Best Zachary Elwood Podcasts (2024)

1
The awe and horror of existence: a talk with psychologist Kirk Schneider 57:01

2d ago57:01

57:01

A reshare of a 2022 talk I had with existential psychologist Kirk Schneider. We talk about existential psychology and the power of being able to better understand and recognize the core anxieties we all have about existence, such as our fear of death, meaninglessness, isolation, and freedom. Other topics: how existence can be awe-inspiring but also…

1
The strangeness of life and existential psychology 19:48

10d ago19:48

19:48

Thoughts about how an awareness of life's strangeness might impact us, both positively and negatively, and how that might relate to existential psychology concepts. Topics include: how an awareness of life's strangeness might be seen to be a core existential stressor (like the fear of death, or fear of isolation); how this might relate to religious…

1
Psychology in waiting tables and running a restaurant, with Robin Dibble 58:32

25d ago58:32

58:32

A talk with Robin Dibble, an experienced Albuquerque-area service industry professional who’s worked in every aspect of the business, from waiting tables, to cooking, to managing restaurants and night clubs. Topics include: psychological strategies servers use to get more tips; how menu design can affect what people order; reading customer satisfac…

1
Two former congresspeople, a Democrat and a Republican, discuss toxic polarization 1:02:17

1M ago1:02:17

1:02:17

I talk to former members of the House of Representatives Luke Messer (Republican) and Elizabeth Esty (Democrat). We talk about: political polarization; their experiences being in congress during such a highly polarized period of time; their ideas for reducing toxic polarization, and more. Learn more and sign up for a premium subscription at PeopleW…

1
Aphantasia, internal monologue, and the challenges of describing thought, with Russell Hurlburt 58:43

1M ago58:43

58:43

A talk with Russell Hurlburt, who’s researched inner experience for more than five decades. He is the author of 6 books and many articles on the topic of mental experience. Topics discussed include: The difficulty of describing inner experience; the ambiguities in the classification of “aphantasia” (reporting no visual qualities in one’s thought pr…

1
How a bus driver predicts the behavior of drivers and passengers, with Brendan Bartholomew 39:03

2M ago39:03

39:03

Learn more and sign up for a premium subscription at PeopleWhoReadPeople.com.By Zachary Elwood

1
To reduce polarization, is it optimal to work on systemic change or cultural change?, with David Foster 51:31

3M ago51:31

51:31

A talk with David Foster, who writes about polarization and media at knowthesystem.org and is the author of "Moderates of the World Unite!: Reworking the Political Media Complex." Topics discussed include: the optimal approach for reducing toxic political polarization (cultural change vs systemic changes); defining the word 'moderate' and examining…

1
Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor with Donald Robertson 56:45

3M ago56:45

56:45

You're listening to the Stoic Solutions Podcast - practical wisdom for everyday life inspired by the ancient tradition of Stoic Philosophy from Greece and Rome. I'm your host, Justin Vacula. Visit my website at StoicSolutionsPodcast.com. For today’s episode, I recorded with author Donald Robertson about his new book ‘Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Empe…

1
Do simplistic ideas of power (e.g., oppressed/oppressor framings) reduce empathy? with Elizaveta Friesem 1:04:13

3M ago1:04:13

1:04:13

Elizaveta Friesem writes about media and about social power (i.e., the power people exert over other people). I first interviewed her about media and polarization in 2021 about her book "Media Is Us." Topics we discuss here include: Michel Foucault’s ideas about power (often referenced in liberal academic world); the oppressed/oppressor framework (…

1
Episode 69: Free Your Mind with Todd Niesen 50:56

3M ago50:56

50:56

Toby sits down with sound and dialogue editor and our friend Todd Niesen. Todd shares his journey from depression to a low point where he and his wife decide to use a controversial treatment: Ketamine. Todd takes our audience through a Ketamine experience, what Ketamine is, and how "addictive" Ketamine and other psychedelics really are. Todd Niesen…

1
What's life like when you don't believe in free will?, with physicist Daniel Whiteson 55:52

4M ago55:52

55:52

A talk with Daniel Whiteson, a professor of physics and astronomy, about free will, with a focus on what the effects in one's life are when one doesn't believe in free will. Topics discussed: Our thoughts on why we think free will is unlikely to exist; psychological and emotional aspects of living without a belief in free will; the anxiety and even…

1
Episode 68: Seek Out Different Tribes with Julian Adorney 43:53

4M ago43:53

43:53

Toby sits down with Julian Adorney, a writer and adventurer about his article on Quillette: " The Perils of Affective Polarization". Julian takes us through his journey in life and politics from a Polarized individual to understanding the affects it has on your well being. The two discuss what Affective Polarization is, the resulting damage it can …

1
News media tends to deepen our divides. Does Isaac Saul have a solution? 29:47

4M ago29:47

29:47

A talk with journalist Isaac Saul, founder of Tangle News (readtangle.com), which shares takes from across the political spectrum. I think Tangle is doing amazing work. I think the more Americans there are who read Tangle, the less toxically polarized we'll be. Topics we discuss include: aspects of Tangle News that make it depolarizing and anger-re…

1
The allure of deciphering behavior, with Rounders screenwriter Brian Koppelman 51:08

4M ago51:08

51:08

A talk with screenwriter/producer Brian Koppelman, known for many TV and film projects, including the poker movie Rounders, the show Billions, and the series Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber. Topics discussed: how he decided to create Rounders; poker tells in Rounders; the excitement of reading people and their behaviors; the difficulty of reading…

1
Stoicism For Dummies With Gregory Bassham 55:35

4M ago55:35

55:35

You're listening to the Stoic Solutions Podcast - practical wisdom for everyday life inspired by the ancient tradition of Stoic Philosophy from Greece and Rome. I'm your host, Justin Vacula. Visit my website at StoicSolutionsPodcast.com. For today’s episode, I recorded with author Gregory Bassham about his new book ‘Stoicism for Dummies’ that helps…

1
How a pro poker player makes use of poker tells, with Dara O'Kearney 1:04:43

4M ago1:04:43

1:04:43

A talk with professional poker player Dara O’Kearney about poker tells (aka, physical and verbal behaviors in poker). Dara is the co-host of the popular poker podcast The Chip Race and the author of several books, including GTO Poker Simplified. We talk about: the importance of poker tells compared to strategy; how Dara’s views on tells have change…

1
Tips on interrogating people for information and confessions, with David Zulawski 1:13:10

5M ago1:13:10

1:13:10

A reshare of a talk with David Zulawski from 2018. Zulawksi is an expert in interrogation and interview techniques and the cofounder of Wicklander Zulawski and Associates. Topics discussed include: Why is the non-confrontational, rapport-focused technique he recommends the best one? Why is it important to downplay the significance of a crime? Why i…

1
Reading behavior and motivations in the Robbi Jade Lew poker hand, with Yakov Hirsch 0:42

5M ago0:42

0:42

A talk with professional poker player Yakov Hirsch about the well known high-stakes poker situation where amateur Robbi Jade Lew was accused of cheating by professional player Garrett Adelstein. We give our takes on the hand, and the overall situation, and we talk about Robbi's possible motivations and thought processes during this hand, and about …

1
Understanding Trump and his voters' animosity towards the media, with Yakov Hirsch 42:03

5M ago42:03

42:03

A talk about trying to understand Trump's anger at the American media and how that relates to American polarization. This is from a talk I had with Yakov Hirsch in late November 2023. Other topics discussed include: Trump-Russia media coverage; Americans' polarized views of Trump; the importance of trying to understand even those people we perceive…

1
The exaggeration of antisemitism, and the importance of understanding the "other side," with Yakov Hirsch 41:16

6M ago41:16

41:16

Another talk with Yakov Hirsch, who writes about the Middle East conflict and about "Hasbara culture": what he sees as the tendency of some Israel-defending people to be overly antagonistic and us-vs-them in their thinking (for example, unfairly framing criticism of Israel as "antisemitic"). If you haven't heard the first talk, I recommend that one…

1
Why do some people want to watch the world burn?, with Kevin Arceneaux 56:40

6M ago56:40

56:40

A talk with Kevin Arceneaux, whose research found that a surprising number of people (around 40%) either agreed with or did not disagree with statements like “When I think about our political and social institutions, I cannot help thinking 'just let them all burn'?” In their paper, they called this a "need for chaos." We talk about what the study e…

1
Episode 67: Bipartisan Tribes with Tim Redmond 1:01:58

6M ago1:01:58

1:01:58

Toby sits down with Tim Redmond, a PhD in political science, an award-winning educator, and author of over one hundred articles on critical thinking and politics. Toby and Tim sit down to discuss Tim's new book “Political Tribalism in America, How Hyper Partisanship Dumbs Down Democracy and How to Fix It”. Learn about Tim's origin story including s…

1
Reading "tells" in football, baseball, and other sports, with Jon Hoefling 28:39

6M ago28:39

28:39

A talk with Jon Michael Hoefling, a sports analyst, about reading behavioral tells and indicators in football, baseball, tennis, and other sports. We focus on a 2021 story that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a tell: how he positioned his foot before a play was a strong indicator of whether he'd run or pass. We also talk about reading tells and …

1
Dealing with debilitating anxiety, with Scott Stossel 1:02:03

7M ago1:02:03

1:02:03

A talk with Scott Stossel, author of "My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind." Scott is also national editor of The Atlantic. Scott's book is a history of the condition and treatment of anxiety, and also a personal history in which Scott talks honestly about his struggles with debilitating anxiety. I talk to Scott ab…

1
Electrodermal activity is what lie detectors measure, but what is it?, with Christopher Moyer 1:10:27

7M ago1:10:27

1:10:27

I talk with psychologist Christopher Moyer about electrodermal activity (EDA), also known as galvanic skin response (GSR), which is what lie detectors measure. Topics discussed include: What are spikes in electrodermal activity actually telling us? We talk about its use in lie detectors. We talk about lowerings in skin conductance and what that ind…

1
Dogs' and cats' interactions with humans, with Daniel Mills 1:11:12

7M ago1:11:12

1:11:12

Animal behavior researcher Daniel Mills talks about various aspects of the human-pet relationship, with a focus on his research. Topics include: dogs' abilities to read human emotions and how they do that; the effects of pets on our mental health; animals' ability to perceive images on a TV screen; the differences between the human and animal mind;…

1
Episode 66: Making the Case for Deliberate Democracy in America with Chris Forman 1:14:52

7M ago1:14:52

1:14:52

Toby sits down with Chris Forman, PhD, an Author, and Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. Toby and Chris discuss Chris' advocacy for Deliberative Democracy and how it relates to his work in physics, if at all. As Chris describes it, the way science has been used and abused in politics fuels his mission for a better democracy. Chris discusses h…

1
On the art of listening and the challenges of being an introvert, with Joel Berman 1:03:54

7M ago1:03:54

1:03:54

Joel Berman is a practitioner of Compassionate Listening (compassionatelistening.org). Joel has travelled to the Middle East and talked with Israelis and Palestinians about their experiences and grievances. Topics discussed: Joel's experiences in the Middle East; what the Compassionate Listening methodology entails; the bravery required for conflic…

1
Tricks and strategies in door-to-door sales 1:14:51

8M ago1:14:51

1:14:51

A talk with two people with door-to-door sales experience. We talk about the tricks and strategies they used to close sales, and the psychological factors in why those strategies work. Topics discussed: verbal and physical sales scripts some companies use, and why they work; the use of ambiguous language in deception; the power of personal anecdote…

1
How is bias in media related to polarization?, with Vanessa Otero 54:30

8M ago54:30

54:30

Vanessa Otero is the creator of a popular and well respected media bias chart that ranks the bias of many news outlets, and she's the founder of Ad Fontes Media. Topics discussed include: the process her team uses to determine bias; the difficulties of determining what is "left" and "right" in a polarized and fast-changing political landscape; reco…

1
Episode 65: Spike Cohen, Championing A People Powered Future 55:38

8M ago55:38

55:38

Toby sits down with Spike Cohen, 2020 Libertarian VP candidate and Founder of You Are the Power. Toby and Spike cover a broad range of topic from Spike's entrepreneurial spirit and the need to help others to his 2020 VP Candidicy to You Are the Power, and the 2024 Election. Spike tells us why Third Parties haven't won any major elections and how th…

1
Why is criticism of Israel sometimes portrayed as antisemitic?, with Yakov Hirsch 1:29:05

8M ago1:29:05

1:29:05

A talk with Yakov Hirsch, who thinks that some Jewish people have exaggerated ideas about the amount of antisemitism in the world, and overly pessimistic ideas about the nature of antisemitism. This can make some Jewish people see disagreement, criticism, and conflict too often through the lens of antisemitism. Hirsch ties this into the Israel/Pale…

1
Is our desire for certainty our biggest weakness?, with Maria Konnikova 44:54

9M ago44:54

44:54

Maria Konnikova is the best-selling author of the books The Biggest Bluff, The Confidence Game, and Mastermind: How To Think Like Sherlock Holmes. Topics discussed include: the human desire for certainty and story/narrative, and our discomfort with ambiguity and uncertainty; how she decided to get into poker and write The Biggest Bluff; why she fin…

1
Understanding an orchestra conductor's gestures, with Ming Luke 48:17

9M ago48:17

48:17

A talk with orchestra conductor Ming Luke (mingluke.com). Topics discussed include: what a conductor's body language and gestures can communicate to the orchestra; how small differences in gestures can sometimes result in significant musical differences; the difference in conducting styles that can exist between conductors; the role conductors play…

1
Behavior bullshitters, featuring Dr. Jack Brown 25:04

10M ago25:04

25:04

This episode is about "behavior bullshit." There are many self-proclaimed behavior experts spreading bad, misleading, and irresponsible concepts about human behavior, and some of these people are quite popular. This episode focuses on Jack Brown (Twitter: @drgjackbrown), one of the more egregious offenders amongst behavior bullshitters. Other topic…

1
Understanding what drives MAGA anger, with ex-Trump voter Rich Logis 1:43:21

10M ago1:43:21

1:43:21

For the purposes of depolarization, I think it's important to understand the us-vs-them political narratives around us. This is a talk with Rich Logis (www.perfectourunion.us), who describes his journey as going "from ultra-MAGA to Never-Trump." Rich was an involved pro-Trump activist, who'd written many political op-eds and who volunteered for pro…

1
Examining some common scams and the strategies behind them, with Martina Dove 43:53

10M ago43:53

43:53

A talk with Martina Dove, author of the book The Psychology of Fraud, Persuasion and Scam Techniques, about some common scams you and people you know might encounter (phishing scams, "pig butchering" scams, romance scams, wrong-number-text scams, and more). We discuss how these scams work, and some strategies for avoiding them. Support the show To …

1
The narcissism spectrum: from healthy narcissism to the more toxic forms, with Craig Malkin 1:02:58

10M ago1:02:58

1:02:58

Craig Malkin is the author of 'Rethinking Narcissism: The Secret to Recognizing and Coping with Narcissists', in which he describes the spectrum of narcissism: how it can be healthy to have positive illusions about one's self and one's life, as long as those illusions don't become pathologically unhealthy and toxic. Topics discussed include: the sp…

1
Resolving conflict in our relationships, with couples therapist Bill Doherty 52:15

11M ago52:15

52:15

A talk with Bill Doherty, a relationship therapist and the co-founder of Braver Angels, a political depolarization-aimed group. Topics discuss include: his approach to couples counseling; thoughts on dealing with the common situation where one partner is much more interested in healing the relationship than the other; the importance of seeing our r…

1
Understanding the behavior of people under anesthesia, with Ashita Goel 50:58

11M ago50:58

50:58

A talk with anesthesiologist Ashita Goel about her work. Topics include: the sometimes strange behaviors of people under anesthesia; the hypnotic and "truth serum"-like effects of anesthesia; factors in determining drug dosage; the various states one can put people into; why anesthesiologists often seem outgoing and fun; the viral video of the man …

1
Defusing American Anger With Zachary Elwood 52:48

11M ago52:48

52:48

You're listening to the Stoic Solutions Podcast - practical wisdom for everyday life inspired by the ancient tradition of Stoic Philosophy from Greece and Rome. I'm your host, Justin Vacula. Visit my website at StoicSolutionsPodcast.com. For today’s episode, I recorded with author Zachary Elwood about his new book ‘Defusing American Anger’ - A Guid…

1
Prospering: Applying Stoicism With Steven Willison 46:53

11M ago46:53

46:53

You're listening to the Stoic Solutions Podcast - practical wisdom for everyday life inspired by the ancient tradition of Stoic Philosophy from Greece and Rome. I'm your host, Justin Vacula. Visit my website at StoicSolutionsPodcast.com. For today’s episode, I recorded with author Steven Willison about his new book ‘Prospering: Applying the 2000-ye…

1
Psychological factors in conspiracy theory beliefs, with Mikey Biddlestone 56:31

12M ago56:31

56:31

A talk with psychology researcher Mikey Biddlestone, who specializes in conspiracy theory beliefs, about some of the more psychological factors that can make belief in conspiracy theories more likely. We talk about "just world" beliefs (beliefs that the world is largely just and fair) and how those might relate to conspiracy-minded thinking. Other …

1
Understanding the behavior of autistic people, with Barry Prizant 1:04:25

12M ago1:04:25

1:04:25

A talk with Barry Prizant (barryprizant.com), author of the influential book Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism, and co-host of the Uniquely Human podcast. The focus is on understanding the experiences and behaviors of autistic people. Topics discussed include: understanding the underlying causes behind the sometimes seemingly inexpli…

1
Lauren Ell On Meaning, Morality, And More 43:47

1y ago43:47

43:47

You're listening to the Stoic Solutions Podcast - practical wisdom for everyday life inspired by the ancient tradition of Stoic Philosophy from Greece and Rome. I'm your host, Justin Vacula. Visit my website at StoicSolutionsPodcast.com. For today’s episode, I recorded with Lauren Ell. We talk about finding meaning in life, morality, and her take o…

1
How does anxious body language affect a job interview?, with Simonne Mastrella 25:14

1y ago25:14

25:14

A talk with Simonne Mastrella, author of the research paper "Acting Anxious: The Impact of Candidates' Anxious Nonverbal Behavior on Interview Performance Ratings." Topics discussed include: the design of the study; her findings; whether they found any differences in gender or in the nature of the job interviewed for; and the challenges of using ac…

1
What do we owe to our fellow citizens? (even when we think they're very wrong), with Robert Talisse 1:03:02

1y ago1:03:02

1:03:02

A talk with political theorist Robert Talisse, author of Sustaining Democracy: What We Owe To The Other Side, which is one of the best book about American polarization that I've read. We talk about: the limits and realities of democracy and what it can achieve; separating expected and healthy polarization from unhealthy, toxic polarization; what we…

1
Behavioral analysis in security and risk assessment, with Philip Baum 54:13

1y ago54:13

54:13

Aviation security professional Philip Baum talks about analyzing behavior for aviation security and risk assessment purposes, and for security purposes in general. Topics discussed include: looking for deviations from the baseline behaviors normal in an environment; successes of behavioral analysis for security purposes; what can make some of this …

1
Poker tells in a hand from the World Series of Poker Ladies Event, with Lara Eisenberg 29:55

1y ago29:55

29:55

A talk with poker player Lara Eisenberg, who won the 2021 World Series of Poker Ladies Event, and who cashed in a 2022 World Poker Tour event for $481,000. Topics we talk about include: how her thoughts about poker tells have changed over time; some specific behaviors from a poker hand from the Ladies Event; some behavioral patterns she noticed in …

1
The illusions of memory and self, with Anne Wilson 46:25

1y ago46:25

46:25

A talk with social psychologist Anne Wilson about memory and how we define who we are. Topics discussed include: the nature of self; the nature of memory; the fallibility of our memories; the theory of temporal self appraisal (which is about how we experience ourselves as being close to or far away in time from different versions of ourselves); fal…

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