"If humans are evil, why do we sometimes go to extraordinary lengths to help others even at a cost to ourselves?" This week we talk to an expert psychologist about what makes people more altruistic than others...and why some people have no empathy and can even be labeled as 'psychopaths'.  We cover the spectrum between the two which brings about some fascinating ideas on what a year of isolation is doing to people and what effects it might have on how we understand what others think and feel.  

Show notes:

About Abigail Marsh: She is a psychologist and neuroscientist who works as a professor at Georgetown University's Department of Psychology and the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, where she is the director of the Laboratory on Social and Affective Neuroscience.  She addresses questions using multiple approaches that include functional and structural brain imaging in adolescents and adults from both typical and non-typical populations, as well as behavioral, cognitive, genetic and pharmacological techniques. Among her ongoing research projects are brain imaging and behavioral studies of altruistic kidney donors and brain imaging studies of children/adolescents with severe conduct problems and limited empathy.

The Fear Factor (book)

Abigail Marsh (wiki)

Why Some People are More Altruistic Than Others (TED talk)

Lab website

Has fear even held you back from achieving your dreams? Or is it your relationship with fear that held you back? Patrick shares his journey to change his narrative about his fears and how you can too. He is candid about how it changed his life in unimaginable ways. 

About Patrick:

"I grew up terrified of everything. I didn't have confidence or self-esteem. My biggest fear was flying. I made excuses every time I had a chance to fly – on exchange programs, to family reunions, for big races, I made excuses to cover up the shame I felt of being afraid. I was lying to the world and myself.

Then at 35 I got one of the rarest forms of leukemia. The doctors told me to say my good-byes. That was when I chose courage. Yeah, it's a choice. Not for me but for my 1-year-old daughter and unborn son. I decided if I beat the disease and got out of John’s Hopkins I’d get over my fear of flying. I did.

I decided I’d get my private pilots license. It was terrifying, but I still took the first frightening step. Then an incredible thing happened. I fell in love with flying. I now fly a stunt plane in aerobatic competitions. It is one of the greatest joys in my life, a true passion that was hidden from me because of fear. My choice had a halo effect on my whole life. Suddenly courage became my superpower. It all started with that first small step.

My life changed and so can yours. That’s why I left the lucrative start-up world behind; to write Fear is Fuel and help millions of people find courage and the life of their dreams. When we become authentic, strong and confident we can achieve world peace. That’s my dream"

Fear is Fuel (book)

Patrick's website

Former Colorado senator Mark Udall talks to us about adventures on Everest, the Baja and long dessert backpacking trips. The lessons he has learned from pushing his physical limits, building mettle and engaging with nature are fascinating. This is a podcast filled with rich stories of adventure and leaves us with nuggets of wisdom on why we all should do hard things to enrich our lives. 

Show Notes: 

Colorado resident and native Westerner Mark Udall represented the people of Colorado in the U.S. Senate from 2009 to 2015 and the 2nd Congressional District from 1999 to 2009. Before serving in Congress, Udall was a field instructor and later Executive director for the Colorado Outward Bound School. He is an avid mountaineer and has climbed or attempted some of the world’s most challenging peaks, including Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, Nanga Parbat, Denali and Aconcagua.

Books mentioned in the podcast

"Sometimes a Great Notion" by Ken Kesey

"Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

This episode takes a trip down a different path than many of our guests. But it is no less relevant to the development of mental toughness. Shilo talks to us about how tolerance should be painful, strengthening the mind like the body as an exercise, and that comfort is not the highest good. What does your intellectual diet look like? This conversation will challenge some preconceived notions of what a good life looks like. 

Show Notes: 

Shilo Brooks is Faculty Director of the Engineering Leadership Program, Associate Faculty Director of the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization, and an affiliated faculty member in the Engineering Management Program and the Herbst Program for Engineering, Ethics & Society. He has held fellowships at Princeton University and the University of Virginia, and has been a visiting professor of government at Bowdoin College. He teaches and writes about leadership, liberal education, politics, and science. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Boston College, and his B.A. in liberal arts from the Great Books Program at St. John's College, Annapolis.

Nietzsche's Culture War: The Unity of the Untimely Meditations by Shilo Brooks

https://www.amazon.com/Nietzsches-Culture-War-Meditations-Recovering-dp-3319871005/dp/3319871005/ref=mt_other?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=

The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

https://www.amazon.com/Wright-Brothers-David-McCullough/dp/1476728755/ref=sr_1_3?crid=11QQESQMV748D&dchild=1&keywords=wright+brothers+book&qid=1611667935&s=books&sprefix=wright+brothers%2Cstripbooks%2C177&sr=1-3

The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff

https://www.amazon.com/Coddling-American-Mind-Intentions-Generation/dp/0735224919/ref=sr_1_1?crid=6I95SS192WWX&dchild=1&keywords=coddling+of+the+american+mind&qid=1611668275&s=books&sprefix=coddling%2Cstripbooks%2C171&sr=1-1

In this riveting discussion, Laurence shares his father's incredible story of survival from World War II. This led him to become a subject matter expert on survival. What separates survivors from victims? Are there secrets in the stories of survivors that can help all of us survive everyday life? We will explore all of this and more.

Show notes:

Laurence Gonzales is the author of numerous books and has won many awards, including two National Magazine Awards and the Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. He was also awarded the Montaigne Medal from the Eric Hoffer Society in 2018 and won the Eric Hoffer Award in both 2018 and 2019.

After reading in neuroscience for several years, he wrote the best-selling book Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why and its sequel Surviving Survival: The Art and Science of Resilience, which attempt to answer related questions about how people make bad decisions and what leads some of them to survive and some to perish.

His most recent non-fiction book is Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival, a detailed reconstruction of the crash of a fully-loaded DC-10. It was adapted for the stage by The House Theater of Chicago and played to sold-out houses and rave reviews in both 2016 and 2017. It also had successful runs in both Boulder, Colorado, and Miami, Florida.

For more than a decade and a half, he has appeared as a featured speaker before groups ranging from the Los Alamos National Laboratory to Exxon-Mobil, and from the Wilderness Medical Society to the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

His most recent novel is Lucy (Alfred A. Knopf). His essays are collected in the book House of Pain (University of Arkansas Press). In the past he has served on the adjunct faculty at Northwestern University in the Medill School of Journalism, where he taught writing.

https://laurencegonzales.com/

"Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies and Why"

https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Survival-Who-Lives-Dies/dp/0393353710

"Surviving Survival: The Art and Science of Resilience"

https://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Survival-Art-Science-Resilience/dp/0393346633/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=surviving+survival&qid=1611114688&s=books&sr=1-1

"Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival"

https://www.amazon.com/Flight-232-Story-Disaster-Survival/dp/0393351262/ref=sr_1_1?crid=WH9YXS67RNWH&dchild=1&keywords=flight+232+a+story+of+disaster+and+survival&qid=1611114772&s=books&sprefix=flight+232%2Cstripbooks%2C183&sr=1-1

Dr. Marisa Porges has been in the room with Barack Obama, interviewed Al Qaeda terrorists, and flown jets off aircraft carriers. She now leads an all girls school and her passion is imparting her wisdom on her students. Her take on how to raise the next generation of female leaders is eye opening. There is are plenty of nuggets of wisdom, not only for our female listeners, but our men also. 

Show notes:

Marisa Porges, PhD, author of What Girls Need: How to Raise Bold, Courageous, and Resilient Women, is the eighth Head of School at The Baldwin School, a 130-year-old all-girls school outside of Philadelphia renowned for academic excellence and for preparing girls to be leaders and change-makers. Dr. Porges served in the Obama White House; was a research fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and the Council on Foreign Relations, where her research focused on counterterrorism; and served in the U.S. Navy as one of eight female aviators in an air wing of about two hundred. She lives in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, with her family.

http://marisaporges.com/

Buy the book on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/What-Girls-Need-Courageous-Resilient/dp/1984879146/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=what+girls+need&qid=1610509255&sr=8-1

In this Fireside Reflections solocast, we turn the microphone to your blacksmith Ron Duren Jr. He shares his stories of doing hard things, running 50 miles, and why taking on hard things is so important for purpose, fulfillment and meaning in life. He believes they are a rite of passage where we learn about the true fabric of who we are. In short, they test our mettle.

Show notes:

Visit our website

www.forgingmettlepodcast.com

Rich Roll interview with Rich Diviney

https://www.richroll.com/podcast/rich-diviney-571/

The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers to Optimal Performance by Rich Diviney

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08942X1JY/?coliid=I1NA3TNBW5CTXV&colid=3VESGNMFYWTOT&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself 

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rich+roll+finding+ultra&i=digital-text&crid=2V1L5YWADYE49&sprefix=rich+roll%2Cdigital-text%2C172&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-a-p_5_9

In this raw, moving conversation about vulnerability, shame, anger and guilt. Todd gets real about his struggles. Although Todd faced his demons about his brother's death, he has emerged from the fire as a better, stronger, kinder person. Listen how Todd talks about rescuing himself from his despair by forgiving himself for his perceived sins of the past. 

About Todd:  

Todd Stottlemyre is a former MLB pitcher, high-performance business coach, bestselling author, keynote speaker, business owner, active investor, and advisor to multiple companies, including a fast-casual poke concept. Each day, he works to help his clients achieve unparalleled success in every dimension of their lives.

Official website: https://toddofficial.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/todd.stott/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toddvstottlemyre

The book "Observer: A Modern Fable on Mastering Your Thoughts & Emotions"  https://www.amazon.com/Observer-Modern-Mastering-Thoughts-Emotions/dp/1641465344/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1609882466&sr=1-2

Tara and Ron discuss 2020 and look ahead to 2021. They will talk about their struggles and triumphs this year. They will discuss what it's like to be a podcaster and what has surprised them about the journey so far. They review riveting highlights from previous and upcoming shows. They'll leave you with a glimpse of great things to come on the Forging Mettle podcast going into the new year. Don't miss this end of year wrap up!

Show notes:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forgingmettlepodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forgingmettlepodcast/

Website: https://www.forgingmettlepodcast.com/

Garth Brooks - The Road I’m On  

https://www.netflix.com/title/81283911#:~:text=2019TV%2DPG%201%20Season,Watch%20all%20you%20want.

The Hero’s Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K5KBWGZ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

The Hero with a Thousand Faces

https://www.amazon.com/Hero-Thousand-Faces-Joseph-Campbell-ebook/dp/B08MWW2VDL/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1L5DQEFHM3J80&dchild=1&keywords=the+hero+with+a+thousand+faces&qid=1608906156&s=digital-text&sprefix=the+hero+with+a+thou%2Cdigital-text%2C182&sr=1-1

Healthy Mind Platter (blog) by David Rock

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-brain-work/201106/announcing-the-healthy-mind-platter

Noble Leisure

https://blogs.harvard.edu/nobleleisure/aristotle-on-work-vs-leisure/

Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferris

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071KJ7PTB/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G3L1B8K/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Stockdale Paradox

https://bigthink.com/personal-growth/stockdale-paradox-confronting-reality-vital-success

Recommended Podcasts:

Rich Roll podcast

https://www.richroll.com/all-episodes/

Michael Gervais podcast

https://findingmastery.net/

The Happiness Lab

https://www.happinesslab.fm/

NPR: Hidden Brain podcast

https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain