Seize the Moment Podcast

On episode 247, we welcome Lybi Ma to discuss the thought patterns we get trapped in, the differences between ruminating and deliberating, why avoiding and suppressing our emotions can make them feel more intense, challenging the negative narratives we create about our lives, why our brains are programmed for survival rather than happiness, why Freud was right, spotting cognitive distortions, the importance of mindfulness and gratitude, Lybi's divorce and how she overcame resentment and bitterness, how anxiety affects our bodies, and the importance of perceiving satisfaction as stemming from within.

Lybi Ma is the executive editor of Psychology Today. In addition to producing the print magazine, she also guides its website and blog platform, which hosts more than nine hundred authors, academic researchers, and journalists. She edited a Psychology Today book series covering topics such as anger, food addiction, and bipolar disorder. Her new book, available now, is called How to Be Less Miserable: End the Negative Mind Loops and Find Joy.

| Lybi Ma |

► Website | https://www.psychologytoday.com/us

► Twitter | https://x.com/lybima

► Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lybi-ma-b982941

► How to Be Less Miserable Book | https://amzn.to/4hZkG7M

Where you can find us:

| Seize The Moment Podcast |

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On episode 246, we welcome David Bather Woods to discuss the life and philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer, how his father's suicide shaped his beliefs about suicide, suffering as the source of compassion, happiness as the negation of pain, Schopenhauer's anti-slavery sentiment, his difficult relationship with Marxist thought and its thinkers, whether writing about changing the world for the better can be enough, why he believed life was worth living, and whether it's fair to judge his philosophy by his life and choices.

David Bather Woods is associate professor of philosophy at the University of Warwick. He is coeditor with Timothy Stoll of The Schopenhauerian Mind. He has contributed chapters to The Proustian Mind, Schopenhauer's Moral Philosophy, and The Palgrave Schopenhauer Handbook. His new book, available November 18, 2025, is called Arthur Schopenhauer: The Life and Thought of Philosophy's Greatest Pessimist.

| David Bather Woods |

► Website | https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/philosophy/people/woods

► Twitter | https://x.com/dbatherwoods

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/all_academic

► Bluesky| https://bsky.app/profile/davidbatherwoods.bsky.social

► Arthur Schopenhauer Book | https://bit.ly/ArthurSchopenhauerBiography

Where you can find us:

| Seize The Moment Podcast |

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On episode 245, we welcome Michael Uebel to discuss the practice of equanimity, its similarities and differences from mindfulness practices, how perspective taking helps mitigate difficult feelings as in PTSD, how it can be used to help bridge political divides, shifting goals to less ambitious ones for greater equanimity, perspective taking and its influence on self-esteem, and psychoanalysis as a foundation for increased humility and curiosity.

Michael Uebel, PhD, LCSW, studies intellectual history. He has taught theory and literature at the University of Virginia, Georgetown University, and the University of Kentucky. Currently an Affiliate of the Office for the Associate Dean for Research at the University of Texas-Austin, and an International Scholar of the British Psychoanalytic Council, his research focuses on the intersection of philosophy and psychology as it bears on the nature of self and ethical life. His new book, available October 31, 2025, is called Seeds of Equanimity: Knowing and Being.

| Michael Uebel |

► Website | https://utexas.academia.edu/MichaelUebel

► Psychology Today | https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/michael-uebel-austin-tx/46379

► Seeds of Equanimity Book | https://amzn.to/42BsUNa

Where you can find us:

| Seize The Moment Podcast |

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► Patreon | https://bit.ly/3xLHTIa

On episode 244, we welcome Troyen Brennan to discuss the pitfalls of the US healthcare system, the fee-for-service model's implications for patient outcomes, primary care as a more viable alternative, Walmart's failed attempt to establish primary care clinics, Optum's contrasting success, how to incentivize primary care, AI streamlining prior authorizations, increasing government funding and venture capital for primary care, how preventative care keeps patients from falling through the cracks, and why medical professionals tend to dislike the business side of medicine.

Troyen A. Brennan is an adjunct professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. A former professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the former chief medical officer at CVS Health, he is the author of The Transformation of American Health Insurance: On the Path to Medicare for All and Just Doctoring: Medical Ethics in the Liberal State. His new book, available October 7, 2025, is called Wonderful and Broken: The Complex Reality of Primary Care in the United States.

| Troyen A. Brennan |

► Website | https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Troyen-A-Brennan-38805570

► Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyen-brennan-494bb533

► Wonderful and Broken Book | https://amzn.to/3KBnjQD

Where you can find us:

| Seize The Moment Podcast |

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► Patreon | https://bit.ly/3xLHTIa

On episode 243, we welcome Eram Alam to discuss the experiences of foreign-born physicians practicing in the US, the structural problems that led to significant deficits in healthcare across the US, the Hart-Celler Act of 1965 and the other political underpinnings of migrating physicians to the US, skepticism of immigrant physicians from rural populations, the exploitation of healthcare by capital, what we owe the countries whose physicians we entice, and why race continues to occupy our minds despite our desire to surpass the construct.

Eram Alam is a historian of medicine and Associate Professor in the Department of the History of Science at Harvard University. His research explores the intersections of race, migration, and healthcare, with a focus on how global labor flows have shaped American medicine. His new book, available October 14, 2025, is called The Care of Foreigners: How Immigrant Physicians Changed US Healthcare.

| Eram Alam |

► Website | https://www.eramalam.com

► The Care of Foreigners Book | https://bit.ly/TheCareofForeigners

Where you can find us:

| Seize The Moment Podcast |

► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment

► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment

► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@seizethemomentpodcast

► Patreon | https://bit.ly/3xLHTIa

On episode 242, we welcome Cass Sunstein to discuss the foundations of fame, the roles of information cascades and reputation cascades in fostering one's success, the rise of Obama as a cascade, whether talent is enough for sustainable success, how group polarization influences our perceptions, network effects and our dependence on others, the significance of luck, why talent doesn't always see the light of day, and the importance of cultivating a sense of pride and fun in our pursuits rather than pursuing fame. Cass R. Sunstein is the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School. From 2009 to 2012, he was Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Since that time, he has served in the US government in several different roles. Adviser to many nations and international organizations, he is the author of Nudge (with Richard H. Thaler), Noise (with Daniel Kahneman and Olivier Sibony), The World According to Star Wars, and Wiser (with Reid Hastie). We will be discussing his book, How to Become Famous: Lost Einsteins, Forgotten Superstars, and How the Beatles Came to Be. | Cass R. Sunstein | ► Website | https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=16333 ► Twitter | https://x.com/casssunstein ► BlueSky | https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:yy5jieyfjpsugpkxcphmzica ► How to Become Famous Book | https://amzn.to/3TPAA9H Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment ► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@seizethemomentpodcast ► Patreon | https://bit.ly/3xLHTIa

On episode 241, we welcome Natalia Kholodenko to discuss the psychological impact of trauma, how the citizens in war-torn countries respond to trauma, Natalia's own trauma when fleeing from Ukraine after Russia began its bombing campaign, the importance of maintaining a strong value system in the face of tragedy, Judith Herman on the importance of reintegrating one back into a community when healing, Viktor Frankl and how meaning can be lost but aids in trauma recovery, and the influence of one's mind on their well-being and future.

Natalia (Nataliia) Kholodenko is a Ukrainian psychologist, media personality, and bestselling author whose work has empowered millions—especially women—navigating the trauma of war. She holds a PhD in Philosophy & Psychology, gained prominence hosting TV shows and leading mental‑health marathons across Ukraine, and has built an online community of over a million followers seeking support and resilience. A refugee herself, she now travels internationally—recently collaborating (and singing "I Will Survive") with Gloria Gaynor—to draw global attention to healing psychological wounds. Her upcoming book, The Cost of Quiet, continues her mission to transform pain into strength.

| Natalia Kholodenko |

► Website | https://nataliia.kholodenko.net

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/kholodenkon

► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/kholodenkosite

► Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsCqgdEyrsY4oMiSSPsJzNQ

Where you can find us:

| Seize The Moment Podcast |

► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment

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► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment

► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@seizethemomentpodcast

On episode 240, we welcome Mark White to discuss the ethical philosophies behind the fantastic four, applying utilitarianism to Reed Richards, deontology to Ben Grimm (The Thing), virtue ethics to Sue Storm, examining the moral growth of Johnny Storm, Dr. Doom's twisted morality, how superheroes embody the emotions associated with moral decision-making, whether moral decisions can be perceived as mere calculations, and if the ends always justify the means.

Mark D. White is a Professor of Philosophy at the College of Staten Island/CUNY who has written widely on superheroes and philosophy, including in the books Batman and Ethics and the A Philosopher Reads… volumes on Daredevil, Thor, and Civil War, as well as contributions to many volumes in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series. His new book, available now, is called Ethics of the Fantastic Four.

| Mark D. White |

► Website | https://www.profmdwhite.com

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/profmdwhite

► Twitter | https://twitter.com/profmdwhite

► Ethics of the Fantastic Four Book | https://amzn.to/4kBHLy0

Where you can find us:

| Seize The Moment Podcast |

► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment

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► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@seizethemomentpodcast

► Patreon | https://bit.ly/3xLHTIa

On episode 239, we welcome Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling to discuss his foray into the paranormal, our innate spiritualism and why some lean into it while others don't, how anti-establishment people and institutions misuse the scientific method, who's to blame for the widespread anti-science bias, the challenge of defining the 'soul,' what happens when experience conflicts with empirical data, alien abduction stories, and why we need to incorporate spiritualism and other types of alternative thinking into the mainstream.

Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling is a freelance journalist specializing in narrative features and investigative reporting. He has been named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, won a George Polk Award, and been voted Journalist of the Year by the Maine Press association, among numerous other honors. . His work has appeared in Foreign Policy, USA Today, Popular Science, Atavist Magazine, Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, the Associated Press, and elsewhere. His new book, available May 20, 2025, is called The Ghost Lab: How Bigfoot Hunters, Mediums, and Alien Enthusiasts Are Wrecking Science.

| Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling |

► Website | https://www.matt-hongoltzhetling.com

► Twitter | https://twitter.com/hh_matt

► The Ghost Lab Book | https://amzn.to/4jeY7v5

Where you can find us:

| Seize The Moment Podcast |

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On episode 238, welcome Emile DeWeaver to discuss reforming the US criminal justice system, the lack of a systematic understanding of crime in most rehabilitation programs, white supremacy as a version of the human tendency to dominate, the "near enemy" of incremental change, the roots of US policing and the need for a collective mind to replace it, the struggle with assimilation for formerly incarcerated people, the importance of clarity and courage for social justice, and why Emile's book is just the beginning of deeper work which should include strengthening our imaginations.

Emile Suotonye DeWeaver is a formerly incarcerated activist, widely published essayist, owner of Re:Frame LLC, and a 2022 Soros Justice Fellow. California's Governor Brown commuted his life sentence after twenty-one years for his community work. He has written for publications including the San Francisco Chronicle, The San Jose Mercury News, Colorlines, The Appeal, The Rumpus, and Seventh Wave. His new book, available May 13, 2025, is called Ghost in the Criminal Justice Machine: Reform, White Supremacy, and an Abolitionist Future.

| Emile Suotonye DeWeaver |

► Website | https://www.reframeconsults.com/about-emile

► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/emilesuotonyedeweaver

► Substack | https://emiledeweaver.substack.com

► Ghost in the Criminal Justice Machine Book | https://amzn.to/4lUkZm8

Where you can find us:

| Seize The Moment Podcast |

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