Impostors Anonymous

One thing is certain; Jackie is no "yes man". She joins the show to offer her perspective on the value of radical honesty and, of course, knowing when to say no. Along the way, she helps Brandon reflect on our ongoing crisis of empathy and what might guide us towards a more mindful and unified future. Other covered topics include:

- variance in morning routines

- how mission statements simplify life

- empathy amidst political polarization

- maintaining a healthy relationship with anger and other "negative" emotions

- rethinking karma

- the foundations of self-esteem

- building a secular ethical framework

- what we find most valuable in ourselves

- the duality of introspection

- the trouble with greatness

- our obsession with chaos and self-destruction

- the importance of early financial literacy

and much more!

Mentioned in this episode:

The Most You Good You Can Do by Peter Singer

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

If you've found this project valuable, check out the new extension of Impostors Anonymous at impostorsanonymous.substack.com where you can find additional content and even submit your own work to be shared, anonymously of course, with the IA community.

Nevin joins the show to help explore what individuals ought to be held responsible for and how we might be freed from some of our most common enclosures. Along the way, they touch on a range of related topics including:

- intentions vs outcomes

- reevaluating nature vs nurture

- the historical disenfranchisement of Indigenous Americans

- systemic vs institutional racism

- limits of the adversarial nature of law

- the incarcerated population vs lawyers

- stop-and-frisk

- the value of enlightenment ideals

and much more!

If you've found this project valuable, check out the new extension of Impostors Anonymous at impostorsanonymous.substack.com where you can find additional content and even submit your own work to be shared, anonymously of course, with the IA community.

A brief profile of Thomas Sowell, the economist and social theorist mentioned - https://www.hoover.org/profiles/thomas-sowell

The international nonprofit distributing enlightenment literature in authoritarian states - https://www.ideasbeyondborders.org/

Republic: "The Allegory of the Cave" by Plato

Chloe and Brandon take aim at some of the common misconceptions and cultural norms that give the creative realm an ironically, and maybe unnecessarily, tragic edge. Along the way, they share their perspectives on range of topics including:

- the significance of being an only child and playing alone

- the relationship between imagination and creativity

- the prevalence of impostor syndrome in creative spaces

- the case for universal basic income

- what anonymity would do for the artistic landscape

- the dangers of a refined critical eye

- the deep need for more collectivism in art, culture, and politics

- "bad" art

- comedy vs tragedy

- the evolving role of comedy in society

- the limitations of cancel culture

and much more!

If you've found this project valuable, check out the new extension of Impostors Anonymous at impostorsanonymous.substack.com where you can find additional content and even submit your own work to be shared, anonymously of course, with the IA community.

Notable mentions:

Mark David Chapman - the man who actually murdered John Lennon

John Baldessari - one of Chloe's favorite artists

Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Do the Right Thing - directed, written, and produced by Spike Lee

The title of this episode, "Green is Not a Creative Color", references the surrealist comedy/horror web series, "Don't Hug Me I'm Scared", that features a mind-bending episode about creativity.

Chris brings a particularly unique perspective to the show by speaking to his peculiar odyssey back to "normalcy" and civilian life at the end of one of the strangest years in recent history. Brandon and Chris take a tour of some unorthodox topics including:

- irregular learning styles

- the insights of Eastern philosophy and Buddhism

- wisdom vs knowledge

- balancing progress and well-being

- taking the "long route" in life

- the effects military service on fear, ego, and personal identity

- reevaluating "homelessness"

- the beauty of the "street dog"

- the importance of levity

- the absurdities of Special Forces training

- the power of acceptance

- the limitations of regret

- why hope deeply matters

and various others!

If you have any interest in getting involved in Impostors Anonymous or being a guest on the show, feel free to reach out at [email protected].

Books mentioned in this episode:

The Iliad/The Odyssey by Homer

Dao De Jing by Lao Tzu

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

Adam joins Brandon to explore the struggle of trying to guide a moral life in a world rife with distractions, bad incentives, and misinformation. Along the way, they traverse a range of topics including:

- selective outrage and our limited bandwidth

- what feels best vs. what does the most good

- lessons from the Effective Altruism movement

- the moralization of what is "natural"

- contextualizing natural selection in a modern world

- the limitations of our political system

- reigniting civic engagement

- the difficulty of accomplishing anything

and much more!

If anyone would like to get in touch with or involved in Impostors Anonymous, feel free to reach out to [email protected].

Home of the Effective Altruism movement mentioned throughout this episode - https://www.effectivealtruism.org/

A comprehensive resource for finding the most effective charities - https://www.givewell.org/

The book mentioned by Adam - Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert Putnam

If anyone would like to get in touch with or involved in Impostors Anonymous, feel free to reach out to [email protected].

Brandon and his second guest investigate the limitations of empathy by considering perspectives of all kinds. Nothing is off-limits, as they imagine what it's like to be clams, otters, and other members of the animal kingdom, while addressing the difficulty of attempting to understand our fellow humans and even our closest confidantes. Their conversation ultimately spans:

- the fluid nature of identity

- reevaluating privilege

- introversion vs extroversion

- the difficulty of navigating the mental health landscape

- the potential of psychedelics

and various other ramblings!

How bees actually make honey - https://honeybee.org.au/education/wonderful-world-of-honey/how-bees-make-honey/

A helpful resource for anyone interested in finding therapist near them - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists

An example of style of "dot painting" mentioned - https://kellytheresa.com/2019/08/15/dot-painting-101-6-pro-tips-for-beginners/

For anyone seeking more information about eating disorders and/or how to get help for themselves or a loved one - https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/contact-helpline

If anyone would like to get in touch with or involved in Impostors Anonymous, feel free to reach out to [email protected].

Josh helps kick off Impostors Anonymous with a conversation about contextualizing a year like 2020, how habits impact personal identity, the complex relationship between mindfulness and motivation, reevaluating "selfishness", and much more.

Books mentioned in the episode include:

21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari

Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Love, Happiness, and Wisdom by Rick Hanson

Seven Laws of Spirirual Success by Deepak Chopra

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Grain Brain by David Perlmutter and Kristin Loberg

Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One by Joe Dispenza

To hear more from Josh, check out The Grey Matters Podcast via the podcast player of your choice.

If you have any interest in getting involved in Impostors Anonymous or being a guest on the show, feel free to reach out at [email protected].

Welcome Impostors,

Give this brief episode a listen before you take the dive on any other episodes of the podcast. This primer will give you a sense of what this project is truly about and what you can expect in the future.