Acting is weird, brutal work. Fargo star William H. Macy breaks down why desperation makes great art — and how he finally learned to act at age 60.

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1223

What We Discuss with William H. Macy:

• Character is defined by action, not words or backstory. What you do reveals who you are, making desperation and relentlessness compelling on screen.
• The best actors are bulletproof against criticism of their craft because they commit fully to their choices without seeking approval or worrying about being flattering.
• William didn't truly learn to act until his 60s on Shameless. Getting his 10,000 hours taught him to drop baggage and focus only on what's essential in the moment.
• Really look and really listen. This simple technique transforms performances because genuine attention makes others self-conscious and creates authentic reactions.
• Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Happiness comes from accepting who you are and doing what you're naturally good at rather than fixing every flaw.
• And much more...

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Sextortion, fraud, hacking, car theft, death threats — your ex belongs in prison. How do you make that happen? Welcome to Feedback Friday!

And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at [email protected]. Now let's dive in!

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1222

On This Week's Feedback Friday:

• [00:11:32] Your ex secretly took explicit photos, threatened blackmail, racked up $19,000 in debt on your cards, hacked your accounts, stole your car, and threatened to kill you multiple times — all while evading a restraining order. How do you finally get the legal system to work for you and hold this criminal accountable? [Thanks once again to attorney Corbin Payne for helping us answer this!]
• [00:30:25] Your colleagues were laid off, and now their former employees keep approaching them to express sadness and frustration about the terminations — adding emotional weight while the managers process their own job losses. Should they set boundaries or reframe these conversations as something valuable instead? [Thanks to leadership coach and speaker Dr. Arseny Thumb von Neuburg for helping us with this one!]
• [00:37:18] You spent years discovering you have ADHD, RSD, autism, OCD, and stereoblindness — each diagnosis life-changing with the right medication and therapy. You've helped coworkers get diagnosed too. How do you know what else might be affecting you, and how can you help others recognize their own neurodivergence?
• [01:00:39] Recommendation of the Week: Retro board games (like Trouble, Uno, and Sorry!)
• [01:03:16] Women use AI 20% less than men across nearly all sectors — with ChatGPT's app users being 85% male — creating a massive economic disadvantage. Women who develop AI skills could earn $2.7 million more over their careers. What's driving this gap, and what does it mean for the future of work and gender equality?
• Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at [email protected]!
• Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger.
• Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi.

And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps!

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The intelligence world is evolving rapidly. Former CIA officer Andrew Bustamante explains Cold War tech, Ukraine strategy, and global conflicts. [Pt. 2/2 — catch Pt. 1/2 here!]

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1221

What We Discuss with Andrew Bustamante:

• Jeffrey Epstein was likely an FBI confidential informant rather than a CIA asset. The FBI can grant immunity for domestic crimes, while CIA has no authority to provide legal cover for American citizens committing crimes in the US.
• Blackmail is the weakest form of manipulation. Once information is released, it can be denied as fake or AI-generated, and the blackmailer has already spent their only leverage with no guarantee of success.
• Social media isn't a battlefield — it's a mosh pit with all offensive operations and no defense. State actors create chaos cheaply, forcing opponents to spend vastly more resources fighting disinformation.
• Israel serves as a strategic watchdog for US interests. By weakening Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran, Netanyahu has secured not just Israel but also Saudi Arabia and the United States for two decades.
• CIA persuasion and influence techniques are based on empirical science and human behavior patterns. You can learn to build trust, read people, and communicate effectively by understanding these age-old principles in everyday life.
• And much more...

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The intelligence world is evolving rapidly. Former CIA officer Andrew Bustamante explains Cold War tech, Ukraine strategy, and global conflicts. [Pt. 1/2 — catch Pt. 2/2 here!]

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1220

What We Discuss with Andrew Bustamante:

• Number stations are still active intelligence tools. These mysterious shortwave radio broadcasts transmitting sequences of numbers remain a viable covert communication method. Using one-time pad encryption, they allow intelligence services to send untraceable messages to operatives worldwide. The receiver is nearly impossible to identify since anyone with a cheap shortwave radio could be listening, making this Cold War technology still relevant in the digital age.
• World War III may already be underway. According to Andrew, there are currently 161 active conflict zones globally, most involving multiple countries supporting different sides through proxy warfare. This represents a fundamentally different kind of world war — not the massive conventional battles of WWII, but an interconnected web of conflicts where nations profit economically from supporting wars without direct engagement.
• Russia is winning in Ukraine. Despite Western support, Russia continues to control 17-18% of Ukrainian territory and maintains consistent progress. Putin's long-term messaging strategy has been remarkably effective, and with decreasing US support, Ukraine faces an increasingly difficult position. The conflict may ultimately result in a divided nation, with reconstruction contracts becoming the real prize for both Western and Russian interests.
• Leaving the CIA is designed to be nearly impossible. The Agency provides zero transition assistance and maintains operatives in "leave without pay" status rather than terminating them, making it easy to return but extremely difficult to move forward. Covert officers face resume gaps they cannot explain, fake work histories that don't check out, and a cover rollback process that can take years — all designed to make former officers fail and return.
• International experience creates unique opportunities and safety nets. Whether it's obtaining dual citizenship for your children, understanding how to navigate corrupt systems (like ducking into upscale hotels owned by powerful people when police hassle you), or recognizing that Americans abroad often receive preferential treatment, global exposure provides tangible advantages. Part two will explore more about modern espionage, global conflict, and what it means for the rest of us.
• And much more...

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Redheads are bullied, fetishized, and medically misunderstood. Jessica Wynn is here to color in the facts about being a ginger on this Skeptical Sunday!

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by writer and researcher Jessica Wynn!

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1219

On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:

• The MC1R gene mutation causes red hair, pale skin, and freckles, but also influences pain processing, drug metabolism, and other biological functions throughout the body.
• Redheads experience pain differently — they tolerate electric shocks better but are more sensitive to heat and cold, requiring adjusted medical treatment approaches.
• Redheads have significantly higher melanoma risk because they produce less protective melanin, making sunscreen essential and frequent sun exposure dangerous.
• Redheads face ongoing discrimination and fetishization — from childhood bullying to adult harassment — despite red hair being a normal genetic variation affecting one to two percent of the population.
• Research on redheads' unique genetics is advancing pain treatment for everyone. Understanding genetic diversity helps medicine better serve all patients, not just those with red hair.
• Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at [email protected] and let him know!
• Connect with Jessica Wynn at Instagram and Threads, and subscribe to her newsletters: Between the Lines and Where the Shadows Linger!

And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps!

• Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!
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The abused grandson your in-laws raised is now 32 and violent, and just hospitalized grandpa. Still, they won't evict him. Now what? It's Feedback Friday!

And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at [email protected]. Now let's dive in!

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1218

On This Week's Feedback Friday:

• Your fiancé's grandparents took in their troubled grandson after his abusive mother abandoned him. Now he's 32, violent, and just sent your partner's elderly grandfather to the hospital with fractured ribs. They won't kick him out. How do you protect them when they won't protect themselves?
• You met someone wonderful during a deployment four years ago. Now you're considering uprooting your high-schooler kids — including your daughter who's deeply invested in her gymnastics gym — to finally live together. Your mom has been your rock. Do you choose love or stability?
• Your junior employee failed out of training for your role and started bullying new trainees. After you reported her, she retaliated by broadcasting your early pregnancy news and making cruel comments about your stepson's medical condition. Is this fireable? What are your rights when a coworker weaponizes your private medical information? [Thanks to HR professional Joanna Tate for helping us with this one!]
• Recommendation of the Week: JadeYoga Travel Yoga Mat or JadeYoga Voyager Yoga Mat
• You're stuck in binary thinking — should you do A or should you do B? George Saunders suggests there's often a third way. Instead of getting locked into either-or choices, what if the real answer lies in how you approach the decision itself, not which option you pick?
• Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at [email protected]!
• Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger.
• Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi.

And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps!

• Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!
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Money and power are merging on the high seas. The New Yorker's Evan Osnos exposes how super yachts became the new seat of American oligarchy.

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1217

What We Discuss with Evan Osnos:

• Billionaire political donations increased 200x in 20 years ($25M to $3B in 2024), marking America's shift from democracy to oligarchy — where economic and political power fuse.
• Super yachts are floating power centers — not just status symbols but boardrooms, tax havens, and networking hubs where billion-dollar deals happen beyond public scrutiny and regulation.
• Each super yacht pollutes like 1,500 cars running continuously, costs 10 percent of its purchase price annually to maintain, and creates toxic work environments for crew in legal gray zones.
• The ultra-wealthy face insatiable desire — where 50-meter boats become "embarrassing," half-billion-dollar yachts are "quite nice," and satisfaction remains perpetually out of reach.
• History shows extreme inequality resolves through crisis — war, revolution, or pandemic. But we can prevent these outcomes by making systems less advantageous to the few and more inclusive to all. Support politicians who limit campaign finance influence. Vote with your wallet. Build communities that value contribution over consumption. Small actions compound: we shape culture by what we celebrate and reject.
• And much more...

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Free speech defenders are losing ground as government pressure mounts. Legal expert Greg Lukianoff reveals why the Kimmel case should terrify everyone.

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1216

What We Discuss with Greg Lukianoff:

• The Trump administration used FCC licensing threats and merger approval leverage to force ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel — a form of "jawboning" where government coerces private entities to censor speech the government itself cannot legally punish.
• Historically, free speech has been the primary tool for minorities and marginalized groups. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Frederick Douglass, and Gandhi all relied on free speech to challenge the majority and the powerful.
• Hate speech laws don't change minds — they drive people into echo chambers where they radicalize further. When people can only discuss controversial views with those who already agree, extremism intensifies rather than diminishes.
• Over one-third of college students believe violence can be acceptable in response to speech. Two-thirds support shouting down speakers, representing mob censorship that undermines the marketplace of ideas and threatens intellectual discourse.
• Practice intellectual courage. When encountering disagreeable speech, engage rather than silence. Ask yourself: "Am I safer knowing less about what people think?" The answer is no — open dialogue reveals problems early, strengthens your arguments, and builds a healthier society.
• And much more...

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QAnon-style trafficking myths are hurting real victims and helping nobody. Nick Pell separates trafficking fact from fiction here on Skeptical Sunday.

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by writer and researcher Nick Pell!

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1215

On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:

• The math doesn't add up. That viral "800,000 missing children" claim? Pure statistical sleight of hand. Most are runaways or parental custody disputes, not shadowy trafficking rings. The reality is that stranger abductions account for just one percent of kidnapping cases.
• Forget the Hollywood playbook. Real trafficking isn't a panel van at Walmart waiting for the perfect victim to whisk away — it's the slow burn of grooming. Predators pose as boyfriends, exploit trust, and use psychological manipulation over months.
• Privilege blinds us to real victims. That suburban soccer mom convinced she's a trafficking target? Statistically safer than she thinks. Actual victims tend to come from marginalized communities, LGBTQ+ youth, immigrants, and kids in foster care — people society already overlooks.
• Moral panic creates real harm. Trafficking hysteria spawned laws like SESTA/FOSTA that pushed sex work underground, making it more dangerous. When we chase fictional threats, we abandon real victims who need unsexy, long-term support — not rescue fantasies.
• Real solutions work through boring, beautiful basics. Want to actually help? Support organizations like Polaris Project that provide housing, mental health care, legal aid, and job training. One person at a time, one life rebuilt — that's how you dismantle trafficking networks for real.
• Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at [email protected] and let him know!

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The boss made crude remarks, leaving you torn between outrage and flattery after years of marital boredom. Can good come from this? It's Feedback Friday!

And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at [email protected]. Now let's dive in!

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1214

On This Week's Feedback Friday:

• Your boss made inappropriate sexual comments at a work event in front of colleagues. You're wrestling with complex emotions — you didn't want his attention, but you liked feeling desired again after years of routine marriage. How do you handle the workplace situation while rekindling intimacy at home?
• A 10-year-old made death threats against your daughter in the class group chat and on social media. The other child's parents told you to "play in traffic." The school principal suggested prayer and "good vibes" instead of action. How do you protect your child when those ostensibly in charge have apparently outsourced responsibility to the universe?
• You built a VFX career, moving from 2D to 3D work on blockbusters. Then strikes hit, the industry shrank, and AI started taking over. With a baby coming, you need stability but fear obsolescence. How do you transition when your passion industry is collapsing around you?
• Recommendation of the Week: Withings BPM Connect Digital Blood Pressure Cuff & Heart Rate Monitor
• You've been a longtime listener wondering about Jordan and Gabe's relationship with alcohol. You're contemplating your own break from the bottle and wondering about their stance on the sauce, the giggle juice, the liquid social lubricant that flows through so many adult conversations.
• Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at [email protected]!
• Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger.
• Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi.

And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps!

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