What does it mean to do "good" as a human being? Is there such a thing as something that is fundamentally "good" or is that purely subjective? Should we follow our feelings and desires, or adhere to a set of rules or laws – like religion – that have been around for millennia?

Today's episode features a conversation with Caleb Crutchfield, founder of Collaborate Good, an organization that hosts workplace conversations with people from all different backgrounds and beliefs on questions related to society, culture, and individual flourishing.

In this episode, we discuss:

-Caleb’s background and what led him to doing this work.

-Whether there is an objective truth, whether everything is subjective, and how these questions relate to moral action in society.

-The question of “what humans are made for” and how this informs our values, beliefs, and social and political norms and rules.

-Whether we need religion to guide our behavior or whether we can make moral decisions without it.

-Whether technology and social media are “good.”

-The merits (and pitfalls) of casual sex, polygamy versus monogamy, and other moral conundrums in our modern world.

-And much more!

Learn more about Collaborate Good: https://collaborategood.org/

Have comments or questions on this episode? An idea for a future guest? I'd love to hear what you liked, agreed/disagreed with, and what you'd like to hear more of. Comment or contact me through: ⁠⁠matthewgoodmanphd.com ⁠⁠

Listen/Watch This Episode on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@matthewgoodmanphd⁠

Let's connect:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matthewgoodmanphd.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Zen-prov! Improv Classes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zen-improv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@matthewgoodmanphd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Your support is a HUGE help and allows the show to continue reaching a wider audience. Please consider leaving a RATING, REVIEW, or SHARING this episode if you found the content useful. Thank you for listening!

Is there inherent meaning to the universe, or is it meaningless? Are ethics simply a matter of "matter"—the result of a bunch of firing neurons and the relativistic musings of the mind? Is our current paradigm of what is "true" beginning to be updated? In this episode, we are joined by philosopher and author Zak Stein, who elucidates what it means to acknowledge the “first principles” of the universe—and how failing to do so has led us towards the “meta-crisis” we now face as humanity.

Dr. Zachary Stein is a Co-Founder of the Civilization Research Institute and the Center for World Philosophy and Religion. He was trained at the interface of philosophy, psychology, and education and now works in fields related to the mitigation of global catastrophic risk. He is a widely sought-after and award-winning speaker and a leading authority on the future of education and contemporary issues in human development. He is the author of dozens of published papers and books, including Education in a Time

In this episode, we discuss:

-How Zak came to religion and philosophy through music.

-The “Meta-crisis” we are currently facing including human-created, existential threats.

-Moral relativism versus a worldview that holds first principles/values.

-How value is encoded into the universe.

-Free will versus determinism.

-The myth of the march of progress and the growth of technology as “good.”

-How global stress is heightening relativism, separateness, technofeudalism, and moving us closer to a tipping point.

-Iain McGilchrist’s work on Left and Right hemispheres and how these show up in the collective.

-The question of whether society is experiencing a sort of mental illness.

-How attention/awareness acts as an organizing force and helps to create more health, interrelation, intimacy, and evolution.

-The effects of technology on attention and the manipulation of our attention spans.

-The body as a portal to understanding first principles.

-Technofeudalism, coercion, manipulation, and social media in our modern world.

-The conundrum of whether it is moral to control people for “good” reasons.

-Chaos, order, and re-order in the evolution of our society.

Check Out/Learn More About Zak's Work:

Have comments or questions on this episode? An idea for a future guest? I'd love to hear what you liked, agreed/disagreed with, and what you'd like to hear more of. Comment or contact me through: ⁠matthewgoodmanphd.com ⁠

Listen/Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matthewgoodmanphd

Let's connect:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matthewgoodmanphd.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Zen-prov! Improv Classes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zen-improv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@matthewgoodmanphd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Your support is a HUGE help and allows the show to continue reaching a wider audience. Please consider leaving a RATING, REVIEW, or SHARING this episode if you found the content useful. Thank you for listening!

"The Work" of Byron Katie is a method of inquiry that helps us get in touch with reality instead getting caught up in the stories in our mind. It is a powerful practice for improving our relationship to ourselves, others, and the world.

Sarah Climenhaga is a dedicated facilitator of The Work. She began her career as an environmental advocate in the nonprofit sector before later running for mayor of Toronto with a vision of a free, inclusive, and beautiful city. After the turmoil of the pandemic, she experienced firsthand how much pain came with fighting reality, and how acceptance of even the biggest challenges profoundly affected happiness and peace both for her and for those around her. That led to her decision to embark on a professional career to help others find freedom from suffering. She now guides clients through the practice of The Work in one-on-one sessions and workshops, both online and in person.

In this episode, we discuss:

-Living in reality versus believing the thoughts and stories that dominate our experience of the world.

-The similarities and differences between The Work and

-Dealing with despair over the planet.

-How the world is a mirror of our thoughts.

-How The Work impacts our relationships.

-Why The Work is not a denial of what is happening in the world but helps us be more effective agents by "cleaning up" our own thoughts first.

-Sarah's question/practice around "what is getting in the way of being happy right now?"

-The inner conflict of whether we can be happy when the world is suffering.

-Sarah guides me through the practice of The Work (~45:00 in the episode).

Sarah Climenhaga's website: https://sarahclimenhaga.ca/

The Work of Byron Katie: https://thework.com/

Have comments or questions on this episode? An idea for a future guest? I'd love to hear what you liked, agreed/disagreed with, and what you'd like to hear more of. Comment or contact me through: matthewgoodmanphd.com

Listen/Watch This Episode on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmga5Z4JdHziQjtCdnVhYuw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Let's connect:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matthewgoodmanphd.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Zen-prov! Improv Classes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zen-improv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@matthewgoodmanphd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Your support is a HUGE help and allows the show to continue reaching a wider audience. Please consider leaving a RATING, REVIEW, or SHARING this episode if you found the content useful. Thank you for listening!

Wishing you a peaceful, joyful, meaningful New Year : )

Luis Mojica is a somatic therapist, trauma nutritionist, and founder of Holistic Life Navigation, where he teaches thousands of people around the world how to recover from stress and trauma. He uses whole foods, self-inquiry, and Somatic Experiencing as tools to find safety within yourself. Through Holistic Life Navigation, Luis offers online courses and webinars, in-person workshops and retreats, trauma-informed support groups, a monthly membership and newsletter, a weekly podcast, and a popular YouTube channel filled with insights and interviews.

In this incredibly insightful episode, Luis and I discuss:

-What "Somatic Experiencing" is and how it relates to trauma.

-How trauma lives and manifests in the body.

-Luis guides us through a "feeling the now" somatic practice.

-The neurobiology and somatics of anxiety and “addiction” to not feeling happy.  

-Understanding your interpersonal triggers through a somatic lens and how to regulate them.

-The radical and controversial act of being 100% responsible for our actions while being 0% responsible for how someone else feels, and why this is both liberating and truly compassionate. 

-Why “safe spaces” are not actually safe and how to find safety in disagreement.  

-How we are becoming more divided based on our narrowing bandwidth to tolerate disagreement and discomfort.

-Co-dependence, aka “I need you to feel a certain way for me to feel safe.”

-The act of being oppressive in pursuit of trying to end oppression and “shaming people into accountability” – how to step out of the trauma cycle instead. 

-Relational dynamics in the context of the Israel/Palestine conflict.

-How our behavior is affected by taking in negative news.

-The role of nutrition in healing trauma.

-And much more!

Connect with Luis here:

Luis' website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

Holistic Life Navigation Podcast: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/podcast

Luis on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@holisticlifenavigation/featured

Luis on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holistic.life.navigation/?hl=en

Have comments or questions on this episode? An idea for a future guest? I'd love to hear what you liked, agreed/disagreed with, and what you'd like to hear more of. Email: [email protected]

Listen/Watch This Episode on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmga5Z4JdHziQjtCdnVhYuw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Let's connect:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matthewgoodmanphd.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Zen-prov! Improv Classes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zen-improv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@matthewgoodmanphd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Consulting: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://the-middle-way.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Your support is a HUGE help and allows the show to continue reaching a wider audience. Please consider leaving a RATING, REVIEW, or SHARING this episode if you found the content useful. Thank you for listening!

Dr. Vikram Mansharamani is a global trend-watcher who shows people how to anticipate the future, manage risk, and spot opportunities. He is the author of "The Making of a Generalist," "Think For Yourself," and "Boombustology." He has been a frequent commentator on issues driving disruption in the global business environment. Vikram’s ideas and writings have also appeared in Bloomberg, Fortune, Forbes, The New York Times and a long list of other publications. Linkedin twice listed him as their #1 Top Voice for Money, Finance and Global Economics and Worth has profiled him as one of the 100 most powerful people in global finance. Millions of readers have enjoyed his unique multi-lens approach to connecting seemingly irrelevant dots.

In this episode, Vikram shares how a “generalist mindset” can help us navigate a world full of complexity and uncertainty; and why, from his perspective, this opens up more creative, innovative, and effective solutions to our global problems.

Highlights/quotes from this episode: " Every single perspective is limited, biased, and incomplete. And if that’s the case, then why not use more than one perspective to really integrate a view of what’s happening in the world?”

Specifically, we discuss:

-The "migrant mindset" and how his family's immigrant background helped shape him today.

-What a "generalist mindset" is and how it helps us connect the dots.

-How being a generalist is a "call for empathy" and the integration of multiple perspectives.

-Vikram’s view of some of the forces contributing to polarization.

-How diversifying our media diets and other sources of information can help us think more comprehensively.

-How renewable fuel in the U.S. may be tied to the Arab Spring and other examples of global interconnection.

-Vikram's "global developments to watch" over the next 5 years.

-And much more!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikrammansharamani/

Substack: https://substack.com/@mansharamani

Book: "The Making of a Generalist: An Independent Thinker Finds Unconventional Success in an Uncertain World"

Article: "24 Global Trends to Watch Over the Next 5 Years"

Have comments or questions on this episode? An idea for a future guest? I'd love to hear what you liked, agreed/disagreed with, and what you'd like to hear more of. Email: [email protected]

Listen/Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmga5Z4JdHziQjtCdnVhYuw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Let's connect:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matthewgoodmanphd.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Zen-prov! Improv Classes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zen-improv.com⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@matthewgoodmanphd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Consulting: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://the-middle-way.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Your support is a HUGE help and allows the show to continue reaching a wider audience. Please consider leaving a RATING, REVIEW, or SHARING this episode if you found the content useful. Thank you for listening!

Did you hear?! LOVE is "in." And hate... so 2000-and-late.

That's my prediction, anyway, for the next 10-20 years. Or maybe it's simply a necessity.

We are approaching the two year anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war. It seems like conflict in the world continues to ratchet up, the possibility of a global conflict becoming ever more realistic and sadly palatable.

Is there another way? What new possibilities and paradigms are attempting to emerge in the world?

In this episode, I share my thoughts on:

-The tragedy of the Russia-Ukraine war and why I believe a pragmatic approach leads us closer to peace, not more conflict.

-The paranoia of the current world paradigm and why offensive defense is not a strategy for peace but a trigger for conflict and escalation.

-The flawed idea and "projection" of the West about other countries' own imperialistic ambitions and how this relates to spiritual maturity ("if you spot it, you got it").

-Leading by example - creating peace through peace, not through force.

-Tucker Carlson's interview with Putin - what was weird and what was right.

-The natural rise and fall of empires and the indications of decline.

-The new paradigm of multipolarism: not power over, but power together (competition as a form of cooperation) and how this brings us closer to our evolutionary destiny.

Thoughts on this episode? What points do you agree or disagree with? I'd love to hear from you. Send a message to: [email protected]

Listen/Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmga5Z4JdHziQjtCdnVhYuw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Your support is a HUGE help and allows the show to continue reaching a wider audience. Please consider leaving a RATING, REVIEW, or SHARING this episode if you found the content useful. Thank you for listening!

~May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease and joy. May you be free of suffering~

The psychologist Carl Rogers famously wrote, "The curious paradox is that when I accept myself, just as I am, then I can change.” The same is often true on a collective level. The more we use shame, blame, and "othering" as tactics to inspire behavior change, the more resistant and defensive people tend to be. This has hardly been more on display than in the highly charged area of climate change.

Our guest on this episode, Dr. Renée Lertzman, explains why the status quo approach of "yelling, telling, and selling" on climate action has underperformed its aims based on insights from clinical psychology and behavioral neuroscience.

Dr. Renée Lertzman is a researcher, educator and engagement strategist who translates relational psychological insights to change our approach to our planetary crisis. She works with founders, innovators, companies and organizations across public and private sectors, looking to strengthen climate and sustainability initiatives, develop more effective campaigns, and harness the creativity and innovation needed to address our most complex and intractable problems with speed, creativity and imagination. A popular international keynote speaker, trainer and facilitator, she works with organizations, leaders and teams across sectors and regions, including clients such as Google, VMWare, IKEA, California Academy of Sciences, WWF, and the City of London.

Learn more about Project Inside Out: ⁠https://projectinsideout.net/

Topics covered in this episode:

-How Renée's confrontation with our planetary crises shaped her career path as a psychologist.

-Understanding social and ecological issues through the lens of trauma.

-How polarization on climate has insidiously developed over the last few decades.

-The role of safety, threat, and identity in the interpersonal dynamics of climate conversations.

-Why shame, blame, and "othering" may be well intended, but are not effective strategies for change.

-How to guide people through their ambivalence around action through "Motivational Interviewing" skills.

-Renée's work with leaders on the "inner" skills for outer change: self-awareness, self-regulation, and listening and empathy.

-Renée's work with consulting, research, and strategic messaging during the 2016 election.

-The three A's affecting climate behavior change: Anxiety, Ambivalence, and Aspiration.

-"Call out" culture and the alternative opportunity to "call in" or "call off" conversations.

-And much more!

Have comments or questions on this episode? An idea for a future guest? I'd love to hear what you liked, agreed/disagreed with, and what you'd like to hear more of. Email: [email protected]

Listen/Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmga5Z4JdHziQjtCdnVhYuw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Let's connect:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matthewgoodmanphd.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Zen-prov! Improv Classes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zen-improv.com⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@matthewgoodmanphd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Consulting: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://the-middle-way.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Your support is a HUGE help and allows the show to continue reaching a wider audience. Please consider leaving a RATING, REVIEW, or SHARING this episode if you found the content useful. Thank you for listening!

~May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease and joy. May you be free of suffering~

There's one certainty in life: life is uncertain. Especially in our rapidly changing world, individuals and organizations are forced to adapt to constant challenges and change. The ability to improvise - the respond to each moment with openness, flexibility, and grace - is pivotal to thriving in a complex and constantly changing world.

In this episode, I speak with entrepreneur Mary Lemmer about how improv can help us better navigate business and life.

In this episode, we discuss:

-Mary's trip to Africa to help aspiring entrepreneurs.

-Starting a business at 14 years old.

-Dealing with stress, uncertainty, and lack of control in business (and life).

-The blocks of "overthinking."

-How improv can improve our ability to listen, communicate, and have difficult conversations.

-Noticing and debunking our internal stories about other people and the world.

-Improv as a mindfulness tool and what it offers that meditation doesn't.

-How to use improv to improve companies and leadership.

-Mary's research on improv and sleep, physiological health, and happiness.

-And much more!

Connect with Mary at www.marylemmer.com and learn more about Improve at www.chooseimprove.com.

Have comments or questions on this episode? An idea for a future guest? I'd love to hear what you liked, agreed/disagreed with, and what you'd like to hear more of. Email: [email protected]

Listen/Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmga5Z4JdHziQjtCdnVhYuw⁠⁠⁠⁠

Let's connect:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matthewgoodmanphd.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Zen-prov! Class (Improv + Zen): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zen-improv.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@matthewgoodmanphd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Consulting: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://the-middle-way.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ /⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ccg-group.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Your support is a HUGE help and allows the show to continue reaching a wider audience. Please consider leaving a RATING, REVIEW, or SHARING this episode if you found the content useful. Thank you for listening!

~May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease and joy. May you be free of suffering~

Hello beautiful souls! In this episode, I flip the script and share an interview I did on my friend Rachael Bonetti's podcast, "What It Means To Be Well." In it, Rachael and I discuss the art of "conscious communication," including the power of deep listening, building trust, showing up authentically, and taking "radical responsibility" in relationships and as a leader. We discuss tips for having safe and productive conversations at work, home, and everyday life.

Rachael is the founder of The Elite EA Academy, a corporate trainer and consultant who supports organizations to create the conditions that allow everyone to thrive. She was our guest on Episode #49 of The Middle Way, "Talking Burnout and Taking Care" (Apple, Spotify).

Thank you for tuning in!

Have comments or questions on this episode? An idea for a future guest? I'd love to hear what you liked, agreed/disagreed with, and what you'd like to hear more of. Email: [email protected]

Listen/Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmga5Z4JdHziQjtCdnVhYuw⁠⁠⁠

Let's connect:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matthewgoodmanphd.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Zen-prov! Class (Improv + Zen): ⁠⁠⁠⁠zen-improv.com

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@matthewgoodmanphd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Consulting: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://the-middle-way.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ /⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ccg-group.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Your support is a HUGE help and allows the show to continue reaching a wider audience. Please consider leaving a RATING, REVIEW, or SHARING this episode if you found the content useful. Thank you for listening!

~May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease and joy. May you be free of suffering~