Podcasts about Practical philosophy

What if true freedom isn't about changing your life circumstances—but transforming how you experience them? In this episode, Sione and Alana sit down with Gilbert Mane, a former headmaster, philosopher, and author of 7 Steps to Freedom—to explore how inner freedom can be cultivated through mindful responses, intentional speech, and creative presence. Whether you're an overwhelmed achiever or someone seeking clarity and peace, Gilbert's insights will help you reclaim your power from within. What You'll Learn: Why real freedom begins with how you respond to life's challenges—not escaping them How becoming mindful of your speech can reshape your identity and relationships The connection between freedom and creativity Practical tips to pause, listen, and choose empowered reactions instead of automatic ones Ways to create space for spontaneous creativity in your daily routine How to move beyond ego-driven stress and self-doubt toward lasting peace and clarity Resources Mentioned: Gilbert's book: 7 Steps to Freedom His website: gilbertmane.com A Few Golden Nuggets: Real freedom starts with how you respond—pause and choose a more empowered reaction to stress. Your words shape your world—practice mindful speech to reinforce the version of yourself you want to become. Creativity flows best when freed from pressure—give yoruself permission to play and create without judgment. ------------------------------------------------------------------- For our latest insights and things we don't share with the public become a Sione and Alana Insider. It's free and easy to join: https://recountinglifelessons.com/insider FOLLOW US:  ► Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sioneandalana  ► Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sioneandalana  ► Alana's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alanauyema  ► Sione's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sioneuyema Want to connect with Sione & Alana? ►Website: https://www.recountinglifelessons.com ►Email: sioneandalana@recountinglifelessons.com   Have a life lessons to share? Interested in being a guest? We'd love to connect: click here to schedule a time to connect

https://viastoica.com/benny-voncken X: https://x.com/Benny_ViaStoica Via Stoica Community YT: https://www.youtube.com/@ViaStoica IG: https://www.instagram.com/benny_viastoica/ In this episode of the Masculine Health Solutions podcast, CJ Rodriguez and Benny Voncken delve into the philosophy of Stoicism, exploring its historical roots, practical applications, and relevance in modern life. They discuss personal journeys that led them to Stoicism, the importance of self-reflection, and how to manage emotions through cognitive distancing. The conversation emphasizes the need for a pragmatic approach to philosophy, encouraging listeners to develop their own life philosophies while recognizing the interconnectedness of all things in nature. In this conversation, CJ Rodriguez and Benny from Via Stoica delve into the principles of Stoicism, emphasizing the importance of duty, acceptance of life's uncertainties, and the pursuit of a minimalist lifestyle. They discuss how personal experiences shape one's philosophy and the significance of applying Stoic teachings in daily life. The conversation also touches on practical steps for those interested in exploring Stoicism further, including recommended readings and actionable practices. Support the Show Click a Link BelowBelow

Delve into the profound ideas of Deleuze, a pivotal 20th-century philosopher, and his connection to Spinoza. Discover concepts like deterritorialization, multiplicities, and the rhizome, and see how they reshape philosophical discourse. Examine how Spinoza's influence shapes Deleuze's approach to metaphysics. 0:00: Intro03:55: Spinoza's Intimacy8:10: The Ethics11:00: Bodies, Consciousness, Beyond Morality13:55: Affecting the World and Process21:50: A Message #Deleuze #Spinoza #philosophy #deterritorialization #multiplicities #rhizome #ontology #metaphysics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join us for a conversation with Clara Hawking, Head of Artificial Intelligence at Globeducate and winner of the #Techwomen100 Global Achievement Award 2024 by WeAreTechWomeas. Clara shares her expert insights on how global AI policies, including the EU AI Act, are shaping the future of education. Clara discusses the impact of AI on international schools, the role of women in this space, addressing ethical challenges and the vital role educators play in teaching AI literacy. She provides an update on the EU AI Act and its implications for AI use in classrooms, offering valuable perspectives for school leaders and educators navigating AI integration in their schools. About Clara Hawking Clara Hawking as Head of Artificial Intelligence for Globeducate and winner of the TechWomen100 Awards. A Fellow of the Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP) in Washington DC, for the US Government, Clara joined Globeducate in 2023 in a newly created role that sees her playing a pivotal role in executing a strategic plan across all of our schools, overseeing all aspects of AI policies, curricula, programmes, guidance and training related to AI. A prominent figure in the field of EdTech and AI, regularly appearing on panels and leading workshops at international conferences, and holds several Master´s degrees in subjects ranging from Computer Science to Practical Philosophy and Applied Ethics. Clara is also a voluntary Director of ICT and Digitalisation at an educational organisation in Kenya and has an unwavering passion for shaping young minds to become global citizens equipped to tackle the challenges of the future. She is fluent in three languages and has lived and worked in the USA, Denmark, Spain and Sweden. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clara-lin-hawking-ba9123149/    Resources https://www.globeducate.com/  White Paper: The EU AI Act and Its Impact on K-12 Education https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/white-paper-eu-ai-act-its-impact-k-12-education-clara-lin-hawking-xsfpf/  https://www.caidp.org/   https://wearetechwomen.com/tw100-women-in-tech-awards/techwomen100-awards-winners-2024/   John Mikton on Social Media LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmikton/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmikton Web: beyonddigital.org Dan Taylor on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/appsevents  Twitter: https://twitter.com/appdkt  Web: www.appsevents.com Listen on: iTunes / Podbean / Stitcher / Spotify / YouTube Would you like to have a free 1 month trial of the new Google Workspace Plus (formerly G Suite Enterprise for Education)? Just fill out this form and we'll get you set up bit.ly/GSEFE-Trial

Ego loves attention. It loves to call the shots. Ego even inserts itself into otherwise positive, altruistic actions. The Buddhist tradition of Lojong enables us to refine our practice of self-reflection so that we might observe and remedy ego's sneakier tactics. In this episode, Jampal Norbu encourages us to find and face the source of true happiness as he examines Lojong Verse 29: Abstain From Toxic Food.

On this episode of the pod, Brian sits down with Strategic Intervention Life Coach, philosopher, and founder of the Zeus with Bruce podcast, Bruce Da Silva. Trained in Neurolinguistic programming, Bruce is wealth of knowledge when it comes to all thing's philosophy, sociology, psychology, culture, and mindset. At his core, Bruce is all about helping people embrace wisdom and reject ignorance, and this episode is filled with timeless wisdom that you can apply to your life today.  Zeus with BruceLinkedInInstagram

"First the problem is not making enough. Then your problem is keeping it. And a lot of people have that issue who start doing well. We've all heard stories of a basketball player who spends all their millions"In today's episode, I have a very special guest - Doctor Word Smith, also known as Ed. He's not only an incredible spiritual teacher and energy healer, but also a dear friend of mine.In this powerful conversation, we dive deep into our work together over the years and how it has completely transformed both of our lives, especially when it comes to money and relationships. We discuss the toxic shame many of us carry around wealth and self-worth, and how shifting our mindset, language and energy can create massive positive change.Dr. Word Smith also shares his fascinating personal journey - from experiencing paranormal phenomena as a martial artist to pursuing a unique path as a spiritual teacher and sorcerer.We then get into some of the incredible offerings Dr. Word Smith has available, including his renowned wealth readings that get to the root of people's money blocks so they can finally thrive financially.I'm so excited for you to hear the wisdom bombs and life-changing insights packed into this episode. Dr. Word Smith's work has been instrumental in my own journey to living more freely and making a bigger impact. If you've been struggling with money, confidence, or feeling stuck, this one is a must-listen.CONTACT DR. WORDGet your Wealth ReadingVisit drwordsmithwisdom.comAnd follow on IG dr.wordsmithwisdomTODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS(00:00) Intro(01:25) In Today's Episode...Dr. Word Smith: A Deep Dive into Spiritual Work(04:12) The MiniMorphosis Transformative Tools and Processes(08:06) The Processes I've Created(10:09) Reconnecting with Ed and His Journey into Holistic Therapies(18:10) Dr. Word's Exceptional Training(21:39) The Awakening: Paranormal Experiences and Spiritual Realizations(26:57) Translating Ancient Wisdom: Dr. Word Smith's Intellectual Pursuits(29:41) The Power of Language(31:38) Practical Philosophy in Energy Work and Taking Responsibility for Your World(34:09) Shifting Deep-Seated Patterns. Business and Personal Growth(42:07) Addressing Money Shame and Discovering Patterns (53:38) Wealth Readings and Final Thoughts**WAYS TO ENTER MY WORLD**Leave a review, send us a screenshot and get a $250 credit, you can apply to anything else in my world.The MiniMorphosis is the 5 Day Broadcast that's equal to 5 months of therapy. Receive individualized tools to dissolve the childhood trauma that slows down your evolution and create permanent results quickly. Sign up before Friday 8/9 for $55 only.The Metamorphosis starts next week. Heal the 4 childhood traumas that we all have and create a MASSIVE shift in your life.CONTACT ALYSEJoin my FB groupIG @alyse_breathesVisit alysebreathes.cominfo@alysebreathes.com

Special Announcement #1 Attend the Legendary Summer Intensive Featuring Drs. David Burns and Jill Levitt August 8 - 11. 2024 Learn Advanced TEAM-CBT skills Heal yourself, heal your patients First Intensive in 5 years! It will knock your socks off! Limited Seating--Act Fast Click for registration / more information! Sadly, this workshop is a training program which will be limited to therapists and mental health professionals and graduate students in a mental health field  Apologies, but therapists have complained when non-therapists have attended our continuing education training programs. This is partly because of the intimate nature of the small group exercises and the personal work the therapists may do during the workshop. Certified coaches and counselors are welcome to attend. Special Announcement #2 Here's some GREAT news! The Feeling Great App is now available in both app stores (IOS and Android) and is for therapists and the general public, and you can take a ride for free! Check it Today's Podcast Practical Philosophy Month Part 1, The Free Will Problem Welcome to Practical Philosophy month. For the next five weeks, we will discuss some of the most popular and challenging problems in philosophy, such as these: Do human beings have free will? Or is free will just an illusion? Do human beings have a “self?” Or is the “self” just another illusion? Is it possible to be more or less “worthwhile?” Are some humans “better” or “worse” than others? Does God exist? Is the universe “real” or “one”? What's the meaning of life? What is “self-esteem”? How does it differ from self-confidence? What's the difference between conditional and unconditional self-esteem? What's the difference between self-esteem and self-acceptance? What do you have to do to experience joy and feelings of worthwhileness? We will try to complete the list in five weeks, so some weeks we may include more than one topic, since many of these topics are related to one another. Rhonda and David will be joined by our beloved Dr. Matt May, a regular on our Ask David episodes, and for the first and second sessions we will be joined by our beloved Dr. Fabrice Nye, who created and hosted the Feeling Good Podcasts several years ago. Each week, you will also hear about the linkage between these philosophical dilemmas, and emotional problems, like depression, anxiety, and relationship conflicts. For example, nearly all depressed individuals believe that they aren't sufficiently “worthwhile.” I see my goal as a psychiatrist not as helping people feel “more worthwhile,” but rather showing people, if interested, how to give up this notion entirely and become free of certain kinds of damaging judgments of the “self” and others. You will also learn how these types of philosophical problems continue to play a large role in psychiatry and psychology, including the DSM5 diagnostic system. For example, is the diagnosis of “Generalized Anxiety Disorder” a true “mental disorder” that you could “have” or “not have?” And might some or most of the so-called “mental disorders” listed in the DSM be based on faulty philosophical / logical thinking? And if many or most of the “mental disorders” are based on goofy, faulty thinking, is there a more productive and effective way to think about most emotional problems? And how did we get into this mess in the first place? Worrying certainly exists, and we all worry at times. But how much or how often do you have to worry before you develop or have a “mental disorder” called “Generalized Anxiety Disorder” that can be diagnosed like any medical illness and treated with drugs? Or is “Generalized Anxiety Disorder” (and hundreds of other “mental disorders in the DSM” based on a certain kind of nonsensical thinking? And if so, why? What is the goofy, faulty thinking in the DSM? And are there some “mental disorders” that are valid and real? We HAVE touched on all of these themes in previous podcasts, but I thought it would be nice to put them all in one place and bring in a variety of “solutions,” controversies, and experts. I David, will often represent (hopefully, and to the best of my ability) the thinking of Ludwig Wittgenstein, as expressed in his famous book, Philosophical Investigation, published in 1950 following his death. That book consists of a series of numbered brief essays (a few paragraphs each) that were based on notes found in a metal box under his dormitory room at Cambridge University. He'd written these in preparation for his weekly seminars in his dormitory room. Wittgenstein, although now widely regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of all time, did not think he knew enough to teach in a classroom. In fact, because of his feelings of depression and self-doubt, he sadly never tried to publish anything when he was alive. Wittgenstein's philosophy also played an indirect but significant role in the evolution of several modern psychotherapies. His philosophy created new ways of thinking that gave rise to the work of Dr. Albert Ellis, the famous New York psychologist who created Rational Emotive Therapy during the 1950s. Ellis emphasized that the “Should Statements” that trigger so much guilt, shame, depression, anxiety, and rage are based on illogical thinking. He might often say, “Where is it written that people or the world “should” be the way you want them to be?” Of course, this idea actually traces back to the Greek Stoic philosophers like Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. Wittgenstein's thinking also seems to have played a role in the thinking of Dr. Aaron Beck, who adapted the work of Ellis and called his version of the “Cognitive Therapy.” Beck emphasized many thinking errors, like All-or-Nothing Thinking, and Overgeneralization, that trigger depression, anxiety, and more. Sadly, Wittgenstein struggled with severe depression and loneliness throughout his life, and three of his four brothers tragically died by suicide. Wittgenstein also had prolonged periods of time when he considered suicide. It is also sad that he did not know how to apply his brilliant philosophical breakthroughs to his own negative thinking, but that application of his work did not develop at the time he was still alive. Part of Wittgenstein's depression was related, I believe, to the fact that very few people, including the most famous philosophers of Europe, could understand his thinking when he was alive. From time to time, I think he glimpsed the enormous importance of his work; but I believe that he also had prolonged moments of self-doubt when he thought his work was of little value at best. To be as correct as possible, Wittgenstein did write a manuscript called Tractatus Logico Philosophicus as a young man, although he never tried to publish it. He wrote it when he was a prisoner of war. He thought this book solved all the problems of philosophy, which had plagued him since he was a child, and he felt great relief. He sent a copy of his manuscript to Bertrand Russell, who was a famous British philosopher. Bertrand Russell was incredibly impressed with the Tractatus and distributed it to many European philosophers. Bertrand Russell thought it might be the greatest book in the history of philosophy, and a number of the 20th century philosophical movements including Logical Positivism, were inspired by that book. However, Wittgenstein left the field of philosophy, thinking that his work was done, and that he'd found the solutions he was looking for. He tried teaching grammar school for a while, but was fired because he became frustrated and violent toward some of his students. He also tried to survive as a fisher in a Norwegian fishing town, but was not successful at that, either, because he didn't know much about fishing, much less supporting yourself through fishing. One day, he learned that a brilliant Swedish economics student had found a flaw in his Tractatus, and his inner turmoil about the puzzling problems of philosophy flared up again. He decided to return to the study of philosophy. He applied to be an advanced undergraduate at Cambridge University, but when someone in the admissions office spotted his application, they recognized his name and showed his application to Bertrand Russell, who had been wondering what had become of the young man who once sent him such a brilliant manuscript. Russell, who was the chair of the department of philosophy, said to being Wittgenstein to his office immediately for an interview. Russell explained that he would have to reject Wittgenstein's application to be an undergraduate at Cambridge University. Deeply disappointed, Wittgenstein asked why. Russell told him it was because he was already recognized as the greatest philosopher of the 20th century. Bertrand proposed that if Wittgenstein would agree to skip college and graduate school, they would immediately award him a PhD for the manuscript he'd sent to Russell years earlier. Russell also offered him a full professor ship in the department of philosophy. Wittgenstein protested and said he needed to study philosophy again, because of the error in Tractatus, and that he didn't know anything, and definitely could not teach in a classroom. Bertrand Russell insisted, and they finally struck a deal where Wittgenstein would agree to be a professor of philosophy but all he would have to do was to have a conversation session with anybody who wanted to talk to him at his dormitory room once a week. Wittgenstein accepted and met for years with students and famous philosophers who came from around Europe to crowd into his dormitory room for his weekly seminars, and he began to shape a radically different philosophical approach from the one he'd described earlier in his Tractatus. He was determined to find a new way to solve all the problems of philosophy. And, to my way of thinking, along with those few who really understand him, he was successful. But he was often frustrated because, so few understood him. This was unfortunate, because what he was saying was incredibly simple and basic, and it was pretty similar to, if not identical to, the thinking of the Buddha 2500 years earlier. The Buddha apparently had the same problem—almost nobody could understand what he was trying to say when he was still alive. They couldn't “get it” when he was talking about the so-called “Great Death” of the “self,” or talking about the path to enlightenment. The Buddha's frustration resulted from the exact same problem Wittgenstein encountered 2500 years later. The Buddha was saying something that was extremely simple, obvious, and basic—and yet, it was rumored that of his more than 100,000 followers when he was alive, only three actually “got it” and experienced enlightenment. When I read Philosophical Investigations my senior year in college, it was rumored that only seven people in the world understood what Wittgenstein was trying to say. Wittgenstein's dream was that philosophy students would “get” his thinking and give up philosophy when they realized that most if not all philosophical problems are sheer nonsense. He wanted them to do something practical and real in the world instead of studying philosophy. He was verry disappointed when his favorite student, Norman Malcolm (one of the seven who “got it,”) pursued an illustrious career teaching philosophy in America at Cornell University. I always wished I could have known Wittgenstein when he was alive, so I could have told him this: I loved you, too, and I got it after several months of confusion, trying to understand your Philosophical Investigations, but eventually understood it with the help of your student, Norman Malcolm. His book about you was very inspiring. And that's why I left philosophy for something more practical in the world. I decided at the last minute to go to medical school to become a psychiatrist instead of philosophy graduate school. Hopefully, I am doing something that you might be proud of! But oddly enough, your thinking has also influenced my approach to people who feel depressed and worthless. They are also under a kind of destructive “enchantment,” thinking that there is some such “thing” as a more or less worthwhile human being! And this is a major cause of depression and anxiety and feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. I wonder if you, Wittgenstein, ever felt that you weren't “good enough” when you were feeling down. hopeless and suicidal? I sure wish I could have helped you with that! If you want to understand Wittgenstein's work, the best book in my opinion is Norman Malcolm's moving and affectionate tribute to his beloved teacher, entitled “Ludwig Wittgenstein: A Memoir.” It's a short moving tribute to his beloved teacher, and tears go down my cheeks every time I read it, or even think about it. If you ever visit my office here at home, you'll find that memoir proudly sitting on my bookshelf, with a handsome photo of Wittgenstein on the cover. Toward the end of his life, Wittgenstein appears to have become more or less homeless, and he died from prostate cancer. His doctor said he could live in his home, where he was befriended by the doctor's wife in his final days. His dying words were, “Tell them that I had a wonderful life.” He died on April 29, 1951, just a few hours before my wife was born in Palo Alto, California. Surprisingly, she is the only person I've ever met who understood Wittgenstein's thinking entirely the first time I explained it to her. She “already knew” what Wittgenstein, the greatest philosophical genius of the 20th century, spent a lifetime figuring out! Reincarnation is pretty “out there,” and fairly silly, to my way of thinking, but sometimes it can be fun to think about it! Here is my understanding of how the thinking of the “later Wittgenstein” actually developed. His first book, which is nearly impossible to understand, was called the Tractatus Logico Philosophicus. It is a series of numbered propositions, which he compared to climbing up a ladder, rung by rung, as you read the book until you got to the roof at the top of the ladder. Then you could throw your ladder away and give up philosophical thinking, since he thought his book contained the solution to all the problems of philosophy that had tormented him since childhood, as mentioned previously. The philosophy of language in the Tractatus is based on the thinking of Aristotle and Plato, who thought that the function of language was to name things that exist in the real world. Plato's idea was that our real world consists of imperfect examples of a “Platonic Reality” which consisted of “perfect” representations of everything. So, for example, Plato believed there could be a perfect “table,” a perfect “lamp,” and so forth. In other words, he thought there was an ideal essence to the concept of a “table.” And, I suppose, there might also be a “perfect” version of you! The early Wittgenstein also thought that the logic inherent in our sentences reflected the logic inherent in an external reality. If that doesn't make much sense to you, join the club! But that's kind of what Plato and Aristotle were promoting, at least in my (David's) understanding. When Wittgenstein's Tractatus was debunked, he was devastated, and desperately wanted to find another way to solve the problems of philosophy, since they started tormenting him again. It was much like a relapse of OCD or some other emotional problem. In fact, he thought of philosophy as a kind of mental illness that needed treatment. Here's an example of the types of philosophical problems that tormented him. Do human beings have free will? Do we have a “self?” Is the universal “real?” Of course, we THINK we have free will, and it SEEMS like we make “free decisions” all day long, but is this just an illusion? For example, some people would argue that we cannot have “free will” because we “have to” follow the laws of science that govern everything, including how the brain works. So, since we “have to” do what we are doing at every moment of every day, we must not have free will! Here is an argument that we do NOT have “free will.” When a powerful storm or hurricane destroys a portion of a city, and people die, we see this as a tragedy, but we don't get angry at the hurricane because it does have “free will.” It is just obeying the laws of physics that govern the forces of wind, air pressure, heat and cooling, and so forth. A storm cannot behave in any other way. So, the argument goes, we are also following the laws that govern the functioning of our bodies and brains, and so we cannot do other than what we do, so we, too, have no “free will.” We THINK we are acting freely but it is an illusion, so our brains are obeying the laws of the universe at every moment! For hundreds of years philosophers have struggled with this puzzle, and many people still wrestle with this problem today. It was one of the problems that drew me to philosophy. Impractical for sure, but still tantalizing. Another way to express the free will puzzle is via religious thinking. I was taught when I was growing up that God is omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (present everywhere) and omniscient (all knowing.) So, God knows the past, present, and future. And if God knows the future, then God knows what we will do at every moment of every day, and we are helpless to do otherwise. Therefore, we have no “free will,” even though we “think” we do! This free will problem can definitely be unsettling, with troubling moral consequences. If we do not “free will,” then are serial killers really responsible for, or guilty, or accountable for their actions? If we do not have free will, then wouldn't that give us license to do whatever we want whenever we want? Clever arguments for sure! We may “feel” like we have the freedom to do whatever we want at almost any moment of any day, but are we fooling ourselves and living in some gigantic hoax, or illusion? Are we total slaves with the delusion that we are actually acting “freely?” How do we resolve this problem? Well, one day Wittgenstein was walking past a soccer game at the park, and the soccer ball hit him on the head. He wasn't hurt, but had the thought, “What if the function of language is NOT to name things (like trees, or lamps, etc.) that exist in some “external reality,” like Plato and Aristotle thought? What if language actually functions as a series of “language games,” with rules, just like the game of soccer? Then the meaning of any words would simply be the many ways the word is used in different real world situations. In fact, that's what you find in the dictionary when you look up the meaning of a word. The dictionary doesn't ever give you some “correct” or ”pure” meaning, since most words have many meanings. This would be the opposite of the philosophy of Aristotle and Plato who argued that there were “true” meanings for every word, noun, or concept. What if, instead, words had NO true or essential meanings, and their meanings were simply embedded in the context in which they are used in ordinary, everyday language? If so, this might mean that philosophical problems emerge when we try to pull words out of their ordinary meanings, which are always obvious, and put them into some metaphysical realm where philosophers argue about “ultimate truth.” Let's say we wanted to find out if humans have “free will.” Well, not being sure if there is such a “thing” as “free will,” we could look up “free” and “will” in the dictionary. (I know this sounds incredibly obvious and almost ridiculous.) What does “free” mean? Well, we could talk about the many ways we use “free.” Political freedom means that in some countries you cannot contradict the leader (the dictator) without the danger of being thrown in prison or even murdered. But in other countries, you are, In fact, free to express your own ideas and opinions, without fear of punishment. Free also means getting something without having to pay for it, like a seventh bottle of soda is free at the local grocery store if you purchase a six pack. Free can also mean “available.” I am starting up my Sunday hikes again, and I might say, “If you are free this Sunday morning, meet at my front door at 9 and we'll go for a hike and have a dim sum feast afterwards at a Chinese restaurant on Castro Street in Mountain View, California, Now notice that when you talk about “free will” you have taken this word, “free,” out of the familiar contexts in which we find it, and given it some type of metaphysical “meaning.” But in this metaphysical, philosophical arena, it has no meaning. So, instead of trying to “solve” the so-called “free will” problem, we can dismiss it as nonsensical, and ignore it as having no practical meaning, and move on with our lives. We can say, “I just don't understand that problem! I don't know what you're talking about when you ask the general question of whether we have something called ‘free will.'” That either works for you, or it doesn't work for you! Your choice. It does work for me, but it took me months of thinking until I suddenly “got it.” My way of describing this philosophical error is “nounism.” You think that nouns always refer to things that could “exist” or “not-exist,” just like Plato and Aristotle thought. So, you ponder and try to figure out if this notion of “free will” exists or does not exist. But it's arguably a meaningless question. That's why I say, and Wittgenstein might say, I have no idea what you're talking about. Today we'll discuss the free will problem and how it might relate to our field of psychotherapy. Next week, we'll deal with another thorny problem: Do we have a “self?” Or is that also just some kind of illusion? I (David) wrote these show notes before the show, and we have had fairly extensive email exchanges, with a variety of points of view on whether or not we have something we can call “free will.” First, I'll put a great email by Matt, followed by a comment by Fabrice. Here's Matt's email first: Subject: Re: question Yes, that's getting very close to what I'm trying to communicate. I don't believe you are 'slow' or 'super lame', either. In fact, quite the opposite. I suspect I'm failing to do an adequate job of disarming your claims that 'free will' and 'self' are words taken out-of-context and, therefore, can't be shown to exist or not-exist. I apologize, as I am pretty excited about the potential to help people, suffering with self-blame and other-blame, by realizing that we and others don't have a 'self' or 'free will'. I believe we have a brain that makes decisions and creates experiences, including the experience of having a 'self' and 'free will'. I believe that the experience of 'making' a decision is an illusion, as is the idea of a static, unchanging 'self' that controls decision-making. I asked you to pick a movie and you said, 'Green Mile'. You acknowledged that this movie title simply 'popped into my head'. That's correct. Your 'self' didn't control what you selected, using 'free will'. Your brain just came up with that movie title. There was no 'self' that made a decision to choose that word. I agree that we have a brain which is incredibly powerful. I'm claiming that we don't have an auxiliary 'self', with extra super powers, controlling our brain. We can make decisions, but we don't have 'free will', meaning, the ability to control those decisions. I do think you have some resistance to seeing through the illusions of 'self' and 'free will', all of which say awesome things about you, e.g. morality and justice. I'm not trying to convince you, one way or another, and I don't expect to. I'm more interested in the listening audience, as many people are significantly relieved when they realize that we are more the victims of our biology and circumstance rather than defective 'selves' lacking 'willpower'. To put a slightly finer point on the subject, when people say they have 'free will', they don't mean that 'decisions are made'. Obviously, decisions are made. You decided to keep reading this email, for example. Or you didn't. I'm not sure. Either way, a decision was made. When people say they have 'free will', they are saying that they (really, their 'self') are/is free to decide whether to continue reading this email, and that this power goes above and beyond what their brain is doing, according to the laws of physics. I am claiming that this is a ridiculous and dangerous thought, for which there is no evidence. You're saying these terms haven't been defined. I'm pointing out that they already have been, intuitively, by anyone who thinks, 'I shouldn't have done that', or 'they shouldn't have done that'. These thoughts require a belief that they 'could have' done something different, that they had free will. Aside from rage and guilt, let's examine the narcissism and excessive sense of confidence a patient might have, if they believe that they can simply 'decide', through sheer 'willpower', not to beat up on themselves anymore. Or a patient who believes they can simply 'decide' to always use the 5-Secrets, rather than criticize and blame. Can they? I've never seen that happen. That's why I assign homework. I know that the goal is to rewire the brain so they can feel and perform better, later. We can't simply decide to feel good all the time. We all drift in-and-out of enlightenment. If we want to increase the likelihood that we will be able to set aside self-criticism or communicate more effectively, we have to practice new thoughts and behaviors. If we do, we will develop greater skills at defeating negative thoughts and communicating effectively. Otherwise, our brains will do, in the future, what they are programmed to do, now. It's because we lack 'free will', that we must do homework. Similarly, you couldn't simply 'decide' to be the world's best ping-pong player. You realized you would have to work hard to re-wire your brain, if you wanted to have a chance at that. Let's use the murderer/cat example: A cat tortures and kills mice for the same reasons that a murderer does: their brains are programmed to do so. Murderers don't have a defective 'self' that is failing to express 'free will' adequately, when they murder. They're doing precisely what the atomic structure of their brain caused them to do, according to the laws of physics, in that moment, when presented with those precise stimuli. We don't have to judge or punish the cat or the murderer's 'self' and insist they should have used their 'free will'. We can accept that neither creature had the ability to decide differently from what their brain decided, in that moment. That is where the therapeutic element of this realization comes into play. I think it's important on a lot of levels, to stop blaming cats for being cats and murderers for being murderers. Similarly, if a patient doesn't want to do homework, will it do any good to blame them and think they're bad and should decide differently? No, it helps to accept them where they are, and to accept ourselves where we are, with open hands. Realizing nobody has a 'self' operating their brain and making decisions that are better than their brains' decisions doesn't mean we have to let all the murderers go or trust our cat with a new mouse companion. We can still be aware that their brains are programmed to murder. We would still be motivated to do whatever is necessary to protect society and mice. The difference is the attitude towards the murderer. We aren't trying to 'punish' or 'get vengeance' but to protect and, instead of 'labeling' them as having a 'bad self' or even being a 'murderer', but someone who has murdered and, left to their own devices, likely to do so again.  Instead of judging and demanding vengeance, we would see a murderer as the victim of their biology and environment. Instead of condemning them as permanently evil and bad, we could recognize that their brain is currently wired to do bad things and they might still learn new ways to interact with others. Perhaps they're not hopeless cases, after all. From the other side, if I ever committed murder, and sentenced to death, I wouldn't want to be feeling defective, thinking what a bad self I have and guilty/ashamed for not flexing my 'free will' in the heat of the moment. Instead, I might feel a sense of relief, purpose and meaning, that I was protecting others by being put to death. Alright, enough out of me! Thanks, Matt And now, the response from Fabrice: Matt's thinking is exactly in line with mine. I don't know if the topic came up in your discussion, but some people argue that actually someone could have done something differently than they did, because there is some randomness in Nature. But that argument doesn't hold water because even if the decision “made” by their brain is different, it has nothing to do with their will but only with the Heisenberg principle. Cheers! Fabrice Nye fabrice@life.net David's wrap up comment. Matt and Fabrice have quite a different view of “free will” and the “self.” They are arguing, very thoughtfully and persuasive, that we do not “have” a “self” or “free will.” People have been involved in this debate, as I've mentioned, for hundreds of years, taking one side or another. My own thinking is different, and reflects my understanding of Wittgenstein's thinking. They have take these words out of the contexts in which they exist in everyday language, (which is a huge temptation) and involved in a debate about abstract concepts which have no meaning. Very few people, it seems, were able to grasp this idea when Wittgenstein was alive, or even today. So, if what I'm saying makes no sense to you, be comforted, since it seems likely that 99% of the people reading this, or listening to the show, will agree with you! And that's still a puzzle to me. It is not clear to me why so many people still cannot “see” or “get” this idea that words do not have any pure or essential “meaning” outside of the context of everyday use of language. The best psychotherapy example I can use is the fact that nearly all depressed individuals are trying to figure out, on some abstract or philosophical level, whether they are “worthwhile” or “good enough,” or whatever. This seems to be a “real” problem, and so they believe that they are not sufficiently worthwhile. This belief can be so convincing that many people commit suicide, out of a sense of hopelessness and self-hatred. But there is not such thing as a human being who is more or less “worthwhile.” Of course, your actions can be more or less worthwhile at any moment, and we can evaluate or judge our specific behaviors. Yesterday, we had our first recording session in a video studio we have set up for our Feeling Great App. We had a lot of fun and recorded some (hopefully) interesting stories we'll publish on our two new YouTube channels. I really appreciated the colleagues who made this possible. It was a relief for me because I tend to have performance anxiety, which impairs my ability to speak naturally and with emotion. But this time, there was no anxiety at all, so it was fun. Did this make me or my colleagues more worthwhile human beings? No! But it did show that we'd become a bit more effective and communicating messages that will trigger healing and understanding in our fans, and hope that includes you! When you “see” this, perhaps for the first time, it can be incredibly liberating, since you no longer have the need to have a “self” that's “special” or worthwhile. And, as some of you know, my beloved teacher and cat, Obie, taught me that when you no longer need to be “special,” life becomes special. When your “self” dies, you inherit the world! There's no funeral, only a celebration! Feel free to contact us with your thoughts, ideas and questions! Thank you for listening today! Rhonda, Matt, Fabrice, and David

Special Announcement #1 Attend the Legendary Summer Intensive Featuring Drs. David Burns and Jill Levitt August 8 - 11. 2024 Learn Advanced TEAM-CBT skills Heal yourself, heal your patients First Intensive in 5 years! It will knock your socks off! Limited Seating--Act Fast Click for registration / more information! Sadly, this workshop is a training program which will be limited to therapists and mental health professionals and graduate students in a mental health field  Apologies, but therapists have complained when non-therapists have attended our continuing education training programs. This is partly because of the intimate nature of the small group exercises and the personal work the therapists may do during the workshop. Certified coaches and counselors are welcome to attend. Special Announcement #2 Here's some GREAT news! The Feeling Great App is now available in both app stores (IOS and Android) and is for therapists and the general public, and you can take a ride for free! Check it Today's Ask David Podcast We have lots of great questions today. The answers in the show notes were written prior to the podcast, and the answers in the live podcast as we discussed these questions may differ somewhat or amplify the written materials in these show notes. We love your questions. Remember to send them to David@feelinggood.com. Ask David Questions for Today Bosley asks: My father can be very critical of my plans for the future. What's the best way to respond to him? Willie asks: I have a dating questions. Why do women keep ghosting me? Should they be more willing to work out differences with the Five Secrets of Communication? 1. Bosley asks: My father can be very critical of my plans for the future. What's the best way to respond to him? "To explain somewhat concisely, I just want to move to the nearest major city (Seattle) since I feel really really happy there. I also love volunteering for a specific organization and have some community there that I care about, and I feel very isolated having been away from for months. I'm willing to carry the load of all the work I would need to do to make it happen, and do a business training my dad wants me to complete. He has other thoughts. He looks down on volunteering and his thoughts on friends are simply that I can make new ones anyway. He is very aggressive and intimidating in his arguments, full of insults and many factually incorrect statements that are difficult to disarm on the fly. He shoots down the idea upon mention, so it's difficult to collaborate to find mutually beneficial solutions. He is a successful businessman, despite recent financial issues, and has a sort of strict plan for me that he has wanted me to follow, although I really don't feel this conflicts with his goals to have me run things in the future. I'm just worried since he has a long past of being emotionally abusive and of going back on his word. Plus, I just want some autonomy. In the end, it's his way or the highway. He says “You keep scheming and going down a twisted path instead of doing what I tell you.” David's reply I suggested he might complete the first four steps of the Relationship Journal so we could see how he's communicating with his dad. Here is Bosley's partially partially completed Relationship Journal (showing steps 1 to 4, but not 5.)   Step 1 – S/he said: Write down exactly what the other person said. Be brief: You keep scheming and going down a twisted path instead of doing what I tell you! Step 2 – I said: Write down exactly what you said next. Be brief: What? Circle or bold the emotions S/HE might have been feeling Circle or bold the emotions YOU were feeling Sad, blue, depressed, down, unhappy Sad, blue, depressed, down, unhappy Anxious, worried, panicky, nervous, frightened Anxious, worried, panicky, nervous, frightened Guilty, remorseful, bad, ashamed Guilty, remorseful, bad, ashamed Inferior, worthless, inadequate, defective, incompetent Inferior, worthless, inadequate, defective, incompetent Lonely, unloved, unwanted, rejected, alone, abandoned Lonely, unloved, unwanted, rejected, alone, abandoned Embarrassed, foolish, humiliated, self-conscious Embarrassed, foolish, humiliated, self-conscious Hopeless, discouraged, pessimistic, despairing Hopeless, discouraged, pessimistic, despairing Frustrated, stuck, thwarted, defeated Frustrated, stuck, thwarted, defeated Angry, mad, resentful, annoyed, irritated, upset, furious Angry, mad, resentful, annoyed, irritated, upset, furious Other (specify) Other (specify)   Step 3 – Good Vs. Bad Communication: Was your response an example of good or bad communication? Use the EAR Checklist to analyze what you wrote down in Step 2 Step 4 – Consequences: Did your response in Step 2 make the problem better or worse? Why? It probably made things worse. I came off dismissive, which probably confirmed for him that I automatically ignored any advice or direction that he gave me. I wasn't assertive in fear of escalating anger or just being shut down anyway, but that also maintains the status quo. I didn't, and typically don't, show a caring respectful attitude. This, I think, allows his anger to continue snowballing into more intensity. 2. Willie asks why women he's dating “ghost” him instead of working out the problems in the relationship using the techniques in your book, Feeling Good Together. Good morning, Dr. Burns! I hope you are doing well! I want to start off by saying that I love your books and they've played a massive role in changing my personality for the better. However, there is a question I struggle with. In feeling good together, you say that one can keep status quo, solve their problem, or walk away from a relationship. I lean very strongly on the side of always wanting to solve problems. However, at my age, most of girls I date err on the side of just walking away and this opens me up for unnecessary headache and pain. I don't know where to draw the line? My heart says that any two reasonable adults can always make a relationship work given that at least one wants to make things better and, unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case in my experiences. Your insight would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for taking the time! Best Regards, Willie David's reply Thank you, Willie, I'd love to use this as an Ask David question for one of the podcasts, if that's okay, using your first name or a fake name if you prefer. Here's the super short answer. I wrote a book on that exact topic called Intimate Connections. Essentially you probably need to learn a little more about how to “play the game” when dating. You'll see what this means when you read the book. Warmly, david Willie's Response: Good morning, Dr. Burns! Frankly, I was not expecting a response at all, much less as quick as it was. For this, I truly want to thank you for taking the time to do so. Secondly, it will be my honor if you do bring it up to your podcast. Please don't use my first name - I'd prefer staying anonymous. Please do let me know which podcast this will be so I can give it a listen as well. Lastly, thank you so much for referring me to your book. That will be my next read so I am super excited. If you have any other books which you believe are worth reading which will be beneficial in the dating world, corporate world, etc., please point me to those. I absolutely love your books and their effects on me have been immeasurable. Thank you! Willie I wrote back and suggested we could use the fake name Willie, as he wanted to remain anonymous, and he responded: Now that you say, Willie is definitely sexier! Question: when are you planning on doing the next episode with this question in it? I wouldn't want to miss it.   Here was my response to “Willie.” We'll just read your question, and then provide opinions. My career in private practice has a majority of single individuals who were trying unsuccessfully to connect in the dating world. That's why I wrote that book, which is intensely personal as I was the biggest loser of all for a long time because I was a minister's son and never learned how to “play the game” or be a “bad boy.” But I learned from a friend who was a “hustler” when I was in medical school. I learned a tremendous amount, including that there is a game-playing phase in dating, and a time to be more serious, open and vulnerable. The biggest mistake men make is trying to get too serious when they should be playing the game. What's the game? Well, you'd know if you ever had or loved a cat. If you chase them enthusiastically, you force them to run away. You have to learn how to make them chase you. Many men are stubborn about this, and lamely insist, “But I shouldn't have to play the game!” My answer would be, “You don't! Especially if you don't want to get laid and have lots of ladies chasing you!” Warmly, david Willie's response This is extremely valuable to me. I never knew that you come from a religious background and I do too so I do want to ask you some more questions / share my experience. One pattern I am noticing is that either Muslim ladies have a lot of religious trauma or they have very strict conservative values - usually a combination of both. In the modern world, I try using dating apps and might get matched with someone 2-3 states away so usually we would hop on a FaceTime and the topic of religion almost always comes up. And, due to differing opinions, they just walk away which deeply upsets me because they make the false assumption that humans are snapshots in time i.e., opinions / perspectives don't change. In fact, a personal experience I would like to share with you. I was in a relationship for 1.5 yrs (long distance) and it just ended 1-2 months ago. Our intention was always to get married. However, a few weeks before breaking up with me, she basically said "oh you don't pray and I cannot even imagine my future husband not praying etc etc" and she ended things with me on that. I even tried using the 5 methods of effective communication to acknowledge and validate her opinions while simultaneously sharing mine but she was dead set and did not even want to think about working on problems. How could I "play the game" in such instances or over long distances?   David's response Hi Willie, The principles of dating are the same in all cultures for the most part, and one rule is “Never chase a distancer.” So, when she switches to religion, you could use the listen skills subset of the Five Secrets, and buy in to what she's saying, WITHOUT arguing or presenting your own thinking. You can admire her, urge her to tell you more about her religious feelings and spiritual life, using liberal Thought and Feeling Empathy, and lots of Disarming Techniques, and Stroking, with Gentle Inquiry. You would NOT chase, or try to persuade, or argue, or defend yourself. Be totally admiring and other-centered at those times. If she says she wants to break up, you might say that you've been sensing some distance, and are relieved that she is doing that, because you, too, would like to date other women, but that the two of you can still be friends if she promises not to get romantically involved with you, and that you will be on the lookout for some really great guys she might want to date. This is a paradoxical approach, and it is an art form. And I can also tell you to date other women immediately, and the moment you find one you like better than her, she will find out, even if no one tells her, and she will likely want you back again. That's because of the Burns rule, which states: “People NEVER want what they CAN have; they ONLY want they CAN'T have!” Now, if you tell me this approach is phony, I would tell you that you're 200% right! And it's not only incredibly phony, it's amazingly effective! And a kinder word that “phony” might be to say that when someone starts pulling away, you have to switch into this style and strategic approach, and stop trying to be loving and sincere or logical, etc. Do NOT chase, simply open your hands and let go. It's the exact same strategy you might use to get close to a cat! Best, david Hi Willie, If you'd like, you can send me an example of what one of the Muslim ladies said to you, and exactly what you said next. Please select an interaction that didn't go well. Then I can analyze your response and suggest some alternative ways to respond in a dating situation. In fact, if you like, you can record it on the Relationship Journal that I've attached. Please fill in steps 1 through 4. Please do this right away as we record tomorrow. Best, david   Hi Dr. Burns, I cannot even tell you how much these emails are already changing my outlook. I truly want to thank you for taking the time and responding to these. One thing that caught my eye is the paradoxical approach. I never thought about it. In my mind, I feel you should work on relationships / never let go but if letting go is working on it, then that is something I really need to do. I am attaching two copies of the Relationship journal. One dealing with the topic of drugs and one with prayer. One thing I will tell you is that I usually bring these topics up myself because, in my mind, I don't want to deceive anyone and get these big topics out of the way as early on as I can and I think I am making a mistake somewhere here. Thank you, again, for taking the time and responding to these emails! Looking forward to what you think about the topics of conflict I have been having! Best Willie

Special Announcement #1 Attend the Legendary Summer Intensive Featuring Drs. David Burns and Jill Levitt August 8 - 11. 2024 Learn Advanced TEAM-CBT skills Heal yourself, heal your patients First Intensive in 5 years! It will knock your socks off! Limited Seating--Act Fast Click for registration / more information! Sadly, this workshop is a training program which will be limited to therapists and mental health professionals and graduate students in a mental health field  Apologies, but therapists have complained when non-therapists have attended our continuing education training programs. This is partly because of the intimate nature of the small group exercises and the personal work the therapists may do during the workshop. Certified coaches and counselors are welcome to attend. Special Announcement #2 Here's some GREAT news! The Feeling Great App is now available in both app stores (IOS and Android) and is for therapists and the general public, and you can take a ride for free! Check it Today's Ask David Podcast We have lots of great questions today. The answers in the show notes were written prior to the podcast, and the answers in the live podcast as we discussed these questions may differ somewhat or amplify the written materials in these show notes. We love your questions. Remember to send them to David@feelinggood.com. Ask David Questions for Today Bosley asks: My father can be very critical of my plans for the future. What's the best way to respond to him? Willie asks: I have a dating questions. Why do women keep ghosting me? Should they be more willing to work out differences with the Five Secrets of Communication? Marc asks: In your book, When Panic Attacks, you mentioned that sometimes people feel “trapped.” What should you do when you're struggling with this feeling?   1. Bosley asks: My father can be very critical of my plans for the future. What's the best way to respond to him? "To explain somewhat concisely, I just want to move to the nearest major city (Seattle) since I feel really really happy there. I also love volunteering for a specific organization and have some community there that I care about, and I feel very isolated having been away from for months. I'm willing to carry the load of all the work I would need to do to make it happen, and do a business training my dad wants me to complete. He has other thoughts. He looks down on volunteering and his thoughts on friends are simply that I can make new ones anyway. He is very aggressive and intimidating in his arguments, full of insults and many factually incorrect statements that are difficult to disarm on the fly. He shoots down the idea upon mention, so it's difficult to collaborate to find mutually beneficial solutions. He is a successful businessman, despite recent financial issues, and has a sort of strict plan for me that he has wanted me to follow, although I really don't feel this conflicts with his goals to have me run things in the future. I'm just worried since he has a long past of being emotionally abusive and of going back on his word. Plus, I just want some autonomy. In the end, it's his way or the highway. He says “You keep scheming and going down a twisted path instead of doing what I tell you.” David's reply I suggested he might complete the first four steps of the Relationship Journal so we could see how he's communicating with his dad. Here is Bosley's partially partially completed Relationship Journal (showing steps 1 to 4, but not 5.)   Step 1 – S/he said: Write down exactly what the other person said. Be brief: You keep scheming and going down a twisted path instead of doing what I tell you! Step 2 – I said: Write down exactly what you said next. Be brief: What? Circle or bold the emotions S/HE might have been feeling Circle or bold the emotions YOU were feeling Sad, blue, depressed, down, unhappy Sad, blue, depressed, down, unhappy Anxious, worried, panicky, nervous, frightened Anxious, worried, panicky, nervous, frightened Guilty, remorseful, bad, ashamed Guilty, remorseful, bad, ashamed Inferior, worthless, inadequate, defective, incompetent Inferior, worthless, inadequate, defective, incompetent Lonely, unloved, unwanted, rejected, alone, abandoned Lonely, unloved, unwanted, rejected, alone, abandoned Embarrassed, foolish, humiliated, self-conscious Embarrassed, foolish, humiliated, self-conscious Hopeless, discouraged, pessimistic, despairing Hopeless, discouraged, pessimistic, despairing Frustrated, stuck, thwarted, defeated Frustrated, stuck, thwarted, defeated Angry, mad, resentful, annoyed, irritated, upset, furious Angry, mad, resentful, annoyed, irritated, upset, furious Other (specify) Other (specify)   Step 3 – Good Vs. Bad Communication: Was your response an example of good or bad communication? Use the EAR Checklist to analyze what you wrote down in Step 2 Step 4 – Consequences: Did your response in Step 2 make the problem better or worse? Why? It probably made things worse. I came off dismissive, which probably confirmed for him that I automatically ignored any advice or direction that he gave me. I wasn't assertive in fear of escalating anger or just being shut down anyway, but that also maintains the status quo. I didn't, and typically don't, show a caring respectful attitude. This, I think, allows his anger to continue snowballing into more intensity. 2. Willie asks why women he's dating “ghost” him instead of working out the problems in the relationship using the techniques in your book, Feeling Good Together. Good morning, Dr. Burns! I hope you are doing well! I want to start off by saying that I love your books and they've played a massive role in changing my personality for the better. However, there is a question I struggle with. In feeling good together, you say that one can keep status quo, solve their problem, or walk away from a relationship. I lean very strongly on the side of always wanting to solve problems. However, at my age, most of girls I date err on the side of just walking away and this opens me up for unnecessary headache and pain. I don't know where to draw the line? My heart says that any two reasonable adults can always make a relationship work given that at least one wants to make things better and, unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case in my experiences. Your insight would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for taking the time! Best Regards, Willie David's reply Thank you, Willie, I'd love to use this as an Ask David question for one of the podcasts, if that's okay, using your first name or a fake name if you prefer. Here's the super short answer. I wrote a book on that exact topic called Intimate Connections. Essentially you probably need to learn a little more about how to “play the game” when dating. You'll see what this means when you read the book. Warmly, david Willie's Response: Good morning, Dr. Burns! Frankly, I was not expecting a response at all, much less as quick as it was. For this, I truly want to thank you for taking the time to do so. Secondly, it will be my honor if you do bring it up to your podcast. Please don't use my first name - I'd prefer staying anonymous. Please do let me know which podcast this will be so I can give it a listen as well. Lastly, thank you so much for referring me to your book. That will be my next read so I am super excited. If you have any other books which you believe are worth reading which will be beneficial in the dating world, corporate world, etc., please point me to those. I absolutely love your books and their effects on me have been immeasurable. Thank you! Willie I wrote back and suggested we could use the fake name Willie, as he wanted to remain anonymous, and he responded: Now that you say, Willie is definitely sexier! Question: when are you planning on doing the next episode with this question in it? I wouldn't want to miss it.   Here was my response to “Willie.” We'll just read your question, and then provide opinions. My career in private practice has a majority of single individuals who were trying unsuccessfully to connect in the dating world. That's why I wrote that book, which is intensely personal as I was the biggest loser of all for a long time because I was a minister's son and never learned how to “play the game” or be a “bad boy.” But I learned from a friend who was a “hustler” when I was in medical school. I learned a tremendous amount, including that there is a game-playing phase in dating, and a time to be more serious, open and vulnerable. The biggest mistake men make is trying to get too serious when they should be playing the game. What's the game? Well, you'd know if you ever had or loved a cat. If you chase them enthusiastically, you force them to run away. You have to learn how to make them chase you. Many men are stubborn about this, and lamely insist, “But I shouldn't have to play the game!” My answer would be, “You don't! Especially if you don't want to get laid and have lots of ladies chasing you!” Warmly, david   Willie's response This is extremely valuable to me. I never knew that you come from a religious background and I do too so I do want to ask you some more questions / share my experience. One pattern I am noticing is that either Muslim ladies have a lot of religious trauma or they have very strict conservative values - usually a combination of both. In the modern world, I try using dating apps and might get matched with someone 2-3 states away so usually we would hop on a FaceTime and the topic of religion almost always comes up. And, due to differing opinions, they just walk away which deeply upsets me because they make the false assumption that humans are snapshots in time i.e., opinions / perspectives don't change. In fact, a personal experience I would like to share with you. I was in a relationship for 1.5 yrs (long distance) and it just ended 1-2 months ago. Our intention was always to get married. However, a few weeks before breaking up with me, she basically said "oh you don't pray and I cannot even imagine my future husband not praying etc etc" and she ended things with me on that. I even tried using the 5 methods of effective communication to acknowledge and validate her opinions while simultaneously sharing mine but she was dead set and did not even want to think about working on problems. How could I "play the game" in such instances or over long distances?   David's response Hi Willie, The principles of dating are the same in all cultures for the most part, and one rule is “Never chase a distancer.” So, when she switches to religion, you could use the listen skills subset of the Five Secrets, and buy in to what she's saying, WITHOUT arguing or presenting your own thinking. You can admire her, urge her to tell you more about her religious feelings and spiritual life, using liberal Thought and Feeling Empathy, and lots of Disarming Techniques, and Stroking, with Gentle Inquiry. You would NOT chase, or try to persuade, or argue, or defend yourself. Be totally admiring and other-centered at those times. If she says she wants to break up, you might say that you've been sensing some distance, and are relieved that she is doing that, because you, too, would like to date other women, but that the two of you can still be friends if she promises not to get romantically involved with you, and that you will be on the lookout for some really great guys she might want to date. This is a paradoxical approach, and it is an art form. And I can also tell you to date other women immediately, and the moment you find one you like better than her, she will find out, even if no one tells her, and she will likely want you back again. That's because of the Burns rule, which states: “People NEVER want what they CAN have; they ONLY want they CAN'T have!” Now, if you tell me this approach is phony, I would tell you that you're 200% right! And it's not only incredibly phony, it's amazingly effective! And a kinder word that “phony” might be to say that when someone starts pulling away, you have to switch into this style and strategic approach, and stop trying to be loving and sincere or logical, etc. Do NOT chase, simply open your hands and let go. It's the exact same strategy you might use to get close to a cat! Best, david Hi Willie, If you'd like, you can send me an example of what one of the Muslim ladies said to you, and exactly what you said next. Please select an interaction that didn't go well. Then I can analyze your response and suggest some alternative ways to respond in a dating situation. In fact, if you like, you can record it on the Relationship Journal that I've attached. Please fill in steps 1 through 4. Please do this right away as we record tomorrow. Best, david   Hi Dr. Burns, I cannot even tell you how much these emails are already changing my outlook. I truly want to thank you for taking the time and responding to these. One thing that caught my eye is the paradoxical approach. I never thought about it. In my mind, I feel you should work on relationships / never let go but if letting go is working on it, then that is something I really need to do. I am attaching two copies of the Relationship journal. One dealing with the topic of drugs and one with prayer. One thing I will tell you is that I usually bring these topics up myself because, in my mind, I don't want to deceive anyone and get these big topics out of the way as early on as I can and I think I am making a mistake somewhere here. Thank you, again, for taking the time and responding to these emails! Looking forward to what you think about the topics of conflict I have been having! Best Willie

Dr. Horn is the Director of Practical Philosophy and Ancient Philosophy at the University of Bonn. Most of his work focuses on classical philosophers like Plato or Aristotle and how we deal with modern questions of ethics and morals. However, Dr. Horn has also written extensively on political philosophy, and the roles ethics and justice play within politics. In addition to his position at the University of Bonn, Dr. Horn also teaches at the New School. He is an alum of the New Institute, a German think tank dedicated to understanding the relationship between well-being and living standards, and how this impacts the human condition. Today, Dr. Horn joined us to explain environmental ethics, some of the different schools of thought within ecological ethics, and introduced us to the idea of political ecology. It was quite a fascinating discussion, to say the least. To check out more of our content, including our research and policy tools, visit our website: https://www.hgsss.org/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/smart-talk-hgsss/support

Are morals just statements or do they have a deeper meaning behind them?In Episode #437 of 'Musings', Juan & I discuss: why ethics/philosophy is kind of lousy for understanding about morality, whether Spartans would approve of my stance on non-violence, Juan's dislike of them because they aren't actionable, the ambiguity of Aesop's fables and a list of books that helped me to understand this topic. Huge thanks to McIntosh for the boostagrams. Your support means the world to us!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(1:07) - Morals from 'A Room With A View'(1:38) - Definitions(4:45) - Nietzsche's herd mentality(7:43) - Are there objective morals?(13:16) - How do we reach consensus?(24:03) - Boostagram Lounge(28:41) - Drawing a line in the sand(34:05) - The morals of stepping on lizards(40:19) - Are there superior morals?(45:32) - Religion & actions(49:56) - Meme of the week(50:22) - Cultural evolution & game theory(59:15) - Our morals: violence/coercion/Raskjuanikov(1:02:17) - Summary(1:11:07) - V4V: Wake up at 4 amValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSupport the show

In Episode 6 of the "Philosophy of Meditation" series, John Vervaeke and Rick Repetti discuss with guest Massimo Pigliucci how stoicism and meditation intertwine. Massimo, an acclaimed philosopher, delves into his transition from evolutionary biology to philosophy and Stoicism. The conversation covers key aspects of Stoicism, including the practice of mindfulness, attention (prosoche), and the Stoic approach to life's challenges. They discuss the parallels and differences between Stoic practices and Buddhist meditation, emphasizing the importance of rationality and judgment in Stoicism. The episode also touches on mindfulness in modern contexts, comparing it to classical practices, and concludes with Massimo sharing his personal Stoic meditative practices and reflections on life and death.   Massimo Pigliucci is a distinguished philosopher and author renowned for his work in the philosophy of science and his advocacy for Stoicism as a practical philosophy for modern life. He is a key figure in the modern revival of Stoicism, contributing significantly through his writings, talks, and as a certified philosophical counselor.   Glossary of Terms   Stoicism: An ancient Greek philosophy that emphasizes rationality, virtue, and resilience. Mindfulness: The practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, or experiences. Prosoche: A Stoic term for attentive mindfulness, focusing on rational judgment and action. John Vervaeke: Website: https://johnvervaeke.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke   X: https://twitter.com/vervaeke_john   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VervaekeJohn/   Rick Repetti: Website: https://www.rickrepetti.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickrepetti/  X: https://twitter.com/rickrepetti  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophicalpractitioner/   Massimo Pigliucci: Substack: https://figsinwinter.substack.com/    Join our new Patreon https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke   The Vervaeke Foundation - https://vervaekefoundation.org/   Awaken to Meaning - https://awakentomeaning.com/   Books, Articles, and Publications   Routledge Handbook on the Philosophy of Meditation - Rick Repetti  https://www.amazon.com/Routledge-Handbook-Philosophy-Meditation-Repetti/dp/036764746X A Handbook for New Stoics: How to Thrive in a World Out of Your Control―52 Week-by-Week Lessons - Gregory Lopez, Massimo Pigliucci https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-New-Stoics-Week-Week/dp/1615195335/   Quotes   "But meditating in Stoicism is a kind of activity that is very much philosophical in nature... But it's most certainly is a type of philosophizing." - Massimo Pigliucci [00:11:11]   "This is a place where it's converging with sort of cutting edge CogSci, which is the importance of attention to being reasonable that the training of attention is as important as the training of argumentation." - John Vervaeke [00:20:40]   "What can I do better the next time? Again, the idea being your mind needs to be prepared. If you're prepared, you're going to react better the next time around." - Massimo Pigliucci [00:53:15]   Chapters   [00:00:00] - Introduction to the Episode by John Vervaeke [00:01:21] - Massimo Pigliucci's Background and Journey to Stoicism [00:04:44] - Pigliucci's Current Work and Philosophical Interests [00:08:03] - Discussing the Philosophy of Meditation [00:14:47] - Exploration of Stoic Principles: Physics, Logic, and Ethics [00:17:00] - Massimo Pigliucci Discusses the Broader Understanding of Ethics in Stoicism [00:24:40] - Stoic Perspectives on Choice, Good and Evil, and Social Relationships [00:31:09] - Comparing and Contrasting Buddhism and Stoicism [00:43:30] - Massimo's Personal Stoic Meditative Practices [00:53:15] - Massimo Pigliucci's Closing Thoughts on Practical Philosophy  

In the third episode of the "Philosophy of Meditation" series, hosts John Vervaeke and Rick Repetti engage with Lou Marinoff, a renowned figure in practical philosophy and philosophical counseling. The episode provides a rich tapestry of discussions, starting with Marinoff's initiation into meditation during the 1960s' counterculture, leading to his profound integration of Eastern and Western philosophical traditions. Marinoff elaborates on the transformative role of meditation in personal development and virtue ethics, emphasizing its impact on philosophical counseling and its empowerment of individuals as architects of their futures. The conversation also covers the global influence of the philosophical counseling movement, highlighting Marinoff's interactions with key figures and the practical application of philosophical and meditative practices in daily life. This episode offers listeners deep insights into meditation's philosophical underpinnings and its potential for personal growth and wisdom. It is a fascinating listen for anyone interested in exploring the depths of meditation and its philosophical connections.   Lou Marinoff, a Canadian-born academic and Commonwealth Scholar, is a prominent figure in philosophical counseling. He initially studied theoretical physics before earning a doctorate in philosophy of science. Marinoff is a Professor of Philosophy and Asian Studies at The City College of New York and the founding president of the American Philosophical Practitioners Association. He is best known for his groundbreaking book "Plato, Not Prozac," which popularized practical philosophy and significantly contributed to the philosophical counseling movement in the U.S. Glossary of Terms   TM: Transcendental Meditation APPA: American Philosophical Practitioners Association ICPP: International Conference on Philosophical Practice   John Vervaeke: Website: https://johnvervaeke.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke   X: https://twitter.com/vervaeke_john   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VervaekeJohn/   Rick Repetti: Website: https://www.rickrepetti.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickrepetti/  X: https://twitter.com/rickrepetti  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophicalpractitioner/   Lou Marinoff: Website: https://www.loumarinoff.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/loumarinoff Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lou.marinoff​​ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lou-marinoff-2933   Join our new Patreon https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke   The Vervaeke Foundation - https://vervaekefoundation.org/   Awaken to Meaning - https://awakentomeaning.com/   Books, Articles, and Publications   Routledge Handbook on the Philosophy of Meditation - Rick Repetti  https://www.amazon.com/Routledge-Handbook-Philosophy-Meditation-Repetti/dp/036764746X Plato, Not Prozac!: Applying Eternal Wisdom to Everyday Problems - Lou Marinoff https://www.amazon.com/Plato-Not-Prozac-Applying-Everyday/dp/0060931361 The Inner Philosopher: Conversations on Philosophy's Transformative Power - Daisaku Ikeda, Lou Marinoff https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Philosopher-Conversations-Philosophys-Transformative/dp/1887917098 Choose Hope: Your Role in Waging Peace in the Nuclear Age - David Krieger, Daisaku Ikeda  https://www.amazon.com/Choose-Hope-Waging-Peace-Nuclear/dp/0967469767 The Middle Way: Finding Happiness in a World of Extremes - Lou Marinoff https://www.amazon.com/Middle-Way-Finding-Happiness-Extremes/dp/1402743440 Philosophy, Humor, and the Human Condition: Taking Ridicule Seriously - Lydia Amir https://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-Humor-Human-Condition-Seriously/dp/3030326705 Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit: Revised and Updated Second Edition - Robert Kennedy https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Spirit-Christian-Place-Life/dp/0826409199 A resolution of Bertrand's paradox. Marinoff, Louis (1994). Philosophy of Science 61 (1):1-24. https://www.academia.edu/44669146/A_Resolution_of_Bertrands_Paradox   Quotes   "You can't do anything with your body unless your mind is calm... It's all about meditation." - Lou Marinoff "One can take any practice and use it as a basis of meditation." - Lou Marinoff "The purpose of philosophy is counsel." - Lou Marinoff, referencing Seneca   Chapters with Timestamps   [00:00:00] - Introduction and Lou Marinoff's Background [00:03:30] - Lou's Journey into Meditation and Philosophy [00:13:18] - The Influence of Martial Arts on Lou's Philosophy [00:28:13] - Exploring the Practical Applications of Philosophy [00:42:58] - Meditation as a Philosophical Concept [00:51:03] - The Philosophical Nature of Meditation Practices [00:54:25] - Key Meditative Experiences and Philosophical Insights [01:02:09] - Intersections of Meditation, Science, and Geometry [01:09:18] - Visualization in Science and Philosophy [01:17:50] - Humor in Zen and Buddhist Practices [01:23:00] - Closing Reflections on the Dialogue  

On episode 200, we welcome Tom Morris and Gregory Bassham to discuss stoic philosophy, radical acceptance and its relationship with the divine, what the stoics believed about god and the afterlife, the four cardinal virtues and why one needs to cultivate all of them, whether the stoics actually sought to eliminate negative emotions, how they addressed death and grief, explore what we can and can't control, the stoic conception of good and bad, why being good was their purpose for being, Marcus Aurelius and his ability to balance nobility and humility, how the stoics dealt with perfectionism and overly harsh self-criticisms, and how Epictetus continues to inspire us by being an exemplar of stoic philosophy. Tom Morris is author of Philosophy For Dummies and 30 other books. He was a philosophy professor at The University of Notre Dame. He now heads The Morris Institute for Human Values and is an active business speaker. Gregory Bassham is author of The Philosophy Book, an illustrated history of philosophy, and 10 other books. Gregory was a professor of philosophy at King's College. Tom and Gregory have collaborated together to create a new book called Stoicism For Dummies, available next week on January 11th.  | Tom Morris & Gregory Bassham |   ► Website | https://www.tomvmorris.com, https://staff.kings.edu/sites/ghbassha ► Twitter |  https://twitter.com/TomVMorris ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/tom.morris.562329, https://www.facebook.com/gregory.bassham ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/tomvmorris ► LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-morris-0955474 ► Stoicism for Dummiest  Book | https://amzn.to/48tJdfN Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment ► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@seizethemomentpodcast

In this first episode of the "Philosophy of Meditation" series, Rick Repetti and John Vervaeke take listeners on an engaging exploration of the intricate world of meditation and its deep roots in philosophical thought. John shares his transformative journey from a strict fundamentalist Christian background to finding solace and depth in Eastern philosophy and the practice of mindfulness. Rick and John's conversation navigates through the nuances of meditation and contemplation, shedding light on how these practices enrich the pursuit of wisdom and self-awareness. The discussion also bridges the gap between academic and practical philosophy, illustrating their vital role in understanding and cultivating wisdom. For listeners, this episode offers a deep, reflective insight into the philosophy of meditation, providing a comprehensive view of how these ancient practices are relevant and transformative in the modern world. The outcome is a rich tapestry of ideas, encouraging listeners to explore their own paths toward wisdom and self-realization.   Glossary of Terms   Dialogos: A form of dialogue that affords a reciprocal flow state. Mindfulness: The practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, or experiences. Cognitive Science: An interdisciplinary field exploring the mind and its processes. Neoplatonism: A philosophical system developed as a version of the teachings of Plato. DIME Model: an ecology of practices for philosophical wellbeing: D=Dialogue, I=Imaginal, M=Mindfulness, and E=Embodied practice.   John Vervaeke: Website: https://johnvervaeke.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke   X: https://twitter.com/vervaeke_john   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VervaekeJohn/   Rick Repetti: Website: https://www.rickrepetti.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickrepetti/  X: https://twitter.com/rickrepetti  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophicalpractitioner/   Join our new Patreon https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke   The Vervaeke Foundation - https://vervaekefoundation.org/   Awaken to Meaning - https://awakentomeaning.com/   John Vervaeke YouTube Awakening from the Meaning Crisis https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLND1JCRq8Vuh3f0P5qjrSdb5eC1ZfZwWJ After Socrates https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOwjmZx12gk&list=PLND1JCRq8Vuj6q5NP_fXjBzUT1p_qYSCC AI: The Coming Thresholds and The Path We Must Take | Internationally Acclaimed Cognitive Scientist https://youtu.be/A-_RdKiDbz4   Books, Articles, and Publications   Routledge Handbook on the Philosophy of Meditation - Rick Repetti  https://www.amazon.com/Routledge-Handbook-Philosophy-Meditation-Repetti/dp/036764746X Experimental Phenomenology: An Introduction - Don Ihde https://www.amazon.com/Experimental-Phenomenology-Introduction-Don-Ihde/dp/0887061990 Mentoring the Machines: Orientation - Part One: Surviving the Deep Impact of the Artificially Intelligent Tomorrow - John Vervaeke, Shawn Coyne https://www.amazon.com/Mentoring-Machines-Orientation-Artificially-Intelligent/dp/1645010821/ Mentoring the Machines: Origins - Part 2: Surviving the Deep Impact of the Artificially Intelligent Tomorrow - John Vervaeke, Shawn Coyne https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CH8W8XLF The Republic by Plato - The Internet Classics Archive https://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.html Relevance, Meaning and the Cognitive Science of Wisdom Vervaeke, J., & Ferraro, L. (2013) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286508333_Relevance_Meaning_and_the_Cognitive_Science_of_Wisdom Quotes   "Mindfulness and philosophy converge in cognitive science, enriching our understanding of wisdom." - John Vervaeke  "Meditation and contemplation are integral for a holistic philosophical understanding." - Rick Repetti "The journey to wisdom involves integrating academic philosophy with life practices." - John Vervaeke Chapters with Timestamps   [00:00:00] Introduction to the Series [00:03:00] John's Personal Journey to Philosophy and Meditation [00:06:00] The Convergence of Mindfulness and Academic Philosophy  [00:11:40] Defining Meditation and Contemplation  [00:19:24] Discussion on Academic Philosophy and Its Practice  [00:22:20] Exploring the Philosophy of Meditation  [00:41:00] The Impact of Meditation in Personal Life  [00:52:00] Neoplatonic Levels of Meditation  [00:55:50] Integration of Eastern and Western Philosophical Practices  [01:17:16] Exploring the Verveke Foundation and Its Role  [01:24:00] The Importance of Community and Shared Practices  [01:28:00] Final Thoughts and Reflections    Timestamped Highlights   [00:01:00] - Introduction to the Philosophy of Meditation series. [00:02:01] - Rick's reflection on how the series began. [00:03:13] - John's journey to meditation, philosophy, and philosophy of meditation  [00:07:12] - Integration of academic philosophy and mindfulness practices. [00:11:48] - Defining meditation and contemplation. [00:14:39] - Deepening the understanding of consciousness. [00:19:49] - The role of academic philosophy. [00:22:29] - The philosophy of meditation within cognitive science. [00:31:02] - Can meditation contribute to philosophy? [00:41:00] - The importance of meditation in personal life.   [00:52:00] - Explanation of Neoplatonic meditation levels. [00:55:50] - John Vervaeke discusses integrating Eastern and Western practices. [00:58:19] - Discussion on balancing personal idiosyncrasies and universal challenges. [01:00:38] - John shares his mystical experience of Plato's forms. [01:02:41] - Reflection on the transformative impact of mystical experiences. [01:06:40] - Critical perspective on the current state of mindfulness practices in North America. [01:09:00] - The need for a deeper understanding of the relationship between mindfulness and wisdom. [01:14:22] - Advice for practitioners of meditation and mindfulness. [01:17:16] - Introduction to the Verveke Foundation and its objectives. [01:24:00] - Emphasizing the need for community and shared wisdom practices. [01:28:00] - Closing remarks and gratitude for the podcast series.  

The traditional view of mental health often focuses on the absence of mental illness, but a new theory is emerging that emphasizes the importance of neurodiversity and individual differences in the pursuit of long-term happiness. The question is, how can we reconcile the medicalization of mental health with the idea of neurodiversity and the unique strengths that come with different neurotypes?In this episode of This Anthro Life, we dive into a new perspective on mental health and well-being and how traditional models of mental illness focus only on treatment, not optimization of wellness. Ryan's work, which is detailed in his new book "Become Who You Are," offers a fresh perspective on how ancient philosophy and modern psychology intersect to address issues like anxiety and depression. He introduces the concept of "virtue signaling theory," which views traits like courage and compassion as evolutionary adaptations that helped humans navigate social hierarchies. Self-esteem evolved as a way to track social standing and regulate mood accordingly. Depression may result from a negative self-view due to lack of virtue expression.Moreover, throughout the conversation, we delved into the practical applications of Ryan's theory. He shared strategies for individuals at various points on the well-being scale, from those struggling with depression to those seeking to enhance their fulfillment in life. Ryan emphasized the importance of behavioral activation, identifying personal strengths, and creating virtue domains – areas in our lives where we can exercise and showcase our virtues. We also touched on the concept of eudaimonia, the ancient Greek term for the highest human good or "the good life," which Ryan believes is achieved through the cultivation of virtues. Ready to become who you are and find deeper happiness and fulfillment in life? Join us on This Anthro Life as we explore the importance of self-exploration and cultivating virtues with Ryan BushTimestamps: 00:01:33 - Ryan Bush's Journey and Interdisciplinary Approach00:03:58 - The Sociometer Theory of Self-Esteem00:05:54 - Understanding Self-Esteem and Virtue00:12:11 - The Causal Relationship Between Identity and Depression00:18:28 - Self-Improvement and Selfishness00:20:35 - Long-Term Selfishness and Altruism00:22:27 - Behavioral Activation and Virtue Cultivation00:25:19 - Virtue Domains and Life Fulfillment00:27:18 - Time Dimension in Virtue Domains00:29:25 - Personal Journey and Designing the Mind00:31:27 - The Search for Meaning and Virtue00:33:45 - The Importance of Practice in Virtue Cultivation00:35:39 - Simple Strategies for Behavioral Activation00:41:37 - Medicalization and Mental Health00:44:12 - Neurodiversity and Evolutionary Strengths00:46:23 - Frequency-Dependent Selection in Neurodiversity00:51:23 - Practical Philosophy and Well-BeingKey Takeaways:Traditional mental health models focus only on treatment, not optimization of well-being.Virtues like courage and compassion evolved as "fitness indicators" to help humans navigate social hierarchies.Self-esteem evolved to track social standing and regulate mood accordingly.Depression may result from a negative self-view due to lack of virtue expression.Behavioral activation can boost mood by engaging in virtue-expressing activities.Role models can help identify personal strengths to cultivate."Virtual domains" allow expression of virtues in meaningful pursuits.Brief suffering may occur through cultivation but should not be the goal.Well-being exists on a continuum, from depression to eudaimonia.About This Anthro Life This Anthro Life is a thought-provoking podcast that explores the human side of technology, culture, and business. Hosted by Adam Gamwell, we unravel fascinating narratives and connect them to the wider context of our lives. Tune in to https://thisanthrolife.org and subscribe to our Substack at https://thisanthrolife.substack.com for more captivating episodes and engaging content.Connect with Ryan BushLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanabush/ Website: https://designingthemind.org/Order the book at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPCMWQG6 Connect with This Anthro Life:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisanthrolife/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisanthrolife LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-anthro-life-podcast/ This Anthro Life website: https://www.thisanthrolife.org/ Substack blog: https://thisanthrolife.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5168968/advertisement

In this episode, we explore the role of dialectics in understanding existence, inspired by the Dao De Jing and the life of Gao Yaojie. We examine the character '则' (zé) from Laozi's era, its significance in conveying dialectical ideas, and its modern-day implications. Delving into Laozi's teachings, such as "bending to remain unbroken," we draw parallels with other philosophical traditions and offer insights into applying these ancient concepts in today's world.

Welcome to an enriching episode of Street Stoics, where we delve deep into the profound realm of Stoic philosophy. Join Brice and Benny in an exploration of wisdom – a timeless virtue that forms the cornerstone of Stoic teachings.In this episode, we unravel the intricate threads of Stoicism, unlocking practical insights for modern living. Discover how Stoic principles provide a roadmap for making wise decisions, fostering resilience, and leading a purpose-driven life.This episode transcends theoretical discourse, bringing Stoic wisdom to life through engaging conversations and real-life examples. Explore the interconnectedness of virtue and wisdom, gaining actionable takeaways for your daily journey.Why listen? Immerse yourself in the transformative power of ancient philosophy, gaining practical tools for navigating life's complexities. Subscribe to Street Stoics for a regular dose of thought-provoking discussions and insights.Join us on this journey towards wisdom – subscribe now and elevate your understanding of Stoicism.#Stoicism #WisdomPodcast #PhilosophyInAction #StoicLivingSupport the showwww.streetstoics.comhttps://twitter.com/StreetStoicsReach us: streetstoics@gmail.com

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth interview with Scotty Barnhart, Director, The Count Basie Orchestra About Harvey's guest: Today's special guest, Scotty Barnhart, is an internationally acclaimed music artist, especially in the world of jazz.   He's an iconic trumpet player, composer, arranger, educator and author.  For over 30 years, he's been a featured trumpet soloist with the legendary Count Basie Orchestra, AND for the past 10 years, he's been the Orchestra's Director.    He's a 2-time Grammy Award winner, and he's worked with some of the greatest music artists in the world, including Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Tito Puente, Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Diana Krall and dozens more.  In 2009, he released his highly acclaimed first solo album, entitled, “Say It Plain”, which reached #3 on the Jazz Charts.   Our guest is widely considered to be THE leading authority on the history of Jazz trumpet.   In 2005 he published his groundbreaking book, “The World of Jazz Trumpet – A Comprehensive History and Practical Philosophy”, which is THE definitive text on the subject.  He's a Professor at Florida State University, and he gives keynote lectures and seminars around the world.  He's also  profiled in Scott Yanow's groundbreaking book “Trumpet Kings:  The Players Who Shaped the Sound of Jazz”, which places him right up there with the most important Jazz trumpeters in history, from Louis Armstrong to Miles Davis and others.   AND NOW, he's here to discuss his monumental brand new album entitled, “The Count Basie Orchestra Swings the Blues”.   This is an exceptional and unprecedented collection of collaborations with some of the greatest living blues and jazz artists, including George Benson, Shemekia Copeland, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Bettye LaVette, Bobby Rush and many more.  The album features spectacular versions of blues classics like “Stormy Monday,” “The Midnight Hour”, “Look What You've Done”, “Just for a Thrill” and “I'm A Woman” along side new instant classics like Mr. Sipp's “Let's Have A Good Time”, and our guest's inspired fusion of Charley Patton meets Count Basie, in “The Patton Basie Shuffle.”   The new album celebrates the deep-rooted connection between jazz and blues, and illuminates shared roots and reciprocal influence, reminding us that the boundaries between these genres are fluid and heartfelt.  The fabulous Count Basie Orchestra continues to carry on the rich musical legacy of Count Basie through their dynamic performances and dedication to the swing jazz tradition.  Our guest, as the orchestra's musical director, preserves Count Basie's unmistakable style, and ensures that his pioneering contributions to jazz, continue to be celebrated and enjoyed by audiences worldwide. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To see more about Scotty Barnhart, go to:http://www.scottybarnhart.com/https://www.facebook.com/scotty.barnhart/https://www.instagram.com/scottybarnhart/ https://twitter.com/ScottyBarnharthttps://www.youtube.com/scottybarnharthttps://www.thecountbasieorchestra.com/ #ScottyBarnhart   #TheCountBasieOrchestra   #harveybrownstoneinterviews

When you're going through difficulties, why not borrow ideas from some of the wisest people in history? In this episode we discuss ideas from various schools of philosophical thought including Stoicism, Buddhism, Deontology and Existentialism, and how they can be applied to everyday problems. Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant General Adult Psychiatrist who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.Intro Excerpt from: Monty Python's the Meaning of Life (Directed by Terry Gilliam)The meditations discussed can be found here:https://open.spotify.com/episode/6JKqFI7DCvBjzcvDEK5RSG?si=afa00ab39d78495fhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/01JExbQcJMLNttjxu11I5L?si=22abeae913864ad6Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastJoin Our Mailing List! - https://thinkingmindpod.aidaform.com/mailinglistsignupSUPPORT THE PODCAST: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind

LifeBlood: We talked about practical philosophy, how teleology can help us get what we want in life, the problem of human complacency, why being mindful of death is a valuable thing, and how to make philosophy a part of your life, with Dr. Gregory Sadler, Professor of Philosophy.      Listen to learn how to establish rituals of success in your life! You can learn more about Greg at ReasonIO.com, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. Thanks, as always for listening! If you got some value and enjoyed the show, please leave us a review here: ​​https://ratethispodcast.com/lifebloodpodcast You can learn more about us at LifeBlood.Live, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook or you'd like to be a guest on the show, contact us at contact@LifeBlood.Live.  Stay up to date by getting our monthly updates. Want to say “Thanks!” You can buy us a cup of coffee. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifeblood

Come and listen while Host Joyce Benning interviews a variety of extraordinary women, whom are working to make the world a better place! #DivasThatCare With limited horse riding experience, and no formal equestrian training, native New York attorney, Nancy Lee Gerson, travelled to Colorado on a whim, to attend a women's retreat with horses. She spent five days riding and communing with a special horse named Cherokee, who became the ambassador for Nancy's life-changing, serendipitous journey, guided by interspecies connections and inspiring synchronicities.  She is a contributing writer in Touched by a Horse Equine Coaching Stories, Volume 1, and a former student of twenty-three years at the School of Practical Philosophy in New York City.  She is currently working on her next book! https://www.nancyleegerson.com/

We all want to live happier, more fulfilling lives and build a better future for ourselves, but can economics help to make that dream a reality? Economist and philosopher Erik Angner is so confident that economics can save the world that he wrote a whole book about it. Erik helps Nick and Goldy overcome their usual cynicism by pointing out all the amazing progress that has been made in the economics profession, and he explains how economics can help build an even more glorious future for everyone. Erik Angner is Professor of Practical Philosophy at Stockholm University, where he directs the PPE Program. He is the author of several books including A Course in Behavioral Economics and How Economics Can Save the World. Twitter: @ErikAngner How Economics Can Save the World https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/321644/how-economics-can-save-the-world-by-angner-erik/9780241502693  Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com Twitter: @PitchforkEcon Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Nick's twitter: @NickHanauer

This week Coop and Taylor tackle Gilles Deleuze's Spinoza: Practical Philosophy. Thoughts on ethics, morality, the untapped potential of the body and more. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/muhh Twitter: @unconscioushh Instagram: @unconscioushh

Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on MavenThis conversation is with Tanner Campbell., the founder of Practical Philosophy and host of the Practical Stoicism Podcast.Tanner specializes in bringing Stoicism to a broad audience in a way that is practical and accessible. In this episode, he and Michael Tremblay how to navigate our roles and responsibilities as Stoics, Tanner's journey from being skeptical of Stoicism to a Stoic advocate, and Tanner's relationship with the Stoic God as the former host of an atheism podcast.(01:16) Introduction(10:40) Podcast as Practice(22:55) The Difference That Stoicism Makes(36:10) Virtue Signaling(38:37) How Do You Know What Your Roles Are?(48:14) Common Pitfalls (50:29) Popularizing Stoicism(01:01:39) Traditional Stoicism***Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribeDownload the Stoa app (it's a free download): stoameditation.com/podListen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

Come and listen while Host Joyce Benning interviews a variety of extraordinary women, whom are working to make the world a better place! #DivasThatCare With limited horse riding experience, and no formal equestrian training, native New York attorney, Nancy Lee Gerson, travelled to Colorado on a whim, to attend a women's retreat with horses. She spent five days riding and communing with a special horse named Cherokee, who became the ambassador for Nancy's life-changing, serendipitous journey, guided by interspecies connections and inspiring synchronicities.  She is a contributing writer in Touched by a Horse Equine Coaching Stories, Volume 1, and a former student of twenty-three years at the School of Practical Philosophy in New York City.  She is currently working on her next book! https://www.nancyleegerson.com/

------------------Support the channel------------ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter PayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9l PayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpz PayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9m PayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: http://enlites.com/ Dr. Krister Bykvist is Professor in Practical Philosophy at the Department of Philosophy at Stockholm University and Research Fellow at the Institute for Future Studies. He has been a visiting researcher at the Department of Philosophy, Canada, and at SCAS, Uppsala. His research concerns questions about our responsibility for future generations, the foundations of consequentialism, evaluative uncertainty, and the relationship between preferences, value, and welfare. He is the author of Moral Uncertainty. In this episode, we talk about metaethics. We start by discussing what the most basic questions in metaethics are, how ethics can be objective, and the metaphysical status of moral facts. We talk about the relationship between preferences, values, and wellbeing. We get into population ethics, and discuss questions related to future demographics, climate change, and social security. Finally, we discuss antinatalism, if life is worth starting, and if we can determine objectively the amount of good and bad in human life. -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, JERRY MULLER, HANS FREDRIK SUNDE, BERNARDO SEIXAS, OLAF ALEX, JONATHAN VISSER, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, JOHN CONNORS, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, DAN DEMETRIOU, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, SIMON COLUMBUS, PHIL KAVANAGH, MIKKEL STORMYR, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, ALEXANDER DANNBAUER, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, ADANER USMANI, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, NICK GOLDEN, PAULO TOLENTINO, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, EDWARD HALL, HEDIN BRØNNER, DOUGLAS FRY, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, MORTEN EIKELAND, DR BYRD, DANIEL FRIEDMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, PAUL-GEORGE ARNAUD, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, ROOFTOWEL, DIOGO COSTA, ANTON ERIKSSON, CHARLES MOREY, ALEX CHAU, AMAURI MARTÍNEZ, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, PEDRO BONILLA, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, STARRY, MICHAEL BAILEY, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, TOM ROTH, THERPMD, IGOR N, JEFF MCMAHAN, JAKE ZUEHL, BARNABAS RADICS, MARK CAMPBELL, RICHARD BOWEN, TOMAS DAUBNER, LUKE NISSEN, CHRIS STORY, AND MANUEL OLIVEIRA! A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, TOM VANEGDOM, BERNARD HUGUENEY, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, VEGA GIDEY, THOMAS TRUMBLE, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, JONCARLO MONTENEGRO, ROBERT LEWIS, AND AL NICK ORTIZ! AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MATTHEW LAVENDER, SERGIU CODREANU, AND BOGDAN KANIVETS!

Elke is the founder of De Denksmederij and works as a speaker, author and trainer. She guides philosophical conversations and provides training and education in critical thinking, practical philosophy, the art of asking questions and creative thinking. Elke develops thinking materials, e-books, workshops and thinking processes and online products around thinking and creativity. Follow Elke & her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elke-wiss/  https://www.denksmederij.nl/ "How to Know Everything", a book by Elke Wiss: https://www.amazon.de/How-Know-Everything-questions-answers-ebook/dp/B08NPWYCJL/ref=sr_1_2?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=2L23BWW7KUMIQ&keywords=elke+wiss&qid=1679668190&sprefix=elke+wiss%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-2 This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak.

I have been struggling to articulate exactly why philosophy is so freaking powerful to folks who are going against the status quo. On the heels of running the world's first ever Practical Philosophy course, I finally figured it out. In this episode I break it all down. Instagram: www.instagram.com/empowermentthroughthought LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-louise-williams

Tanner is the founder of Practical Philosophy and the host of the Practical Stoicism podcast. He's currently working on what is in my opinion a very noble goal – a platform for academics to independently share their wisdom with those willing to hear it. He has also authored a book called “Practical Stoicism” and has another, “Stoicism But Brief” coming out very soon so stay tuned for that. In this episode, Tanner and I talk about Stoicism, of course, but in the context of the Western world. Stoicism is a Western philosophy by definition, but how could it be that our current value system in the west is misaligned with virtue ethics? I really enjoyed chatting with Tanner and our conversation took many surprising yet interesting twists and turns. Without further ado, please welcome Tanner Campbell. You can find Tanner here: www.tannercampbell.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tanner is the founder of Practical Philosophy and the host of the Practical Stoicism podcast. He's currently working on what is in my opinion a very noble goal – a platform for academics to independently share their wisdom with those willing to hear it. He has also authored a book called “Practical Stoicism” and has another, “Stoicism But Brief” coming out very soon so stay tuned for that. In this episode, Tanner and I talk about Stoicism, of course, but in the context of the Western world. Stoicism is a Western philosophy by definition, but how could it be that our current value system in the west is misaligned with virtue ethics? I really enjoyed chatting with Tanner and our conversation took many surprising yet interesting twists and turns. Without further ado, please welcome Tanner Campbell. You can find Tanner here: www.tannercampbell.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if there was a way to end poverty and solve climate change, that might actually work. Shouldn't we try it? Our guest Erik Angner thinks economics holds the solutions to some of the world's biggest problems but that economists have done a woeful job of PR! He's on a mission to change that. Erik Angner PhD is Professor of Practical Philosophy at Stockholm University. He holds, not one but two PhDs – in Economics and in History and Philosophy of Science – both from the University of Pittsburgh.  Erik joins us on Behavioral Grooves to discuss his new book How Economics Can Save the World. He is also the author of two other books, Hayek and Natural Law and A Course in Behavioral Economics as well as multiple journal articles and book chapters on behavioral and experimental economics; the science and philosophy of happiness; and the history, philosophy, and methodology of contemporary economics.  Please join us on Behavioral Grooves Twitter (@behavioralgroov) to take part in some poll questions around Erik's episode and discuss this conversation.   Topics  (3:34) Welcome and speed round questions. (7:12) What exactly is economics and how is it useful? (11:15) How can economics save the world? (13:10) How we can actually solve poverty. (17:14) Scarcity and how it influences our behavior. (21:08) The scarcity of healthcare. (24:35) Why trust is the critical factor in vaccination take-up. (28:55) What are the unintended consequences? (31:30) How can economics solve climate change? (36:36) How social norms influence our behavior. (41:29) Does money make us happy? (49:11) What music would Erik take on a desert island? (51:40) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on saving the world.   © 2023 Behavioral Grooves   Links  Erik Angner PhD: https://www.erikangner.com/ Erik's book “How Economics Can Save the World: Simple Ideas to Solve Our Biggest Problems”: https://amzn.to/3YU49qN  Episode 102, Christina Bicchieri, PhD: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/  Friedrich Hayek: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Hayek  Jeremy Bentham: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-010-9204-z#:~:text=Bentham%20defined%20happiness%20in%20terms,seen%20as%20contribution%20to%20happiness.  Musical Links  Tom Waits “Hold On”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P5jV4lHHR0  PJ Harvey “This Is Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STxXS5lLunE   

This week we're joined by Brent Adkins. Brent is a professor in the department of Philosophy and Religion at Roanoke College. His works include Death and Desire in Heidegger, Hegel and Deleuze; True Freedom: Spinoza's Practical Philosophy; Deleuze and Guattari's A Thousand Plateaus: A Critical Introduction and Guide; and A Guide to Ethics and Moral Philosophy. For this discussion, we focused on Death and Desire in Heidegger, Hegel and Deleuze. Death Drive, the model of death, and much more round out this conversation. https://roanoke.academia.edu/BrentAdkins https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-death-and-desire-in-hegel-heidegger-and-deleuze.html Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/muhh Twitter: @unconscioushh

Come and listen while Host Joyce Benning interviews a variety of extraordinary women, whom are working to make the world a better place! #DivasThatCare With limited horse riding experience, and no formal equestrian training, native New York attorney, Nancy Lee Gerson, travelled to Colorado on a whim, to attend a women's retreat with horses. She spent five days riding and communing with a special horse named Cherokee, who became the ambassador for Nancy's life-changing, serendipitous journey, guided by interspecies connections and inspiring synchronicities.  She is a contributing writer in Touched by a Horse Equine Coaching Stories, Volume 1, and a former student of twenty-three years at the School of Practical Philosophy in New York City.  She is currently working on her next book! https://www.nancyleegerson.com/

Come and listen while Host Joyce Benning interviews a variety of extraordinary women, whom are working to make the world a better place! #DivasThatCare With limited horse riding experience, and no formal equestrian training, native New York attorney, Nancy Lee Gerson, travelled to Colorado on a whim, to attend a women's retreat with horses. She spent five days riding and communing with a special horse named Cherokee, who became the ambassador for Nancy's life-changing, serendipitous journey, guided by interspecies connections and inspiring synchronicities.  She is a contributing writer in Touched by a Horse Equine Coaching Stories, Volume 1, and a former student of twenty-three years at the School of Practical Philosophy in New York City.  She is currently working on her next book! https://www.instagram.com/nancyleeg8/

On episode 160, we welcome Erik Angner to discuss the utility of economics and why it's about much more than markets and spending, why it was once considered to be demonic and the racist history of its detractors, mitigating poverty with wealth redistribution, becoming better science communicators to tackle misinformation about policy proposals related to poverty and climate change, the benefits of a carbon tax, game theory and the need to create incentive structures to change bad behavior, the difference between pleasure and comfort and why the former is more conducive to long-term happiness, how to become rich through sensible strategies, teaching financial literacy, and how struggling and joy are inextricably linked. Erik Angner is Professor of Practical Philosophy at Stockholm University. He holds two PhDs – one in Economics and one in History and Philosophy of Science. He is the author of several books, Hayek and Natural Law (Routledge 2007) and A Course in Behavioral Economics, 3rd Ed. (Red Globe Press 2020), as well as multiple journal articles and book chapters on behavioral and experimental economics; the science and philosophy of happiness; and the history, philosophy, and methodology of contemporary economics. His most recent book, available now, is called How Economics Can Save the World: Simple Solutions to Solve Our Biggest Problems (Penguin 2023).   | Erik Angner | ► Website | https://www.erikangner.com ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/ErikAngner ► How Economics Can Save the World | https://amzn.to/3llgeHi   Where you can find us:| Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment ► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@seizethemomentpodcast ► Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32208666  

Miles is joined by Megan Laverty (Columbia, USA) and Evgenia Mylonaki (Patraas, Greece) to discuss their joint reading of Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals. You can find out substantive handout for the podcast where they highlight their reading here: Megan is an Associate Professor and Director of the Philosophy and Education Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She teaches graduate courses on ethics, aesthetics, and philosophy of education. Megan is the author of Iris Murdoch's Ethics: A Consideration of her Romantic Vision (Bloomsbury, 2007) and contributed a chapter on civility to The Murdochian Mind (Routledge, 2022) https://www.tc.columbia.edu/faculty/ml2524/ Evgenia is assistant professor of Practical Philosophy at the Philosophy Department of the University of Patras, Greece. Her written work is primarily in ethics (moral experience and virtuous reasoning) and the philosophy of action (metaphysics of action, practical knowledge, and rationality). She is the co-editor of the book Reason in Nature (out in 2022 by HUP, co-edited with Matthew Boyle, University of Chicago). https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674241046 She works on the philosophies of Iris Murdoch, Elizabeth Anscombe and Philippa Foot and I have a special philosophical interest in animal lives, in the collapse of ways of living and in art (film, photography and the novel). I am currently working on a book project with the title "Moral Growth; A Study of Ethics in Experience". You can find her published work, and her website, via these links. https://www.springerprofessional.de/en/the-individual-in-pursuit-of-the-individual-a-murdochian-account/16322292 https://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/article/view/8654130/18852 https://www.evgeniamylonaki.net/

Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on MavenIn this episode, Caleb Ontiveros speak with Dr. Massimo Pigliucci.Massimo is one of the key figures behind the Renaissance of modern stoicism. They discuss how Stoicism has made a difference to Massimo's life, Stoicism and politics, and end with a discussion of the proper attitude towards social media. This is an excellent conversation for thinking about how Stoicism can fit into a life – and why there open questions with the philosophy even if it is the best practical philosophy available. •••Stoa Conversations is Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay's podcast on Stoic theory and practice.Caleb and Michael work together on the Stoa app. Stoa is designed to help you build resilience and focus on what matters. It combines the practical philosophy of Stoicism with modern techniques and meditation.Download the Stoa app (it's a free download): stoameditation.com/podListen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/Caleb Ontiveros has a background in academic philosophy (MA) and startups. His favorite Stoic is Marcus Aurelius. Follow him here: https://twitter.com/calebmontiverosMichael Tremblay also has a background in academic philosophy (PhD) where he focused on Epictetus. He is also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His favorite Stoic is Epictetus. Follow him here: https://twitter.com/_MikeTremblayThank you to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

John was a senior lecturer in sports coaching at the University of Central Lancashire from 2010–2021. Before that, he was a coach development manager at the Professional Golfers' Association. He received his PhD in 2015, which focuses on social learning and critical reflection. John has published 30+ research papers, is a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and is forever trying to improve his golf game. John and I discuss philosophy, careers and critical thinking relevant for coaches at all stages of their life. Starter Articles: https://bigthink.com/thinking/sartre-bad-faith-authenticity/ https://medium.com/the-philosophers-stone/sartre-on-living-in-bad-faith-e7fc28314dcd Johns Content: https://bio.link/johnstoszkowski Find John on Twitter: @JohnStoszkowski  

------------------Support the channel------------ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter PayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuy PayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9l PayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpz PayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9m PayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao ------------------Follow me on--------------------- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDissenterYT This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: http://enlites.com/ Dr. Jonas Olson is Professor of Practical Philosophy at Stockholm University. His research areas include metaethics and related subjects. In this episode, we talk about metaethics, and practical philosophy. We start by distinguishing metaethics from normative ethics and applied ethics. We talk about the main questions and approaches in metaethics. We get specifically into moral error theory, moral abolitionism, and moral nihilism. We also discuss what moral facts are. We talk about moral certitude. Finally, we discuss what practical philosophy is, and how it relates to theoretical philosophy. -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: KARIN LIETZCKE, ANN BLANCHETTE, PER HELGE LARSEN, JERRY MULLER, HANS FREDRIK SUNDE, BERNARDO SEIXAS, HERBERT GINTIS, OLAF ALEX, JONATHAN VISSER, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, JOHN CONNORS, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, DAN DEMETRIOU, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, SIMON COLUMBUS, PHIL KAVANAGH, JORGE ESPINHA, MIKKEL STORMYR, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, ALEXANDER DANNBAUER, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, ADANER USMANI, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, NICK GOLDEN, PAULO TOLENTINO, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, EDWARD HALL, HEDIN BRØNNER, DOUGLAS FRY, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, MORTEN EIKELAND, DR BYRD, DANIEL FRIEDMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, MAU MARIA, PAUL-GEORGE ARNAUD, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, ROOFTOWEL, DIOGO COSTA, ANTON ERIKSSON, CHARLES MOREY, ALEX CHAU, AMAURI MARTÍNEZ, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, PEDRO BONILLA, ZIEGLER, JOÃO BARBOSA, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, STARRY, MICHAEL BAILEY, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, TOM ROTH, THERPMD, AND IGOR N! A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, TOM VANEGDOM, BERNARD HUGUENEY, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, VEGA GIDEY, THOMAS TRUMBLE, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, JONCARLO MONTENEGRO, ROBERT LEWIS, AND AL NICK ORTIZ! AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MATTHEW LAVENDER, SERGIU CODREANU, AND BOGDAN KANIVETS!

Come and listen while Host Joyce Benning interviews a variety of extraordinary women, whom are working to make the world a better place! #DivasThatCare With limited horse riding experience, and no formal equestrian training, native New York attorney, Nancy Lee Gerson, travelled to Colorado on a whim, to attend a women's retreat with horses. She spent five days riding and communing with a special horse named Cherokee, who became the ambassador for Nancy's life-changing, serendipitous journey, guided by interspecies connections and inspiring synchronicities.  She is a contributing writer in Touched by a Horse Equine Coaching Stories, Volume 1, and a former student of twenty-three years at the School of Practical Philosophy in New York City.  She is currently working on her next book! https://www.instagram.com/nancyleeg8/

Do you often wonder why people aren't listening to you?Can philosophy provide practical solutions to modern problems?Why are we challenged to bring together abstract concepts with down-to-earth issues?These and other persistent questions are answered when practical philosopher and moral alchemist Cristina DiGiacomo joins the Rabbi and the Shrinkhttp://www.moralchemy.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinadigiacomo/1:00  How can philosophy provide practical solutions to modern problems?Why are we challenged to bring together abstract concepts with down-to-earth issues?We are philosophers if we pursue authentic wisdoms7:30 The handshake and the golden rule are examples of accessible philosophyPhilosophy is the love of wisdom and the way we look at lifeAsking questions makes us philosophersPhilosophy is a matter of outlook and perspectiveOur attitudes shape our perceptions12:00  What are the benefits of asking questions?You stop multitaskingTriggers serotoninQuestions lead to intentions which lead to outcomesIf we aren't open to new insights, we can't be ethical17:00  When we know that we don't know, we open ourselves up to possibilitiesToo many people don't recognize the relevance of ethics in their lives19:30  When we face problems, ask where did we go wrong?It's easier to blame individuals that to question the systemThe benefit of 12-step recovery programsMistakes help us become stronger and do better24:30  Why aren't people listening to me?Are we connecting perception with reality?What do the classical philosophers say to address our problems?28:00  Asking questions preempts conflict and promotes self-reflectionOpenness drives progressThe danger and opportunity of “yeah, but.”32:00  The word of the day:  epistemologyHow we know what we knowIf arrive at the correct facts through faulty reasoning we may be setting ourselves up for future errorsWe may need data now, but reason prepares us for the future36:00 “The sage acts without pressure from within or without.”The Hebrew word aliza can mean to relieve pressure or to apply pressureDifferent situations call for different strategies to move us forwardWhat is one question you can ask yourself about your philosophy?When we live from fear rather than from curiosity, we are setting ourselves up for failure.

You know the hero's journey: the ancient myth where the hero leaves home, embraces the unknown, slays the dragon, and returns home an altered soul—battered, bruised, triumphant. Now it's time to embark on your own. If you think the hero's journey is reserved for fairy tales and blockbusters, think again. Every human being is called to live an extraordinary life, yet few answer the call. It's the inspiration that strikes us externally and internally—to move to another country, set out on a new career, or simply become a better human being. On this episode of DTD, we plunge into our own hero's journeys: what caused us to leave the life we knew; the fears we're facing and overcoming; the wisdom we've accrued, the tests we've faced, and where we are now. We are still students in the early stages, although undoubtedly moving in the right direction. We hope this episode can give you the inspiration to become the hero of your own story. When you accept the call and take that first step, your life will change in ways you never could have imagined. Show Notes: The Third Door by Alex Banayan Mastery by Robert Greene DTD #46: Practical Philosophy, the Hero's Journey & Modern Courage, with Dane Sanders

Come and listen while Host Joyce Benning interviews a variety of extraordinary women, whom are working to make the world a better place! #DivasThatCare With limited horse riding experience, and no formal equestrian training, native New York attorney, Nancy Lee Gerson, travelled to Colorado on a whim, to attend a women's retreat with horses. She spent five days riding and communing with a special horse named Cherokee, who became the ambassador for Nancy's life-changing, serendipitous journey, guided by interspecies connections and inspiring synchronicities. She is a contributing writer in Touched by a Horse Equine Coaching Stories, Volume 1, and a former student of twenty-three years at the School of Practical Philosophy in New York City. She is currently working on her next book!

This lecture discusses key ideas from the 18th century philosopher Immanuel Kant's work of ethics, The Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. Specifically it examines his discussion of the limits of practical philosophy - and the practical use of reason - towards the end of that work. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 2000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Kant's Groundwork for The Metaphysics of Morals - amzn.to/2ZXPYGr

Why We Make Music, Part 5: Peter and Susannah talk with Joey Keegin and Phil Christman about their pieces on Christian hardcore and '80s, '90s post-punk respectively. The blend of nostalgia and genuine appreciation makes for a powerful and enthusiastic back and forth between the two guests, with Pete chiming in and Susannah remaining respectfully silent. They discuss what makes derivative Christian music bad, and how some Christian hardcore escaped the fate of imitative mediocrity. They also discuss the way that YouTube comments provide a strange Covid-era community of nostalgia for the children of the '80s and '90s. Then, Pete and Susannah talk with Plough's own Joy Clarkson about her newly-published title Aggressively Happy, a how-to guide to finding joy. Unlike many such guides which focus on one's internal state, this book encourages readers to find joy in the actual goodness of the world: it is an anti-stoic text. Most controversially, Joy makes the case that Pride and Prejudice's sycophantic vicar, Mr. Collins, is unfairly maligned and is a model of appropriate ambition, resilience, and contentment.  Read the transcript. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan reads today's meditation and talks to author Thomas Chatterton Williams about how his father helped him cultivate his love for reading, why the point of philosophy should be practical application rather than theorizing, the importance of embracing contradicting ideas, and more.Thomas Chatterton Williams is an American culture critic and is the author of two memoirs: “Self-Portrait in Black and White: Unlearning Race” and “Losing My Cool: How a Father's Love and 15,000 Books Beat Hip-Hop Culture.” In 2020, Thomas helped write and organize “A Letter on Justice and Open Debate.” This open letter, published in Harper's Magazine and reprinted in newspapers around the world, defended free speech at a time of growing censorship and was signed by 153 leading public figures. Thomas is also a dedicated father, and much of his work is inspired by the relationship he shares with his father, and the relationship he has with his own children.Try Surfshark risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Get Surfshark VPN at surfshark.deals/STOIC. Enter promo code STOIC for 83 % off and three extra months free.Right now, when you purchase a 3-month Babbel subscription, you'll get an additional 3 months for FREE. That's 6 months, for the price of 3! Just go to Babbel.com and use promo code DAILYSTOIC.LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Every week, nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/STOIC. Terms and conditions apply.Stamps.com makes it easy to mail and ship right from your computer. Use our promo code STOIC to get a special offer that includes a 4-week trial PLUS free postage and a digital scale. Go to Stamps.com, click on the microphone at the TOP of the homepage and type in STOIC.As a member of Daily Stoic Life, you get all our current and future courses, 100+ additional Daily Stoic email meditations, 4 live Q&As with bestselling author Ryan Holiday (and guests), and 10% off your next purchase from the Daily Stoic Store. Sign up at https://dailystoic.com/life/ Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: https://dailystoic.com/dailyemailCheck out the Daily Stoic Store for Stoic inspired products, signed books, and more.Follow us: Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, FacebookFollow Thomas Chatterton Williams: Homepage, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook  

I'm excited to share Episode 3 of Ask RPZ, with my friend Aubrey Blanche. This this episode we tackle some big, philosophical questions like: “What's a moment from your life of bridging understanding across differences?”  “What's a powerful moment of recognizing universal truth? We also get down to brass tax with: “What's the worst business decision you've ever made?” (Any decision made hastily and out of anger. ) And, very important: “What's your favorite flavor of ice cream.” (Mint! And I will die on this hill.)  If you enjoyed this episode, check out the first two episodes of Ask RPZ on my YouTube, and my recent longford interview with Aubrey Blanche here.

In today's episode, we will be talking with Dr Eric Russell. He has a Diplomate in Chiropractic Philosophy and he teaches the 1st Quarter Philosophy class at Life University. A common question involves the role of chiropractic philosophy in the daily life of a new practitioner, and how much philosophy should we teach to our patients. Today, we are going to discuss these topics and see if we can create some perspective for those who are unsure of where philosophy should fit in to their daily lives. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/david-fowler/support