The Middle Way with Dr. Matthew Goodman

Monday Mini: This is the first Monday Mini! Woo!! 

The practice: Meditation can be overwhelming. Especially for folks with anxiety or trauma. Try this: instead of closing your eyes at the beginning of practice, start with a mental scan of your environment. Open your eyes and ears. Try to notice detail (e.g., color, texture). Touch something soothing. Feel your bum on the chair/cushion/ground. This practice grounds us and tells our brain that we are safe. Then we might go "internal" if it feels safe. 

Have a great day!! 

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Simple Stress-Reduction Book: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Stress-Reduction-Effective-Practices-ebook/dp/B09R1D6HN2

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It's been a year since the first episode (wooo!!!). On this episode, I reflect on lessons learned (from guests, and as a podcaster), give a preview of what's to come next season, and share some additional updates. 

THANK YOU for being a listener! I want to connect more, so drop a message to say hello or any other feedback you want to share...

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See you soon for Season 2! 

In this episode I speak with Jason Littlefield and Erec Smith of Free Black Thought (FBT). Jason is a co-founder and co-editor of FBT, educator, Executive Director of EmpowerED Pathways, and designer of Compassionate Humanism, a humanity-centered framework for life, leadership, and learning. Dr. Erec Smith is a co-founder and co-editor of FBT, Writing Fellow for Heterodox Academy, Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania, and author of several books, including most recently "The Lure of Disempowerment: Reclaiming Agency in the Age of CRT" and "A Critique of Anti-Racism in Rhetoric and Composition."

Jason and Erec offer an alternative to modern anti-racism that is rooted in self-empowerment, shared values, and interconnectedness. In this episode we discuss how the "victim" narrative is embedded (consciously or not) within the anti-racist approach; how this narrative can seep into interactions and situations we encounter; why the sense of victimhood leads to learned helplessness; how modern antiracism and DEI counterproductively reinforce "othering" instead of focusing on shared humanity; the trap of the oppressed vs. oppressor dynamic; why we must include a relationships with ourselves (in addition to others) in combatting racism; why and how we should focus our identities around shared values rather than biological characteristics, such as skin color; the role of rhetoric and the importance of pragmatism in communication about race; the connection between empowerment and spirituality (e.g., Buddhism); traditional SEL versus transformative SEL; and much more.

Links:

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iVYt57ScrZk

Follow Dr. Goodman:

Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd

Website: https://matthewgoodmanphd.com

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Stress-Reduction-Effective-Practices-ebook/dp/B09R1D6HN2

If you find this useful, please consider sharing with a friend/loved one, rating or reviewing, or supporting the show : )

What a treat to bring you today's conversation with Mónica Guzmán. Mónica is a bridge builder, journalist, and entrepreneur who lives for great conversations sparked by curious questions. She’s director of digital and storytelling at Braver Angels, the nation’s largest cross-partisan grassroots organization working to depolarize America; host of live interview series at Crosscut; and cofounder of the award- winning Seattle newsletter The Evergrey. She was a 2019 fellow at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, where she studied social and political division, and a 2016 fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University, where she researched how journalists can rethink their roles to better meet the needs of a participatory public. She was named one of the 50 most influential women in Seattle, served twice as a juror for the Pulitzer Prizes, and plays a barbarian named Shadrack in her besties’ Dungeons & Dragons campaign. A Mexican immigrant, Latina, and dual US/Mexico citizen, she lives in Seattle with her husband and two kids and is the proud liberal daughter of conservative parents.

Personally, I have been a fan of Mónica and the Braver Angels organization more broadly over the past few years. Their work cannot be understated; we all recognize that polarization is one of the key threats to our society today. If you are someone who wants to build bridges, check out their work. As Mónica discusses, bridge building does not mean that you necessarily shift your views to be more centrist; on the contrary, you can hold strong political opinions grounded firmly in your values AND at the same time understand and respect someone else's opinions and values.

In this episode we discuss Mónica's experience of being the liberal daughter of two Trump-voting parents; the different types of polarization we face today; why Mónica believes curiosity is the strongest antidote to polarization; the tendency to have more empathy for our in-group versus out-group; building "short bridges;" the story of Braver Angels and its work across the country, including with members of congress; the future of debates; the problem with trying to control misinformation; how to have productive political conversations with others; and more.

Purchase Mónica's book, "I Never Thought It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times": https://www.amazon.com/Never-Thought-That-Way-Conversations/dp/1637740328

Highlights from this episode:

"If all you're doing is disqualifying people when they don't affirm facts, that doesn't address what's really underneath it all—which is people's concerns.... The real work is listening to each other's honest concerns."

"As a society we need to have a collective search for truth... the problem is that any conversation does not involve all of us, because we're so fractured. in order to make sure that conversation involves all of us, we're going to have to build trust."

"Building trust means that you have to listen to someone without correcting them."

"We're not going to build truth until we build trust."

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nsHhFJVZ48s

Follow Dr. Goodman:

Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd

Website: https://matthewgoodmanphd.com

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Stress-Reduction-Effective-Practices-ebook/dp/B09R1D6HN2

If you find this useful, please consider sharing with a friend/loved one, rating or reviewing, or supporting the show : )

In this episode I share some reflections on the immensely tragic and troubling eruption of mass shootings. I first point out the great disservice that polarization does on this topic; we can focus on both "gun control" and "mental health" at the same time, irrespective of the pull to choose one solution or the other based on our group's ideology. I explain why I think focusing on these debates actually maintains the status quo—despite good intentions to find the right answers and "fix" the problem, we neglect doing the deep soul-searching that is necessary to truly "diagnose" and "treat" the problem. I suggest we can do much more to publicly broadcast messages that could reach potential violent actors, counterintuitively founded in love and compassion. I share my thoughts on arming teachers (I think it's terrible). I explore the problem of more control. I urge us to look at this from a psychospiritual and collective lens: what is the world trying to communicate through its symptoms? Why is this happening right on the heels of a global pandemic and the war in Ukraine? Finally, I propose a completely new solution to the problem: we don't have one. Instead, we need to be willing to "not know" in order to do the difficult psychological, emotional, spiritual, sociological, and political work necessary to truly diagnose and treat this problem on a much deeper level. 

In this episode I speak with Dr. Jaime A. Pineda. Dr. Pineda is Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, where he spent 28 years impacting and inspiring generations of undergraduate and graduate students to take on hard questions in the neurobiology of the human mind. He is the author of many widely cited papers in animal and human cognitive and systems neuroscience, including Mirror Neuron Systems: The Role of Mirroring Processes in Social Cognition (one of the most cited and downloaded books in the field).

For the last twenty years, Jaime became interested in spiritual matters as a bridge to a fuller understanding of the mind. This led him to explore Zen Buddhism, train with a master teacher, and develop his creative side. He has published two books of poetry (Quieting of a Mind; Dawning of a New Mind) focusing on mind-brain relationships with an emphasis on spirituality, mysticism, environmentalism, and social activism. Most recently, he published his autobiography (Piercing the Cloud: Encountering the Real Me), the story of his journey and bridging of science and spirituality.

In this episode we discuss Jaime’s experience of immigrating to the U.S. at 9 years old, and how this planted the seed for his scientific and spiritual endeavors to understand the “self;” how Jaime understands “self” and its role in human suffering; the “self” from a developmental/evolutionary perspective; “spiritual crises” and how to harness them for growth; the neurobiology of “self;” Jaime’s tips for quieting the “monkey mind;” getting in touch with the larger, unconscious, and transcendent “self;” and the importance of self-love and being a loving parent to oneself.

Dr. Pineda's Books: https://www.amazon.com/Jaime-A.-Pineda/e/B0899LKT8N%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A004I_dLQaQ

Follow Dr. Goodman:

Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd

Website: https://matthewgoodmanphd.com

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Stress-Reduction-Effective-Practices-ebook/dp/B09R1D6HN2

If you find this useful, please consider sharing with a friend/loved one, rating or reviewing, or supporting the show : )

In this episode I discuss the dynamic relationship between Order and Chaos–the basic building blocks of the universe. I have come to see this dynamic tension underlying EVERYTHING, from psychological well-being, to relationships, to the success of athletes, artists, and companies, to the health and survival of social and political systems. Striking the balance between these two forces–or, we might say, walking the "Middle Way"–guides us to greater psychological, physical, and social well-being. It also might determine whether our society survives. 

Expect to learn: 

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP7uXa-iKD0

Follow Dr. Goodman:

Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd

Website: https://matthewgoodmanphd.com

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Stress-Reduction-Effective-Practices-ebook/dp/B09R1D6HN2

If you find this useful, please consider sharing with a friend/loved one, rating or reviewing, or supporting the show : ) 

In this episode I have the special privilege of speaking with Jesse Singal. Jesse is a journalist who has written for New York Magazine, The New York Times, and The Atlantic, amongst other publications. He is the author of, “The Quick Fix: Why Psychology Can’t Cure Our Social Ills.” He writes a popular newsletter on Substack called “Singal Minded” and co-hosts the podcast, “Blocked and Reported” with Katie Herzog. 

I invited Jesse on the show to talk about the problem of politics in science. We focus mostly on the science of gender-affirming medicine (GAM) in youth including the current state of the literature, the pressures to uphold a particular narrative, and why and how this topic has become so politicized. This discussion is based primarily on an article Jesse published on Substack critiquing a recent scientific paper that appeared to tout the benefits of GAM for youth's mental health. We also talk about the taboo topic of detransitioners, the recent Texas and Florida bills, and the psychology of polarization more broadly. 

Link to Jesse's recent GAM article: https://jessesingal.substack.com/p/researchers-found-puberty-blockers?s=r

Jesse's book: https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Fix-Psychology-Cant-Social/dp/0374239800

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dd-8WcFvexc

If you enjoy this content, please rate, review, and/or share the podcast. You can also support The Middle Way on a donation basis. 

Follow Dr. Goodman:

Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd

Website: https://matthewgoodmanphd.com

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Stress-Reduction-Effective-Practices-ebook/dp/B09R1D6HN2

Thank you for listening! 

🙏♥ our hearts are with the people suffering right now ♥🙏

In this episode, we break down the "Middle Way" perspective on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. We are currently facing the potential for escalation between these two sides, and between East and West more broadly. The people in the middle of this tug-of-war, suffering the most, are the Ukrainians. In this episode we explore the importance of PRAGMATISM in this conflict—meaning, what exactly has to happen to stop the suffering, irrespective of ideology or belief? A compassionate heart inherently invites pragmatism; by seeing ourselves as interconnected, we are free to focus on what works, right now, instead of being distracted by the intoxication of identity and predisposed beliefs. For those with less historical context, I provide a little context for how we came to this quagmire (doing my best), including the role of the U.S./West in taking actions that can at least be PERCEIVED as provacatory, whether justified or not, and therefore simply not pragmatic—not actions that ultimately reduce suffering and serve the Ukrainians. In the second part of the episode, we examine this issue from the perspective of the world's consciousness: why are we facing a new, and more insidious, "symptom" in the world, despite just getting through the last one (COVID)? What is the world asking us to recognize? Perhaps the real enemy that we need to focus on, at the end of the day, is EGO.

Matthew S. Goodman, Ph.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY32423) and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences in the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. He is the author of "Simple Stress-Reduction: Easy and Effective Practices for Kids, Teens, and Adults" (Amazon). He offers consultation to businesses, schools, and other organizations on stress-management, behavior change, and public messaging. Learn more here: http://matthewgoodmanphd.com. 

Christian Picciolini is the former leader of America’s largest Neo-Nazi skinhead group. He is now one of the most influential figures in countering and preventing extremism, helping hundreds of individuals deradicalize and leave hate behind. Christian and I sit down and talk about how he became radicalized at age 14; what he was looking for and the holes (or “potholes”) that were filled by joining this movement; why and how he got out; how he helps others deradicalize; his advice for dealing with extremism on a broader societal level; his new podcast, F*** Your Racist History; and much more.

Christian Picciolini is an award-winning television producer, a public speaker, author, peace advocate, and a former violent extremist. After leaving the hate movement he helped create during the 1980s and 90s, he began the painstaking process of making amends and rebuilding his life. Christian went on to earn a degree in international relations from DePaul University and launched Goldmill Group, a counter-extremism consulting and digital media firm. In 2016, he won an Emmy Award for producing an anti-hate advertising campaign aimed at helping people disengage from extremism. Since leaving the white-power movement, Christian has helped hundreds of individuals leave hate behind, and he leads the Free Radicals Project, a global extremism prevention network. He has spoken all over the world, including the TED stage, and shares his unique and extensive knowledge, teaching all who are willing to learn about building greater peace through empathy and compassion. Christian chronicles his involvement and exit from the early American white- supremacist skinhead movement in his memoir, WHITE AMERICAN YOUTH, and is the featured subject in season 3 of WBEZ’s 'Motive' podcast. He showcases his disengagement work in a second book, BREAKING HATE: Confronting the New Culture of Extremism, published in 2020 by Hachette Books, as well as the MSNBC documentary series of the same name. He is currently the host of the 'F*** Your Racist History' podcast, a weekly, scripted history show that tells America's hidden, overlooked, and unknown racist origin stories.

You can learn more about Christian’s work at: https://www.christianpicciolini.com/

Matthew S. Goodman, Ph.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY32423) and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences in the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. He is also an author and filmmaker. Learn more here: http://matthewgoodmanphd.com or here: https://matthewgoodmanphd.medium.com