20-0504 - Know Thyself with Prof. Mitchell Green

Provocative Enlightenment Radio

#Psychology #Science #Religion #Eldon Taylor #Provocative Enlightenment #Innertalk #Progressive Awareness #Society

1:00:22

Join us for an engaging episode of The Innovators and Investors Podcast, hosted by Kristian Marquez, where we explore the vibrant intersection of technology, investment, and entrepreneurship. This week, Kristian welcomes two dynamic guests: Kevin Weber, Managing Director at Amex Ventures, and Ayal Karmi, Co-founder and CEO of Nakuda. In this episode, Kevin shares his fascinating career journey, including his transition from corporate finance and M&A to venture capital at Amex Ventures, where he focuses on early-stage investments in sectors like fintech, AI, and cybersecurity. As Kevin describes his investment thesis, he emphasizes the importance of strategic partnerships and the alignment of their investments with American Express’s core business objectives. Our conversation then shifts to Ayal Karmi, who delves into the innovative solutions Nakuda is bringing to the market. As the company pioneers a system for AI agents to make seamless payments online, Ayal discusses the challenges and opportunities in automating the checkout process and enhancing transaction authenticity. Listeners can expect to gain valuable insights into the investment landscape, the evolving field of AI agents, and best practices for founders seeking to navigate the venture capital space. Furthermore, Kevin and Ayal offer advice on how to approach corporate venture capital, the significance of understanding investor expectations, and the future of agentic payments. Don’t miss this enlightening discussion that highlights the transformative power of technology and the shared mission of fostering innovation in today’s rapidly evolving market. Subscribe now to stay updated on the latest insights and trends in the world of innovation and finance! For more details, visit our website and read Ayal’s insightful blogs on Substack, https://substack.com/@nekuda? about autonomous payments to stay informed about the latest in AI technologies. Enjoy the episode! Learn more about Kevin's work https://www.americanexpress.com/us/business/american-express-ventures/ Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-weber-b77b8028/ Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply https://finstratmgmt.com/innovators-investors-podcast/ Want to learn more about Kristian Marquez's work? Check out his website at https://finstratmgmt.com/…

5 years ago 51:57

MP3

Know Thyself: The Value and Limits of Self-Knowledge takes the reader on tour of the nature, value, and limits of self-knowledge. Mitchell S. Green calls on classical sources like Plato and Descartes, 20th-century thinkers like Freud, recent developments in neuroscience and experimental psychology, and even Buddhist philosophy to explore topics at the heart of who we are. The result is an unvarnished look at both the achievements and drawbacks of the many attempts to better know one’s own self.

To learn more about Prof. Mitchell Green and his work, go to www.mitchgreen.academia.edu and www.coursera.org/learn/know-thyself-the-examined-life

To get your copy of Know Thyself, visit our Amazon affiliate link.

To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to www.provocativeenlightenment.com

415 episodes

20-0504 - Know Thyself with Prof. Mitchell Green

Provocative Enlightenment Radio

58 subscribers

published 5 years ago

MP3

To learn more about Prof. Mitchell Green and his work, go to www.mitchgreen.academia.edu and www.coursera.org/learn/know-thyself-the-examined-life

To get your copy of Know Thyself, visit our Amazon affiliate link.

To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to www.provocativeenlightenment.com

415 episodes

#Psychology #Science #Religion #Eldon Taylor #Provocative Enlightenment #Innertalk #Progressive Awareness #Society

All episodes

Provocative Enlightenment Radio

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21-0215-The Warrior's Meditation with Richard L. Haight 51:44

4 years ago51:44

51:44

Richard L. Haight is the founder of the Total Embodiment Method (TEM), which is an awareness training system designed to integrate meditation into one’s daily life. Richard is the author of five bestselling titles, most notably The Warrior’s Meditation, Unshakable Awareness, and The Unbound Soul, and he is a master-level instructor of martial, meditation and healing arts. Richard began formal martial arts training at age 12 and moved to Japan at the age of 24 to advance his training with master’s of the sword, staff, and aiki-jujutsu. During his 15 years in Japan, Richard was awarded masters licenses in four samurai arts as well as a traditional healing art called sotai-ho. Richard is one of the world’s foremost experts in the traditional Japanese martial arts. Through his books, his meditation, and martial arts seminars, Richard Haight is helping to ignite a worldwide movement for personal transformation that is free of all constraints and open to anyone of any level. He now lives and teaches in southern Oregon, U.S.A. To learn more about Richard Haight, go to richardlhaight.com or join his Facebook group. Please visit our Amazon affiliate link to get your copy of The Warrior’s Meditation. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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21-0208-How to be a Stoic with Prof. Massimo Pigliucci 52:14

4 years ago52:14

52:14

Whenever we worry about what to eat, how to love, or simply how to be happy, we are worrying about how to lead a good life. No goal is more elusive. In How to Be a Stoic, philosopher Massimo Pigliucci offers Stoicism, the ancient philosophy that inspired the great emperor Marcus Aurelius, as the best way to attain it. Stoicism is a pragmatic philosophy that focuses our attention on what is possible and gives us perspective on what is unimportant. By understanding Stoicism, we can learn to answer crucial questions: Should we get married or divorced? How should we handle our money in a world nearly destroyed by a financial crisis? How can we survive great personal tragedy? Whoever we are, Stoicism has something for us–and How to Be a Stoic is the essential guide. Prof. Pigliucci has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He currently is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of science, the relationship between science and philosophy, the nature of pseudoscience, and the practical philosophy of Stoicism. To learn more about Massimo Pigliucci and his work, go to massimopigliucci.com and twitter.com/mpigliucci Visit our Amazon affiliate link to get your copy of How to Be a Stoic. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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21-0201-The Superhuman Mind with Berit Brogaard 52:33

4 years ago52:33

52:33

Berit Brogaard, PhD, and Kristian Marlow, MA, study people with astonishing talents—memory champions, human echolocators, musical virtuosos, math geniuses, and synesthetes who taste colors and hear faces. But as amazing as these abilities are, they are not mysterious. Our brains constantly process a huge amount of information below our awareness, and what these gifted individuals have in common is that through practice, injury, an innate brain disorder, or even more unusual circumstances, they have managed to gain a degree of conscious access to this potent processing power. The Superhuman Mind takes us inside the lives and brains of geniuses, savants, virtuosos, and a wide variety of ordinary people who have acquired truly extraordinary talents, one way or another. Delving into the neurological underpinnings of these abilities, the authors even reveal how we can acquire some of them ourselves—from perfect pitch and lightning fast math skills to supercharged creativity. The Superhuman Mind is a book full of the fascinating science readers look for from the likes of Oliver Sacks, combined with the exhilarating promise of Moonwalking with Einstein. Berit Brogaard is Professor and Cooper Fellow at the University of Miami. Her areas of research include perception, emotions, synesthesia, and savant syndrome. She is the author of Transient Truths (Oxford University Press, 2012), On Romantic Love (Oxford University Press, 2015), The Superhuman Mind (Penguin, 2015), Seeing & Saying (Oxford University Press, 2018), and Hate: Understanding Our Most Dangerous Emotion (Oxford University Press, 2020). To learn more about Prof. Berit Brogaard and her work, go to psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-superhuman-mind or people.miami.edu/profile/brit@miami.edu To get your copy of The Superhuman Mind , please visit our Amazon affiliate link. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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21-0125-Finding Purpose in a Godless World with Ralph Lewis 52:18

4 years ago52:18

52:18

Dr. Lewis obtained his medical degree in 1990 at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, where he grew up. He completed specialty training in psychiatry at the University of Toronto in 1996, followed by a two year fellowship in neuroimaging research and a Master of Science in Neuroscience, both at the University of Toronto. He has held his present staff physician appointment at Sunnybrook since 1998. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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21-0118-Growing Young with Marta Zaraska 52:32

4 years ago52:32

52:32

A smart, research-driven case for why optimism, kindness, and strong social networks will help us live to 100. From the day her daughter was born, science journalist Marta Zaraska fretted about what she and her family were eating. She fasted, considered adopting the keto diet, and ran a half-marathon. She bought goji berries and chia seeds and ate organic food. But then her research brought her to read countless scientific papers and to interview dozens of experts in various fields of study, including molecular biochemistry, epidemiology and neuroscience. What Marta discovered shattered her long-held beliefs about aging and longevity. A strong support network of family and friends, she learned, lowers mortality risk by about 45 percent, while exercise only lowers it by about 23 percent. Volunteering your free time lowers it by 22 percent or so, while certain health fads like turmeric haven’t been shown to help at all. These revelations led Marta Zaraska to a simple conclusion: In addition to healthy nutrition and physical activity, deepening friendships, practicing empathy and contemplating your purpose in life can improve your lifespan. Through eleven chapters that take her around the world, from catching wild mice in the woods of central England to flower arranging with octogenarians in Japan, from laboratories to “hugging centres,” Marta embarks on an absorbing, entertaining and insightful journey to determine the habits that will have the greatest impact on our longevity. Deeply researched and expertly reported, Growing Young will dramatically change the way you seek a longer, happier life. To learn more about Marta Zaraska and her work, go to growingyoungthebook.com or zaraska.com Visit our Amazon affiliate link to get your copy of Growing Young . To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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21-0111-Galileo's Error with Prof. Philip Goff 52:10

4 years ago52:10

52:10

From a leading philosopher of the mind comes this lucid, provocative argument that offers a radically new picture of human consciousness—panpsychism. Understanding how brains produce consciousness is one of the great scientific challenges of our age. Some philosophers argue that consciousness is something “extra,” beyond the physical workings of the brain. Others think that if we persist in our standard scientific methods, our questions about consciousness will eventually be answered. And some even suggest that the mystery is so deep, it will never be solved. Decades have been spent trying to explain consciousness from within our current scientific paradigm, but little progress has been made. Now, Philip Goff offers an exciting alternative that could pave the way forward. Rooted in an analysis of the philosophical underpinnings of modern science and based on the early twentieth-century work of Arthur Eddington and Bertrand Russell, Goff makes the case for panpsychism, a theory which posits that consciousness is not confined to biological entities but is a fundamental feature of all physical matter—from subatomic particles to the human brain. In Galileo’s Error, he has provided the first step on a new path to the final theory of human consciousness. Philip Goff is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Durham University. His research focuses on how to integrate consciousness into our scientific worldview. He has authored an academic book with Oxford University Press, called ‘Consciousness and Fundamental Reality’ and a book aimed at a general audience called ‘Galileo’s Error: Foundations for a New Science of Consciousness’. Dr Goff has published over 40 academic articles as well as writing extensively for newspapers and magazines, including Scientific American, The Guardian, and the Times Literary Supplement. Goff’s interview by Pulitzer Prize winning author Gareth Cook was one of the most viewed of the most viewed articles in Scientific American of 2020. To learn more about Prof. Philip Goff and his work, go to philipgoffphilosophy.com To get your copy of Galileo’s Error , please visit our Amazon affiliate link. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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21-0104-It Didn’t Start With You with Mark Wolynn 52:21

4 years ago52:21

52:21

Mark Wolynn is a leading expert on inherited family trauma. He is the winner of the 2016 Silver Nautilus Award in Psychology. As the director of The Family Constellation Institute in San Francisco, he has trained thousands of clinicians and treated thousands more patients struggling with depression, anxiety, panic disorder, obsessive thoughts, self-injury, pain, and illness. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-1228-MindShift with Professor Barbara Oakley 52:26

4 years ago52:26

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Professor Oakley’s work focuses on the complex relationship between neuroscience and social behavior. Mindshift reveals how we can overcome stereotypes and preconceived ideas about what is possible for us to learn and become. Dr. Oakley shepherds us past simplistic ideas of “aptitude” and “ability,” which provide only a snapshot of who we are now—with little consideration about how we can change. Dr. Barbara Oakley is a Professor of Engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan and the Ramón y Cajal Distinguished Scholar of Global Digital Learning at McMaster University. Her books Mindshift and A Mind for Numbers are bestsellers, and she teaches the world’s largest online course, with 2 million students. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-1221-The Meaning of Christmas with Professor Amy-Jill Levine 52:00

4 years ago52:00

52:00

Professor Levine is an internationally recognized expert in Biblical studies, Jewish/Christian relations, and the Bible, gender, and sexuality. She works in biblical studies broadly, with special interest in Jewish-Christian relations, Jesus and the Gospels, the roles of women, gender, and sexuality in biblical texts, and the relationship between history (what happened, as best as events can be reconstructed) and interpretation (how have texts been understood over time). University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies, and Professor of New Testament Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School and College of Arts and Science; she is also Affiliated Professor, Centre for the Study of Jewish-Christian Relations, Cambridge UK. Dr. Levine is also a co-editor of the Jewish Annotated New Testament. She has recorded three sets of lectures for the Teaching Company’s “Great Lectures” series. Holding the B.A. from Smith College, and the M.A. and Ph.D. from Duke University, she has honorary doctorates from the University of Richmond, the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, the University of South Carolina-Upstate, Drury University, and Christian Theological Seminary. A self-described Yankee Jewish feminist, Professor Levine is a member of Congregation Sherith Israel, an Orthodox Synagogue in Nashville, although she is often quite unorthodox. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-1214-Scavengers of Beauty with Philippe Sibaud 51:48

4 years ago51:48

51:48

Why was the mission to the Moon named after the God of the Sun, and not after a Moon Goddess or God? In this unconventional work, Philippe Sibaud explores the symbolism behind the 1969 landing on the Moon. More than fifty years after this seminal event, and whilst the Moon is attracting renewed interest, the author offers a bold new interpretation of the iconic Apollo mission. Was the Apollo landing the ultimate triumph of solar consciousness over the ancient lunar ways, a concrete enactment of the god Apollo mythically slaying the mother dragon at Delphi, or can the whole venture be seen as the sacred union of Sun and Moon, birthing a new vision at a time of great need? By weaving his own personal story with a greater cultural and symbolic narrative, Philippe Sibaud invites us to reflect on the importance of myths and the power of the Imagination to unlock the deeper meaning of our individual and collective experiences. You will never look at the Moon with the same eyes again. Philippe is a Trustee and a writer for the Gaia Foundation, an international London-based NGO which has been working for 35 years with indigenous people to uphold Earth-centred perspectives. He co-runs Umunthu Microfinance, an NGO that he set up in 2010 to provide small-scale loans to disadvantaged women in Malawi (currently 1,000 clients). He holds an MA in Myth, Cosmology and the Sacred (with Distinction) from Canterbury Christ Church University and has been a dedicated student of astrology for many a solar return. He was born at night under a crisp February Full Moon. To contact Philippe Sibaud, email scavengersofbeauty@gmail.com To get your copy of Scavengers of Beauty , please visit our Amazon affiliate link. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-1207-A Glimpse Behind the Veil with Richard Rowland 51:32

4 years ago51:32

51:32

Did a tiny bird in Texas really communicate with a horse and convince him it was okay to load on a trailer he’d never been on? Did a horse, after a three-year absence, know that its previous owner was present by hearing a harmonica being played? Did a horse, who had never acted up, hurt its owner on purpose so she would go to the doctor, where she discovered cancer had returned? Richard D. Rowland seeks the answer to fascinating questions as he explores the connection between humans and animals. As someone who was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer and given three years to live (more than twelve years ago), the human-animal bond is a subject he knows well. Animals caused him to rethink life and showed him things he never thought possible-and they led him to write his previous book, Unspoken Messages: Spiritual Lessons I learned from Horses and Other Earthbound Souls. Based on his interviews with people throughout the world, this book expands on how animals are misunderstood-and how they’re much smarter than most people believe. To learn more about Richard Rowland and his work, go to www.richarddrowlandbooks.com To get your copy of A Glimpse Behind the Veil , please visit our Amazon affiliate link. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-1130-The Future of Fusion Energy with Jason Parisi and Justin Ball 51:30

5 years ago51:30

51:30

The gap between the state of fusion energy research and public understanding is vast. In an entertaining and engaging narrative, this popular science book gives readers the basic tools to understand how fusion works, its potential, and contemporary research problems. Written by two young researchers in the field, The Future of Fusion Energy explains how physical laws and the Earth’s energy resources motivate the current fusion program — a program that is approaching a critical point. The world’s largest science project and biggest ever fusion reactor, ITER, is nearing completion. Its success could trigger a worldwide race to build a power plant, but failure could delay fusion by decades. To these ends, this book details how ITER’s results could be used to design an economically competitive power plant as well as some of the many alternative fusion concepts. Jason Parisi is a theoretical physicist studying turbulence in fusion plasmas at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, a fusion laboratory in the UK. He obtained his PhD from the University of Oxford in 2020, and his undergraduate degree from Yale University in 2016. As well as fusion energy, Jason also has interests in general relativity and cosmology. In his spare time, he enjoys triathlon and gliding. Justin Ball is an American scientist studying theoretical plasma physics and nuclear fusion energy. He works at the Swiss Plasma Center, a fusion laboratory in Switzerland, where he researches turbulence in tokamak plasmas. Justin holds a Master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from MIT and a PhD in Theoretical Physics from the University of Oxford. He has a broad interest in all things nuclear, having previously worked at a nuclear power plant, a nuclear navy research laboratory, and a nuclear weapons laboratory. To learn more about Jason Parisi, PhD go to jfparisi.github.io To learn more about Justin Ball, PhD go to justin-ball.com Please visit our Amazon Affiliate link to get your copy of The Future of Fusion Energy To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-1123-Why We Act with Prof. Catherine Sanderson 51:16

5 years ago51:16

51:16

We are bombarded every day by reports of bad behavior, from sexual harassment to political corruption and bullying belligerence. It’s tempting to blame evil acts on evil people, but that leaves the rest us off the hook. Silence, after all, can perpetuate cruelty. Why We Act draws on the latest developments in psychology and neuroscience to tackle an urgent question: Why do so many of us fail to intervene when we’re needed―and what would it take to make us step up? A renowned psychologist who has done pioneering research on social norms, Catherine Sanderson was inspired to write this book when a freshman in her son’s dorm died twenty hours after a bad fall while drinking. There were many points along the way when a decision to seek help could have saved his life. Why did no one act sooner? Cutting-edge neuroscience offers part of the answer, showing how deviating from the group activates the same receptors in the brain that are triggered by pain. But Sanderson also points to many ways in which our faulty assumptions about what other people are thinking can paralyze us. And she shares surprisingly effective and simple strategies for resisting the pressure to conform. Moral courage, it turns out, is not innate. Small details and the right training can make a big difference. Inspiring and potentially life transforming, Why We Act reveals that while the urge to do nothing is deeply ingrained, even the most hesitant would-be bystander can learn to be a moral rebel. To learn more about Catherine A. Sanderson and her work, go to www.sandersonspeaking.com To get your copy of Why We Act , please visit our Amazon affiliate link. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-1116-How I Escaped Political Correctness with Loretta Breuning, Ph.D. 51:04

5 years ago51:04

51:04

You care about the greater good, but you want to define it for yourself. What if you disagree with the politically correct view? You fear ridicule, shunning and attack, so you tell yourself it’s not worth it and find a way to conform. Until one day you can’t. I was politically correct until the day I heard myself lie about a simple fact because the truth didn’t sound progressive. I froze– in the middle of a lecture to 150 students. Enough! I decided to take back my brain. I gave myself permission to see what I see and know what I know instead of living in fear. It cost me, but the benefits outweighed the costs. Here is the story of my transition. You can do it too. To learn more about Loretta Breuning, PhD and her work, go to www.innermammalinstitute.org To get your copy of How I Escaped Political Correctness And You Can Too , please visit our Amazon affiliate link. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-1109-The Path of Civility with Robert Sachs 51:47

5 years ago51:47

51:47

What does President George Washington have in common with the Buddha, Sakyamuni? Author and teacher, Robert Sachs, brings together the lessons and teachings of these two great men; one an exemplary political figure, the other, the founder of one of the world’s great wisdom traditions. The result is a guidebook to study, carry with you, and apply to cultivate healthy, intelligent, and communication and action inspired by and rooted in civility. Robert Sachs received his B.A. in comparative religion and sociology at the University of Lancaster and then moved to London, where he studied Macrobiotics with Michio Kushi and Rex Lassalle at the Kushi Institute and hatha yoga under the guidance of Jonathan O’Dell and Johanna Auld whilst also being trained as a mental health counselor with the Richmond Fellowship. Of particular interest to Robert since the late seventies has been the practical preventive health care aspects of Tibetan medicine, which he studied under the guidance of Dr. Lobsang Rapgay. Robert also focused on the healing meditations of Tibetan Buddhism, including those practices that prepare one for the time of death under Ven. Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, Lama Ole Nydahl, and other Buddhist masters. Currently, Robert continues to study under the guidance of Tibetan Buddhist master, Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche. To learn more about Robert Sachs and his work, visit ThePathofCivility.com and DiamondWayAyurveda.com Please visit our Amazon affiliate link to get your copy of The Path of Civility. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-1102-Practicing Positive Leadership with Prof. Kim Cameron 51:41

5 years ago51:41

51:41

Plenty of research has been done on why companies go terribly wrong, but what makes companies go spectacularly right? That’s the question that Kim Cameron asked over a decade ago. Since then, Cameron and his colleagues have uncovered the principles and practices that set extraordinarily effective organizations apart from the merely successful. In his previous book, Positive Leadership , Cameron identified four strategies that enable these organizations, and the individuals within them, to flourish: creating a positive climate, positive relationships, positive communication, and positive meaning. Here he lays out specific tactics for implementing them. These are not feel-good nostrums—study after study (some cited in this book) have proven positive leadership delivers breakthrough bottom-line results. Thanks to Cameron’s concise how-to guide, now any organization can be “positively deviant,” achieving outcomes that far surpass the norm. To learn more about Kim Cameron and his work, visit michiganross.umich.edu/faculty-research/faculty/kim-cameron or the Center for Positive Organizations Website: www.centerforpos.com Please visit our Amazon affiliate links to get your copy of Practicing Positive Leadership and Making the Impossible Possible . To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-1026-Ultimate Price with Prof. Howard Steven Friedman 51:32

5 years ago51:32

51:32

How much is a human life worth? Individuals, families, companies, and governments routinely place a price on human life. The calculations that underlie these price tags are often buried in technical language, yet they influence our economy, laws, behaviors, policies, health, and safety. These price tags are often unfair, infused as they are with gender, racial, national, and cultural biases that often result in valuing the lives of the young more than the old, the rich more than the poor, whites more than blacks, Americans more than foreigners, and relatives more than strangers. This is critical since undervalued lives are left less-protected and more exposed to risk. Howard Steven Friedman explains in simple terms how economists and data scientists at corporations, regulatory agencies, and insurance companies develop and use these price tags and points a spotlight at their logical flaws and limitations. He then forcefully argues against the rampant unfairness in the system. Readers will be enlightened, shocked, and, ultimately, empowered to confront the price tags we assign to human lives and understand why such calculations matter. Howard Steven Friedman is a data scientist, health economist, writer and artist. He teaches at Columbia University. Friedman received his Bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University in Applied Physics. He earned a Masters in Statistics and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. Friedman took a position as a director at Capital One where he led teams of data scientists, statisticians, analysts and programmers in various areas of operations and marketing. He later formed companies that provided consulting services in areas of designing, developing and modeling data. To learn more about Howard Steven Friedman and his work, go to www.howard-friedman.com To get your copy of Ultimate Price , please visit our Amazon affiliate link. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-1019-The Meritocracy Trap with Prof. Daniel Markovits 51:22

5 years ago51:22

51:22

It is an axiom of American life that advantage should be earned through ability and effort. Even as the country divides itself at every turn, the meritocratic ideal – that social and economic rewards should follow achievement rather than breeding – reigns supreme. Both Democrats and Republicans insistently repeat meritocratic notions. Meritocracy cuts to the heart of who we are. It sustains the American dream. But what if, both up and down the social ladder, meritocracy is a sham? Today, meritocracy has become exactly what it was conceived to resist: a mechanism for the concentration and dynastic transmission of wealth and privilege across generations. Upward mobility has become a fantasy, and the embattled middle classes are now more likely to sink into the working poor than to rise into the professional elite. At the same time, meritocracy now ensnares even those who manage to claw their way to the top, requiring rich adults to work with crushing intensity, exploiting their expensive educations in order to extract a return. All this is not the result of deviations or retreats from meritocracy but rather stems directly from meritocracy’s successes. This is the radical argument that Daniel Markovits prosecutes with rare force. Markovits is well placed to expose the sham of meritocracy. Having spent his life at elite universities, he knows from the inside the corrosive system we are trapped within. Markovits also knows that, if we understand that meritocratic inequality produces near-universal harm, we can cure it. When The Meritocracy Trap reveals the inner workings of the meritocratic machine, it also illuminates the first steps outward, towards a new world that might once again afford dignity and prosperity to the American people. To learn more about Prof. Daniel Markovits and his work, visit www.themeritocracytrap.com and follow him on Twitter @dsmarkovits To get your copy of The Meritocracy Trap , please visit our Amazon affiliate link. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-1012-GAIN Without Pain with Greg Hammer, MD 51:37

5 years ago51:37

51:37

Burnout is on the rise. This is a problem we cannot afford to ignore. The rising costs of burnout are staggering. Health care professionals sacrifice their health, happiness, and relationships. Fortunately, there is a solution. Dr. Greg Hammer created GAIN Without Pain so that health care professionals can prevent burnout and reclaim happiness. This proven path toward personal resilience can be implemented by anyone, anywhere, in just a few minutes a day. Increased resilience could save your practice, your patients, your marriage – or even your life. GAIN Without Pain is a four-step process toward happiness. GAIN is an acronym for Gratitude, Acceptance, Intention, and Nonjudgment. Greg Hammer, MD, is a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. As a pediatric anesthesiologist and an intensive care physician he cares for children and their families during very stressful times. To learn more about Dr. Greg Hammer and his work, go to www.GregHammerMD.com To get your copy of GAIN Without Pain , please visit our Amazon Affiliate link. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-1005-Ways to go Beyond with Rupert Sheldrake 51:19

5 years ago51:19

51:19

To go beyond is to move into a higher state of consciousness, to a place of bliss, greater understanding, love, and deep connectedness, a realm where we finally find life’s meaning. Scientist and spiritual explorer Rupert Sheldrake looks at seven spiritual practices that are personally transformative and have scientifically measurable effects. He combines the latest scientific research with his extensive knowledge of mystical traditions to show how we may tune into more-than-human realms of consciousness through psychedelics such as ayahuasca, and how everyday activities can have mystical dimensions, including sports and learning from animals. He discusses traditional religious practices such as fasting, prayer, and the celebration of festivals and holy days. Why do these practices work? Are their effects solely inside our brains and essentially illusory? Or can we really make contact with forms of consciousness greater than our own? Dr. Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist and the author of more than ninety technical papers and fourteen books, including Science Set Free. After studying at Cambridge and Harvard Universities, he worked in Hyderabad, India, as principal plant physiologist at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, and lived for two years in the Benedictine ashram of Father Bede Griffiths. From 2005 to 2010, he was director of the Perrott-Warrick Project for the study of unexplained human and animal abilities, funded by Trinity College, Cambridge. He is currently a Fellow of the Institute of Noetic Sciences in Petaluma, California, and of Schumacher College in Dartington, Devon, UK. He lives in London with his wife Jill Purce, with whom he has two sons. To learn more about Rupert Sheldrake and his work, visit www.sheldrake.org To get your copy of Ways to Go Beyond and Why They Work , please visit our Amazon affiliate link. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-0921-Everybody Lies with Seth Stephens-Davidowitz 52:22

5 years ago52:22

52:22

How much sex are people really having? How many Americans are actually racist? Is America experiencing a hidden back-alley abortion crisis? Can you game the stock market? Does violent entertainment increase the rate of violent crime? Do parents treat sons differently from daughters? How many people actually read the books they buy? In this groundbreaking work, Stephens-Davidowitz, a Harvard-trained economist and former Google data scientist, argues that much of what we thought about people has been dead wrong. The reason? People lie. Seth Stephens-Davidowitz is a New York Times op-ed contributor and former Google data scientist. He received a BA in philosophy from Stanford, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and a PhD in economics from Harvard. His research—which uses new, big data sources to uncover hidden behaviors and attitudes—has appeared in prestigious publications such as The Journal of Public Economics. His first job in journalism was at his local newspaper, The Bergen Record, in high school, where he was an obituary writer. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-0928-Never Letting Go with Mark Anthony 51:52

5 years ago51:52

51:52

Mark Anthony the Psychic Lawyer®/Psychic Explorer® is the author of the award winning, critically acclaimed best-sellers Never Letting Go and Evidence of Eternity. He is a world-renowned fourth generation psychic medium who communicates with spirits. Mark is an Oxford educated attorney licensed to practice law in Florida, Washington D.C. and before the United States Supreme Court. Mark is featured regularly on Television, major talk radio shows and in print media. Mark Anthony is also known as the Psychic Explorer. The media has referred to him as the “Psychic Indiana Jones” due to his extensive background in science, quantum physics, survival of consciousness and near-death experiences, history, archaeology, philosophy and theology. One day Mark may be lecturing at an Ivy League University about Quantum Physics and the next off to mystical locations in remote corners of the world to explore Ancient Ruins and Supernatural Phenomena. Today’s show is all about live readings! To learn more about Mark Anthony and his work, please visit www.evidenceofeternity.com To get your copy of Never Letting Go , please visit our Amazon.com affiliate link. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-0914-Real Magic with Dr. Dean Radin 51:56

5 years ago51:56

51:56

Filled with fascinating facts and intriguing ideas, Real Magic places the laboratory findings from parapsychology in the broader context of centuries of magic practices. This wholly original work then points toward new understandings of reality that can no longer be ignored. Real Magic will be known as one of the few real paradigm-changing works of science. Dean Radin, PhD, is Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences and Associated Distinguished Professor of Integral and Transpersonal Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies. He earned an MS in electrical engineering and a PhD in psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Before joining the research staff at IONS in 2001, he held appointments at AT&T Bell Labs, Princeton University, University of Edinburgh, and SRI International. He is author or coauthor of hundreds of technical and popular articles, four dozen book chapters, and four popular books: The Conscious Universe (1997), Entangled Minds (2006), Supernormal (2013), and Real Magic (2018). To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-0907-Truth with Hector Macdonald 51:52

5 years ago51:52

51:52

We like to think that there is a clear distinction between true and false. The reality is far murkier. Truth can be spun in the names used, the context applied, the omissions committed, the framing deployed and many other ways. “Truth” can look vey different to different people. Macdonald explains how these so-called “competing truths” are used both constructively and misleadingly by businesses, media, politicians, advertisers, and even regular people having regular conversations. Hector Macdonald is an expert in business storytelling. As a strategic communications consultant, he has advised the leaders of some of the world’s top corporations in industries as diverse as financial services, telecoms, technology, and healthcare. He is also the bestselling author of four novels! To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-0831-Intellectual Humility with Dr. Ian Church 52:15

5 years ago52:15

52:15

The first research-cluster focuses on motivating and developing new non-reductive models of knowledge and includes projects on the nature of luck, fallibilism, and the epistemic import of peer disagreement. The second research cluster focuses on the methodologies and implications of psychology and includes projects on the nature of intellectual virtues in light of heuristics and biases, the epistemic implications of cognitive science, and the philosophical psychology of intellectual virtues. Dr. Church is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Hillsdale College. He was a co-PI (with Ducan Pritchard) on the Intellectual Humility Massive Open Online Course project at the University of Edinburgh, and he is currently the Principal Investigator on the “Problem of Evil and Experimental Philosophy of Religion” project—both projects being generously funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Dr. Church earned his PhD from the St Andrews-Stirling Joint Programme in Philosophy in 2012, and his current research includes work on intellectual virtues, the Gettier Problem epistemic luck, fallibilism, disagreement, non-reductive models of knowledge, intuitions, religious epistemology, philosophy of psychology, and cognitive science. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-0824-Decoding Schopenhauer's Metaphysics with Bernardo Kastrup 51:10

5 years ago51:10

51:10

First proposed more than 200 years ago, Schopenhauer’s extraordinarily prescient metaphysics – if understood along the lines thoroughly elucidated and substantiated in this volume – offers powerful answers not only to the paradoxes of quantum mechanics, but also to modern philosophical dilemmas such as the hard problem of consciousness – which plagues mainstream physicalism, and the subject combination problem – which plagues constitutive panpsychism. This invaluable treasure of the Western philosophical canon has eluded us so far because Schopenhauer’s argument has been consistently misunderstood and misrepresented, even at the hands of presumed experts. Hoping to change this situation, Decoding Schopenhauer’s Metaphysics, offers a conceptual framework, a decoding key for unlocking the sense of Schopenhauer’s metaphysical contentions in a way that renders them mutually consistent. With this key in mind, even those who earlier dismissed Schopenhauer’s metaphysics should be able to return to it with fresh eyes and at last grasp its meaning. And for those as yet unacquainted with Schopenhauerian thought, this volume offers a succinct and accessible entry path. To learn more about Bernardo Kastrup and his work, go to www.bernardokastrup.com To get your copy of Decoding Schopenhauer’s Metaphysics , please visit our Amazon affiliate link. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-0817-Shine On with David Ditchfield 51:31

5 years ago51:31

51:31

Across thousands of years, people have described one of the most astonishing of all human phenomena: the near-death experience (NDE), the subjective experience of an Afterlife, a place where we apparently survive death. The more powerful the NDE, the more profound the after effects. The ambitious reset their priorities. Atheists change their values. Doctors rethink their beliefs. But what if the after effects of an NDE were undeniable? What if someone suddenly developed the ability to produce high quality paintings of their NDE, a new-found skill that went far beyond the artistic ability they had before? And what if that same person then suddenly acquired the ability to compose classical symphonies after their NDE? And their symphonies were then premiered at sell out orchestral concerts, even though, to this day, they are unable to read or write a single note of musical notation. Wouldn’t this be proof that even a cynic would have a hard time explaining? After his NDE, this is exactly what happened to David. And this is his story. To learn more about David Ditchfield and his work, visit www.shineonthestory.com To get your copy of Shine On , please visit our Amazon affiliate link. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-08010-Self-Compassion with Kristin Neff, Ph.D. 51:40

5 years ago51:40

51:40

The relentless search for high self-esteem has become a virtual religion; and a tyrannical one at that. Our competitive culture tells us we need to be special and above average to feel good about ourselves, but we can’t all be above average at the same time. Fortunately, there is an alternative to self-esteem that many psychologists believe is a better and more effective path to happiness: self-compassion. The research of Dr. Kristin Neff and others strongly suggests that people who are more self-compassionate lead healthier, more productive lives than those who are self-critical. Using solid empirical research, personal stories, humor, and dozens of practical exercises, Dr. Neff—the world’s leading experts on self-compassion—shows readers how to heal the wounds of the past so that they can be healthier, happier and more effective. To learn more about Dr. Kristin Neff and her work, go to www.self-compassion.org Visit our Amazon affiliate links to get your copy of Self-Compassion and The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-0803-Hyper Education with Pawan Dhingra, Ph.D. 50:16

5 years ago50:16

50:16

An up-close look at the education arms race of after-school learning, academic competitions, and the perceived failure of even our best schools to educate children. Beyond soccer leagues, music camps, and drama lessons, today’s youth are in an education arms race that begins in elementary school. In Hyper Education, Pawan Dhingra uncovers the growing world of high-achievement education and the after-school learning centers, spelling bees, and math competitions that it has spawned. It is a world where immigrant families vie with other Americans to be at the head of the class, putting in hours of studying and testing in order to gain a foothold in the supposed meritocracy of American public education. A world where enrichment centers, like Kumon, have seen 194 percent growth since 2002 and target children as young as three. Even families and teachers who avoid after-school academics are getting swept up. To learn more about Pawan Dhingra and his work, go to www.pawanhdhingra.com To get your copy of Hyper Education , please visit our Amazon affiliate link. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com…

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20-0727-Never Letting Go Pt. 2 with Mark Anthony 0:55

5 years ago0:55