Pros & Concepts

Episode 43: Cognitive Defusion - The #1 Secret in Psychology that THEY Don't Want You to Know

July 18th, 2022  |  48 mins 56 secs

anxiety, counseling, depression, mental health, philosophy, psychology, public speaking

In this episode, Steve talks about the idea of Cognitive Defusion. It is the process of distancing yourself from your thoughts, seeing them as suggestions or informants rather than inherent truths, and building greater psychological flexibility to improve overall mental health and adaptability.

Episode 42: Decadence - Societal Depression and its Symptoms

July 5th, 2022  |  53 mins 35 secs

community, philosophy, polisci, political science, politics, psychology, sociology

In this episode, Phil goes through an existential crisis spurred by the research for this episode, discussing what decadence is, what the symptoms are, and what can be done about it.

Episode 41: Laziness - An Unmotivated Concept

June 21st, 2022  |  48 mins 35 secs

philosophy, politics, psychology, sociology

In this episode, Steve leads the conversation to do with the idea of Laziness, whether it exists, what should be labeled as "lazy", and how to better approach these problems.

Episode 40: Propaganda Techniques: Manufacturing Consent

June 6th, 2022  |  48 mins 16 secs

logical fallacies, philosophy, political science, psychology, rhetoric, sociology

In this episode, Phil and Steve go down the list of Propaganda Techniques and discuss the ones they find most relevant. We define them as marketing for political ideas, seeking to change minds through as many paths as possible - aside from rational engagement with reason.

Episode 39: Motivational Interviewing - Getting People to Change

May 16th, 2022  |  44 mins 36 secs

addiction, counseling, interpersonal skills, mental health, philosophy, psychology, self-improvement, sociology

Wish people would take your advice? Want more influence on those around you? Feel like your insight goes to waste? Then this episode is for you!

Steve walks us through what Motivational Interviewing is, and how it’s basically real-life magic. The various techniques that enable you to actively engage with those around you while more tactfully getting them to consider your advice.

Episode 38: Passive Income - Joining the New Rich

May 3rd, 2022  |  50 mins 31 secs

business, entrepreneurship, marketing, self-improvement

Phil spearheads the topic today, talking about his entrepreneurial journey as a means of demonstrating the winding path toward passive income. We focus primarily on Content Marketing because that's what we know best and have had the most success with.

Episode 37: Fun - Identifying Your Flavor of Motivation

April 19th, 2022  |  41 mins 35 secs

games, gamification, philosophy, psychology, self-improvement, society, sociology

Phil leads this winding episode to talk about the concept of fun, pulling elements in from game design and "psychographic profiles". Also, there's a long bit of bickering between the hosts about whether Blueberry picking is wholesome fun or hard labor.

Episode 36: Feedback Loops w/Macabre Storytelling - Engineering Behavior

April 5th, 2022  |  1 hr 9 mins

dating, men's lib, philosophy, psychology, self-improvement, society, sociology

Phil, Steve, and Mac talk about Men's issues, addiction, video games, and veer off track as is typical of this show.

Episode 35: Social Capital - More Valuable than Gold

March 28th, 2022  |  44 mins 40 secs

career development, philosophy, psychology, self-improvement, sociology

Steve leads the charge today in talking about Social Capital, which is "the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively."

Episode 34: Fear of Hope w/Ross Ellenhorn PhD – Why People Don't Change

March 8th, 2022  |  46 mins 50 secs

addiction, counseling, mental health, philosophy, psychology, self-improvement, sociology

Dr. Ross Ellenhorn comes on to share his understanding and research on the fear of hope - a powerful psychological construct that can frustrate our every attempt to change.

Episode 33: Memes – More Than Funny Images

February 22nd, 2022  |  49 mins 8 secs

biology, business, genetics, philosophy, psychology, sociology

Phil introduces the academic concept of memes - technically living noncorporeal hive symbiotes/parasites that live in our heads. The definition of "life" that applies to genes can also be equally applied to memes, since they are "replicators" that manifest "survival machines" to help promote their adaptability and survival.

Episode 32: Externalities - We're All In It Together

February 10th, 2022  |  43 mins 54 secs

business, philosophy, psychology, sociology

In this episode, Phil introduces the economic concept of “Externalities”, which is the effect economic producers or consumers have on bystanders.

Episode 31: Willpower – How to Avoid Using It

January 26th, 2022  |  46 mins 5 secs

addiction, diet, philosophy, psychology, self control, self development, sociology, willpower

Steve leads this episode to talk about Willpower, how it works, and how to avoid using it. We take some tangents around science, the replication crisis, and addiction.

Episode 30: PsychoProctology w/Jeremy Sherman PhD – What is an Asshole?

January 10th, 2022  |  57 mins 33 secs

philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology

Jeremy Sherman PhD comes on to discuss the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of assholery. A bit theory heavy, so don't be afraid to check the show notes for explanations.

Episode 29: Just-World Hypothesis - Nice Guys Finish First

December 21st, 2021  |  53 mins 4 secs

logic, logical fallacy, philosophy, political science, psychology, rationality

Phil introduces some research into the Just-world Hypothesis, where we view the world as being fair and evenhanded; hard work is always rewarded and bad deeds don’t go unpunished.

Episode 28: Historiography ft. Matt Beat - The Ever-Changing Past

December 8th, 2021  |  54 mins 8 secs

epistemology, historiography, history, philosophy, politics, science

In this episode, we welcome Mr. Beat, a Youtuber who focuses on American history and politics. We discuss Historiography - the study of how we understand history and how it's an ever-evolving process.