Is it just us, or does American culture have narcissism fever? Are we becoming more narcissistic? Or are we now over-using and misusing this term to the point of meaninglessness? Wait, is obsessing about other people's narcissism its own kind of narcissism? 

In this Magical Overthinkers episode, host Amanda Montell settles in for an illuminating chat with psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasula, author of the New York Times bestseller "It's Not You." 

From the episode: 

A conversation with Dr. Alissa Ackerman about her restorative justice work on the frontlines of Me Too, using proxy-like conversations. 

This is a Patreon exclusive bonus episode we're releasing on the main feed. If you want to hear more conversations like this, consider joining our Patreon. 

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We'll be back with a new episode in two weeks. In the meantime, enjoy this episode from our friends at Science of Happiness. 

When we’re deep in burnout, even the simplest decisions can feel overwhelming.  A conversation about slowing down, listening inward, and what it takes to rebuild trust in your inner knowing on the other side of exhaustion. 

From the episode:

The case of the people person who fell out of love with people. 

From the episode: 

To hear Zakiya get more help on her conundrum and learn about the science of intuition, check out her Science of Happiness podcast episode coming this Thursday. On Science of Happiness, U.C. Berkeley psychologist Dr. Dacher Keltner invites a guest to try a research-backed practice shown to boost emotional well being, improve relationships, promote compassion or reduce stress.  

Proxy is an independent podcast and we rely on listeners. To support emotional investigative journalism™️ and help the show keep going, consider joining our Patreon. You’ll get ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus interviews.

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Yowei doesn't have an internal narrator telling stories about her life - at least a voice she can hear in her head. She talks to psychology professor Jonathan Adler about what this means and what anyone can do to strengthen their self-narrator, if they wanted to. 

To listen to the full bonus episode, sign up to become a Patreon member starting at $5 per month. You’ll get ad-free episodes, monthly exclusive bonus interviews, and other goodies.

From the episode: 

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The case of Amanda, a writer whose internal monologue won't stop narrating her life, instead of just letting her live it.

From the episode: 

Proxy is an independent podcast and we rely on listeners. To support emotional investigative journalism™️ and help the show keep going, consider joining our Patreon. You’ll get ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus interviews.

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When someone with Alzheimer's gets upset about something that isn't actually happening, it can be easy to dismiss their feelings. But what if we approached those feelings not as problems to get rid of, but mysteries to solve? 

In this bonus episode, psychologist Claudia Drossel unpacks the feelings of people with Alzheimer's and how to decode them to use as a guide to give better care.

To listen to the full bonus episode, sign up to become a Patreon member. You’ll get ad-free episodes, monthly exclusive bonus interviews, and other goodies.

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The case of Brian, a journalist whose mother-in-law has Alzheimer's. Even though Brian knows she can’t help misremembering things, he can’t stop losing his patience with her, and with himself. 

From the episode: 

Proxy is an independent podcast and we rely on listeners. To support emotional investigative journalism™️ and help the show keep going, consider joining our Patreon. You’ll get ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus interviews.

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The case of Evan and Chris, best friends who love playing music together. But after the band suffers a terrible tragedy, they find themselves unable to regain their momentum. We pair them up with another musician who’s all too familiar with the neverending drama that comes with being in a band with friends. 

From the episode: 

Proxy is an independent podcast and we rely on listeners. To support emotional investigative journalism™️ and help the show keep going, consider joining our Patreon. You’ll get ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus interviews.

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For a long time, Yowei saw her introversion as a character flaw to fix. She gets advice from comedian (and fellow introvert) Aparna Nancherla about how to stop wishing for personality puberty to hit.

From the episode: 

Proxy is an independent podcast and we rely on listeners. To support emotional investigative journalism™️ and help the show keep going, consider joining our Patreon. You’ll get ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus interviews.

Sign up for our free newsletter. 

Follow us on Instagram: @proxypodcast @yoweishaw

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