Have you ever wondered why you keep falling back into habits you know aren’t good for you—like spending endless hours on social media, indulging in that extra bag of chips, or binge-watching TV when you set a goal to read more books?

In this video, I introduce the concept of the Dopamine Mirage, a powerful phenomenon that explains why we chase illusions of satisfaction that often leave us feeling empty.

All this gets answered and more in this TIMELY episode of Purple Elephant Radio about the "State of AI" in 2024. From the jaw-dropping demos from OpenAI, Google, and Sam Altman's presentation at Microsoft's event to Elon Musk's grave warnings, "Artificial Intelligence" is a mixed bag of uber-optimism and apocalyptic pessimism in the media.

[0:00] - Intro

[0:48] - A Reading from “Off With His Head”

[2:20] - Why Make Another "AI" Episode?

[5:22] - The 4 Sections of the Episode

[8:16] - 5 Key Terms in AI (Explained for Tech Newbies)

[29:23] - 1 Bonus Key Term in AI

[31:19] - 5 Aspects of My Positive Vision for AI's Benefit to Humanity

[42:04] - 7 Deadly Concerns about AI & LLMs as of Now

[56:17] - 5 Evergreen Principles for Upholding Your Humanity (in the Age of AI)

[1:06:50] - A Final Word of Hope

[1:08:07] - Outro & CTA

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/purple-elephant-radio/support

All this gets answered and more in this PRACTICAL episode of Purple Elephant Radio about the “Ladder of Abstraction:” It is THE greatest communication tool, in my opinion. 

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🔴HAVE YOU BOUGHT MY NEWEST BOOK YET?🔴

… What are you waiting for?

🌟If you found this video interesting, you will LOVE my new book, "OFF WITH HIS HEAD: A Guide to Spiritual Awakening in a Polarized, Radicalized and Digitized Society." 🌟

It's on sale on Amazon right now ... 

"In a world of digital overload and political tribalism, "OFF WITH HIS HEAD" emerges as a crucial guide to understand and transcend the all-pervasive polarization in our culture today. The journey to go beyond the polarizing “culture wars,” which both ends of the political spectrum play to, requires an introspective look at the nature of thought and belief as a whole: Who thinks the thought? Who believes the belief?"

🛑BE WARNED🛑

This book is not for the faint of heart. It will offend you. It will challenge basic notions of reality. It will fundamentally alter how you see the world. Most importantly, it will awaken you to who or what lies behind the judgemental, insecure and fearful mental monologue in your mind. Not all readers will be prepared to “peak behind the curtain.” 

Here's the link to buy ▶️ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTDWNXSC

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📚 BOOKS FOR SALE 📚

👑 OFF WITH HIS HEAD 👑 (link below):

(Amazon) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTDWNXSC

🎨 THE PURPLE ELEPHANT ARTIST 🎨 (link below): 

(Amazon) https://www.amazon.com//dp/B09FCKHZXW/ 

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OTHER RESOURCES:

WRITING TOOLS by Roy Peter Clark ▶️ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316014990/ 

^This is NOT an affiliate link. I just love this book and highly recommend it to all writers.

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TIMESTAMPS:

[0:00] - Intro

[0:46] - A Reading from “Off With His Head”

[1:43] - The Ladder of Abstraction: EXPLAINED

[5:24] - AVOID the Middle Rungs of the Ladder!

[6:47] - Claim #1: Smart People SUCK at Communication

[11:15] - Language Barriers Between English Speakers

[12:29] - The Ladder of Abstraction: Applied to Business Professionals

[13:42] - Use the Power of Metaphor (and Simile)

[17:39] - The Trampoline of Abstraction?

[20:09] - The Ladder of Abstraction: Applied to Storytellers

[22:16] - Scenario #1: How to Create Story Ideas from Scratch

[31:14] - Scenario #2: How to Expand Half-Baked Ideas into Rich Stories

[35:36] - 2 Critical Reminders: Know Your Audience & Know Your Character

[37:30] - Closing Remarks

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(SUBSCRIBE - New Episodes Released on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube)

*How do you find your personal life's purpose amidst global chaos?

All this gets answered and more in this essential episode of Purple Elephant Radio about the intersection of personal freedom and personal responsibility.

(Seriously, if this message does not click, then you will remain an ignorant pawn for, and at the mercy of, self-directed individuals).

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OFF WITH HIS HEAD (link below):

(Amazon) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTDWNXSC

THE PURPLE ELEPHANT ARTIST (link below): 

(Amazon) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FCKHZXW 

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TIMESTAMPS:

[0:00] - Intro

[0:53] - A Reading from “Off With His Head”

[1:58] - Connecting Freedom & Responsibility

[3:00] - A Few Key Definitions

[6:41] - The 3 Tenets of Personal Freedom

[9:42] - A Thought Experiment About Freedom

[12:35] - REBUTTLE: What if I don’t want more responsibility?

[14:06] - The Danger of Refusing Personal Responsibility

[16:22] - Avoid the Self-help Black Hole

[18:50] - The Case for Personal Responsibility

[21:25] - A Powerful Metaphor to Cultivate Self-Direction

[25:58] - “THINK, CONSUME, CREATE, BECOME”

[28:21] - A Final Message

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(SUBSCRIBE - New Episodes Released on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube)

All this gets answered and more in this CRITICAL episode of Purple Elephant Radio about how to develop intellectual humility in this era of social media and division.

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BOOKS MENTIONED:

Intellectuals & Society by Thomas Sowell

(Amazon) https://a.co/d/4Ysro5k

The Cartoon Guide to Statistics by Larry Gonick and Woollcott Smith

*(Amazon) https://a.co/d/5QSe0eZ

^I recommend buying it used.

"The United States experienced an extraordinary increase in violent crime in the 1960s and 1970s and a remarkable drop in violent crime in the 1990s. The number of firearms, especially handguns, in private hands increased by several million every year during this period. The relentless growth in the privately held stock of firearms cannot explain both the crime wave of the first period and the crime drop of the second period," James B. Jacobs, Can Gun Control Work? (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), p. 13.

Both quotes, sourced from Intellectuals and Society, are NOT attempting to prove that guns are always safe and unlinked to crime. Rather, it points to the statistics credo "correlation does not equal causation," and, as it stands, the link between guns and violence is correlated but guns do not cause violence.

All this gets answered and more in this special episode of Purple Elephant Radio about outgrowing knee-jerk emotional reactions—like anger, stress, and anxiety—when life gets tough.

All this gets answered and more in this episode of Purple Elephant Radio about how to improve yourself without willpower or self-guilt (by shifting to "the integrated view of self").