Available On Amazon: https://amzn.to/3bDrip4       * Winner of the Arizona Book of the Year Award for 2016

Psychology Concepts Explained
Lecture Ch 6 “Learning Theories”

Psychology Concepts Explained

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2020 76:02


In this lecture I cover some of the major Learning theories for an Intro to Psychology class, such as Classical Conditioning (Ivan Pavlov & John B. Watson), Operant conditioning (BF Skinner), and Social Learning theory/Observational Learning (Albert Bandura).  Thanks again for listening!  Find me via email: PsychExplained@pm.me, or  via Twitter, @JACKBTEACHING (I know, that's clever, right?). Ways to Support my podcast: Use Anchor link below, choose a monthly amount, Or a single donation using PayPal to my username, @JACKYAC  Or my PayPal profile page: https://paypal.me/jackyac?locale.x=en_US All support received goes towards keeping Dr. Chuang caffeinated, and the coffee purchased will be from local, small roasters and coffee shops - so your support will help local small businesses! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jackbteaching/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jackbteaching/support

School For The Dogs Podcast
When your home isn't the right home for your dog (and other subects)

School For The Dogs Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2020 42:07


Warning: This episode meanders a bit! Annie's Facebook friend made the difficult decision to rehome her rescue dog, and Annie considers what it means to decide that a different family might be a better fit for anyone you love, be it human or dog, temporarily or forever. What if all forms of parenting were truly voluntary? Is it a dog's fault if behavior problems are exacerbated by an environment that may have been chosen for him or her more or less at random? Were slaves insane if they tried to escape their masters? Annie follows a line of thinking that touches on how we could use positive reinforcement to help prevent unplanned pregnancies, and on how both fear and generalizations based on false assumptions can cause racism. She also explains BF Skinner's unusual argument in favor of teen pregnancy. Join Annie for a live Q and A this Thursday (10/01/2020) @ 12 pm EST! https://event.webinarjam.com/register/183/n7z7lsnw Sign up for Annie's free Master Class at http://anniegrossman.com/masterclass School Sucks Drapetomania episode: https://schoolsucksproject.com/053-drapetomania/ Walden Two: https://www.amazon.com/Walden-Two-Hackett-Classics-Skinner/dp/0872207781 The Cut's story about the Stauffer family and their adopted son: https://www.thecut.com/2020/06/youtuber-myka-stauffer-rehomed-her-adopted-son-huxley.html

Do Wonders Podcast
Angela Khater, Supervising Clinician

Do Wonders Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2020 21:24


In this episode of the Do Wonders podcast, I talk with Angela Khater, a Supervising Clinician in the Detroit Area. You'll hear what happens when the drive of a parent to provide whats best for the child meets what BF Skinner calls the first principle of scientific methodologists when you run into something interesting to drop everything and study it Please make sure to share the link to our podcast to your coworkers, employees, bosses, friends and families, as we continue to highlight the stories of our technicians, clinicians, and the tireless staff that support our great mission. https://do-wonders.captivate.fm/listen (https://do-wonders.captivate.fm/listen)

2 Sugars, No Sleep
Experience Stretching: The #1 Thing You Need to Understand About Healthy Social Media Use

2 Sugars, No Sleep

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2020 31:27


In today’s discussion, we get to meet Abraham Robertson (@AbrahamNeitaRob), Investor and Entrepreneur, and student of life. We’re talking about something that everyone needs to understand in the 21st century and beyond. Tune in to find out why. ... Have you ever compared yourself consciously or unconsciously to someone on social media? Sometimes it’s people we know, sometimes it’s strangers. Everybody has put the highlight reel of their lives on full display. This has a lot of upsides, but it can also have some scary downsides. It creates this pressure to chase a false ideal of success/happiness. This is what Abraham has coined as “Experience Stretching.” Which is the topic of today’s podcast. More and more technology is becoming an extension of who we are. For many, social media is at the center of how we connect to everyone and everything. We’re constantly being exposed to new experiences virtually. Our experiences inevitably affect how we see the world and our lives. We have a choice in how we let this affect us. When we see things online we can choose to: A) Use those experiences to attract and manifest B) Appreciate them without feeling any attachment C) Compare yourself and feel a sense of lack or insecurity about where you are … Most of us use social media unconsciously without realizing how powerful it is as a tool, it can amplify and connect you to whatever you want. But with great power comes great responsibility. I personally all kids should take some social media ethics/best practices course. We need to be mindful about how we navigate these platforms and how we let them affect us. This conversation with Abraham breaks down how we can arm ourselves against the downsides of social media and harness it's power for better. We talk about BF Skinner, The Comparison Trap, Manifestation, Self Awareness, and much more. Check out the full podcast for the juicy deets

Podcast El Abrazo del Oso
El Abrazo del Oso - B.F. Skinner - Psicología Conductual

Podcast El Abrazo del Oso

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2020 129:41


Si te gusta el Abrazo del Oso y quieres acceder a más contenidos extra, puedes ayudarnos pinchando en el botón apoyar aquí en iVoox. O pásate por www.patreon.com/elabrazodeloso ¡GRACIAS! Programa originalmente emitido en OMC Radio el 15 de diciembre de 2014. Encontrar la raíz de la conducta humana fue el objetivo de Burrhus Frederic Skinner, el padre del llamado conductismo radical o del condicionamiento operante, elementos de la psicología que hoy marcan el trabajo de muchos psicólogos y el bienestar de muchos de sus clientes. Vamos a conocer, junto a nuestros compañeros Alberto Cabañas, Ángel González y Eduardo Moreno, al hombre y su trabajo, no exento de críticas y polémicas, pero con una importancia sin parangón en el mundo de la psicología científica y para el conocimiento del comportamiento humano. Bienvenidos al laboratorio de la mente de B.F. Skinner. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Portland Free Thinkers Club
Portland Free Thinkers Club Ep. #20: Mob Mentality as a Result of Peer Pressure

Portland Free Thinkers Club

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2020 21:26


In this episode Derick talks mob mentality as a result of peer pressure and operant conditioning. He talks about the federal officers sent to Portland by the US President and national media coverage spreading misinformation about the current state of Portland (3:57), Stanley Milgram’s three primary situational values that influence or enable killing behavior on the battlefield (7:18), two recent attacks against protesters by federal officers (8:16) and a personal note as to why we should attempt to understand the psychology of police officers and soldiers (14:16). Get groceries delivered from your favorite stores with Instacart using this link: https://instacart.oloiyb.net/c/2340538/415002/7412 . For more info: www.dailydepository.com/pftc-show-notes . Support the show (https://cash.app/$derickgvisuals)

Ideas Matter: the boi podcast
Ideas Matter: Walden Two and radical behaviourism

Ideas Matter: the boi podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2020 28:44


On 20 June 2020, Battle of Ideas Charity hosted The Academy Online, a series of talks and book discussions exploring the theme Psychology and Democracy.This podcast features the introductory talk to a discussion on the 1948 novel ‘Walden Two’ by BF Skinner, an American psychologist, author, inventor and social philosopher. Skinner liked to describe his own philosophy as 'radical behaviorism' and the novel has gained renewed attention alongside interest in social psychology and behavioural science at a time of a pandemic, when many are keen to understand the factors that shape our decisions and the extent to which we can say we are we conscious agents who determine our own actions.The lecturer is Dr Helene Guldberg, a lecturer in psychology at the Open University and author of two books; ‘Reclaiming Childhood: freedom and play in an age of fear’ and ‘Just Another Ape?’.THE ACADEMY 2020: PSYCHOLOGY AND DEMOCRACY The Academy Online was a mixture of lectures and seminars offering an opportunity to place contemporary events in a historical and philosophical context. The full programme and some background reading can be found at theboi.co.uk/the-academy-online…logy-and-democracyTHE ACADEMY In the context of today’s instrumental approaches to knowledge, The Academy summer school is a modest attempt to demonstrate the value of scholarship, and of the worth of the university as a place of free enquiry dedicated to the pursuit of truth.DONATING TO THE BOI CHARITY The BOI charity is committed to continuing to host discussion and debates throughout this period when society is restricted by measures to tackle coronavirus. In order to realise events such as the Academy Online, none of our staff are furloughed and instead remain working. If you can, then please consider a donation, small or large. Visit: theboi.co.uk/donateIDEAS MATTER PODCAST Ideas Matter is a podcast that takes the most important issues of our times and explores the ideas and intellectual trends that have shaped where we are today.You can subscribe and listen to Ideas Matter on Apple Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify or SoundCloud. For full details of all episodes, visit the podcast page on our websiteKeep up-to-date with Ideas Matter and all the initiatives organised by the Battle of Ideas charity by following us on Twitter (@theboi_uk) and on Facebook (battleofideas).  

Curiosity Daily
Pigeons Can Be Superstitious, Why Allergy Drugs Make You Sleepy, and The 5 Ages of the Universe

Curiosity Daily

Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2020 10:49


Learn about how a psychologist named B.F. Skinner proved that pigeons can be superstitious; the science of histamines and why allergy medications make us sleepy; and the 5 ages of the universe, including the Stelliferous Era we’re in right now. Pigeons Can Be Superstitious — And a Psychologist Once Proved It by Ashley Hamer Superstitious behavior | Comparative Cognition Laboratory | Psychological and Brain Sciences. (2020). Uiowa.edu. https://psychology.uiowa.edu/comparative-cognition-laboratory/glossary/superstitious-behavior  ‌Classics in the History of Psychology -- Skinner (1948). (2020). Yorku.ca. http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Skinner/Pigeon/  Inglis-Arkell, E. (2011, January 31). How pigeons get to be superstitious. io9. https://io9.gizmodo.com/how-pigeons-get-to-be-superstitious-5746904  Why do allergy medications make us sleepy? by Cameron Duke Basophils - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. (2013). Sciencedirect.com. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/basophils Castro, J. (2013, December 16). Why Do Antihistamines Make You Drowsy? Livescience.Com; Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/41999-antihistamines-drowsy-benadryl-allergies.html  Diez-Garcia, A., & Garzon, M. (2017). [Regulation of the phases of the sleep-wakefulness cycle with histamine]. Revista De Neurologia, 64(6), 267–277. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28272728  Jutel, M., Blaser, K., & Akdis, C. A. (2006). The role of histamine in regulation of immune responses. Chemical Immunology and Allergy, 91, 174–187. https://doi.org/10.1159/000090280  Thakkar, M. M. (2011). Histamine in the regulation of wakefulness. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 15(1), 65–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2010.06.004  Regenerative Medicine Partnership in Education. (2020). Duq.edu. http://sepa.duq.edu/regmed/immune/histamine.html  There are 5 ages of the universe, and we're in the Stelliferous Era by Grant Currin Physics offers glimpse into the universe’s dark era. (1997, January 13). University of Michigan News. https://news.umich.edu/physics-offers-glimpse-into-the-universe-s-dark-era/  Adler, D. (2020, March 24). The Degenerate Era: When the universe stops making stars. Astronomy.com. https://astronomy.com/news/2020/03/the-degenerate-era-when-the-universe-stops-making-stars  Subscribe to Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY 

Behaviorbabe
Behaviorbabe on What Students Should Read

Behaviorbabe

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2020 17:21


In this episode, Dr. Kelly offers some suggestions for students studying behavior analysis. From the 7 Dimensions (1968, 1987) to The Rights to Effective Behavioral Treatment (1988), Dr. Kelly suggests articles. In addition, Dr. Kelly offers suggestions for quick references (Behavior Speak) and books related to specific concepts (VB Approach, The Behavior Code). Of course, we all need The White Book and access to the writings of BF Skinner. Learn more at www.behaviorbabe.com. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Happiness-Matters in Midlife - for Professional Women
#1.34 The Science of Happiness - PERMA

Happiness-Matters in Midlife - for Professional Women

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2020 23:57


Our coaching this week, takes place against the backdrop of the United Nations' International Day of Happiness, the World Happiness Fest in Spain, Happytalism, the Global Happiness Movement and the annual World Happiness Report as well as March being #HappinessMonth. This week, we jump into the first academic model we're using to build our own definition of happiness and success - PERMA - as well as the 10 steps we can take to advance the happiness, wellbeing and freedom of all life on earth by 2050 - "Happiness For All, Forever". PERMA is Positive Psychology's leading model for the Science of Happiness and is really the most popular one today and currently, the most influential in happiness conversations worldwide. We take a brief look into the field of Positve Psychology and where it fits as the "4th wave" after Psychoanalysis, Behaviourism and Humanism, with Sigmund Freud, BF Skinner, Ivan Pavlov, Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. We introduce the change from the "Disease Model" of traditional psychology, using the Diagnostic + Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM) to its "positive" counterpart, the Character Strengths + Virtues (CSV) manual. We adopt an understanding of Positive Psychology as the "the scientific study of positive human functioning and flourishing on multiple levels that include the biological, personal, relational, institutional, cultural, and global dimensions of life". Then, we look into the detail of PERMA: what each construct means - Positive Emotion + Engagement + Relationship + Meaning + Accomplishment. Our coaching uses PERMA as a way for you to assess your own happiness and success against the 5 top constructs of Well-Being Theory. As an assessment tool of your current happiness definition, we can see, what you've been prioritizing over the long term and what you're doing every day when living your life. With our first coaching tool, we learn how to use daily Positive Questions to start building a positive perspective, a positive orientation to our lives. Julia shares her own personal Positive Question she uses every day in her self-coaching practice. Then, we also explore what to do if this PERMA assessment wakes up your Inner Critic and all you see are the deficiencies in your current happiness. Julia's coaching tool and earlier 3 episodes on Self-Smizing help us here. In our coaching with PERMA, we discover there are no wrong answers, nothing has gone wrong here! " May you be Happy, May you be Free - there is no better time to coach together!" All free Coaching Tools - https://happiness-matters.coach/free/ Subscribe to Julia's blog Learn more at http://www.happiness-matters.coach or start coaching with us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HappinessMattersCoach/  

The Controversial Exchange
Reacting to BF Skinner's 1990 APA Speech | TCE #016

The Controversial Exchange

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2020 61:37


0:00:30 Check out the video of Skinner's APA Convention keynote address in 1990 0:01:30 Topic: Dimitri and Ryan start the video and begin their commentary/review 0:02:18 Check out Ferster & Skinner's Schedules of Reinforcement (1957) 0:02:28 Check out The University of Minnesota's website for more information on Richard M. Elliott and his connection to Skinner 0:03:15 Check out Division 25 (Behavior Analysis) of the APA 0:03:45 Check out the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) 0:03:46 Check out the Association for Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) 0:03:50 Check out the APA Convention 0:04:05 Check out our episode Is EAB Still Breathing? w/ Anita Li and Matthew Bell 0:06:15 Check out Watson's Psychology as the Behaviorist Views it (1913) - AKA 'The Behaviorist Manifesto' 0:06:30 Topic: Dimitri and Ryan discuss the timeline/history of the science of behavior 0:06:45 Check out Skinner's The Behavior of Organisms (1938) 0:08:16 Topic: Dimitri and Ryan discuss Skinner's method of advocating for the science of behavior 0:09:45 Check out these articles for more information on J. R. Kantor - Fryling & Hayes (2017) and Moore (1984) 0:11:15 Topic: Ryan provides a quick run down on the history of Cognitive Psychology and Behaviorism 0:15:38 Topic: Dimitri and Ryan tie Skinner's speech to Selection by Consequences, Philosophy, and Functional Contextualism 0:18:43 Check out Skinner's About Behaviorism (1974) 0:22:55 For additional information on Goldiamond's approach Check out Layng's (2009) The Search for an Effective Clinical Behavior Analysis: The Nonlinear Thinking of Israel Goldiamond 0:24:09 Check out Steve Hayes' research and contributions 0:24:55 Topic: Ryan and Dimitri debate various issues around whether or not this speech contributed to the divides in behavior analysis within and outside of the field 0:28:20 Check out Ogden Lindsley's (2013) Skinner on Measurement 0:38:08 Topic: Dimitri and Ryan review Skinner's statements on the use of vernacular 0:41:50 Check out Skinner's (1971) Beyond Freedom and Dignity 0:43:35 Topic: Ryan and Dimitri reflect on how these statements made by Skinner are still applicable today --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thecontroversialexchange/message

1% Better
Barry Schwartz - The Paradox of Choice, Why We Work, & the Locus of Control! EP138

1% Better

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2019 58:12


Barry Schwartz is an American psychologist, professor, author, speaker and researcher. Schwartz is the Dorwin Cartwright Professor of Social Theory and Social Action at Swarthmore College. Schwartz's research addresses morality, decision-making and the inter-relationships between science and society. Barry Schwartz studies the link between economics and psychology, offering startling insights into modern life. Barry has millions of views of his Ted talks online.I recently read his 2004 global best seller ‘The Paradox of Choice’ and was impacted by it greatly. So much of the research covered resonated with me and it was one of those reads that you can’t put down. What’s more interesting is that book is even more relevant today than it was 15 years ago when released. So, naturally I was delighted when Barry accepted the invitation to come on to the podcast and talk about his career, research, and latest work. If you want to learn more about Barry and his work, I’ve provided links to his work at the end of the show notes. To further entice you, here is a summary of what we covered.•Which of the roles Barry plays is most interesting to him•A life changing moment - taking a sabbatical in the early 1990s at Harvard to learn economics and evolutionary biology •During this time, Barry started to write a personal narrative and found this process fascinating and it was the beginning of a book which ended up being a book (the Battle for Human Nature) •Where did the plan to be a psychologist come from? •Growing up in New York wanting to be a Baseball player, then a journalist •Falling into his passion and the field of psychology by luck rather than design! •BF Skinner’s field of psychology was the area of interest to Barry first – the psychology of learning field – How learning happens? •Writing a text book on the psychology of learning•Humans as creatures where everything we do is transactional •Developing good arguments against BF Skinners theory•What drives & motivates Barry •Too much emphasis in psychology about collecting new empirical facts •More interested in understanding these facts and the story of these together •Using other’s research and tell a story that brings new understanding •Barry’s core values •The value of following your nose & not having a grand plan •The way the workplace has evolved makes it harder for people to find work they have meaning in •What is working for meaning now so mainstream and popular? oLiving in good times but all it takes a major economic downturn and this can change things – this is a very unstable attitudeoThe Feminisation of the workplace - Women care more than men, and as Women form a larger % of the workforce, they demand that work matter! •Emotional Intelligence – a slogan & how this impacts Barry’s work – when we want people to do the right thing – we rely on tools – sticks or carrots – instead of a desire to do the right thing because it’s the right thing! •The Paradox of Choice – the relevance of the book still 15 years on •Examples of how Netflix, Walmart and Amazon not fully learning the lesson •Why are Netflix not taking on the advice in the book? •People are acting against their own interests as they don’t understand the impacts•The ability to rearrange a store online based on the choice •Putting a label on the challenges people had with decision making•Barry’s own key learnings from writing the book oThe relation between Freedom & Choice oMaximiser v Satisficers – so I started to reflect on a lot during reading •Satisficing is not settling – it’s a standard and a choice to move forward•Single most important thing – Good enough is almost always good enough! •When to say good enough v seeking perfection? •How age and good enough are linked•Locus of Control & Freedom – how this ties into the decision making process•How to select candidates for Ivy leagues schools? – make it a lottery? •Nobody is willing to accept that important things in life happens by chance! •The role of Luck in important things in life!!!!•Current work & plans on the future – when all you have got is two kinds of jeans to choose from? •Book Recommendations impactful on Barry?oThe Economist Hour – Benjamin Applebaum – when the world started listening to economists and taking them seriously?oRule Makes Rule Breakers – Michelle Gelfan•One Minute Monday from Barry oWhispering that Good Enough is good enoughoHow can I make meaning, not find meaning!!Link to the Barry’s books•Why We Work, Simon & Schuster/TED, 2015. (ISBN 9781476784861)[1]•The Paradox of Choice - https://amzn.to/2qeNS5p•Psychology of Learning and Behavior, with Edward Wasserman and Steven Robbins•The Costs of Living: How Market Freedom Erodes the Best Things in Life, Xlibris Corporation, 2001. (ISBN 0-7388-5251-1)•Learning and Memory, with Daniel Reisberg•The Battle for Human Nature: Science, Morality and Modern Life•Behaviorism, Science, and Human Nature, with Hugh Lacey, W. W. Norton & Company, 1983. (ISBN 0-393-01585-8)•Practical Wisdom, with Kenneth Sharpe, Riverhead, 2010, (ISBN 978-1594487835)

1% Better
Barry Schwartz - The Paradox of Choice, Why We Work, & the Locus of Control! EP138

1% Better

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2019 58:12


Barry Schwartz is an American psychologist, professor, author, speaker and researcher. Schwartz is the Dorwin Cartwright Professor of Social Theory and Social Action at Swarthmore College. Schwartz's research addresses morality, decision-making and the inter-relationships between science and society. Barry Schwartz studies the link between economics and psychology, offering startling insights into modern life. Barry has millions of views of his Ted talks online.I recently read his 2004 global best seller ‘The Paradox of Choice’ and was impacted by it greatly. So much of the research covered resonated with me and it was one of those reads that you can’t put down. What’s more interesting is that book is even more relevant today than it was 15 years ago when released. So, naturally I was delighted when Barry accepted the invitation to come on to the podcast and talk about his career, research, and latest work. If you want to learn more about Barry and his work, I’ve provided links to his work at the end of the show notes. To further entice you, here is a summary of what we covered.•Which of the roles Barry plays is most interesting to him•A life changing moment - taking a sabbatical in the early 1990s at Harvard to learn economics and evolutionary biology •During this time, Barry started to write a personal narrative and found this process fascinating and it was the beginning of a book which ended up being a book (the Battle for Human Nature) •Where did the plan to be a psychologist come from? •Growing up in New York wanting to be a Baseball player, then a journalist •Falling into his passion and the field of psychology by luck rather than design! •BF Skinner’s field of psychology was the area of interest to Barry first – the psychology of learning field – How learning happens? •Writing a text book on the psychology of learning•Humans as creatures where everything we do is transactional •Developing good arguments against BF Skinners theory•What drives & motivates Barry •Too much emphasis in psychology about collecting new empirical facts •More interested in understanding these facts and the story of these together •Using other’s research and tell a story that brings new understanding •Barry’s core values •The value of following your nose & not having a grand plan •The way the workplace has evolved makes it harder for people to find work they have meaning in •What is working for meaning now so mainstream and popular? oLiving in good times but all it takes a major economic downturn and this can change things – this is a very unstable attitudeoThe Feminisation of the workplace - Women care more than men, and as Women form a larger % of the workforce, they demand that work matter! •Emotional Intelligence – a slogan & how this impacts Barry’s work – when we want people to do the right thing – we rely on tools – sticks or carrots – instead of a desire to do the right thing because it’s the right thing! •The Paradox of Choice – the relevance of the book still 15 years on •Examples of how Netflix, Walmart and Amazon not fully learning the lesson •Why are Netflix not taking on the advice in the book? •People are acting against their own interests as they don’t understand the impacts•The ability to rearrange a store online based on the choice •Putting a label on the challenges people had with decision making•Barry’s own key learnings from writing the book oThe relation between Freedom & Choice oMaximiser v Satisficers – so I started to reflect on a lot during reading •Satisficing is not settling – it’s a standard and a choice to move forward•Single most important thing – Good enough is almost always good enough! •When to say good enough v seeking perfection? •How age and good enough are linked•Locus of Control & Freedom – how this ties into the decision making process•How to select candidates for Ivy leagues schools? – make it a lottery? •Nobody is willing to accept that important things in life happens by chance! •The role of Luck in important things in life!!!!•Current work & plans on the future – when all you have got is two kinds of jeans to choose from? •Book Recommendations impactful on Barry?oThe Economist Hour – Benjamin Applebaum – when the world started listening to economists and taking them seriously?oRule Makes Rule Breakers – Michelle Gelfan•One Minute Monday from Barry oWhispering that Good Enough is good enoughoHow can I make meaning, not find meaning!!Link to the Barry’s books•Why We Work, Simon & Schuster/TED, 2015. (ISBN 9781476784861)[1]•The Paradox of Choice - https://amzn.to/2qeNS5p•Psychology of Learning and Behavior, with Edward Wasserman and Steven Robbins•The Costs of Living: How Market Freedom Erodes the Best Things in Life, Xlibris Corporation, 2001. (ISBN 0-7388-5251-1)•Learning and Memory, with Daniel Reisberg•The Battle for Human Nature: Science, Morality and Modern Life•Behaviorism, Science, and Human Nature, with Hugh Lacey, W. W. Norton & Company, 1983. (ISBN 0-393-01585-8)•Practical Wisdom, with Kenneth Sharpe, Riverhead, 2010, (ISBN 978-1594487835)

Philosophical Disquisitions
Escaping Skinner's Box: AI and the New Era of Techno-Superstition

Philosophical Disquisitions

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2019


[The following is the text of a talk I delivered at the World Summit AI on the 10th October 2019. The talk is essentially a nugget taken from my new book Automation and Utopia. It's not an excerpt per se, but does look at one of the key arguments I make in the book. You can listen to the talk using the plugin above or download it here.]The science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke once formulated three “laws” for thinking about the future. The third law states that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. The idea, I take it, is that if someone from the Paleolithic was transported to the modern world, they would be amazed by what we have achieved. Supercomputers in our pockets; machines to fly us from one side of the planet to another in less than a day; vaccines and antibiotics to cure diseases that used to kill most people in childhood. To them, these would be truly magical times. It’s ironic then that many people alive today don’t see it that way. They see a world of materialism and reductionism. They think we have too much knowledge and control — that through technology and science we have made the world a less magical place. Well, I am here to reassure these people. One of the things AI will do is re-enchant the world and kickstart a new era of techno-superstition. If not for everyone, then at least for most people who have to work with AI on a daily basis. The catch, however, is that this is not necessarily a good thing. In fact, it is something we should worry about. Let me explain by way of an analogy. In the late 1940s, the behaviorist psychologist BF Skinner — famous for his experiments on animal learning —got a bunch of pigeons and put them into separate boxes. Now, if you know anything about Skinner you’ll know he had a penchant for this kind of thing. He seems to have spent his adult life torturing pigeons in boxes. Each box had a window through which a food reward would be presented to the bird. Inside the box were different switches that the pigeons could press with their beaks. Ordinarily, Skinner would set up experiments like this in such a way that pressing a particular sequence of switches would trigger the release of the food. But for this particular experiment he decided to do something different. He decided to present the food at random intervals, completely unrelated to the pressing of the switches. He wanted to see what the pigeons would do as a result. The findings were remarkable. Instead of sitting idly by and waiting patiently for their food to arrive, the pigeons took matters into their own hands. They flapped their wings repeatedly, they danced around in circles, they hopped on one foot, convinced that their actions had something to do with the presentation of the food reward. Skinner and his colleagues likened what the pigeons were doing to the ‘rain dances’ performed by various tribes around the world: they were engaging in superstitious behaviours to control an unpredictable and chaotic environment. It’s important that we think about this situation from the pigeon’s perspective. Inside the Skinner box, they find themselves in an unfamiliar world that is deeply opaque to them. Their usual foraging tactics and strategies don’t work. Things happen to them, food gets presented, but they don’t really understand why. They cannot cope with the uncertainty; their brains rush to fill the gap and create the illusion of control. Now what I want to argue here is that modern workers, and indeed all of us, in an environment suffused with AI, can end up sharing the predicament of Skinner’s pigeons. We can end up working inside boxes, fed information and stimuli by artificial intelligence. And inside these boxes, stuff can happen to us, work can get done, but we are not quite sure if or how our actions make a difference. We end up resorting to odd superstitions and rituals to make sense of it all and give ourselves the illusion of control, and one of the things I worry about, in particular, is that a lot of the current drive for transparent or explainable AI will reinforce this phenomenon. This might sound far-fetched, but it’s not. There has been a lot of talk in recent years about the ‘black box’ nature of many AI-systems. For example, the machine learning systems used to support risk assessments in bureaucratic, legal and financial settings. These systems all work in the same way. Data from human behaviour gets fed into them, and they then spit out risk scores and recommendations to human decision-makers. The exact rationale for those risk scores — i.e. the logic the systems use — is often hidden from view. Sometimes this is for reasons intrinsic to the coding of the algorithm; other times it is because it is deliberately concealed or people just lack the time, inclination or capacity to decode the system.The metaphor of the black box, useful though it is, is, however, misleading in one crucial respect: It assumes that the AI is inside the box and we are the ones trying to look in from the outside. But increasingly this is not the case. Increasingly, it is we who are trapped inside the box, being sent signals and nudges by the AI, and not entirely sure what is happening outside. Consider the way credit-scoring algorithms work. Many times neither the decision-maker (the human in the loop) nor the person affected knows why they get the score they do. The systems are difficult to decode and often deliberately concealed to prevent gaming. Nevertheless, the impact of these systems on human behaviour is profound. The algorithm constructs a game in which humans have to act within the parameters set by the algorithm to get a good score. There are many websites dedicated to helping people reverse engineer these systems, often giving dubious advice about behaviours and rituals you must follow to improve your scores. If you follow this advice, it is not too much of a stretch to say that you end up like one Skinner’s pigeons - flapping your wings to maintain some illusion of control. Some of you might say that this is an overstatement. The opaque nature of AI is a well-known problem and there are now a variety of technical proposals out there for making it less opaque and more “explainable” [some of which have been discussed here today]. These technical proposals have been accompanied by increased legal safeguards that mandate greater transparency. But we have to ask ourselves a question: will these solutions really work? Will they help ordinary people to see outside the box and retain some meaningful control and understanding of what is happening to them? A recent experiment by Ben Green and Yiling Chen from Harvard tried to answer these questions. It looked at how human decision-makers interact with risk assessment algorithms in criminal justice and finance (specifically in making decisions about pretrial release of defendants and the approval loan applications). Green and Chen created their own risk assessment systems, based on some of the leading commercially available models. They then got a group of experimental subjects (recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk) to use these algorithms to make decisions under a number of different conditions. I won’t go through all the conditions here, but I will describe the four most important. In the first condition, the experimental subjects were just given the raw score provided by the algorithm and asked to make a decision on foot of this; in the second they were asked to give their own prediction initially and then update it after being given the algorithm’s prediction; in the third they were given the algorithm’s score, along with an explanation of how that score was derived, and asked to make a choice; and in the fourth they were given the opportunity to learn how accurate the algorithm was based on real world results (did someone default on their loan or not; did they show up to their trial or not). The question was: how would the humans react to these different scenarios? Would giving them more information improve the accuracy, reliability and fairness of their decision-making? The findings were dispiriting. Green and Chen found that using algorithms did improve the overall accuracy of decision-making across all conditions, but this was not because adding information and explanations enabled the humans to play a more meaningful role in the process. On the contrary, adding more information often made the human interaction with the algorithm worse. When given the opportunity to learn from the real-world outcomes, the humans became overconfident in their own judgments, more biased, and less accurate overall. When given explanations, they could maintain accuracy but only to the extent that they deferred more to the algorithm. In short, the more transparent the system seemed to the worker, the more the workers made them worse or limited their own agency. It is important not to extrapolate too much from one study, but the findings here are consistent what has been found in other cases of automation in the workplace: humans are often the weak link in the chain. They need to be kept in check. This suggests that if we want to reap the benefits of AI and automation, we may have to create an environment that is much like that of the Skinner box, one in which humans can flap their wings, convinced they are making a difference, but prevented from doing any real damage. This is the enchanted world of techno-superstition: a world in which we adopt odd rituals and habits (explainable AI; fair AI etc) to create an illusion of control. Now, the original title of my talk promised five reasons for pessimism about AI in the workplace. But what we have here is one big reason that breaks down into five sub-reasons. Let me explain what I mean. The problem of techno-superstitionism stems from two related problems: (i) a lack of understanding/knowledge of how the world (in this case the AI system) works and (ii) the illusion of control over that system. These two problems combine into a third problem: the erosion of the possibility of achievement. One reason why we work is so that we can achieve certain outcomes. But when we lack understanding and control it undermines our sense of achievement. We achieve things when we use our reason to overcome obstacles to problem-solving in the real world. Some people might argue that a human collaborating with an AI system to produce some change in the world is achieving something through the combination of their efforts. But this is only true if the human plays some significant role in the collaboration. If humans cannot meaningfully make a difference to the success of AI or accurately calibrate their behaviour to produce better outcomes in tandem with the AI, then the pathway to achievement is blocked. This seems to be what happens, even when we try to make the systems more transparent. Related to this is the fourth problem: that in order to make AI systems work effectively with humans, the designers and manufacturers have to control human attention and behaviour in a way that undermines human autonomy. Humans cannot be given free rein inside the box. They have to be guided, nudged, manipulated and possibly even coerced, to do the right thing. Explanations have to be packaged in a way that prevents the humans from undermining the accuracy, reliability and fairness of the overall system. This, of course, is not unusual. Workplaces are always designed with a view to controlling and incentivising behaviour, but AI enables a rapidly updating and highly dynamic form of behavioural control. The traditional human forms of resistance to outside control cannot easily cope with this new reality. This all then culminates in the fifth and final problem: the pervasive use of AI in the workplace (and society more generally) (v) undermines human agency. Instead of being the active captains of our fates; we become the passive recipients of technological benefits. This is a tragedy because we have built so much of our civilisation and sense of self-worth on the celebrations of agency. We are supposed to be agents of change, responsible to ourselves and to one another for what happens in the world around us. This is why we value the work we do and why we crave the illusion of control. What happens if agency can no longer be sustained? As per usual, I have left the solutions to the very end — to the point in the talk where they cannot be fully fleshed out and where I cannot be reasonably criticised for failing to do so — but it seems to me that we face two fundamental choices when it comes to addressing techno-superstition: (i) we can tinker with what’s presented to us inside the box, i.e. we can add more bells and whistles to our algorithms, more levers and switches. These will either give humans genuine understanding and control over the systems or the illusion of understanding and control. The problem with the former is that frequently involves tradeoffs or compromises to the system’s efficacy and the problem with the latter is that involves greater insults to the agency of the humans working inside the box. But there is an alternative: we can stop flapping our wings and get out of the box altogether. Leave the machines to do what they are best at while we do something else. Increasingly, I have come to think we should do the latter; that do so would acknowledge the truly liberating power of AI. This is the argument I develop further in my book Automation and Utopia. Thank you for your attention. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. 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Creature Feature
Superstition

Creature Feature

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2019 75:57


Today on the show, SUPERSTITION! Black cats, crows, ravens, and a mysterious demonic monster… where do superstitions come from? What are the facts behind the superstition? And are crows really conspiring against us. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question, do satanists like to kiss cat butt? With special guest Joey Clift. FOOTNOTES: 1. 50% of polled Americans are superstitious 2. The Papal Bull behind black cat superstition 3. Kattenstoet cat parade in Ypres, Belgium!! 4. The legend of the Catsith 5. Do satanists sacrifice black cats on Halloween, probably not 6. Black cat's protective fur 7. BF Skinner's pigeon experiment 8. Study: Ravens can make complex plans 9. Ravens can talk! 10. This raven can talk too! 11. The aye aye hunting Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Creature Feature
Superstition

Creature Feature

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2019 75:57


Today on the show, SUPERSTITION! Black cats, crows, ravens, and a mysterious demonic monster… where do superstitions come from? What are the facts behind the superstition? And are crows really conspiring against us. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question, do satanists like to kiss cat butt? With special guest Joey Clift. FOOTNOTES: 1. 50% of polled Americans are superstitious 2. The Papal Bull behind black cat superstition 3. Kattenstoet cat parade in Ypres, Belgium!! 4. The legend of the Catsith 5. Do satanists sacrifice black cats on Halloween, probably not 6. Black cat's protective fur 7. BF Skinner's pigeon experiment 8. Study: Ravens can make complex plans 9. Ravens can talk! 10. This raven can talk too! 11. The aye aye hunting Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Arts & Ideas
Surveillance, Conspiracy, and Secrets from the Archives

Arts & Ideas

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2019 45:20


"They do not come into our house in jackboots... This is not totalitarianism. This is a new kind of power." Shoshana Zuboff discusses surveillance capitalism, the links between Pokémon Go and BF Skinner, the behavioural psychologist she studied with at Harvard in the 1970s. Plus the mystery of the cuckoo clock in The Third Man. To mark the 70th anniversary of Carol Reed's classic post-War thriller, Matthew Sweet visits the archive of the British Film Institute with Angela Allen, the script supervisor for the film. And we retrace Stieg Larsson's investigation into the unsolved assassination of Olof Palme in 1986 with Jan Stocklassa, author of the book The Man Who Played With Fire. If you look up Free Thinking and Learning from Sweden you can hear about British and Swedish cultural exchange from Abba to Ikea https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09z68sn and our programme called Dark Sweden gives you journalist Kajsa Norman on crime in modern Sweden. Shoshana Zuboff's book is called The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. Films about emotions from anger and joy to the manipulation of adverts made at our Free Thinking Festival can be found on https://www.bbc.com/ideas/playlists/free-thinking-2019. The discussions include a debate about the manipulative power of advertising How They Manipulate Our Emotions https://bbc.in/2WYmOlO and you can see a film about it on bbc.com/ideas/videos/how-ads-manipulate Produced by Luke Mulhall

Reverse Psychology
S1E20 - Episode 20 - B.F. Skinner: Behaviorist and Bowling Enthusiast

Reverse Psychology

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2019 46:40


This is the topic Dr. Diana has been waiting for...B.F. Skinner - the man, the myth, the subject of an extremely large painting Drs. Mike and Diana and in their house. Tune in and listen to Dr. Diana talk about some of the interesting work of B.F. Skinner and learn how you, too, can start a local avian sports league.Did you learn something new? Share this episode with a friend and help them be as smart as you are. Sharing this podcast is the BEST way to help Reverse Psychology grow. Be sure to subscribe (and get that friend to, as well) to get every new full and mini-episode. Follow us on facebook for updates and email us at Rev.PsychCast@gmail.com for any questions/comments/concerns.okayloveyoubyeFind out more at https://reverse-psychology.pinecast.co

Curious Query
B. F. Skinner's Superstitious Pigeons

Curious Query

Play Episode Play 17 sec Highlight Listen Later Sep 9, 2019 2:24


Are you superstitious? Would you open an umbrella indoors? Where do superstitions come from? Find out on today's Curious Query!Join host Ken Trickey as he answers some of life's most curious questions every Monday.Have a Curious Query of your own? Submit your query to the Facebook page, or email it to CuriousQuerySubmissions@gmail.com. If we like your idea we'll make an episode about it and give you a shoutout!Produced by David Silverman.Written and performed by Ken Trickey.Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Curious-Query-2353854741553248/Twitter: @CuriousQueryPodWebsite: http://CuriousQuery.buzzsprout.comEmail: CuriousQuerySubmissions@gmail.comSupport the show (https://www.facebook.com/Curious-Query-2353854741553248/)

Designer Psychology
Interview with Dr Robert Epstein

Designer Psychology

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2019 63:39


In this follow-up to the last episode on resolutions, I’m delighted to be joined by eminent psychologist and author of ‘Self-Help Without the Hype’, Dr Robert Epstein. We chat more about the idea of self-management, behaviourism and behavioural psychology and how it relates to today’s digital world. Our chat moves through topics such as Epstein’s own experiences working alongside BF Skinner, the innovative (and quirky) practices which Skinner applied to himself, the relevance of behavioural psychology today and the association with behavioural economics. We also discuss Dr Epstein’s work on privacy online, his hypothesis of the Search Engine Manipulation Effect and how Google could be modifying our online environment to shape our behaviour.

Color of Thought Podcast
23 - B. F. Skinner

Color of Thought Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2019 20:59


B. F. Skinner is the most influential psychologist o the 20th century. Additionally he is the author of dozens of books. How did he come to be so influential? Today we examine his early life and some of his insights as a psychologist, especially operant and respondent behavior. Check us out over at the website www.ColorOfThought.com Become a Patron today and get many more colorful thoughts in your life at www.Patreon.com/ColorOfThought

Learning Theories by P6 Psychology
Behavior is Shaped by Positive and Negative Reinforcement

Learning Theories by P6 Psychology

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2018 5:12


We discuss the the background, beliefs, and findings of famous psychologist BF Skinner.

Dave Made a Minute
Minute 5 - "we're doing a weird B.F. Skinner psychology experiment"

Dave Made a Minute

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2018 27:23


Chris Frain and Rudy Thornberg of Open the Podcast Doors, HAL take over as Dave won't tear down his maze but he also doesn't want Annie to venture inside.

School For The Dogs Podcast
Being BF Skinner's daughter: Deborah Buzan dispels the myths

School For The Dogs Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2018 55:55


Renowned behavioral psychologist BF Skinner codified much of the science behind positive reinforcement-based animal training, and is a hero to many dog trainers. But for over half a century, his reputation has been tarnished by rumors that his daughter went crazy and killed herself because he raised her in a box. Annie interviews said daughter, Deborah Buzan, who is alive and sane. She was in fact raised in a box... sort of. Buzan discussed the "Air Crib," aka the "Baby Box," and growing up with a genius father who was devoted to engineering ways to make life easier and happier for his wife and daughters. Notes - Music: Hello My Baby cover by Melissa Mahony of the Channel Drifters - Blue Danube cover by David Beckingham - BF Skinner Foundation: BFSkinner.org - Sponsor: Is your Inbox a mess? You need SANEBOX! Get a free trial and $15 off SchoolForTheDogs.com/Sane --- Partial Transcript: Today I am speaking to a very famous baby. Of course she is not a baby any more. She is a woman in her seventies. The story of her babyhood has become something of an urban legend. The misunderstandings about her youth I think actually dovetail with a lot of misunderstandings about dog training. Deborah Buzan is an artist who lives in England and we spoke via Skype, and, unfortunately, we didn’t have a great connection. So, this recording isn’t wonderful but I did my best to clean it up. But even if it is not the most easy listening I hope you’ll make it through this episode because we had a really interesting conversation. She is the daughter of B.F. Skinner and if you’ve listened to this podcast before, you’ve probably heard me talk about Skinner. He is one of my heroes and a hero to many good dog trainers out there. Skinner, who sadly passed away in the early 1990s, is considered to be one of the founders of the science of behavior.He codified a lot of what we know about the science and philosophy of behaviorism. If you’re not familiar with Skinner, I suggest going out and getting all of his books, or at least one of them. About Behaviorism a good one to start with, or Beyond Freedom and Dignity. He also wrote a novel called Walden Two which is kind of about how you could create a utopia creating positive reinforcement. Anyway, I thought the best way to introduce Deborah would be with this clip of her father discussing some of the misunderstandings about how she was raised. “I’d like to correct some rumors that go around. I am sure that some of you have heard them. A distinguished psychiatrist whose name you all know, I won’t mention it, told a distinguished person whose name you also would know, that the child that we raised in the so called box, the air crib, became psychotic. I wrote to him that we’ve heard this before and I’ve often heard this, would you mind telling me where you heard this rumor? Our daughter is very intelligent and talented, married, her husband teaches international studies at the Univ. Of Warwick, they live in London. My daughter is an artist, she does large color etching and sells all she can produce and so on. I don’t see any ill effects of the air crib on her. Well, he sent me a very apologetic letter, I must say that. But he didn’t tell me where he heard it." Full Transcript available at SchoolfortheDogs.com/Podcasts

Sex Spoken Here
Rewards and Punishments

Sex Spoken Here

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2018 16:42


Sex Spoken Here Vlog Rewards and Punishments   Welcome to my virtual therapy room!  I am Dr Lori Beth Bisbey and this is Sex Spoken Here. Remember that this Vlog deals with adult themes so if you don’t have privacy you might wish to put on your headphones.   Today I am talking about rewards and punishments.  This may seem an unusual topic for sex and relationships.  However, I was talking about authority transfer based relationships recently with a friend about rewards and punishments and when I thought more about it, the topic applies to other relationships as well.   Rewards are the things that feel good to us.  Punishments are the things that don’t feel good to us.  If you want to shape behaviour, using both can work extremely well.  One thing I have noticed working with people over the years is that often others make assumptions about what their partner or child will find rewarding or punishing.  If you get this wrong, you will not get the effect you are looking for.   Often parents send children to their room as a punishment.  However, usually, in a child’s room is all their favourite things – laptop, tablet, phone, toys, stuffed toys, etc.  So being sent to their room is actually a reward as they are being given time to go play on their own.   I advise couples to discuss what they find rewarding and punishing.  For example, one partner might find time and undivided attention to be the best way of showing them how much they are loved.  Another might want lots of presents.      I also advise couples to look at their expectations at the same time.  Making agreements about expectations, rewards and punishments can strengthen a relationship.   In authority transfer based relationships, spelling out rewards and punishments is common.  Again it is important to make sure that a punishment is truly a punishment and a reward truly a reward.   It is useful too look at what type of system works best for your person.  Some people modify behaviour best as a result of being rewarded when they do well.  Others work best when they are punished for doing wrong.    It is important to remember that we can only truly control ourselves so truly to modify someone else’s behaviour does not have guaranteed results.  It is also essential to have consent from the person whose behaviour you are seeking to modify.   If you are interested in the history of behaviour modification, have a look at Pavlov’s work and BF Skinner’s work. Thanks for joining me this week for Sex Spoken Here with Dr Lori Beth Bisbey. Write to me with suggestions for the show, questions you want answered at drbisbey@the-intimacy-coach.com, follow me on twitter and instagram @drbisbey. For a free 30 minute strategy session with me, go to https://the-intimacy-coach.com and head to the contact page and click the button that says Schedule Now! I look forward to seeing you next week.

The Conversation Factory
behavioral design for the real world

The Conversation Factory

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2018 53:24


Today I talk with Matt Mayberry, Head of Business Development at Boundless Mind. Boundless Mind popped up on my radar when their awesome and free ebook on Behavioral Design shot up to #1 on Product Hunt. I'm thrilled Matt came on the show and shared his story. His own passion for behavioral design came from his experiences watching critical patients resist changing behaviors that would save their lives. Even with death staring people in the face, changing deep seated behaviors is hard! Behavioral Design was something I was aware of as a UX designer but was by no means an expert. Behavior design researchers like BJ Fogg and his behavior grid was something that inspired me early on in my UX career. Since then, behavior design is something I infuse into my  innovation consulting: Big change takes a big impulse. Smaller changes are easier and can snowball with the right motivation and momentum. Sitting down with Matt helped open up some new avenues to think about how behavior design is everywhere you look! Boundless mind is fascinating: They serve two sides of the challenge, for companies seeking to change behavior AND consumers wanting to reboot their addictions. The Boundless API helps companies find the optimum timing for motivating rewards and the app Space breaks that timing cycle when you need some freedom from the apps that grip your brain. We talk about how choice architecture in the real world can help shape behaviors, from organ donation rates in Germany vs Austria to how supermarkets get you to wander the whole store and buy more than your intended. Giving people too many choices makes choice harder: Architecting or limiting choices is a form of behavior design. Pulling back, Matt places *all* design into behavioral design: Industrial, UX, Service and Conversation Design *all* seek to shift behavior! One big take away I had was how small acts of mindfulness can have a big impact. Matt's CEO keeps a database of how people in his organization take their coffee and other preferences. The idea of keeping a Delight Database is amazing. While the ideal of behavior design might seem like manipulation, in the end, it's about understanding what will delight people and giving them more of what they want, at the right time. I hope you enjoy the episode as much as I did making it! Key Ideas: Delight is Delight: Our Brain Lights up based on the timing, not the size of the reward There are three types of rewards: Rewards of the Self, Rewards of the Hunt or Rewards of the Tribe (more here: https://www.slideshare.net/nireyal/hooked-model/83-3_types_of_VARIABLE_REWARDSTRIBEHUNTSELFHabitforming) Rewards are *not* incentives: The "hit" from expected Incentives get dampened over time, variable rewards do not. Choice Architecture is simple way to bring behavior design into your work: Just Ask Thoreau! https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8203-i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude     Show notes and Links: The Behavioral Design backstory: How a 1930's Harvard Student laid the ground work for Modern Phone Addiction: More about BF Skinner https://www.boundless.ai/blog/how-a-1930s-harvard-student-laid-the-groundwork-for-modern-phone-addiction/   Bj Fogg's Behavioral Grid http://www.behaviorgrid.org/ BJ Fogg's Behavioral Model http://www.behaviormodel.org/ Learn more about Boundless at: https://www.boundless.ai/ Read the ebook: https://www.boundless.ai/ebook get Space at: youjustneedspace.com http://youjustneedspace.com   Find Matt Mayberry (if you Google him, you'll find there are several very famous people named Matt Mayberry!) twitter.com/mattmayberry medium.com/@mattmayberry    Much Much More on Behavioral Design, persuasion, and habits.   Hooked by Nir Eyal https://amzn.to/2KPZgKs Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg https://amzn.to/2jKSM3c Predictably Irrational by Dan Airely https://amzn.to/2I7Y4V2 Nudge by Richard Thaler https://amzn.to/2rub6C3   About Matt: Matt Mayberry is a Behavior Designer and Head of Business Development for Boundless Mind, a persuasive and behavioral technology company using Artificial Intelligence to drive behavior change in technology products. You can find his sporadic 140 character short-term writing here http://twitter.com/mattmayberry and his 1400 character longer form writing here http://medium.com/@mattmayberry.

Plant Yourself - Embracing a Plant-based Lifestyle
How to Overcome Our Cravings with Judson Brewer: PYP 220

Plant Yourself - Embracing a Plant-based Lifestyle

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2017 67:32


Judson Brewer, author of The Craving Mind: From Cigarettes to Smartphones to Love - Why We Get Hooked, & How We Can Break Bad Habits - kept his meditation practice and medical career separate for a decade. Luckily for us, it eventually dawned on him to inform his research and clinical practice with the 2500-year-old insights of Buddhism. As he dove deep into the dynamics of addiction, he noticed that the primary western model for understanding human learning - BF Skinner's operant conditioning - was simply another way of describing the Buddhist concept of dependent generation. That is, humans, like all organisms, survived because they learned to associate certain triggers with behaviors that produced a reward that conveyed survival benefit.

The Science of Success
The 3 Keys You Need To Answer Life’s Most Important Questions with Dr. Barry Schwartz

The Science of Success

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2017 55:14


In this episode we look at how Toyota turned the worst automobile factory in America into the best without changing any personnel, we discuss the paradox of choice, paralysis by analysis and the danger of having too many choices, the vital importance of having a multi-disciplinary viewpoint to truly understand reality, ask if there are quick fixes for wisdom, and much more with Dr. Barry Schwartz     Dr. Barry Schwartz is a Professor at the Haas school of business at UC berkley. He has authored over 10 books including The Paradox of Choice, Why We Work, and Practical Wisdom as well as more than 100 professional journal articles. He has been featured on the TED stage, in the The New York Times, USA Today, CNN, and much more.     We discuss:    How Barry’s work in animal learning, following in the footsteps of BF Skinner, led him down the path of his journey Why a focus on rewards and punishments is too narrow an understanding The importance of multi-disciplinary work to unearth the truth and understand reality How we can begin to think in a more multi-discplinary way The answers to the most important questions in life are very complex, and efforts to simplify them are doomed to failure The flaws in the dominant ideologies of western society in understanding and explaining why we work People don’t work only for pay - here are the other reasons people work: They want to be engaged They want discretion and control They want to be appreciated They want to be challenged They want to do something that has meaning Why only 10% of the world’s work force is “engaged in their work” How did Toyota turn around the worst automobile factory in America into the BEST factory in America without changing the work force? The importance of the big 3 factors - Autonomy, Control, and Discretion What has enabled the container store to be so successful How focusing on improving the quality of work and creating good work can be good for the bottom line as well How Aristotle defines “Wisdom” How excessive management and supervision has destroyed the ability of teachers to become effective How the the reliance on rules and incentives to get people to behave properly is the enemy of wisdom Wisdom is learned, but it can’t be taught - the way you learn to be wise is by trying and failing You learned by doing, by getting it wrong, and by correcting your mistakes Trial and error, mentoring, modeling - there’s no quick fix for wisdom, you have to be in it for the long haul Its OK to get it wrong We go deep into Barry’s famous book The Paradox of Choice Paralysis by analysis and the danger of having too many choices How can we simplify our lives and avoid the paradox of choice? “Good enough is virtually always good enough” People who aspire to “the best” get better results, and feel worse about them, than people who are happy with “good enough” Don’t be unambitious and have no standards, have high standards, but don’t feel like if you aren’t the absolute best you’re a failure And much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TheDutyLife's podcast
Predictability of Uncertainty

TheDutyLife's podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2017 16:09


Let us talk about data analytic namely let us talk today about unpredictability by following the logical steps First do you believe that you can use data to predict systematically what is going on? Please write your answer down. Second question. Are you aware of something we call world of finance or Wall Street? Third question. How many correlation metrics or data do we have in 2007 before the financial crises? How large it was or how big it was? Answer: Between half a billion and a Billion correlation we had in finance .Guess what/Nobody knew what the hell was going out there and most importantly the pundits and experts. So as direct conclusion data is not what we needed or wanted .Just as a good friend of mine who is actually a mentor went to Washington to testify against spending more money on data – since we get confuse by data. The congressman told him – Sir John when you cross the street you don’t look When I cross the street I remove data- because you have billions of information, all what I am interested in is crossing the street – I am not interested of the eye colour of drivers or what is their intention – how are they dress, I am only interested in large items that are moving. Hence I apply via negative”PS “,yes the more data you put in, the less you are going to see. Financial crisis after the event, we are very good at looking through the review mirror with the firm conviction we are looking straight ahead – in another words we have the inability to prospectively predict and the ability to retrospectively predict. This a problem of human nature, finds usually in social science and not in hard science.  Another example; Take the Skinner's box experiment.BF Skinner took a pigeon and put in a box and fed the pigeon randomnly.Over time the bird thought, by standing on one leg it was fed last time – it does it again, it will be fed again .All what I am saying is that we human have a tendency to immediately establish the cause too quickly even when we do not have reason to establish cause. Yes we favour the visible, the tangible, the well narrated and we scorn the abstract.    So we are shifting from predictive method to the assessment to the effect of something you are exposure – in another words are you fragile or are robust to some class of exposure.   -The one big idea to take away is that fragility is vastly more important in place of predictive analytic in the sense where fragility is much more measurable and much more rigorous approach by trying to confuse people by making prediction that cause people to take more risk

Bestiary
All - American Avians

Bestiary

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2016 2:59


During World War II, famed psychologist BF Skinner started working on a project in which he would train ordinary street pigeons to guide pelican missiles (the irony of which was not lost on him) into German warships. In this fictional episode, Eric imagines a piece of radio propaganda in which the US government asks its citizens to send their own pets to war--which, it turns out was not totally unheard of at the time. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bestiary/support

Inspire Nation Show with Michael Sandler
How To Train Your Pets…and Your Kids! + Meditation | Melissa H. Pierson | Dogs & Cats | Spirituality | Self-Help | Inspire

Inspire Nation Show with Michael Sandler

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2016 66:35


If you've ever had a dog, cat, or other animal in your life…or oddly as it sounds, even a child, then do we have the relationship enhancing show for you! Today I'll be talking with Melissa Holbrook Pierson, the author of five books, including Dark Horses and Black Beauties (about our relationship with horses) and, most recently, The Secret History of Kindness, Learning From How Dog's Learn. Today we'll talk about behaviorism, positive reinforcement and their potential to revolutionize our relationships with all species. That plus we'll talk about chickens on tight-ropes, rabbits riding firetrucks, why gambling prostitution and theft are rampant among Yale monkeys, a grandmother and her butter paddle, pigeon guided missiles and why having a democratic mom and a republican dad, may put miles on the car but not much else come elections. Self-help and Self-Improvement Questions and Topics Include: What happens when we lose our soul dog How she went searching for a border collie What's a pet-hoarding situation Why our pets know us better than we know ourselves How ‘The Secret History of Kindness' came about How did rats become heroes thanks to a Belgian monk? Why was gambling, prostitution and theft rampant among yale monkeys. How was the book ‘Anyone Can Have a Happy Child' was a game changer. Who was BF Skinner? What's wrong with spare the rod, spoil the child Why you don't want to scold your dog or cat for coming back What are pigeon guided missiles? What can we learn from Karen Pryor and “Don't Shoot the Dog' What's the magic of a clicker? What did she learn from the dog trainer Polly? What's the importance of seeing through another person's or animal's eyes? What the danger is of leashes? What we can learn from Coli the sloth bear and Staci a head trainer who uses only positive reinforcement and enrichment at the National Zoo in DC? What's the importance of catching animals (or children) doing something right? What's the challenge with using a cat or dog's name as a training cue? Why is free-feeding not the best way to go? Why patting a dog on the head is a bad idea Where to find her book The Secret History of Kindness How riding her motorcycle is a ‘short-cut' to zen Melissa Holbrook Pierson Shares How to Train your Dog & Cat, and Even Your Kids Thru Kindness, Compassion & Positive Reinforcement! + Guided Meditation! Spiritual | Spirituality | Inspiration | Inspirational | Self-Improvement | Self-Help | Inspire For More Info Visit: www.InspireNationShow.com  

Is Psychology a Science?
The Superstitious Pigeon- B. F. Skinner 1948

Is Psychology a Science?

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2016 12:54


Two Journeys Sermons
But God (Ephesians Sermon 9 of 54) (Audio)

Two Journeys Sermons

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2015


A Soul Hanging in the Balance Well, that was a very moving story from Walter and it's amazing how God works in grace, and I have my own story to tell, this morning, not exactly like his, but a year before I came to Christ, I almost drowned in Lake Winnipesaukee. I went with my fraternity, it was up in New Hampshire, I went with my fraternity from MIT, and we went every early September to a camp there, and we would work on the camp, and then we would play in the afternoon and have a good time, and I took this small sunfish out sailing in Lake Winnipesaukee and that was a pretty bold thing for me to do. Some would say pretty stupid because I've never been sailing before, but I thought I could handle the sunfish, evidently not. It was a very, very windy day, there was a lot of chop on the lake and I was flying along in this sail boat when suddenly I hit a significant wave, and got thrown from the boat. And I immediately swam back, like you're supposed to do to the capsized boat. But then I noticed that the center board a little piece of wood from the center had floated away and I was afraid that I, you know, I was going to lose it, so I made an almost fatal decision, at that moment. I left the boat with no life preserver and swam out to get the center board. And I grabbed it and then turned around and the boat was now twice as far away from me as when I'd first swam away because the wind was blowing it away from me. So I began swimming with one arm around this board and the other just plowing through the water and I wasn't even keeping up with the boat. So then I let the center board go and just started swimming and started to feel inside my heart a rising panic and I swam for a little while and I said, "I am not going to look at the boat," because I was getting discouraged. And I just swam and swam and swam and swam and swam for a long time, and then I looked up and the boat, I had only made up half the distance to the boat, and I was getting very tired at this point. Then something strange happened to me at that moment, I went under the surface of the water because it was very choppy, and windy, and I was starting to panic and I just wanted to get my wits. So I just kind of went under the water and at that moment, this strange thought came to me. I started to decide if I wanted to live or not. It wasn't a suicidal thought. I was just tired and I just wanted to decide if I would make the effort to live and I decided that I did. I was going to give everything that I had to stay alive. Again, I was not a Christian at the time. Little did I know that at that particular moment, spiritually my soul was hanging in the balance between Heaven and Hell. So I was not a believer, I was close to death and I was not ready to die. And so I just swam and swam until I really felt that I couldn't swim anymore, and there was the boat and I reached up for the boat, but it was hard to hold on to it. It was very slick and wet and I couldn't grab hold of it. At that moment, some arms reached down and pulled me dead weight outta the lake, it was a guy on a motor boat, he had seen my plight and he pulled me out. I don't know his name, I never saw him again. He might end up having been an angel, I'm not sure, because I didn't see the boat much after he brought me to shore towing the sailfish behind. I don't know anything else about the guy, but I know that I was almost dead and almost condemned as a sinner. But God stepped in and intervened. Just like he did with Walter, so he did with me and he would not let me die at that moment. It would be another year before I came to Christ. A year of rebellion, a year of fighting the Gospel, a year of saying no, but God would not let me die. And I stand before you today a trophy of God's sovereign grace. The Two Most Important Words in the Bible “But God…” And my point, the point of my sermon as was last week, so also this week is to say to all of you who are Christians so are each of you. Trophies of God's sovereign grace. God intervened. And so we come in Ephesians 2:4 to, I think in some ways the two most important words in the Bible, if you understand them properly, "But God.” “But God." Now, I'm aware the NIV starts with, "But because." Whoever decided to be the only English translation to go with, "But because" instead of, "But God", they'll have to live with themselves. But the Greek says, "But God", and every English translation brings it over it's "But God", and it's so powerful because the word, "But", just grammaticality means we were going in one direction and now we're going in a different direction. It captures the sense of a God-centered Gospel, a sovereign grace of His activity in my life and in the lives of every Christian of intervening, interfering, whatever you want to say, of stepping into space and time and saying, "No, it's not going to go like that, it's going to go differently for you." It's a contrast, we're talking about a dynamic God intervening and working in a mighty way, God is the greatest force in the universe, He created the universe, Heaven and earth, and so these words "But God", capture His dynamic activity in the world. And you see them again and again in Scripture, if you know what to look for, they're there again and again. For example, Genesis 7 and 8, the flood of Noah, the text reads this way: Genesis 7:24, and then 8:1. "The waters flooded the earth for 150 days. But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and all the livestock that were with him in the ark and He sent a wind over the earth and the waters receded." Or again in Genesis 41:15-16, Pharaoh took Joseph out of prison and wanted him to tell him the meaning of a dream that he had had. "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it, but I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it. I cannot do it," Joseph said, "But God will give to Pharaoh the answer he desires." Or again, later in the story, of Joseph, we have this amazing account, Joseph, now, that Jacob was dead, his terrified brothers were afraid that Joseph was going to punish them for their wicked actions against him and selling him into slavery, that he wanted to kill him. All of that, they were terrified. And Joseph said in Genesis 50:20, "You meant it for evil but God meant it for good, to save lives as He is doing now.” “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." Or the wise woman of Tekoa to King David. 2nd Samuel 14:14, "Like water spilled on the ground," she said to him, "which cannot be recovered, so we must die, but God does not take away life. Instead, He devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from Him, but may be reconciled." Psalm 73:26, "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." And then I like this one, Peter and John preaching to the citizens of Jerusalem, "You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. And we are all witnesses of this." There are probably others. Have a fun time going and finding them. But God intervenes. He steps in and he makes all the difference in the world. He's the center of the universe, everything comes from God, and He alone can make the real changes in your life that must be made if you are to spend an eternity in joy and peace instead of in the torment that we all deserve for our sins. The Uniqueness of the Christian Message So, we come to the uniqueness of the Christian message. The only hope for sinners like you and me, the only hope there is, is Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men, by which we must be saved." There's no other answer than Jesus. And so the Christian message begins with total human desperation. I think about Walter in that room. I think about me in the lake, nothing left, I had no strength left. I could not save myself from drowning but actually spiritually, the text says where it's even worse, talking about human depravity, complete inability weakness, even spiritual death. Spiritual death. The Christian message doesn't end there, however, the words “but God” means that God stepped into our spiritual death into our hopelessness and helplessness. So therefore, salvation comes from outside of us in. It's starts out there with God, and steps into us, that's the Christian message, that's the Gospel. It's God's doing, it's God's work from beginning to end. This is so hard for us, prideful sinners to accept. We as Americans, we're so used to the American dream, the idea where you can be anything you want to be. And so we have this message of, "Believe in yourself, do everything that you can. You can earn it, you can do it, you can make yourself whatever you want to be." Yes, but you can't make yourself a Christian, that you cannot do, you don't have the power to make yourself a Christian any more, than you will have the power at your own funeral to make yourself rise from the dead. You can't do that. And so this morning, our task is to understand more completely our spiritual resurrection from the dead in Christ, that we'll understand that, and that God will get the glory, more glory than ever before from you, and from me, for our salvation. And we're going to do it based on these amazing two words as a gateway to these three verses of Ephesians 2:4-6. The Apostle Paul clearly asserts that every Christian is an astonishing miracle of spiritual resurrection through faith in Christ. This is true Christianity, this is it. Do you see Christianity, that way? Do you understand yourself that way? And the point of all of this, in the end, is to God alone be the glory for human salvation, to God alone be the glory. As it is written, "Let him who boast, boast in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:31 and as it says three times, in Ephesians Chapter 1, "To the praise of His glory." So we're going to begin where we started last week. Ephesians 2: 1-3 with our condition apart from Christ, we were spiritually dead. We Were Spiritually Dead (vs. 1-3) Understanding God’s Grace: The Beginning Look at the verses, again, verse 1-3, just by way of review. "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient, all of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature, and following its desires and thoughts, like the rest we were by nature objects of wrath." So that's what we looked at last week. This is the starting point of understanding God's grace. We vastly underestimate our natural wickedness and sinfulness our condition, and we vastly underestimate God's glory and grace and power and mercy in saving us. And so the idea of this preaching, the idea of study is so that we won't vastly underestimate them as much anymore, and that our hearts will be moved and we will be empowered to worship God and serve Him with grace. Thorough Probing of these Verses So last week we did a thorough probing of these dire verses. We started with the phrase, "You were dead in your transgressions and sins." Last week, I likened that to, spiritually, your pupils fixed and dilated, so if the EMT shone the light into your eyes, you wouldn't respond to the light. It's unresponsive to spiritual truth. Spiritual death means you're not responsive, that's the nature of that deadness. We were spiritually dead, but we were physically alive. And so the essence of the spiritual death was in our minds and hearts. In our minds the way we thought, in our hearts, what we loved and what we hated. Romans chapter 8 captures the nature of this deadness in our minds, "Those who live according to the flesh have their mind set on what the flesh desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their mind set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” We had dead minds spiritually. And then it goes over into the heart, The heart is that part of you that loves and hates. You were attracted to what was evil, and you despised what was good and delightful. It says of Jesus, He has “loved righteousness, and hated wickedness." We were the opposite, we loved wickedness and hated righteousness, so that's the nature of our spiritual deadness, and we were not responsive. Somebody could come and share the Gospel, we didn't care, somebody would read some scripture, it didn't hit us, we were not interested, we had no desire to be in church on Sunday, certainly no desire to read the Bible or pray. We were dead, spiritually dead, even while we lived. And we followed the ways of this world, we were surrounded by dead people, and so, we comforted ourselves in thinking we were fine because everybody else was doing the same things, but we were just following the ways of this world, and we were in bondage to Satan, the ruler of this world spiritually. He is “the god of this age” and he had blinded our minds so we couldn't see the light of the Gospel of the glory of God in Christ, he had blinded us. And he was acting as an angel of light alluring us toward wickedness and sin, could be false religions, false philosophical systems, could be just the allure of materialism, but he had enslaved us. And we had invisible chains around us, and we couldn't break free. And we were following “the ruler of the kingdom of the air. The spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” And all of us, this was universal, it wasn't just some people, this is everybody. Now, you may say, "What about my sweet little children? What about my little babes? Were they enslaved in following the ways of this world?" And all that. Well, here's what the scripture teaches. All of us died in Adam, positionally. Every human being is seen to be positionally a sinner in Adam, but it doesn't take hold in the individual heart until that person recognizes moral law and especially as coming from God. And that's written in our hearts in our consciences so that as soon as that little child, boy or girl starts to violate their conscience they die spiritually. So Paul says in Romans 7, "Once I was alive, apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died", and that death takes more and more root the more and more bad decisions that child makes, they become more and more corrupted, it becomes deeper and deeper. So early on it's very, very weak. The hold of sin on them, but it becomes progressively more and more powerful and they corrupt themselves by violating their conscience. That's what's going on in your household right now. You who have little toddlers, you who have little ones growing up they are cute, but you know exactly what I'm talking about, don't you? It's going on right before your eyes. And so in the end, give it enough time, all of us also lived among them at one time. And no exceptions. But God Raised Us from the Dead (vs. 4) God Raised Us in Christ Spiritually Well, that was our situation. Now, we need to meditate on this, don't we? I mean I preached a whole sermon on it. I'm going to move on now to verse 4, but we need to know this, we need to understand the nature of our spiritual deadness. We didn't feel it, we didn't know we were dead. But we were. And now, it's amazing, you can even be a Christian and not know just how bad it was. Paul's writing this to Ephesian Christians, they'd already become Christians. And he says, "I want to tell you what you were, you probably don't really know how bad it was." And I tell you, the more you meditate on how bad it was, the sweeter the Gospel gets. Actually paradoxically the happier you get, the more you meditate on these dark things, because we have been rescued from all of that. But God stepped in and would not give us over to Satan into the flesh into the world, and He has rescued us. So we get to verse 4, "But God raised us from the dead. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive with Christ. By Grace you have been saved.” Or simpler, if I could just boil it down. But God raised us from the dead, raised you from the dead. That's what he's saying here. So this is a radical transformation that happens, and I just love 2nd Corinthians 5:17, it says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old is gone, behold everything has become new," that's what happens when you become a Christian, a radical transformation comes over. You're a new creation. Like when God said, "Let there be light," and there's light. When God said, "Let there be a Heaven," and there's Heaven. "Let there be earth," and there's earth. God created you, in Christ. You're a new creation. And we became instantly spiritually responsive. Then, if the EMT shown the light of the Gospel in our eyes, we would see it. And we saw the beauty and the attractiveness of Christ and of the Gospel and of the cross and we were allured to it and attracted to it. We were spiritually responsive, that's what God did and we understood the significance of Christ and His beauty. He became beautiful to us. And we saw the beauty of His tenderness and compassion in dealing with sinners and in His power in showing and displayed in all of His miracles, the incredible things He did, walking on water and feeding 5000 people with five dinner rolls, and raising Lazarus from the dead, after four days and just the things He could do, and then we were amazed by it. And every time we're reading the Gospels there's a new discovery of the greatness of Christ and ultimately His love and laying down His life for sinners like you and me, and the power displayed in His resurrection. We were attracted to these things and our spiritual eyes were opened. That's faith. The eyes of our hearts were enlightened, and we saw it, and we were alive, and we could see how glorious God is in Christ, and we were attracted. Unification and Freedom with Christ So, the key concept in all of this, in these verses is a mystical, spiritual union that happens between the sinner and Christ by faith. You became united with Christ. So look at the text again, "But God made us alive together with Christ." See that? In verse 6, "And God raised us up with him," see that? "and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." Now, that's four times in these three verses that this idea of our union with Christ is taught. This is central, and again, it's not something we feel, you know, like feel united with Christ. Well, you didn't feel dead either, but this is something that's true. If you're a Christian, you have become spiritually united to Jesus. You're one with Him. You're one with Him. And so, His resurrection has become your resurrection, His life is your life, His death was your death. You died in Christ, to the Law. How powerful is that? And I mean, specifically, the Law's ability to condemn you to Hell. You're dead to that, it cannot condemn you to Hell. You died to the law in that power and you died to Satan's power as well. You don't have to do anything the devil tells you the rest of your life. Amen! Isn't that awesome? You can tell him "no," “you can resist the devil and he will flee from you.” You're not one of his subjects anymore. You're not in his kingdom anymore. Those invisible chains that were around you, they have been broken by Jesus. And so, you are alive, you're not dead in Satan's kingdom of death anymore, but you are alive now, in Jesus. And you are mystically or spiritually members of His body, just like every other Christian in the world. We're members of one another and of His body. You have become engrafted into an olive tree, and now you're receiving nourishing sap from it, all these images of union with Christ. So Christ's death once for all, has become your death, and His resurrection has become yours, and His life is now flowing through you, through the Holy Spirit. You're alive. That's what happened to you and me, and that's awesome. What Moved God: Mercy, Love and Grace Salvation Glorifies God Now, what moved God to do all this? Well, the text covers that too, it tells us what motivated God to do it. And we have these attributes, mercy and love and grace. Salvation glorifies God. To the praise of His glory, you know, “praise of His glorious grace.” What does that mean? Well, salvation puts God on display. So because He saves sinners like you and me, God is on display. He's putting Himself on display for everyone to see. So what's on display? Well, nothing in all of the universe and anything that God's ever done so clearly displays His attributes, His nature, as human salvation does. It's the most glorious thing God does is save sinners. It puts Him on display. Now, we've already seen in chapter 1 one of those attributes very, very clearly, and that is God's power. God's power is on display in our salvation. So you remember back in Ephesians 1 he's praying that the Ephesian Christians, "The eyes of their heart would be enlightened, that they would know God better," he prays, "And that they would know the hope of their calling, the riches of glorious inheritance in the saints." And then the third thing is, his incomparably great power at work in us who believe, and then he just takes off on power, he says that power, that “power is like the working of His mighty strength which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all ruling authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age, but also in the one to come.” "God exalted Christ from the grave to the right hand of power, and gave Him the name that is above every name," it says in Philippians. So there, that's the power of God. Now, that same power is at work in us. That's the transition from Ephesians 1-2. Just like Jesus was physically, so you were spiritually. “You were dead in your transgressions and sins, but God has made you alive.” He's already displayed His power in you. Look at verse 5, "It is by grace you have been saved," do you see that past tense? It's happened now, it's perfected action. It is by grace you have been saved. I'm not denying there's yet more salvation to come, there is, but here he's focusing on your justification, the beginning of your salvation. “It is by grace you have been saved.” He's talking about the power He's already displayed in you by raising you from the dead. “By grace you have been saved.” And so, this power's on display. Power, the First Attribute Now, power we use the word in two different senses, maybe many others, as well, but when it comes to a person and their power, think about authority, the right to command, the right to do something. Did God have the right to do this? We were sinners, we'd violated His law. Did He have the right to declare us not guilty in Jesus? Yes, He did. He is the King of Kings, He is the Lord of Lords, and He deals with His justice at the cross, He deals with that, but He has the right to do this, He has the power to do this. There's a second sense of power. Can He do this, does He have the capability to do this? Oh yes, He does. He can raise dead sinners to life spiritually, He has that kind of power. We've already seen the power, but now we're going to see these others, and that is mercy first, and then love and grace. “Being Rich in Mercy” So first, mercy, “God being rich in mercy.” So you already heard from Daniel earlier about the mercy of God, and that was a great statement. God's mercy, I think there's different ways. It's hard to distinguish between mercy and grace. I think it's actually in some cases impossible, but one way to look at mercy is that it has to do with human misery and suffering and God has moved out toward the sufferer, toward the one who's miserable and wants to rescue them out of that misery, and take that misery away. So you see, again and again, sick people or tormented people crying out for Jesus, the Son of David to what? Have mercy on us, Son of David. We're blind, we want to have our sight. My daughter is demon possessed, she's suffering greatly, and Jesus has mercy. So, it's a sense of God seeing us like in Exodus chapter 2, where God speaks to Moses and says, "I have indeed seen the affliction of my people, and their bondage by reason of their taskmasters in Egypt, and I'm compassionate on them and merciful on them, and I want you to rescue them out of it." So that's God delivering miserable suffering people from their misery and their suffering. And it says in the text that God is, “rich in mercy.” I mean, He flows in mercy. Just by way of application, can I just say, shouldn't that make us want to be rich in mercy too? Just to look around and see suffering and want to move to it, and alleviate it? I mean, shouldn't you want to find some suffering person today or this week, and go alleviate their suffering some way? That has to do with benevolence ministry, or evangelism or whatever, or even ministry of counseling in the church, but we should want to move toward misery and suffering and be rich in mercy, like God is. But that's what God did with us, we were in Satan's dungeon. We were tormented, harassed and helpless and God “rich in mercy” stepped in. Another sense of His mercy, and Daniel picked up on this, has to do with forgiveness, where God just doesn't give us what we deserve. We deserved punishment, and we knew it. But God had mercy on us, and did not condemn us, and that you get in the Parable of the 10,000 talents, where the King talks to this man who had owed him 10,000 talents of immeasurable debt. But he wouldn't forgive one of his fellow servants. He hauled him back in, and he said, "Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?" So it's a sense of forgiveness of sins. Now, this is something that God gives at His sovereign grace, He doesn't have to do it. Romans chapter 9 says, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." You can't demand mercy. No one can ever say, "God you owed me mercy." Didn't matter how many people God shows mercy to, it's always sovereign grace, and so God shows mercy or he doesn't, he doesn't have to show it. But what's incredible is, He will show mercy to everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus for salvation, and He is rich in mercy. “Because of the Great Love with Which He Loved Us” Secondly, because of, “the great love with which He loved us,” the love of God. Isn't it a stunning marvel to you that God could love someone like you? I mean, it should amaze you. It's like, "No, actually pastor, you don't know me, I'm something actually." Yeah, you're something. You don't probably see yourself the way the Scripture sees you, the way the Law sees you, the way God saw you apart from Christ, but here's the thing, “God set His love on us while we were still sinners.” Well, maybe it's a different kind of thing than the way we use the word love. I actually don't think it is. Now we use this word, ”love,” a lot, don't we? You know, husband loves his wife, parents love their children. You know, a child loves ice cream. I do too, actually. A photographer loves a great action shot. A sightseer loves spectacular scenery or a sunset. A fan loves it when his team wins the championship. All of us love to be praised and encouraged. Alright, well you're saying, "What do all those uses of the word love have to do with it?" It's the same thing, only just infinitely greater. Love has to do with a heart attraction that results in cheerful sacrificial action. That's what love is. God is attracted toward us, even in our sins, and then is cheerfully sacrificing and giving for us. That's what love is. And that's what God did, he moved out toward us. He is passionately attracted to us as a husband is his wife and jealous over us. He is lovingly doting over us, the way a father is over his children. Protectively nurturing, the way a mother is with a nursing infant, all of those things are in the heart of God. And He “set them on us before we were even born, before God created the world,” because of His great love for us in Christ. And it moved Him to be generous and give us Jesus on the cross for our sins and then to give us a kingdom which we can't even imagine how beautiful and awesome it's going to be. To give us all of that, cheerful generosity, sacrificial action, that's love. “It is By Grace You Have Been Saved” And then finally, grace, and I'm not going to spend hardly any time on it today, because we'll get a second chance at it. Paul actually just kind of interrupts himself, he says, "It's by grace you've been saved, you know that, right?" He's going to come back and develop it more fully in Ephesians 2:8 and 9, "For by grace are you saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it's a gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast," so we'll get to grace. But it's just infinitely more than just simply unmerited favor. It's infinite, blessing given to those who deserve infinite curse, that's the grace of God. Those are the things that God put on display. That's what motivated God. And what did God do to us? Seated with Christ in the Heavenly Realms Well, “He seated us in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” Look what it says in verse 6, "He raised us up with Him," spiritually raised up, "And seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Again, note the verb tense. This is a done deal. If you are a Christian, you are spiritually seated with Christ at the right hand of Almighty God. That just blows my mind. You think about that, it's like, "Wow, we are at the right hand of God through our union with Christ." What does that mean? Well, it means a number of things. It means absolute security. You know how secure you are at the right hand of God? Satan's arm is too short to reach up there. He can't get you down from there, no one can snatch you out of the Father's hand, or out of Jesus' hand. You're at the right hand of God, you are safe, spiritually. How secure are you at the right hand of God? Well, what else does it mean? We Have Access at God’s Right Hand Well, it means access, you have access to God. You get to call Him “Abba, Father,” and bring all of your mess, and all of your problems and all of your issues to Him any time you want, and He will welcome all of your prayers anytime, you have access to God through Jesus Christ, through a new and living way, open through the body of Christ, you have access now that you're at the right hand of God, in Christ. And you have honor, it's a place of honor, you're honored to be there. Jesus said in Revelation 3:21, "To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne." So Jesus went out and won the victory of the battle and He gives you the honor, "Come and sit with me at the right hand of God." How awesome is that? A position of honor. What else do you get? Well, you get wisdom. Think about the Queen of Sheba, remember how she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom? She was blown away. It says in the Hebrew that, "The breath was taken out of her," she couldn't even breathe because of how awesome Solomon was. And she said, "How happy must be all of your servants who just get to stand around and listen to your wisdom." Jesus said very quietly, later on, "Someone greater than Solomon is here." We get to be at the right hand of God, and listen to His wisdom, the rest of our lives. How do you do that? Read the Bible. Through the Holy Spirit, He will speak wisdom into your hearts, you get to listen to Him be wise in your life, the rest of your life. It's a position of wisdom. It's a position of joy, you get to be joyful there. Psalm 16:11 says, "You will fill me with joy in your presence with eternal pleasures at your right hand," it's a pleasureful place to be at the right hand of God. God's a happy being. Everything's under control up there. Feels like it's not under control down here, but even that's under control. God is sovereign, He is happy, He is delighted. And, “at the right hand of God, is eternal pleasures forever more.” Fellowship at God’s Right Hand And finally, it's a position of fellowship. You get to just have a relationship at the right hand of God. You get to have a relationship with God, a friendship with God. Remember how God called Abraham His friend. Well, you're His friend, you're His son, you're His daughter. You get to have fellowship with Him. I think about John 17:24, Jesus said, "Father, I want those whom you have given me to be with me where I am and to see my glory." Well, see my glory is awesome, but just a step before that, “I want them to be with me.” I want them to have fellowship with me, I want to have a relationship with them. Father wants that too. And so, the right hand of God is a place of fellowship, as well. Application Marvel at God’s Goodness Alright, applications really quickly. First, will you just marvel with me at all of this? Just marvel at God's goodness. Rejoice in this, celebrate, worship God for these things. Understand how spiritually, frankly, you were just like I was in Lake Winnipesaukee, you were drowning, you were dead, you were gone, and God reached down and pulled you out of the deep and gave you life. He saved you. So just marvel at that. See Believers as Miracles of Grace And secondly, just understand that you are a miracle of God's grace already. God's already displayed His power. Understand how much power God has shown in your life that you're a Christian, that you actually believe these things. Marvel at that, and then extend that to your brothers and sisters, each one of them are miracles of God's grace. Celebrate what God's done in a brother or sister, that will melt away unforgiveness and bitterness. It will melt away the divisions that can happen between people. Just understand, they are trophies of God's grace, just like you are, and be humble and energetic in evangelism. Our job is to get out and take these words and share them in this community. We need to preach the Gospel. We do need to live out the Gospel so that our preaching isn't undermined, but we need to proclaim these words. But just like Elijah on Mount Carmel with the animal there, the sacrifice and the wood, and all that, it's all there, but they're waiting. Elijah's waiting for what? Fire from Heaven, right? Only God can convert a sinner. So go out in the college campus, go out in the workplace, go out in your neighborhood, go out and interact with people you didn't even know you're going to meet. And you can do all of the arranging and you can preach the Gospel, but the fire has to fall from Heaven, and it will, if God wills. He has that power. So understand evangelism and missions that way, that's what's going on, the sovereign grace of God. Parents as you're raising your kids, the fire has to fall from Heaven. It's not behaviorism., BF Skinner, it's not that. It's that you can preach the Gospel, you seek to live it in front of them, but they have to be converted by sovereign grace, pray for it and teach them that that's what has to happen. Marvel at these attributes of God. Marvel at His mercy. Marvel at His power, marvel at His love. Focus on these things and His grace. Believers, Meditate on Your Union with Christ Cherish each one and meditate on your union with Christ. I think we need to understand that more. It's a kind of a hard thing to grasp. His death is my death, His life is my life, I'm united with Him, “I'm with Christ in the heavenly realms.” We need to ponder that mystery of our union with Christ more. It's not easy to understand, but we need to ponder that. And let's rejoice more in being seated at the right hand of God, take those six things that I listed, the fact that you have access to God and that you have security and access and honor and wisdom and joy and fellowship, all those things. And just feed on them, pray more, intercede more. You're at the right hand of God through Jesus, intercede, pray for it. You have access, you have influence through prayer. Alright, all of that is for Christians. Gospel Proclamation I'm going to finish by just appealing to you who came in here today unconverted, though I hope you're not still unconverted. I hope that as you heard the Gospel clearly proclaimed to you today, something moved inside you and your pupils were no longer fixed and dilated. You're like, "I see it, I see that I am a sinner, I see that Christ is a savior, and I call on you, Jesus to save me. And I ask that you would forgive me of my sins and I ask that you would restore me to fellowship with God. I want to be in the family of God." Call on the name of the Lord and He will save you. Prayer Close with me in prayer. Father, we thank you for this time that we've had to study these amazing words, these incredible verses, and I want to just thank you for the Gospel, I want to thank you for saving each of my brothers and sisters that are here. Thank you for saving me. Father, I pray that you would do a work of sovereign grace around us all the time with other lost people. Help us, O Lord, to see them be safe, help us to be bold in evangelism in preaching the Gospel. And Lord help us to be rich in worship this week. Even as Daniel and the team leads in closing song, help us to just sing by the Spirit of our thankfulness to you, in Jesus' name, Amen.

(Podcast) Principles of Behaviour Modification
Episode 6 - Operant Conditioning

(Podcast) Principles of Behaviour Modification

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2015 6:59


Episode 6 describes operant conditioning by B F Skinner in detail: its principles, procedures and applications.

Hoax Busters: Conspiracy or just Theory?
Uploaded Call: John Adams Afternoon Commute,Mar9th, 2014

Hoax Busters: Conspiracy or just Theory?

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2015


Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Johnny Cash, Dave Dudley, Trucker Songs,Vaccines, Scientism, Michael Shermer, "Skeptics",Vaccine Rejectionists, City Kitty Licensing, Jaques Ellul, Punch Card Computing, Government Databases, Local Spys, The Medical Industry,Lawrence Krauss, Weather Control, Internet 2, Closed Circuit TV, Star Trek, Predictive Programming, Vest Pocket Telephone,Beyond Freedom and Dignity by BF Skinner.....Selected Reading: Information as a Weapon, Commute Music: Six Days on the Road by Dave Dudley_______hoaxbusterscall.com

Le Podcast Dont Vous Etes Le Héros
PDVELH 01: l'origine des livres

Le Podcast Dont Vous Etes Le Héros

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2013 46:47


Episode 1 du Podcast des Livres dont vous êtes le héros. Oû nos héros Xav et Jerry discutent les origines des livres dont vous êtes le héros, de leurs créateurs Steve Jackson et Ian livingston. Le début du Games Workshop et des Citadel Miniatures. Mais aussi le concept du progressive learning crée par BF Skinner et l’inspiration de Gary Gygax avec Dungeons & Dragons. Bon voyage aventuriers et rendez-vous à la 1re seconde.

Is Psychology a Science?
The Superstitious Pigeon- B. F. Skinner 1948

Is Psychology a Science?

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2013 12:19


Spectrum
Paul Piff

Spectrum

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2013 30:00


Paul Piff, social psychologist and post-doc scholar in the Psychology Dept at UC Berkeley, studies how social hierarchy, inequality, and emotion shape relations between individuals and groups. Paul Piff received PhD in Psychology from UCB May 2012.TranscriptSpeaker 1: Spectrum's next Speaker 2: [inaudible].Speaker 1: Welcome to spectrum the science and technology show on k [00:00:30] a l x Berkeley, a biweekly 30 minute program bringing you interviews featuring bay area scientists and technologists as well as a calendar of local events and news. Speaker 3: Good afternoon. My name is Brad swift and I'm your house today. In today's interview, Renee Rao and I talk with Paul Piff, a social psychologist and postdoctoral scholar in the psychology department at the University of California, Berkeley. Paul's studies house, social [00:01:00] hierarchy, inequality and emotion shape relations between individuals and groups. Paul piff received his phd in psychology from UC Berkeley in May, 2012 onto the interview. Paul Piff, welcome to spectrum. Thanks so much for having me on. It's a pleasure. I wanted to have you talk about your research. Psychology is such a big field. How does your research fit into that? Speaker 4: Psychology is a big field. Lot of people are psychologists center interested in a lot [00:01:30] of different questions as they relate to people and organisms and why different kinds of organisms do the things that they do. The brand of psychology that I'm really interested in is called social psychology. So what I do is as opposed to having people lay on a couch and talk to me about their problems, I study what people do around others in the reasons for what they do. So I study emotion. That's one of the focuses of my work. I've also recently gotten really interested in [00:02:00] the effects of inequality and specifically how a person's levels of wealth and status in society shapes the ways that they see the world and behave toward other people. As a social psychologist, you take a question that's of interest to you, like how do the rich behave compared to those that are poor. And then you think about how you would design experiments in different kinds of studies to look at that using a very quantitative approach. So as a social psychologist, I design a lot of studies where people literally [00:02:30] come into the lab. There's something happening where I can observe what they do without their necessarily knowing, and I use that to infer basic motivations behind people's behavior. Speaker 3: Can you explain then some of your methods, maybe an example of how you're set up Speaker 4: study, study. So a lot of the work that I've been doing relates to this basic question of how money shapes behavior. So how do people who have a lot of money behave differently toward others from those who don't have [00:03:00] as much money? One of the things that I was interested in studying for example, is how does the amount of money that you have shaped how generous and helping you are toward other people. In social psychology, we call that general category of behavior, pro social behavior or altruism. What makes people behave in ways that help another person out, even if that means they have to do something kind of costly. So let's say I'm interested in looking at levels of generosity, a lot of different ways in which people can be generous toward one another in everyday life. [00:03:30] But I want to study this in the lab. Speaker 4: And so one of the ways that we can do that is using a standard task where we can have someone engage in it and see how generous they are. And one of the tasks that I'll use is called the dictator task. And for instance, in one study in this dictator task, I give someone literally $10 and I say, you can keep all these $10 10 single dollar bills or you can decide how many of these dollar bills you want to give away, if any, [00:04:00] to another person who's totally anonymous that you've been paired with in this study. And I tell them they'll never meet this other person, the other person will never meet them. And I just measure how many of those dollars they're willing to give away. Another thing I do before they come into the lab is measure what their income is. So I can look at how generous they are, how many of these single dollar bills they're willing to give away as a function of how much money they have. Speaker 4: And that's one of the assessments that I used in one area of study to look at levels [00:04:30] of giving levels of generosity in the simple task as a function of how much money people have. So there's rational economic models that would say that if you have a lot of money, that the utility of those $10 is somewhat diminished because you have more money in the first place. So you would predict that as a rational actor, a person who has more money is going to give more money away cause $10 means less. That's the opposite of what we find. In fact, people who make under $15,000 [00:05:00] a year give significantly more on average six to $7 away then to someone who makes 150,000 to $200,000 a year. So we found incredible differences. And so a lot of my work over the last five or six years, and this is in collaboration with other people in my lab, is to try to document why it is that these really notable differences emerge between the haves and the have nots and what the psychological underpinnings of those differences are. But that's an example of a kind of study that will run Speaker 2: [00:05:30] [inaudible]. Our guest today is Paul Piff, a social psychologist. Paul is talking about how he designs his research studies. This is k a l X. Berkeley. Speaker 5: I have a question about the dictator test. Do you find any sort of other correlating variables in between just wealth and lack of [00:06:00] wealth? Do you find education has difference or how people made the wealth? Can you draw a sort of a causal line between saying this person has more and this makes them less empathetic or this person being less empathetic maybe has led to them being wealthier? Speaker 4: The dictator task has been used a lot and there are a lot of correlating variables that we know about already. Age correlates, religion correlates, ethnicity correlates, and so if I'm interested in the specific effects of wealth, I have to [00:06:30] account for those other things and I do so controlling for a lot of other variables. Wealth above and beyond a person's race, their age, what religion they are, how religious they are in the first place. Wealth has a specific effect, but the question that you're getting at I think is a even bigger one, which is how do I know whether it's wealth that causes someone to do something or is it people that are say a little more selfish with their money, who become wealthy in the first place? [00:07:00] And that is a really important question. And I think one of the insights that we've had from a lot of the experimental work that we've done, I can literally take someone whose quote unquote poor, make them feel rich and show you that making them feel wealthy temporarily in the lab actually makes them behave more unethically, which suggests that there's at least in part a causal direction between having money, feeling like you have money and that subjective experience. Speaker 4: It's psychological [00:07:30] experience causing you to behave in some ways that are a little more entitled, a little more self-serving. Now there's an another important question, which is if these differences do exist between those that have and those that don't, are they fixed? Are they rooted? Is that just a fact of life that we have to accept and sort of move on from, or are they sensitive to changes and if they are, what are the kinds of things that you can do to move people's behavior around or to make certain people in society a little more empathetic [00:08:00] without necessarily getting into the details? There are a lot of things that can be done in a lot of my work looks at specific variables that you can manipulate, even through subtle interventions that get people who had a lot more money to behave in ways that are a lot more compassionate and a lot more empathetic. And one of the lessons that I've learned from this work is that it's not that difficult. So it's not that people who have money or necessarily corrupt in any way, but that there's a specific psychological experience associated with privilege [00:08:30] that gets you to become a little more disconnected from others. A little more insular from others in that certain patterns of behavior flow as a result, but those patterns can easily changed. Speaker 5: Can we talk about some of the tweaks that you use to sort of bring about those changes? Speaker 4: Sure. One of the things that I'm really interested in right now is if it's the case that upper status individuals are more likely to behave unethically, then what are some subtle interventions that could be [00:09:00] done? Like a little ethics reminder course at the beginning that, so I've run this where I basically had people do sort of a 10 minutes ethics training program where I remind them about some of the benefits of the rules and how cooperating with others can ultimately bring about gains for the whole group, including yourself. And I see how that basic values intervention changes their patterns of unethical, the downstream. But now in one of the studies that I ran, I just wanted to look at helping behavior. [00:09:30] What makes a person want to help out another? So in this study, the way that I designed my test was I had one group of participants sitting in the lab and about 15 minutes into the study, it's the room bursts. Speaker 4: Another person. Now this is appearing visibly distressed. They're worried, they're sweating, they're anxious, they apologize for being late, and they introduce themselves as their partner in the study. Now there is an experimenter standing there who says, it's so great that you're late. Why don't you go ahead and see yourself in this other room? [00:10:00] And they turn to the participant and ask the participant if they'd be willing to give up some of their own time to help out this other person who would otherwise have to stay on for a lot of extra time to complete all of the tasks that they need to complete. And so that's our measure of helping behavior. How many minutes people are willing to volunteer to help out this other person who's actually a confederate. There's someone we've trained to be late to appear distressed, et cetera. They're an actor. All right. Speaker 4: So in one condition we find that Richard people give [00:10:30] way fewer minutes than poor people paralleling all the other results. But we had this other condition that I think is really revealing in that condition. Before they received in the lab about 15 minutes earlier, they watched a 46 second long video. And in that video, it was just a quick little reminder of the problems of childhood poverty. And it was a video that we'd designed to elicit increased feelings of compassion. Now, in that group, 15 minutes later, when [00:11:00] the people who had seen that video were sitting in a lab and we're introduced to that confederate and asked if they'd be willing to help them out, there were no differences between the rich and the poor in our study. So essentially that quick little reminder of the needs of others made wealthier people just as generous of their time to help out this other person as poor people suggesting that simple reminders of the needs of other people can go a long way toward restoring that empathy gap. And so the interesting question [00:11:30] to me is what are the ways in which in everyday life we can remind even those in the upper echelons of society, of the needs of other people in the small benefits that can be incurred through small and even sometimes trivial acts of kindness toward another person. Speaker 4: You are listening to the on k Speaker 2: a l x Berkeley. Our guest today is Paul. Pissed in the next second [00:12:00] he talks about his collaboration with Facebook. [inaudible] Speaker 5: try not to talk about how psychology seems to be a field that's accessible, not only in terms of mechanics and just finding the work, but also more understandable for a layman or for everyday people. Then most sciences, I think it's one of the most popular majors in colleges across the u s and can you sort of talk about the broad appeal that psychology has and why you think that might [00:12:30] be? I think Speaker 4: that observation rings true. I think psychology is something that's accessible and that that accessibility and the understandable illness of the content is what makes it kind of relatable and popular in the kind of work that we do. It's a positive and a negative. So what I mean by that is everyone who's engaged with others or interacted with others who are, has a sense of how people behave is a, an intuitive psychologist. We're all psychologists. [00:13:00] We all make decisions based on what we think is gonna make us happy. What's gonna make others happy? What's the kind of relationship that's meaningful to me? We all run these kinds of experiments. In fact, the life is sort of like a psychological experiment to run on a single person, 5 billion people at a time or whatever the population of the earth is. So we're all intuitive psychologists. But what that means is for the work that we do, if we find something or generate a finding, it's either obvious. Speaker 4: So someone could say, Oh yeah, you had to run a study [00:13:30] to do that. I've known that all along. Or if it doesn't conform to your worldview, you're wrong. You've run the study incorrectly. So the question is, are we actually convincing people or revealing new insights about how the mind works to others such that our awareness and understanding of psychology is increasing? Or are we simply just telling people what they knew all along or telling them things that they feel like is just flat out wrong? And that's something that I've wondered about myself. To what extent our findings are convincing people or informing people of things that they don't [00:14:00] intuitively experience in their everyday lives. Speaker 5: Do you want to talk about what you're doing with Facebook? I know you're, yeah, we can talk about Facebook in an ongoing collaboration with Facebook. So maybe you should tell us a little bit more about that Speaker 4: with Facebook. Dacher Keltner, who's a psychology faculty member here at Berkeley and Amelianna, Simon Thomas, who's the science director of the greater good science center, also at Berkeley, and I have been working with a team of engineers [00:14:30] at Facebook to put very, very simply make Facebook a more compassionate place. Now, when we started working with Facebook about 12 months ago, that was what was post to us. Help us make Facebook a more compassionate place. What does that mean? How do you do that? Well, what's become clear to me is that there are a lot of opportunities on Facebook and elsewhere to build little tools to make interactions between people and online. A little more sympathetic and a little more empathetic. [00:15:00] So here's an example. A lot of people on Facebook post photos. What that means when photos are getting posted is that there's the possibility that you're going to encounter a photo that you don't like. Speaker 4: And what Facebook found was that people were encountering these photos and just submitting reports to Facebook saying, hey, there's something seriously wrong with this photo. Facebook needs to take it down. And more often than not, people were reporting photos that had been posted by a friend of theirs. Very rarely do these reported photos actually violate [00:15:30] Facebook's terms of services. So Facebook can't do anything about it. And what we thought and what we've done is in the context of a photo being posted that you don't like, maybe this is a photo of your child that you think shouldn't be up at violates your privacy. Maybe it's a photo of you at a party in a some kind of revealing pose that you think is embarrassing. It doesn't really matter. But what we've done is tried to, for instance, give people tools to express why that photo is problematic, not to Facebook but to the person who posted [00:16:00] it. Speaker 4: And so now there's a series of things that pop up on the site. If you're having a problem with something that someone's posted that basically gets you to think about your experience, be a little bit mindful about the feelings that you're experiencing and be a little more mindful in how you express those feelings to the other person. That puts the photo up and when we just looked at the data recently, what we found is that by identifying the particular reason why you're finding that photo problematic and expressing that to the other person gets [00:16:30] them to be a lot more empathetic, a lot more sympathetic and really importantly a lot more likely to take the photo down. So we're actually trying to resolve disputes and conflicts on Facebook and there are a lot of other directions that this work is taken. We're dealing with bullying with the team at Yale, we're doing all sorts of other things that basically relate to what makes people get along or not get along in an online context. Speaker 5: I think the other question that I was trying to get at but didn't quite get to is how you think interactions [00:17:00] on platforms like the Internet, if they are fundamentally different than people interacting face to face or in a laboratory and why you think that might be the case? Speaker 4: Yes. What I mean by that is there's no single answer to the question and I think it's too early to tell. I think that online interactions are expressions of fundamental psychological tendencies, much like real world interactions are. So I don't think that things unfolds [00:17:30] online that wouldn't unfold in the real world, but does that mean that certain things are going to be accentuated or emphasized or magnified in an online setting? I think that's true as well. So I think online interactions are a certain kind of context where dynamics and fold that aren't fundamentally different from other kinds contexts in everyday life, but in which you might see certain kinds of patterns emphasized or magnified. Speaker 2: [00:18:00] This is k a l x Berkeley. The show is spectrum. Our guest is Paul Piff, a social psychologist. Speaker 4: Do you see a future in collaboration between brain studies and psychology? Absolutely. So that that future is now, I think a lot of psychologists who [00:18:30] incorporate brain imaging and brain data, FMR data into their papers, into their studies. This is the direction that even my work is beginning to move into. So I feel like the opportunities for collaboration are definitely there and in fact they're unfolding now. There's a lot of neuroscience that's less interested in quote unquote psychology and more interested in say biology, but there's a lot of social neuroscience, a lot of brain research that's done that's specifically motivated and [00:19:00] oriented around understanding why people feel the things that they do. What does emotion look like in the brain? What drives basic behavior patterns? So absolutely, I think that those opportunities are there, and this is a, an incredibly exciting developing area of the science. Speaker 4: One of the things in the fifties and sixties when BF Skinner and behaviorism was all the rage, is that behaviorism and the quantification of behavior gained traction [00:19:30] because it was argued that you can't look inside the black box. And if you can't look inside the black box, which is people's brains, people's minds, then the only thing you can study is behavior. And if we're interested in a science of behavior, then the only thing we can measure is what a person does or what a rat does or what a pigeon pecks at. But what neuroscience has allowed us to do is take a look at what is happening in that so-called black box. And if you put someone's brain in [00:20:00] a magnet in, scan it and see what's happening in the brain when you're showing them, say, images of another person's suffering, well then you're getting a sense of what compassion looks like neuro anatomically. Speaker 4: And that's a really exciting and incredible opportunity for understanding how basic psychological experiences are rooted in the brain and how basic anatomical structures in the brain can illuminate how psychology works. So I think the [00:20:30] opportunities are bi-directional. If I might, let me just add one more thing, which is one more insight that I think is interesting to me that social psychology seems to have been moving in the direction of, or psychology and there are about 80 or 90 years of research documenting the extent to which people stick to their groups. People are antagonistic potentially toward other groups. There's a history of violence in the human tradition or the history of humanity as sort of a history [00:21:00] of violence and that's given a lot of psychologists the perspective that people are in a way born to be sort of self-serving, especially if you look at behavior from an evolutionary framework, then it makes sense that people would do anything they could to get themselves ahead of the pack and get their groups ahead of the pack of other groups. Speaker 4: And what I think is a really important insight, and this is in part a movement that's been inspired by people like my advisor in graduate [00:21:30] school, Dacher Keltner, toward understanding that people are a lot more complicated than that in that a lot of the driving motivation to behavior is not just what gets you ahead, but also how you can help other people. So in a way, compassion and altruism we're learning is hardwired into the brain and that's a really puzzling thing because it's hard to fit that specifically into an evolutionary framework. But put generally [00:22:00] what I think we're learning about what motivates people is not just that people are motivated to get ahead, but the people are really driven to make others around them happy and to serve other people in ways that benefit others. And that insight has inspired 30 years of the most hard-hitting social psychology that I know of and it's also given rise to just a different kind of conceptualization of what makes people do the things that they do. Paul Piff, thanks very much for coming on spectrum. [00:22:30] That was a lot of fun. Thanks again for having me. On and I'd be happy to come on any other time. Great. Speaker 2: [inaudible] spectrum is archived on iTunes university. To find the archives, do a search in your favorite browser for iTunes Dash and view space k a l x space spectrum. The feature of spectrum is to present new stories we find [00:23:00] interesting and a coolio and Renee route present the news. Speaker 6: A National Institute of Health funded team of researchers at Stanford University have created an entirely transparent mouse brain. This new process known as clarity by its inventors will allow scientists to explore the neural networks and their natural 3d arrangement without having to slice the brain or severing any neural connections. Additionally, the process preserves the delicate biochemistry of the brain, which will allow researchers to test [00:23:30] chemicals affecting specific structures as well as to examine past brain activity. While the breakthrough is not part of the Obama Administration's recent brain exploration initiative, the senior author on the paper, Dr Karl Deisseroth, was involved in the planning of the initiative. Speaker 1: Well, some moderations do need to be made for the more complex human brain. The Stanford lab has already produced transparent human livers, hearts and lungs. You see Berkeley researchers and the integrative Biology Department just came out [00:24:00] with a study showing the positive effects of stress in studies on rats. They found that brief stressful events caused stem cells to branch into new nerve cells that improved the rats. Mental performance. It is important to differentiate acute stress and chronic stress. Chronic stress elevates levels of stress hormones that suppress the production of new neurons, which impairs mental performance. Associate Professor Coffer Characterizes [00:24:30] the overall message of this study as stress can be something that makes you better, but it is a question of how much, how long and how you interpret or perceive it. We'd like to mention a few of the science and technology events happening locally over the next two weeks. Rick Karnofsky, Julian and Renee arou present the calendar. NASA astrobiology researcher and Lawrence Berkeley fellow in residence, Felisa Wolf Simon is delivering tonight. Future Friday's [00:25:00] lecture at the Chabot Space and science center at 10,000 Skyline Boulevard in Oakland. She'll be discussing the chemical elements that can support microbial life on earth. Drawing from molecular biology, biochemistry and physiology. Admission is $23 in advance. Visit shabbos space.org for more info this Saturday come to the UC Berkeley campus for the [inaudible] Speaker 6: bears annual kal day. Over 300 lectures, workshops [00:25:30] and presentations will be available with topics ranging from how the interplay of light with the atmosphere can create rainbows to a demonstration from the first laundry folding robot. Rosie Cal Day's tomorrow April 20th held on the UC Berkeley campus and open to the public events. Begin at 8:00 AM go to [inaudible] dot berkeley.edu Speaker 1: false schedule of events April 22nd through April 26th is national parks week. During this week, [00:26:00] admission to all US national parks is free. Put on your hiking boots and visit the nearest national park to you. Speaker 6: On April 27th Berkeley High School will host the day long Alameda County apps challenge contestants are asked to create apps that will address community needs. Using Alameda county open datasets apprise of $3,000 will be awarded to the most inventive and user friendly app. Well, second, third and honorable mentions will also be meted out. Alameda county [00:26:30] invites participation from residents of all skill levels and age groups. The apps challenge is part of a nationwide movement to increase transparency and implement open data policies in governmental organizations. The event be held at Berkeley High School Speaker 1: in downtown Berkeley from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Saturday, April 27th it costs $15 to participate with discounts for students and seniors. There has been a rapid spread of sudden oak death pathogen [00:27:00] referred to Assad over the East Bay hills, specifically in north Berkeley and Montclair. Professor Matteo Garber, Loto, head of the UC Berkeley forest pathology and my collegey lab has been tracking the spread through annual area surveys. Garber Lotos team is looking for volunteers to help conduct annual spring surveys to find diseased trees. There will be several training sessions for volunteers in the bay area. The Berkeley session is on Saturday, April 27th at 1:00 PM [00:27:30] on the Berkeley campus in one 59 Mulford Hall. For other training sessions in the bay area. Searched the web for sod blitz project, but first after dark at the new exploratorium in San Francisco. [inaudible] on Thursday May 2nd after dark is the exploratorium monthly evening program for adults 18 and over. Admission for non-members is $15 in addition to the museums regular exhibits, there will be live music films and [00:28:00] the lectures. The theme this month is home and you can hear about how an empty warehouse on pier 15 was transformed into the explore Torrens new home. Karen [inaudible]. We'll discuss the human microbiome and Ron Hitchman. We'll talk about what makes earth and other goldilocks planets just right for sustaining life. For more information, visit the exploratorium.edu Speaker 6: on Friday May 3rd the San Francisco ASCA scientists lecture series [00:28:30] will host a workshop on crafting the perfect science story. Editors of the science writer handbook will share personal stories of working in the field and address questions about building sustainable science writing careers. The May 3rd event will begin at 7:00 PM in San Francisco's bizarre cafe. More details can be found online at ask a scientist, s f.com Speaker 2: [inaudible] [00:29:00] a character in the show is by lost on a David from his album, folk acoustic and available by it. We have Commons license 3.0 and attribution editing assistance provided by renew route 90 spectrum. If you have comments about the show, please send them to us. [00:29:30] Our email address is spectrum lx@yahoo.com join us in two weeks. Same time [inaudible]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Spectrum
Paul Piff

Spectrum

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2013 30:00


Paul Piff, social psychologist and post-doc scholar in the Psychology Dept at UC Berkeley, studies how social hierarchy, inequality, and emotion shape relations between individuals and groups. Paul Piff received PhD in Psychology from UCB May 2012.TranscriptSpeaker 1: Spectrum's next Speaker 2: [inaudible].Speaker 1: Welcome to spectrum the science and technology show on k [00:00:30] a l x Berkeley, a biweekly 30 minute program bringing you interviews featuring bay area scientists and technologists as well as a calendar of local events and news. Speaker 3: Good afternoon. My name is Brad swift and I'm your house today. In today's interview, Renee Rao and I talk with Paul Piff, a social psychologist and postdoctoral scholar in the psychology department at the University of California, Berkeley. Paul's studies house, social [00:01:00] hierarchy, inequality and emotion shape relations between individuals and groups. Paul piff received his phd in psychology from UC Berkeley in May, 2012 onto the interview. Paul Piff, welcome to spectrum. Thanks so much for having me on. It's a pleasure. I wanted to have you talk about your research. Psychology is such a big field. How does your research fit into that? Speaker 4: Psychology is a big field. Lot of people are psychologists center interested in a lot [00:01:30] of different questions as they relate to people and organisms and why different kinds of organisms do the things that they do. The brand of psychology that I'm really interested in is called social psychology. So what I do is as opposed to having people lay on a couch and talk to me about their problems, I study what people do around others in the reasons for what they do. So I study emotion. That's one of the focuses of my work. I've also recently gotten really interested in [00:02:00] the effects of inequality and specifically how a person's levels of wealth and status in society shapes the ways that they see the world and behave toward other people. As a social psychologist, you take a question that's of interest to you, like how do the rich behave compared to those that are poor. And then you think about how you would design experiments in different kinds of studies to look at that using a very quantitative approach. So as a social psychologist, I design a lot of studies where people literally [00:02:30] come into the lab. There's something happening where I can observe what they do without their necessarily knowing, and I use that to infer basic motivations behind people's behavior. Speaker 3: Can you explain then some of your methods, maybe an example of how you're set up Speaker 4: study, study. So a lot of the work that I've been doing relates to this basic question of how money shapes behavior. So how do people who have a lot of money behave differently toward others from those who don't have [00:03:00] as much money? One of the things that I was interested in studying for example, is how does the amount of money that you have shaped how generous and helping you are toward other people. In social psychology, we call that general category of behavior, pro social behavior or altruism. What makes people behave in ways that help another person out, even if that means they have to do something kind of costly. So let's say I'm interested in looking at levels of generosity, a lot of different ways in which people can be generous toward one another in everyday life. [00:03:30] But I want to study this in the lab. Speaker 4: And so one of the ways that we can do that is using a standard task where we can have someone engage in it and see how generous they are. And one of the tasks that I'll use is called the dictator task. And for instance, in one study in this dictator task, I give someone literally $10 and I say, you can keep all these $10 10 single dollar bills or you can decide how many of these dollar bills you want to give away, if any, [00:04:00] to another person who's totally anonymous that you've been paired with in this study. And I tell them they'll never meet this other person, the other person will never meet them. And I just measure how many of those dollars they're willing to give away. Another thing I do before they come into the lab is measure what their income is. So I can look at how generous they are, how many of these single dollar bills they're willing to give away as a function of how much money they have. Speaker 4: And that's one of the assessments that I used in one area of study to look at levels [00:04:30] of giving levels of generosity in the simple task as a function of how much money people have. So there's rational economic models that would say that if you have a lot of money, that the utility of those $10 is somewhat diminished because you have more money in the first place. So you would predict that as a rational actor, a person who has more money is going to give more money away cause $10 means less. That's the opposite of what we find. In fact, people who make under $15,000 [00:05:00] a year give significantly more on average six to $7 away then to someone who makes 150,000 to $200,000 a year. So we found incredible differences. And so a lot of my work over the last five or six years, and this is in collaboration with other people in my lab, is to try to document why it is that these really notable differences emerge between the haves and the have nots and what the psychological underpinnings of those differences are. But that's an example of a kind of study that will run Speaker 2: [00:05:30] [inaudible]. Our guest today is Paul Piff, a social psychologist. Paul is talking about how he designs his research studies. This is k a l X. Berkeley. Speaker 5: I have a question about the dictator test. Do you find any sort of other correlating variables in between just wealth and lack of [00:06:00] wealth? Do you find education has difference or how people made the wealth? Can you draw a sort of a causal line between saying this person has more and this makes them less empathetic or this person being less empathetic maybe has led to them being wealthier? Speaker 4: The dictator task has been used a lot and there are a lot of correlating variables that we know about already. Age correlates, religion correlates, ethnicity correlates, and so if I'm interested in the specific effects of wealth, I have to [00:06:30] account for those other things and I do so controlling for a lot of other variables. Wealth above and beyond a person's race, their age, what religion they are, how religious they are in the first place. Wealth has a specific effect, but the question that you're getting at I think is a even bigger one, which is how do I know whether it's wealth that causes someone to do something or is it people that are say a little more selfish with their money, who become wealthy in the first place? [00:07:00] And that is a really important question. And I think one of the insights that we've had from a lot of the experimental work that we've done, I can literally take someone whose quote unquote poor, make them feel rich and show you that making them feel wealthy temporarily in the lab actually makes them behave more unethically, which suggests that there's at least in part a causal direction between having money, feeling like you have money and that subjective experience. Speaker 4: It's psychological [00:07:30] experience causing you to behave in some ways that are a little more entitled, a little more self-serving. Now there's an another important question, which is if these differences do exist between those that have and those that don't, are they fixed? Are they rooted? Is that just a fact of life that we have to accept and sort of move on from, or are they sensitive to changes and if they are, what are the kinds of things that you can do to move people's behavior around or to make certain people in society a little more empathetic [00:08:00] without necessarily getting into the details? There are a lot of things that can be done in a lot of my work looks at specific variables that you can manipulate, even through subtle interventions that get people who had a lot more money to behave in ways that are a lot more compassionate and a lot more empathetic. And one of the lessons that I've learned from this work is that it's not that difficult. So it's not that people who have money or necessarily corrupt in any way, but that there's a specific psychological experience associated with privilege [00:08:30] that gets you to become a little more disconnected from others. A little more insular from others in that certain patterns of behavior flow as a result, but those patterns can easily changed. Speaker 5: Can we talk about some of the tweaks that you use to sort of bring about those changes? Speaker 4: Sure. One of the things that I'm really interested in right now is if it's the case that upper status individuals are more likely to behave unethically, then what are some subtle interventions that could be [00:09:00] done? Like a little ethics reminder course at the beginning that, so I've run this where I basically had people do sort of a 10 minutes ethics training program where I remind them about some of the benefits of the rules and how cooperating with others can ultimately bring about gains for the whole group, including yourself. And I see how that basic values intervention changes their patterns of unethical, the downstream. But now in one of the studies that I ran, I just wanted to look at helping behavior. [00:09:30] What makes a person want to help out another? So in this study, the way that I designed my test was I had one group of participants sitting in the lab and about 15 minutes into the study, it's the room bursts. Speaker 4: Another person. Now this is appearing visibly distressed. They're worried, they're sweating, they're anxious, they apologize for being late, and they introduce themselves as their partner in the study. Now there is an experimenter standing there who says, it's so great that you're late. Why don't you go ahead and see yourself in this other room? [00:10:00] And they turn to the participant and ask the participant if they'd be willing to give up some of their own time to help out this other person who would otherwise have to stay on for a lot of extra time to complete all of the tasks that they need to complete. And so that's our measure of helping behavior. How many minutes people are willing to volunteer to help out this other person who's actually a confederate. There's someone we've trained to be late to appear distressed, et cetera. They're an actor. All right. Speaker 4: So in one condition we find that Richard people give [00:10:30] way fewer minutes than poor people paralleling all the other results. But we had this other condition that I think is really revealing in that condition. Before they received in the lab about 15 minutes earlier, they watched a 46 second long video. And in that video, it was just a quick little reminder of the problems of childhood poverty. And it was a video that we'd designed to elicit increased feelings of compassion. Now, in that group, 15 minutes later, when [00:11:00] the people who had seen that video were sitting in a lab and we're introduced to that confederate and asked if they'd be willing to help them out, there were no differences between the rich and the poor in our study. So essentially that quick little reminder of the needs of others made wealthier people just as generous of their time to help out this other person as poor people suggesting that simple reminders of the needs of other people can go a long way toward restoring that empathy gap. And so the interesting question [00:11:30] to me is what are the ways in which in everyday life we can remind even those in the upper echelons of society, of the needs of other people in the small benefits that can be incurred through small and even sometimes trivial acts of kindness toward another person. Speaker 4: You are listening to the on k Speaker 2: a l x Berkeley. Our guest today is Paul. Pissed in the next second [00:12:00] he talks about his collaboration with Facebook. [inaudible] Speaker 5: try not to talk about how psychology seems to be a field that's accessible, not only in terms of mechanics and just finding the work, but also more understandable for a layman or for everyday people. Then most sciences, I think it's one of the most popular majors in colleges across the u s and can you sort of talk about the broad appeal that psychology has and why you think that might [00:12:30] be? I think Speaker 4: that observation rings true. I think psychology is something that's accessible and that that accessibility and the understandable illness of the content is what makes it kind of relatable and popular in the kind of work that we do. It's a positive and a negative. So what I mean by that is everyone who's engaged with others or interacted with others who are, has a sense of how people behave is a, an intuitive psychologist. We're all psychologists. [00:13:00] We all make decisions based on what we think is gonna make us happy. What's gonna make others happy? What's the kind of relationship that's meaningful to me? We all run these kinds of experiments. In fact, the life is sort of like a psychological experiment to run on a single person, 5 billion people at a time or whatever the population of the earth is. So we're all intuitive psychologists. But what that means is for the work that we do, if we find something or generate a finding, it's either obvious. Speaker 4: So someone could say, Oh yeah, you had to run a study [00:13:30] to do that. I've known that all along. Or if it doesn't conform to your worldview, you're wrong. You've run the study incorrectly. So the question is, are we actually convincing people or revealing new insights about how the mind works to others such that our awareness and understanding of psychology is increasing? Or are we simply just telling people what they knew all along or telling them things that they feel like is just flat out wrong? And that's something that I've wondered about myself. To what extent our findings are convincing people or informing people of things that they don't [00:14:00] intuitively experience in their everyday lives. Speaker 5: Do you want to talk about what you're doing with Facebook? I know you're, yeah, we can talk about Facebook in an ongoing collaboration with Facebook. So maybe you should tell us a little bit more about that Speaker 4: with Facebook. Dacher Keltner, who's a psychology faculty member here at Berkeley and Amelianna, Simon Thomas, who's the science director of the greater good science center, also at Berkeley, and I have been working with a team of engineers [00:14:30] at Facebook to put very, very simply make Facebook a more compassionate place. Now, when we started working with Facebook about 12 months ago, that was what was post to us. Help us make Facebook a more compassionate place. What does that mean? How do you do that? Well, what's become clear to me is that there are a lot of opportunities on Facebook and elsewhere to build little tools to make interactions between people and online. A little more sympathetic and a little more empathetic. [00:15:00] So here's an example. A lot of people on Facebook post photos. What that means when photos are getting posted is that there's the possibility that you're going to encounter a photo that you don't like. Speaker 4: And what Facebook found was that people were encountering these photos and just submitting reports to Facebook saying, hey, there's something seriously wrong with this photo. Facebook needs to take it down. And more often than not, people were reporting photos that had been posted by a friend of theirs. Very rarely do these reported photos actually violate [00:15:30] Facebook's terms of services. So Facebook can't do anything about it. And what we thought and what we've done is in the context of a photo being posted that you don't like, maybe this is a photo of your child that you think shouldn't be up at violates your privacy. Maybe it's a photo of you at a party in a some kind of revealing pose that you think is embarrassing. It doesn't really matter. But what we've done is tried to, for instance, give people tools to express why that photo is problematic, not to Facebook but to the person who posted [00:16:00] it. Speaker 4: And so now there's a series of things that pop up on the site. If you're having a problem with something that someone's posted that basically gets you to think about your experience, be a little bit mindful about the feelings that you're experiencing and be a little more mindful in how you express those feelings to the other person. That puts the photo up and when we just looked at the data recently, what we found is that by identifying the particular reason why you're finding that photo problematic and expressing that to the other person gets [00:16:30] them to be a lot more empathetic, a lot more sympathetic and really importantly a lot more likely to take the photo down. So we're actually trying to resolve disputes and conflicts on Facebook and there are a lot of other directions that this work is taken. We're dealing with bullying with the team at Yale, we're doing all sorts of other things that basically relate to what makes people get along or not get along in an online context. Speaker 5: I think the other question that I was trying to get at but didn't quite get to is how you think interactions [00:17:00] on platforms like the Internet, if they are fundamentally different than people interacting face to face or in a laboratory and why you think that might be the case? Speaker 4: Yes. What I mean by that is there's no single answer to the question and I think it's too early to tell. I think that online interactions are expressions of fundamental psychological tendencies, much like real world interactions are. So I don't think that things unfolds [00:17:30] online that wouldn't unfold in the real world, but does that mean that certain things are going to be accentuated or emphasized or magnified in an online setting? I think that's true as well. So I think online interactions are a certain kind of context where dynamics and fold that aren't fundamentally different from other kinds contexts in everyday life, but in which you might see certain kinds of patterns emphasized or magnified. Speaker 2: [00:18:00] This is k a l x Berkeley. The show is spectrum. Our guest is Paul Piff, a social psychologist. Speaker 4: Do you see a future in collaboration between brain studies and psychology? Absolutely. So that that future is now, I think a lot of psychologists who [00:18:30] incorporate brain imaging and brain data, FMR data into their papers, into their studies. This is the direction that even my work is beginning to move into. So I feel like the opportunities for collaboration are definitely there and in fact they're unfolding now. There's a lot of neuroscience that's less interested in quote unquote psychology and more interested in say biology, but there's a lot of social neuroscience, a lot of brain research that's done that's specifically motivated and [00:19:00] oriented around understanding why people feel the things that they do. What does emotion look like in the brain? What drives basic behavior patterns? So absolutely, I think that those opportunities are there, and this is a, an incredibly exciting developing area of the science. Speaker 4: One of the things in the fifties and sixties when BF Skinner and behaviorism was all the rage, is that behaviorism and the quantification of behavior gained traction [00:19:30] because it was argued that you can't look inside the black box. And if you can't look inside the black box, which is people's brains, people's minds, then the only thing you can study is behavior. And if we're interested in a science of behavior, then the only thing we can measure is what a person does or what a rat does or what a pigeon pecks at. But what neuroscience has allowed us to do is take a look at what is happening in that so-called black box. And if you put someone's brain in [00:20:00] a magnet in, scan it and see what's happening in the brain when you're showing them, say, images of another person's suffering, well then you're getting a sense of what compassion looks like neuro anatomically. Speaker 4: And that's a really exciting and incredible opportunity for understanding how basic psychological experiences are rooted in the brain and how basic anatomical structures in the brain can illuminate how psychology works. So I think the [00:20:30] opportunities are bi-directional. If I might, let me just add one more thing, which is one more insight that I think is interesting to me that social psychology seems to have been moving in the direction of, or psychology and there are about 80 or 90 years of research documenting the extent to which people stick to their groups. People are antagonistic potentially toward other groups. There's a history of violence in the human tradition or the history of humanity as sort of a history [00:21:00] of violence and that's given a lot of psychologists the perspective that people are in a way born to be sort of self-serving, especially if you look at behavior from an evolutionary framework, then it makes sense that people would do anything they could to get themselves ahead of the pack and get their groups ahead of the pack of other groups. Speaker 4: And what I think is a really important insight, and this is in part a movement that's been inspired by people like my advisor in graduate [00:21:30] school, Dacher Keltner, toward understanding that people are a lot more complicated than that in that a lot of the driving motivation to behavior is not just what gets you ahead, but also how you can help other people. So in a way, compassion and altruism we're learning is hardwired into the brain and that's a really puzzling thing because it's hard to fit that specifically into an evolutionary framework. But put generally [00:22:00] what I think we're learning about what motivates people is not just that people are motivated to get ahead, but the people are really driven to make others around them happy and to serve other people in ways that benefit others. And that insight has inspired 30 years of the most hard-hitting social psychology that I know of and it's also given rise to just a different kind of conceptualization of what makes people do the things that they do. Paul Piff, thanks very much for coming on spectrum. [00:22:30] That was a lot of fun. Thanks again for having me. On and I'd be happy to come on any other time. Great. Speaker 2: [inaudible] spectrum is archived on iTunes university. To find the archives, do a search in your favorite browser for iTunes Dash and view space k a l x space spectrum. The feature of spectrum is to present new stories we find [00:23:00] interesting and a coolio and Renee route present the news. Speaker 6: A National Institute of Health funded team of researchers at Stanford University have created an entirely transparent mouse brain. This new process known as clarity by its inventors will allow scientists to explore the neural networks and their natural 3d arrangement without having to slice the brain or severing any neural connections. Additionally, the process preserves the delicate biochemistry of the brain, which will allow researchers to test [00:23:30] chemicals affecting specific structures as well as to examine past brain activity. While the breakthrough is not part of the Obama Administration's recent brain exploration initiative, the senior author on the paper, Dr Karl Deisseroth, was involved in the planning of the initiative. Speaker 1: Well, some moderations do need to be made for the more complex human brain. The Stanford lab has already produced transparent human livers, hearts and lungs. You see Berkeley researchers and the integrative Biology Department just came out [00:24:00] with a study showing the positive effects of stress in studies on rats. They found that brief stressful events caused stem cells to branch into new nerve cells that improved the rats. Mental performance. It is important to differentiate acute stress and chronic stress. Chronic stress elevates levels of stress hormones that suppress the production of new neurons, which impairs mental performance. Associate Professor Coffer Characterizes [00:24:30] the overall message of this study as stress can be something that makes you better, but it is a question of how much, how long and how you interpret or perceive it. We'd like to mention a few of the science and technology events happening locally over the next two weeks. Rick Karnofsky, Julian and Renee arou present the calendar. NASA astrobiology researcher and Lawrence Berkeley fellow in residence, Felisa Wolf Simon is delivering tonight. Future Friday's [00:25:00] lecture at the Chabot Space and science center at 10,000 Skyline Boulevard in Oakland. She'll be discussing the chemical elements that can support microbial life on earth. Drawing from molecular biology, biochemistry and physiology. Admission is $23 in advance. Visit shabbos space.org for more info this Saturday come to the UC Berkeley campus for the [inaudible] Speaker 6: bears annual kal day. Over 300 lectures, workshops [00:25:30] and presentations will be available with topics ranging from how the interplay of light with the atmosphere can create rainbows to a demonstration from the first laundry folding robot. Rosie Cal Day's tomorrow April 20th held on the UC Berkeley campus and open to the public events. Begin at 8:00 AM go to [inaudible] dot berkeley.edu Speaker 1: false schedule of events April 22nd through April 26th is national parks week. During this week, [00:26:00] admission to all US national parks is free. Put on your hiking boots and visit the nearest national park to you. Speaker 6: On April 27th Berkeley High School will host the day long Alameda County apps challenge contestants are asked to create apps that will address community needs. Using Alameda county open datasets apprise of $3,000 will be awarded to the most inventive and user friendly app. Well, second, third and honorable mentions will also be meted out. Alameda county [00:26:30] invites participation from residents of all skill levels and age groups. The apps challenge is part of a nationwide movement to increase transparency and implement open data policies in governmental organizations. The event be held at Berkeley High School Speaker 1: in downtown Berkeley from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Saturday, April 27th it costs $15 to participate with discounts for students and seniors. There has been a rapid spread of sudden oak death pathogen [00:27:00] referred to Assad over the East Bay hills, specifically in north Berkeley and Montclair. Professor Matteo Garber, Loto, head of the UC Berkeley forest pathology and my collegey lab has been tracking the spread through annual area surveys. Garber Lotos team is looking for volunteers to help conduct annual spring surveys to find diseased trees. There will be several training sessions for volunteers in the bay area. The Berkeley session is on Saturday, April 27th at 1:00 PM [00:27:30] on the Berkeley campus in one 59 Mulford Hall. For other training sessions in the bay area. Searched the web for sod blitz project, but first after dark at the new exploratorium in San Francisco. [inaudible] on Thursday May 2nd after dark is the exploratorium monthly evening program for adults 18 and over. Admission for non-members is $15 in addition to the museums regular exhibits, there will be live music films and [00:28:00] the lectures. The theme this month is home and you can hear about how an empty warehouse on pier 15 was transformed into the explore Torrens new home. Karen [inaudible]. We'll discuss the human microbiome and Ron Hitchman. We'll talk about what makes earth and other goldilocks planets just right for sustaining life. For more information, visit the exploratorium.edu Speaker 6: on Friday May 3rd the San Francisco ASCA scientists lecture series [00:28:30] will host a workshop on crafting the perfect science story. Editors of the science writer handbook will share personal stories of working in the field and address questions about building sustainable science writing careers. The May 3rd event will begin at 7:00 PM in San Francisco's bizarre cafe. More details can be found online at ask a scientist, s f.com Speaker 2: [inaudible] [00:29:00] a character in the show is by lost on a David from his album, folk acoustic and available by it. We have Commons license 3.0 and attribution editing assistance provided by renew route 90 spectrum. If you have comments about the show, please send them to us. [00:29:30] Our email address is spectrum lx@yahoo.com join us in two weeks. Same time [inaudible]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Psych Files
Ep 191: What Was B. F. Skinner Really Like?

The Psych Files

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2013 33:52


Would you be surprised to learn that B.F. Skinner was a very likable guy and that you may actually be very much in agreement with his ideas? Many people who study psychology have a negative impression of Skinner. Well, I'm about to challenge those impressions by presenting a side of Skinner you probably haven't been exposed to. In these sound bytes you'll hear his ideas about learning to play music, about discovery, having fun and becoming the most that you can be.

Philosophy: A Survival Guide
Ep8: FreeWill, B.F. Skinner, and Aesthetics

Philosophy: A Survival Guide

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2012


A discussion of B.F. Skinner and Tones’s recent findings on Twitter take us deeper into the discussion of Freewill.  We also begin our discussion of Aesthetics, but merely as a teaser for Episode 9. Click here to Stream: Episode8 Click here if you prefer iTunes Bumper Music by Nightosaur off of their NEW album, SpaceAxers.  Check them out […]

Salud Mental El Podcast (Podcast) - www.psicoterapias.mx/

En este nuevo número de esta revista de psicología en audio, hablaremos sobre la vida de Burrhus Frederic Skinner uno de los principales precursores del conductismo. En la música nos acompaña el músico y cantautor Bill Wither.

biografia bf skinner burrhus frederic skinner
Science Talk
Superdove!: The Straight Poop on Pigeons

Science Talk

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2008 20:12


Courtney Humphries talks about her new book, Superdove: How the Pigeon Took Manhattan...And the World . Plus, we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the news. Web sites mentioned in this episode include www.birds.cornell.edu/pigeonwatch; chumphries.org

Two Journeys Sermons
Competent to Counsel (Romans Sermon 112 of 120) (Audio)

Two Journeys Sermons

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2006


Introduction: Analyzing Psychoanalysis I'm essentially preaching a whole sermon on one verse today, so that must be a good verse, and it is. It's a verse, that's the foundation I think of a movement called Biblical Counseling that is growing in strength, to the glory of God in our country and around the world. The November 29th, 1993 issue of Time magazine had as a cover article, a picture of Sigmund Freud with his head kind of unraveling in some kind of a three-dimensional puzzle and getting put back together. One of those artistic renditions, like that. And it asked the question, "Is Freud dead?" When I saw it, I thought it's a good thing that Time asks easy questions to answer. The answer is, yes, Freud is dead. But obviously they're meaning more than just, is his body in the grave. They're really asking a deeper question, "Is the influence of Sigmund Freud and his approach to psycho-analysis, is that dead?" And the answer to that is No. Though Freud has come under some severe questioning even by people who maybe originally believed in his theories. Yet his influence is increasing. You know the picture of mustache, goatee, a man sitting there dignified with a notepad and a pen, and somebody laying on a couch, and spilling out their lives and telling him their dreams and all this sort of stuff, and he analyzing all of that. That's a lasting image and it's had a tremendous effect on our society, and our culture and a tremendous effect on the church of Jesus Christ. At present, there are over 200 identifiable talking cures in America today, with between 10 and 15 million Americans doing the talking. We live surrounded constantly by people who are feeling in their lives, in their marriages, in their homes, the devastating consequences of sin. I. A World Crying for Good Counsel Sins ravages are visible everywhere, in addictions, in dissolving and hurting families, in escalating mental anguish, in increasing temptations, we're surrounded every day by people who are crying out for help. And the world's response is, "Get some counseling." If you can just get some counseling. And more and more counseling is coupled with medications. Prescriptions for mood and behavior altering drugs are proliferating. More and more that seems to be the solution. Now, all of this, all of this is intensely important for us as Christians, who should be, and who are, genuinely concerned about the welfare of our co-workers, and neighbors, and family and friends, that they would know and love Jesus Christ. Franklin Graham, the evangelist said, the key, one of the keys to evangelism is taking your finger as it were, and rubbing it around the inside of the rim of the cup of their lives, and trying to find the places where sin has left its cracks and that's the place where the gospel can begin to work in people's lives. But psychotherapy stands as a direct challenge to the spiritual healing ministry of Jesus Christ and the Gospel. Remember that Jesus said in Luke 5:31-32, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." That's the essence of the healing that Jesus has come to bring. That's the essence of what the Gospel does, it bring sinners to repentance, to a healed relationship with God and therefore with one another. A History Lesson on Psychology Now, psychology over the last 100 years has gone through some interesting twists and turns. It started with Sigmund Freud in his office in Vienna, and he wrote a book on the interpretation of dreams and that started the modern psychotherapy revolution. His basic ideas were that the key to psychosis, mental illness, is what happened to you in the past and many of the most significant issues that happened to you in the past, lie repressed in your memory. Sometimes it comes out in dreams or under hypnotism or other things, but the key is what happened to you in your past. Perhaps your mother was too protective or your father was too harsh, or there was a school bully that beat up on you and abused you in some way. And the purpose of counseling then, is to dredge up these past memories and to deal with them. In recent years, we've heard more and more about these repressed lives and repressed memories, and they're these thoughts that come out that get incredibly bizarre and challenge the way people even see reality. Tales of satanic ritual abuse, and there's no historical evidence that any of it happened but these repressed memories and it's all part of the Freudian approach to healing, bringing out those secret memories. And if you could just understand them then you could be healed. Now, many of Freud's theories actually showed more about him than they do about the true nature of man. Some of his own psychosis and perversions come out as you study his approach. However, I'll say this, for all the attacks on Freud, his basic ideas still remain and are pervasive in our culture. Man is not responsible. Guilt is imaginary. The key to therapy is digging up the past. These things are still with us. Now, after Freud, came other schools of counseling, like BF Skinner for example. The behaviorist model, the idea there is that man is totally conditioned by external training, by circumstances, by positive and negative reinforcement. To understand behavior, you have to understand the environment that shaped it. To change behavior, you have to change the environment, re-train the mind. So therefore, man is nothing more than a machine to be programmed. And if we're going to see a difference in behavior we've got to change the programming. That's BF Skinner. Then there is Carl Rogers who came up with this reflection approach to counseling. "Human beings," said Rogers, "are basically good and like all living creatures, they will try always to make the best of their existences. Evolution has given us everything we need for being all that we can be." A counselor's job according to Rogers then is to help the person find their own solutions to the problems that they face. The idea is that they know themselves and their situations far better than the counselor ever could or would, therefore, the counselor's job is simply to reflect back to the counsel-ee, their own feelings and their own thoughts. The goal is to help the person reach their own highest potential. And so the counseling session involves the counselor simply repeating back to the person what they're saying. Like a mirror. So it would go something like this. "So you're saying that you'd really like to quit your job, but you're afraid of the consequences." Or, "you feel that your husband doesn't appreciate you the way that he should," or “it seems to me you feel like you wish your son would be a little more responsible," or "you feel like you're on a roller coaster, going up and down, and there's no way to get off." Listen, if you ever come to me and I start doing that sort of stuff, just slap me. Okay. I'm going to cut right to the heart of the matter, alright. That's called reflection. Okay. The key question in this kind of counseling is, "How does that make you feel?" So we're trained to ask that question over and over. How does that make you feel? And so we write down how it makes the person feel and at some point, after 14 years of counseling they'll stumble upon the solution that was embedded in their own heart and lives, all along. Twenty-first century counseling: widespread chaos I was reading one particular author, Dr. Arthur Janov who was a secular counselor, and he's analyzing his field of expertise, he's not a Christian, but he's analyzing the field so that he can lay it waste and bring his own counseling approach as the primal one, the central one. But his analysis, I think, is mostly accurate about the field of psychotherapy in America today. He said this. "In no other area of medicine is there such disagreement about the nature of a disease, what its symptoms are, how it manifests itself, not to mention its causes. In short, the field of psychotherapy today is nothing less than chaotic." He went on to talk about the whole different ranges of approaches that psychotherapists are using to try to heal people. He talked about obviously prescribing drugs, using hypnotism, analyzing guilt into oblivion, acting out kind of therapies like gestalt, where you get to act out what you're really thinking and feeling. Or using mild shock treatment, re-training people to think differently about their actions and to redefine them. Biofeedback therapy, day dreaming and image therapies. And what Janov says, as he looks at all of these things is that none of them, not one treats the genuine causes of neuroses, they only ever treat the symptoms. Well, the sad thing is that the Christian church is kind of imitating these types of approaches in what it's called, what is called Christian counseling. And I'm going to make a distinction, this morning between Christian counseling and Biblical Counseling. Not all Christian counseling is biblical. You can get a lot of Christian counseling that's not biblical at all. Now, my training at Gordon-Conwell an Evangelical seminary in Massachusetts was essentially Carl Rogers mirroring techniques with a thin veneer of Christianity painted over the top. And I mean a really thin veneer. I took that book, it was sitting on my shelf. It's been sitting there for the last eight years. I hadn't looked at it once, and good thing too. It wouldn't have help me at all. But I took it down and I skimmed it very, very carefully, and I did not find anywhere, a single Scripture quote in over 250 pages. Practical Psychology for Pastors is the name of the volume. It was written for the Christian pastor, but there's no scripture, there was a whole chapter on dealing with anger and anxiety. I can think of a couple Bible verses that might help. Not one of them were quoted. This is how I was trained to do counseling, in my seminary. It was a good seminary. Biblical in every other way, but in this one way it wasn't. And we were told that in our counseling sessions, we should refrain from doing any of the following with the people who come. We should refrain from ordering, directing or commanding, warning or threatening, giving advice, making suggestions, providing solutions, persuading with logic, arguing or lecturing, moralizing, preaching, telling them their duty, judging, criticizing, disagreeing, blaming, agreeing, approving, praising, shaming, ridiculing, name-calling, interpreting or analyzing, reassuring or sympathizing, consoling, questioning, probing, withdrawing, distracting or changing the subject. Now, you may be wondering with me, what's left for me to do? I think I ought to just buy a big mirror, and set it up in front of the person and they can talk to themselves because that's all I'm doing. "So you feel that such and such etcetera." Obviously some of those things I would never want to do, but others, it seems that's exactly why they've come to me that they would have some insight and know what to do. In this approach, when the time came to give solutions, the basic role was to help them solve their own problems. Christian counseling all over the country, is often very little more than worldly counseling. One of the insights I gained from going to a counseling and Biblical Counseling seminar in the last year, is that the basic approach of secular counseling, the basic premise is, that the heart of man is essentially good and the problems are on the outside, therefore all the problems come from outside, and the solutions all come from inside. Brothers and sisters, you know, the Bible teaches the exact opposite, the problems come from inside, and the solutions come from the outside, a Savior named Jesus Christ. The Word of God that comes from the outside in and gives us good counsel. That is a significant insight I believe. Now, one of the problems with counseling with the Christian counseling, is that pastors are told and Christians are told even more, that they are not qualified to solve these kinds of problems, and they should refer people as quickly as possible to trained professionals. Now, in 1970, a man named J. Adams, brought a radical revolution to this whole approach with a book entitled Competent to Counsel. He got his title from the verse that I'm preaching on this morning, Competent to Counsel, brought about a revolution and something he called Nouthetic Counseling. Now, I'm going to define Nouthetic Counseling for you in the sermon this morning. But basically, it has to do with Biblical Counseling. The basic premise is that the Bible is sufficient to solve people's problems, it is sufficient for the cure of souls. His ground-breaking work has led many to call Jay Adams the father of Biblical Counseling. Five years after the first publishing of Competent to Counsel, he started a ministry that we know as NANC. 1975 National Association of Nouthetic Counselors. And the center piece of NANC is that the Bible is sufficient for the counseling needs of God's people, and that God's people completing goodness and knowledge are themselves Competent to Counsel. II. A Church Competent to Give Good Counsel The Bible is sufficient, the people of God, fully trained are competent to administer those treatments. And the key verse on Christian counseling is Romans 15:14. Look at it with me, if you would. And there it says, "I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and competent to counsel, one another." So we live in a world surrounded by people who need good counsel. The second point I want to make to you this morning is that the church is competent to give that good counsel. The two fundamental doubts of secular psychology is number one, the insufficiency of scripture for the cure of souls and number two, the incompetence of common Christians for the cure of souls. Those are the two basic assumptions. Sadly, the Church acts like it agrees with these basic premises. More and more psychology is weaving its way into ministry. More and more pastors get up and preach, not so much the text, but they preach psychology to the people. So also in pastoral counseling, and in actual Christian counseling, there's very little Biblical wisdom or insight given to people who need it so much. And so the church acts like most problems of the soul can only be solved by trained psychiatrists or at least by professional counselors. So therefore, assuming that most serious problems will have to be solved by medications anyway, and buying into the presuppositions that the Bible is insufficient to solve human problems, and afraid of getting sued, and in awe of secular degrees, PhDs and all that in highfalutin terms like obsessive-compulsive disorder, and transference and blocking and all these kinds of things, and fear of the commitment, that it will take to really get down and dirty in somebody's life and try to help them grow through very troubling sin problems. For all these reasons, and some others, the church abandons its ministry of curing souls and leaves it to the trained professionals who are not for the most part, using the Bible to do it. But let's understand a fundamental thing. Psychology is literally the study of the human soul, that's what the word means, it's the science of the soul. And my friends, if this Bible is not sufficient for that, then what was it given to us for. The Bible is sufficient to study and analyze and cure the human soul from its sin problems. Amen. And so I believe the fundamental conviction as Christians, we have to have is the answers are found in this book. Let's try to find what they are. Paul’s Context: The Roman Church Now Paul's context we already know, he's writing to the Roman church. He's well-acquainted with their faith. He'd never visited them before. He doesn't know them personally. But he says in Romans 1:8, "First I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world." They were a very famous local church because they were there in the heart of the capital of the Roman empire. Now, Paul has completed over 14 chapters of doctrine and exhortation. He's in his 15th chapter now. And Paul's assessment of them in verse 14, is he says, "I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers that you yourselves are full of goodness, and filled with all knowledge, competent to counsel one another." He's persuaded, he's satisfied about them, he's investigated their conversion and their spiritual growth since they were converted. He is convinced about the statement he's about to make, Therefore, I say to you that it's not a given that every Christian is competent to counsel, not in the way the Paul means in this verse. He had to be persuaded or convinced that they were competent to counsel. But I also believe that every Christian could be competent to counsel other Christians on these matters. Two Criteria for Competency in Counseling: Goodness and Knowledge Now, Paul gives two criteria for competency in counseling. Notice neither one of them talks about a degree from an accredited higher institution. He says, "I'm convinced that you yourselves my brothers are full of goodness, and filled with all kinds of knowledge." Full of goodness, filled with knowledge. That's the criteria that he gives. 1) Full of Goodness Now first, full of goodness. Now, I said already, the essential problem of Freud and Skinner and especially Carl Rogers is that they're coming at it from a perspective of the basic goodness of the human heart, basic goodness of the human heart. Well we've already had our basic anthropology, back in Romans chapter 3. Romans 3 told us, "There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God, all have turned away, they have together become worthless. There is no one who does good, not even one." In this Jesus already established, very plainly, when the rich young ruler came to him, and said, "Good teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" Jesus picks up on this word good. He said, "Why do you ask me about what is good? No one is good but God alone." That's Jesus assessment of the human race So, how did the Roman Christians get to be full of goodness? Now that's a very fascinating question, isn't it? If Romans 3 is true, that, there's no one naturally righteous, no one who seeks God, all have together turned aside and there's no one who does good, not even one. Then how is it that now he's making the statement that they're full of goodness? Well, I say to you this, the Gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to make wicked sinners good. Isn't that awesome? The Gospel has the power to make evil people good. The blood of Jesus Christ has that kind of power. And so, in Ephesians 5:8-9, it says, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light. For the food of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth and find out what pleases the Lord." We were, apart from Christ, darkness, but having come to the gospel, believing that Jesus's death on the cross, his blood was shed for us, having faith in Christ, we were cleansed of all of our sins, the righteousness of Jesus Christ was imputed to us and we were made good in the sight of God. But Paul goes beyond that. Not just good positionally, he says, "You are filled with goodness, full of goodness." Now, that's a different matter. It's built on the foundation of the imputed or given goodness that we receive by faith in Christ. But then there's a building on that goodness, it's what we call sanctification. And so by the power of the Holy Spirit, we become more and more filled with goodness, as it says in Galatians 5:22, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control." Goodness then is something that the Holy Spirit works in us by His power as we grow gradually and become more and more like Jesus. And so we can actually be full of goodness. Now, my question in the matter of counseling is, "Why is it important, essential even, to be full of goodness?" Well, true counseling must involve a genuine love for the person you're ministering to. You have to genuinely love them. You're trying to help them, it's a genuine commitment to their well-being. Without genuine goodness ulterior motives could pollute the counseling session. For example, some counselors, secular counselors charge as much as $135 an hour, for the counseling session. Is there not a temptation for that kind of money to string the person on for 15 years? We're making real progress. Keep on coming we'll see again, Tuesday, 3 o'clock in the afternoon, $135 a week. What a temptation that is, but if you're full of goodness, you're not into that. You want to see them genuinely move past these sins, put them to death, by the power of the Spirit, see triumph and victory in their lives. Full of goodness is essential to good Biblical Counseling. 2) Filled With Knowledge Secondly, he says filled with all knowledge. Literally, it says, Having been fulfilled with all knowledge. It's a strong statement of their full training having been completed. They are fully trained as Christians. Now, we're not talking about omniscience. You don't have to know every single Biblical doctrine, it's not that, but rather you are fully trained. Jesus talked about that, "No student is greater than his master, but when he is fully trained it is enough for the student to be like the master." So there is a point of being fully trained, and he says "You Roman Christians you're fully trained." Now, this implies a full training in Christian doctrine, a knowledge of the deep things of God. Well, how does that happen? Well, no one is born again into the Christian faith having full knowledge. Basically you subject your mind constantly to the renewing influences of the Word of God. You sit under a good preaching or teaching ministry. You imbibe as much of the scriptures as you can. You saturate your mind in the Word of God, and over time you can reach a level where the Apostle Paul might say about you, "You are filled with all kinds of knowledge." Now, why is it essential to be filled with knowledge in order to be competent to council? Well, let me tell you something. If you're just going to do Rogers reflection, you don't need to be filled with anything. You actually kind of need empty yourself and forget about yourself and just reflect back constantly. And that's the allure of it, it seems so Christian, it seems so other-centered. You don't have an opinion in the world, you don't have a thought about anything, you're just reflecting back what they're saying. But I say to you, the people who are desperate for wisdom and counsel, they need to know what the Word of God says about their situation, and they don't. Maybe a Christian couple, a husband and wife want to know how to have a godly marriage after perhaps each of their families were divorced and they grew up in homes that were not filled with Christian influence. And they don't know how to do it and they're running into some problems now with conflicts and they don't know how to resolve conflicts. Or someone else is struggling with habitual lust through internet pornography. Or somebody else is battling depression in their daily walk, perhaps they've even toyed with thoughts of suicide, though they know it's a sin, but they're just discouraged, they're depressed. Somebody else wants to know how to discipline their children so that they can grow in grace and they can be fruitful, productive Christians, when they're done being trained. Maybe somebody else is battling laziness and procrastination. Or maybe a wife is married to a non-Christian husband and he neglects her, mocks her faith. Or another person has an alcoholic family member and they want to intervene in some way and help them break their sin pattern. This and 100 other cases come into the life of the church and those folks, they don't just need reflection. They need to know what the Bible says about those situations. The Scripture says very, very plainly that everything we need for life and godliness has been made known to us by the Word of God, by the promises of God. 2 Peter 1 says that. The Bible is sufficient to handle every sin and character case we could ever face in life, the Bible is sufficient for all of it. But you need to be full of knowledge in order to wield the sword of the Spirit, well, skillfully to know which verses to apply to which situation full of knowledge is essential. And as a result, we are competent to counsel one another. Paul's phrase is able or powerful or competent, qualified perhaps, a sense that we have this ability then to counsel one another. III. How Should We Define “Good Counsel”? Well, thirdly, how should we define good counsel? Here we've left out one word, and it's the word noutheteo. It's from that word that we get the nouthetic and National Association of Nouthetic Counselors. Now, the word nouthetic is odd to everybody. You shouldn't look at it and say, "That's an odd word. I guess I'm not used to those kind of words." I think that Jay Adams specifically wanted to retain the word so that we could bump into the concept and try to understand what noutheteo means. It's a Greek word, and it's made up of two smaller Greek words. Nous meaning the mind and Tithemi meaning to put or place It has to do with putting something into the mind of another person, making them mindful of something. And the basic premise of this kind of counseling is that the mind leads and the life, the body, follows where the mind goes. It is bad thinking that leads to bad living. If you want to live differently, you have to change the mind. The Biblical word for the change of mind, is repentance, and by repentance, we can change the way that we're living. That's the basic premise of Nouthetic Counseling. Jay Adams frequently translated the word, to confront nouthetically. The basic idea here is that of warning or admonition. A sense of a serious word given in a serious situation. Paul uses the word in Acts 20:31, that's his final address to the Ephesian elders. Very serious and somber moment, and he's got the leaders of this local church around and He says to them. "So, be on your guard. Remember that for three years, I never stopped warning each of you, night and day, with tears." With tears, warning them for three years, night and day. Noutheteo. Note the passion, note the love, note the sense of warning Be on your guard against false teachers who are going to come in your midst, like ravenous wolves, not sparing the flock. He's warning them, warning them about the danger of sin. A second use we see in 1 Corinthians 4. The Corinthian Church was, in their own minds anyways, upwardly mobile. Trying to get better and better off in the world. Thinking... Having all their neighbors and their family and everybody think better and better of them, going up. But as they're going up, they're passing the apostles who were going down, like Jesus, down, becoming more humble, more rejected by the world. Paul says it seems to me that we're the off-scouring of the scum of the earth. But look at you, you're getting better and better. And so he writes very poignantly in 1 Corinthians 4, trying to show them how they're not thinking properly, about their lives in this world. And so he writes this, after all of that, he says, "I'm not writing this to shame you but to warn you as my dear children…" Again the affection, a sense of danger for them that they're not seeing the Christian life properly. Or again in Colossians 1:28. Paul says this really sums up his whole ministry. "We proclaim Him, admonishing [there's the word] and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ." This is both Christian and non-Christian. There's a sense of warning somebody based on the gospel and then continuing to warn and admonish in an ongoing sense. And then fourth, Paul says we should be doing this for each other all the time. In Colossians 3:16 he says, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom." So we're supposed to be doing this for each other. This noutheteo, we're supposed to be noutheticing each other all the... Is that the right word? I don't know, noutheing each other. We're supposed to be nouthetically confronting one another all the time. There are many other uses of the word but I've given you those four to give you a sense of what the word means? Let's sum up the Biblical evidence then. Good Counsel is Nouthetic Counseling and it involves a loving concern, like a father for children or like a brother for another brother. It definitely involves a sense of danger or warning. Now, you might say, "Why do we need a warning? Everything's fine in my life." Do you realize you have two mortal enemies of your soul outside of you and one mortal enemy of your soul inside of you? The two outside of you are the world's system, and Satan who runs it. The mortal enemy inside of you is called your flesh or your sin nature, which is actually attracted to that stuff out there. You are in great danger and so am I. And we will be as long as we live in the tent of this body. And so we need to be warned, we need to be protected from our own sin and from the sins of others and therefore, we have to be admonished by the Word of God. Now, Jay Adams gave three aspects of Nouthetic Counseling. First, there's a problem to be solved, there's a problem that needs to be solved. Second, the problem is solved by verbal means. Now, I'm not going to talk this morning about the role of medications in all this. I think the human mind, the brain is incredibly complex. There are brain chemical issues and all that, but let me tell you something, no sin issue in life was ever solved that way. Even if medications were used in a way that would please the Lord, it's to clear the space, so that the Word of God can then deal with the sin problem in the person's life. It's not chemicals that solve sin problems, it's repentance and the blood of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Word of God, that's what solves sin problems. So there is a problem to be solved. Secondly, the problem is solved by verbal means. And the third is that the purpose of the counseling is to benefit the counselee. Now there's Nouthetic Counseling, that either does go on or doesn't go on in the Bible. Adams sites the example of Nathan. One of the most courageous men in Biblical history went to face David after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered Bathsheba's husband to cover up his adultery, and then a year later, he's still sitting in his sin, and Nathan comes and tells a parable that draws him in to the point where he is very upset, and then Nathan points a finger and says, "You are the man." He's confronting him, nouthetically. And then there's Eli who had sons that were sinning wickedly. They were priests in the priestly family, and he never confronted them. Finally, when it was too late, in 1 Samuel 2:23, he says to his sons, "Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours?" Nouthetic Counseling has much more to do with what than it does with why. Have any of you parents ever asked your kids, "Why did you do it?" And then listened to what came back. There is no possible answer. You can try for years and you'll never figure out the why questions. We already know the answer to the why question. Because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, that's why. We don't need to plumb the depths of why. Instead Nouthetic Counseling focuses on what. What happened? Remember how God said to Cain concerning his brother Able, "What have you done? What have you done?" Nouthetic Counseling starts there. What have you done? What problem is in your life? What approach have you taken to solving it? What does God's Word say about this? You see it focuses on the what, not on the why. And the purpose of the counseling is to benefit the counselee. IV. All Christians Can and Should Grow in their Competency in Counseling Fourthly, I say to you based on this text, that all Christians can and should grow in their competency to counseling. I already said, not every Christian is fully competent to counsel. Paul had to become convinced, or persuaded that the Roman Christians were full of goodness, complete in knowledge and thus, competent to counsel one another. It's not automatic. Some Christians make very little progress in their sanctification over decades and decades of church attendance. They would not necessarily be competent to counsel. But others make remarkable progress in even short amounts of time and they are full of goodness, and complete in knowledge and therefore competent to counsel. Now I think that any Christian, spirit-filled Christian is more competent to counsel, than any non-Christian on most issues. Just the basic knowledge of scripture that you have is better than some worldly philosophy that's going to screw you up. But I believe every Christian should become more fully competent to counsel than we are presently. We can keep growing, we can keep moving and there's proof from the text. Look at Verse 15. Paul, look at his train of thought. He says they are already full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to counsel one another. But verse 15, KJV gives us, "Nevertheless, on some points I've written you very boldly by way of reminder." You see? So even a congregation that is competent to counsel, can still get more training or be reminded, be further sharpened in their ability to counsel their brothers and sisters in Christ. And so he wrote the book of Romans. And so now you're more competent or more trained than you were before you read Romans. So there's ongoing counseling training needed for all Christians. The fifth point I want to make to you this morning is that Biblical Counseling is essential to the two infinite journeys that God has set before each Christian and before this church. The two infinite journeys are the center piece of our ministry here. The internal journey of growth to become more and more like Jesus Christ, that's called sanctification, that's an infinite journey, because it takes infinite power to do it The second infinite journey, is worldwide disciple making based on the great commission, "Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I've commanded." Do you see how Nouthetic Counseling fits into both? How would you prepare yourself to become a better counselor except by immersing yourself in the Word of God and growing in your own goodness and in your love for others who are hurting and who need you to do it. That will help you to grow as a Christian. It'll help other people to grow as they get the good counsel from you. It also helps you when you're having problems that you could go seek some good counsel and get over your problems too. It helps the internal journey. It also is fundamental to the external journey. Paul said, "I wrote you about these things because I was given the grace of God to be a minister of Christ Jesus so that I could present the Gentiles perfect before the throne." And so, therefore, I want you to admonish one another. I want you to train one another, I want you to use the Word of God to help each other through sin problems, so that we can finish the worldwide mission among the Gentiles. And so, I say that Nouthetic Counseling, Biblical Counseling is essential to the internal journey of becoming more and more like Jesus and the external journey of worldwide evangelization. Let me speak very practically. We have a community of people all around us who need to be reached with the gospel. We can do a number of things, but I'll tell you this, if we had a developed healthy, strong Biblical Counseling ministry and we offered Biblical Counseling to people for free and urged them to come and get Biblical solutions to their problems, I think we might see a river of people getting baptized here as they came to realize, they never come to faith in Christ at all. They don't have any foundation. And so along with the counseling these folks give the Gospel and we're going to see people saved, it's already happening in local churches around this country as they see a Biblical Counseling model even to evangelism and outreach. V. Application Now, what application can we take from this text for ourselves? Well, first, I hope it's already happened this morning. Understand Biblical Counseling I'd like you to understand the difference between Biblical Counseling and Christian counseling. Not all Christian counseling is Biblical Counseling. So therefore, I hope you understand, Nouthetic Counseling and what it means. What Biblical Counseling, that's the first application, understand Biblical Counseling. It is the basic idea that the Bible is sufficient to solve people's sin problems. Seek Biblical Counseling As Needed Secondly, can I exhort you to be discerning from this sermon time on, to never again settle for anything less than Biblical Counseling? If you're sitting down with a counselor, and they're not opening the Word of God with you, they're not sharing from the Word of God, they are not going to help you ultimately. So therefore seek nothing less than Biblical Counseling for your own counseling needs. Get Trained! Thirdly, can I urge you to get trained yourself in Biblical Counseling. I would urge you to consider the NANC Conference is coming up three times in this fall, September 8th and 9th. It's not too late, it's not too late for you to go. And what you're going to find there is a whole world opening up to you that shows the practical application of the Word of God in everyday issues that people face. That maybe even you're facing right now in your life. So, get trained. Use the Word of God to Solve Problems for Friends, Co-Workers Fourth used the Word of God, then to help solve problems for the friends and family and people around you in your life. Assume that the Word of God has the solution and minister the Word of God in their lives. Do it with your co-workers, people are going to open up to you be available to that. And then start showing them how the Word of God can be brought to bear on the problems of their lives. Yearn to be a Biblical counselor, a fully-trained competent to counsel, man or woman here in this church, so that you can use your wisdom to minister to men and women as they have needs. Pray for a Developed Biblical Counseling Ministry Here at FBC Fifth, pray for a developed Biblical Counseling Ministry here at FBC. It's going to take time. The vision I have for using counseling as an outreach tool in this community is going to take years and years to see it come to full fruition, but no time like the present. Let's start now, let's start this September, let's start with some of the training that Scott Markle and others are going to be doing on Wednesday evenings. Biblical training, be part of that. Say I want to be trained, I want to learn how to use the Bible to help people. Pray for Evangelistic Fruit And then finally pray for evangelistic fruit, as a result of all this. Wouldn't it be exciting to see people brought to faith in Christ that way? See them get up in the baptismal area and just say, "This is what God's done in my life, my whole life, has changed. I came to realize that I didn't know Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Everything has changed. Thank God for Jesus. Thank God for the Gospel and for the Word that has the power to change lives." Oh, I want to hear those testimonies. Pray for evangelistic fruit. And if you're here today and you've never given your life to Christ, Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor, he's the one that gives the good advice through the Word and through other believers. Come to faith in Christ. Trust in him, that his blood is sufficient for your sins. That's why he came. "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Close with me in prayer please.