The Jordan Harbinger Show

1122: Feng Shui | Skeptical Sunday


Listen Later

Feng Shui: ancient wisdom or modern woo? On Skeptical Sunday, Dave Farina unpacks how "chi" and "energy" get misappropriated in the name of interior design!

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by Is This Wi-Fi Organic?: A Guide to Spotting Misleading Science Online author and host of the Professor Dave Debates podcast (as well as the Professor Dave Explains YouTube channel), Dave Farina!

On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:
  • The ancient Chinese practice of Feng Shui centers around three principles: commanding position (placing main furniture strategically in relation to doors), bagua (an "energy map" dividing spaces into eight areas representing aspects of life like wealth and career), and the five elements (earth, metal, water, wood, and fire) used to address specific needs.
  • Terms like "energy," "frequency," and "vibration" have precise scientific definitions but are repurposed in Feng Shui with vague, mystical meanings. In physics, energy means "capacity to do work," while frequency refers to cycles per unit time—not the nebulous concepts suggested in mystical practices.
  • Feng Shui conflates subjective aesthetic choices (appropriate for an art form like interior design) with objective claims about physical reality. While interior design is guided by aesthetic criteria, Feng Shui makes unfounded assertions about "chi," luck, and energy flows that lack empirical evidence.
  • Many reported benefits of Feng Shui likely stem from placebo effects — feeling more energized because you expect to feel more energized in a particular arrangement. This psychological phenomenon explains why believers experience results while skeptics don't.
  • Strip away the pseudoscientific claims, and Feng Shui contains genuinely useful design principles. Many of its recommendations—like keeping entryways clear, creating balanced spaces, and mindfully arranging furniture — make intuitive sense and can genuinely improve your living environment. These aesthetic guidelines can be appreciated and applied without embracing unfounded mystical claims, allowing you to create harmonious spaces based on practical design wisdom rather than magical thinking.
  • Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at [email protected] and let...

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    The Jordan Harbinger ShowBy Jordan Harbinger

    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8

    4.8

    11,756 ratings


    More shows like The Jordan Harbinger Show

    View all
    Stuff You Should Know by iHeartPodcasts

    Stuff You Should Know

    78,291 Listeners

    The Joe Rogan Experience by Joe Rogan

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    228,421 Listeners

    Adam Carolla Show by PodcastOne / Carolla Digital

    Adam Carolla Show

    37,197 Listeners

    We're Alive by Wayland Productions Inc

    We're Alive

    9,599 Listeners

    The Ben Shapiro Show by The Daily Wire

    The Ben Shapiro Show

    154,125 Listeners

    The James Altucher Show by James Altucher

    The James Altucher Show

    2,505 Listeners

    The Art of Manliness by The Art of Manliness

    The Art of Manliness

    14,280 Listeners

    The Adam and Dr. Drew Show by PodcastOne / Carolla Digital

    The Adam and Dr. Drew Show

    8,749 Listeners

    Reasonable Doubt by PodcastOne

    Reasonable Doubt

    3,604 Listeners

    Making Sense with Sam Harris by Sam Harris

    Making Sense with Sam Harris

    26,386 Listeners

    RHAP: We Know Survivor by Survivor Know-It-All, Rob Cesternino

    RHAP: We Know Survivor

    1,512 Listeners

    Between Us by iHeartPodcasts

    Between Us

    5,945 Listeners

    Court Junkie by PodcastOne

    Court Junkie

    8,577 Listeners

    Something You Should Know by Mike Carruthers | OmniCast Media

    Something You Should Know

    4,186 Listeners

    The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast by Dr. Jordan B. Peterson

    The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast

    33,339 Listeners

    Off The Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe by PodcastOne

    Off The Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe

    21,691 Listeners

    Cold Case Files by A&E / PodcastOne

    Cold Case Files

    8,673 Listeners

    TRIGGERnometry by TRIGGERnometry

    TRIGGERnometry

    2,035 Listeners

    The Daily Stoic by Daily Stoic | Backyard Ventures

    The Daily Stoic

    4,903 Listeners

    Quillette Podcast by Quillette

    Quillette Podcast

    797 Listeners

    The Charlie Kirk Show by Charlie Kirk

    The Charlie Kirk Show

    70,203 Listeners

    The Saad Truth with Dr. Saad by thesaadtruthwithdrsaad

    The Saad Truth with Dr. Saad

    1,169 Listeners

    The Last Invention by Longview

    The Last Invention

    703 Listeners