The Re-engineered You

How do we counterpunch any argument? Is there a secret ‘finishing move’, linguistically, that we can use to win any debate?

We pick up where we left off with the life of William Jennings Bryan, the man who could talk a crowd into anything—except, perhaps, the one belief that mattered most to him; that the Bible should be the only creation story taught in schools. Bryan had built his entire career on persuasion, but as he stepped onto the national stage one last time to defend the Bible in the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial, he found himself up against one of the sharpest legal minds in history, Clarence Darrow. Darrow was America’s most ardent defense attorney, and he didn’t just challenge Bryan on evolution—he put Bryan’s faith on trial. And, for the first time, the Boy Orator struggled to find an answer.

What does it actually mean to “win” an argument? In this episode, we break down the mechanics of debate—why logic alone isn’t enough, how moral conviction make people double down, and why most people argue not to learn, but to win, and make the other side “cry salty tears”. We also look at modern political polarization, the decline of fact-based debate, and why most public debates today are just outrage-fueled performances designed to make money.

Finally, we break down the psychological tools used by history’s greatest debaters—including Bryan and Darrow—to actually change minds. What rhetorical trick did Darrow use to dismantle Bryan’s faith in court? Why did Bryan believe his voice alone could turn the tide? And if debate today is just another form of entertainment, is it still possible to truly persuade someone of anything?

Links:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1895643?seq=6

https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/the-cross-of-gold-speech/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDQsCUqO6jk&ab_channel=TheSpurlockMuseumofWorldCultures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud1ANAF9pW8&ab_channel=Wisecrack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLfr7sU5W2E&ab_channel=60Minutes

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-tech-platforms-fuel-u-s-political-polarization-and-what-government-can-do-about-it/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfsjXIewIHs&ab_channel=HistoryThatDoesn%27tSuck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGN0l1QdoiM&ab_channel=TEDxTalks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZhVPEZETCU&ab_channel=RobertGreene

How far can the power of persuasion take us? And does money win over substance every time?

In this episode we pick up where we left off with the life of William Jennings Bryan, the Great Orator, by diving into his early career as a lawyer and his surprising approach to making money. Most notably how he argued his way into a job as a saloon debt collector, despite being a staunch Baptist who abstained from drinking. How did Bryan convince a room full of skeptics, including drunks, to pay their tabs to a man who didn’t believe in alcohol? What else can we learn from his ability to win over the most unlikely of allies?

Then, we turn our attention to Bryan’s rise as a populist politician. We’ll set the stage for his most famous speech, The Cross of Gold, which won him his place in Congress as Nebraska’s first Democratic representative. Then we’ll talk about his presidential campaigns, and how Bryan’s opponents weaponized their vast wealth against him. Then, despite losing three presidential campaigns, Bryan’s career takes a turn for the ‘legendary’ and leads him to glory and riches on the public speaking circuit, then to a position on Woodrow Wilson’s presidential cabinet, and finally to a small town where a school teacher is about to challenge the government over the right to teach evolution in school.

Join us as we explore the trials, triumphs, and enduring legacy of William Jennings Bryan, and compare his era of gentleman politics to the sorry state of Youtube debaters and mainstream outrage media that has flourished in the internet age.

Links:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1895643?seq=6

https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/the-cross-of-gold-speech/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDQsCUqO6jk&ab_channel=TheSpurlockMuseumofWorldCultures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud1ANAF9pW8&ab_channel=Wisecrack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLfr7sU5W2E&ab_channel=60Minutes

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-tech-platforms-fuel-u-s-political-polarization-and-what-government-can-do-about-it/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfsjXIewIHs&ab_channel=HistoryThatDoesn%27tSuck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGN0l1QdoiM&ab_channel=TEDxTalks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZhVPEZETCU&ab_channel=RobertGreene

What if the ability to change hearts and minds could be cultivated into a superpower?

Today we kick off a multi-part series about one of history’s most magnetic orators, William Jennings Bryan, the man who could stand in front of any crowd and win them over with his voice. First, we explore how Bryan’s speaking abilities, developed as a homeschooled child in a devoutly religious household, turned him into the surprise valedictorian and a debate club super star. To the point where his talent for public speaking made professors question their beliefs, and turned the opinions of people who had already made up their minds against him.

Then, after recounting Bryan’s early struggles and triumphs, we’ll dig into the meat of William Jennings Bryan’s rise to political fame - how he became Nebraska’s first Democratic congressman, flipping a Republican stronghold by connecting with voters and sharing stories that resonated. We also discuss the stark contrast between Bryan’s authentic connection with audiences, and the modern-day performative nature of debates where outrage and "gotcha" clips overshadow meaningful dialogue.

What does it take to develop such persuasive power? What can we learn from Bryan’s dedication to his craft and his genuine desire to connect? And could honest, constructive debate ever regain its power in an age of social media bubbles and clickbait rhetoric?

Links:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1895643?seq=6

https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/the-cross-of-gold-speech/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDQsCUqO6jk&ab_channel=TheSpurlockMuseumofWorldCultures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud1ANAF9pW8&ab_channel=Wisecrack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLfr7sU5W2E&ab_channel=60Minutes

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-tech-platforms-fuel-u-s-political-polarization-and-what-government-can-do-about-it/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfsjXIewIHs&ab_channel=HistoryThatDoesn%27tSuck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGN0l1QdoiM&ab_channel=TEDxTalks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZhVPEZETCU&ab_channel=RobertGreene

According to polls, a shocking number of Americans support Luigi Mangione and the murder of Brian Thompson. What does that say about our shifting morality as a country?

An Axios poll recently revealed that a disturbing number of Americans support Luigi Mangione and his decision to murder UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson. So much so that movements are spreading throughout Twitter and Instagram, to educate potential jury members about “Jury Nullification” or the process in which a jury declares someone is technically guilty but morally correct. If this happened to be the verdict during Mangione’s trial it would, hypothetically, allow him to walk free.

On today’s episode we’ll discuss Jury Nullification and review the events of the shooting, briefly, before we recap the most recent wave of headlines. Then, we turn our focus to the meat of the episode; when is murder justified? And why are there so many movies and TV shows about average men taking matters into their own hands when the system fails to intervene?

We’ll also attempt to tackle the sticky subject of healthcare reform, and ask whether or not the CEOs of these major companies could actually make change if they wanted to, or if their hands are tied by their obligation to maximize profit for their shareholders? Because if the Brian Thompsons of the world are supposedly powerless to fix the predatory practices of their companies…then who has the power? Is it us, the voters? Can we all agree that healthcare is broken and vote for a new system? Is it possible to ‘grass roots’ a solution? Well, no. In this unique circumstance, the average voter might actually be helpless to change the system, and we’ll explain why.

Links:

https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-manhattan-shooting-death-48590215ba756741bbaadeeb6255d135

https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-suspect-ceo-assassin-shooter-b5ff640798d799271ddd8db9f3d2a20e

https://www.axios.com/2024/12/17/united-healthcare-ceo-killing-poll

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdmwGLg-9uo&ab_channel=NBC15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox8LtwBvnag&ab_channel=electronmediagroupinc.

https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/unitedhealth-group/summary?id=D000000348

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14177745/gen-z-influencers-luigi-mangione-acquittal-guilty.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2eeeep0npo

We have self-driving cars and AI assistants smart enough to manage our schedules. So why is Errand Paralysis so persistent? Because businesses need you to feel fatigued, that’s why...

On today’s episode we’re paying special attention to a Buzzfeed article written in 2019 by Anne Helen Petersen, and we’re looking at the term she popularized called Errand Paralysis. Or, as it was known a decade ago: Millennial Burnout. We’re going to discuss why businesses insist on making customers jump through hoops and use confusing, convoluted automated systems to claim rebates, file complaints, complete surveys, and generally get on with our lives. And we’ll discuss why living in today’s computer age feels more like being a “life admin” than simply “living.” These automated check-the-boxes-and-stay-on-the-line services aren’t just a minor inconvenience, either. With everything added up, we’re talking about tens of thousands of hours you’ll waste throughout your lifetime, as well as hundreds of billions of dollars we burn as a country due to errand burnout.

Finally, we’ll look at the most extreme example of Errand Paralysis in the entire world: the bizarre case of Lal Bihari and his Association of Dead People. A group of Indian land-owners who were given the run-around by their local government after they were legally declared dead. Several members of whom became so desperate to be recognized as “alive” on-paper, they began committing political crimes to get arrested.

History Links:

https://openthemagazine.com/features/india/the-living-dead/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lal_Bihari

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaagaz

Science Links:

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/annehelenpetersen/millennials-burnout-generation-debt-work

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/sep/07/i-feel-bombarded-with-to-dos-the-hell-of-life-admin-and-how-to-get-on-top

https://www.forbes.com/sites/karlynborysenko/2019/05/29/burnout-is-now-an-officially-diagnosable-condition-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-it/?sh=379ebfe62b99

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/03/reading-the-privacy-policies-you-encounter-in-a-year-would-take-76-work-days/253851/

https://www.consumerreports.org/medical-billing/sick-of-confusing-medical-bills/

https://www.hsrd.research.va.gov/for_researchers/cyber_seminars/archives/3633-notes.pdf

Are moral values given to us by our parents? Are they just arbitrary rules put on us by society? Or have morals “evolved” with us?

Moral values seem to come under question a lot these days. Especially in politics, if news anchors and talk-show hosts can be believed. One party does something morally questionable, and the other party clutches their pearls and acts like common decency is under attack. Next week, the parties switch roles.

But what are moral values, really? Does the human mind come pre-packaged with an innate understanding of “goodness” and “badness”? Are we born with a sense of morality? Or is morality taught to us by our parents and reinforced by society? And perhaps more importantly, does being moral earn more money in the long-run? Does the moral life make us healthier?

Today we’re going to look at moral values, where they come from, and whether they’re a help or a hindrance throughout our lifetime. Then we’ll look into a family of serial killers known as The Bloody Benders. And we’ll talk about how the most morally upright man in fiction - Pa Wilder - the dad from Little House on the Prairie - might have ridden away in the middle of the night to deliver a little vigilante justice to the Benders.

History Links:

https://kathlit.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/laura-ingalls-wilder-and-the-bloody-benders/

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-benders/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/53672/bloody-benders-americas-first-serial-killers

https://www.historynet.com/the-bloody-benders-grim-harvest.htm

Science Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem

https://www.cnn.com/2014/03/26/health/brain-moral-judgments

https://www.oxygen.com/martinis-murder/serial-killers-ted-bundy-dennis-rader

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watching-eye_effect#:~:text=They%20signify%20that%20our%20actions,through%20mere%20depictions%20of%20eyes.&text=Empirical%20psychological%20research%20has%20continually,and%20more%20pro%2Dsocial%20behavior.

https://www.newswise.com/articles/lying-less-linked-to-better-health-new-research-finds

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/science-jan-june09-achievement_04-17

https://jamesclear.com/personal-values-journal#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIt%20turns%20out%20that%20writing,connected%2C%20and%20empathetic%20toward%20others.

Clean air, low crime, and people who smile when you pass by…so if small towns are so great, why are people leaving?

According to country artist Jason Aldeen, folks in a small town “take care of our own” and “you cross that line, it won't take long - for you to find out, I recommend you don't…”

In other words, despite having less police presence and less access to public safety nets, small towns are allegedly safer and more prosperous because rural people look after each other. Our question today is; do they really?

Are small towns more moral than the rude, uncaring city folk, who can walk over a homeless person without blinking? Are small towns safer, since everyone owns a gun, and they’re willing to defend themselves or their kin whenever necessary? Are small towns happier with all that clean air and sprawling nature? And, if small towns really are as wonderful as the songs make them out to be, why are they still shrinking all across the United States?

On today’s episode we’ll separate the myths from the facts, and help you decide if small town living is right for you. We’ll also explore a tale from history that feels like it was yanked straight from an Aldeen song. It’s a story about a small town in Missouri that banded together to murder the local bully, Ken McElroy, who put their humble population through years of hell. At the end of which we’ll decide if Ken’s death is the example that proves the rule that small towns are safer…or if this is the murder that shatters the myth of small towns completely.

Links:

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/05/america-a-nation-of-small-towns.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGxGDdQnC1Y&ab_channel=CrashCourse

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-in-rural-areas-die-at-higher-rates-than-those-in-urban-areas/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/surprise-big-cities-safer-small-towns-study-finds-flna6c10713797

https://usafacts.org/articles/which-cities-have-the-highest-murder-rates/

What type of encouragement really motivates us, negative encouragement or positive? And which political figure was so good at encouragement he was said to have “mobilized the english language and sent it into battle...”?

Winston Churchill knew what it was like to fall down, both in politics and in career. In the first World War he sent a sizable chunk of the British navy to be blown up in the Dardanelles - a dangerous and strategically valuable location, and a risky maneuver that almost paid off. But his failure there would get Churchill kicked out as the First Lord of the Admiralty, and drummed out of politics. So how did he go from wartime disgrace in WWI, to the voice of encouragement for a war-torn Britain in WWII?

On the Re-Engineered You we take a few notes from the master of encouragement, Winston Churchill, as well as a few recent studies from universities, labs, and anti-depression pharmaceuticals. We also look into sports statistics and the world of professional coaching, all so we can answer the question: Does encouragement even work? And if so, how do we get the best out of the four most powerful words in the English language: “You Can Do It”?

Science:

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-nfls-home-field-advantage-is-real-but-why/

https://kwiklearning.com/kwik-tips/why-compliments-are-amazing-for-your-brain-and-the-world/

https://www.amazon.com/Hardwiring-Happiness-Science-Contentment-Confidence/dp/0385347316

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12003280/

https://www.peakendurancesport.com/endurance-psychology/psychological-aides/encouragement-boosts-performance/

https://hbr.org/2013/07/if-you-want-to-motivate-someone-shut-up-already

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3353513/

History:

https://www.history.com/news/winston-churchills-world-war-disaster

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/winston-churchill-resigns-2

https://www.history.com/news/winston-churchills-world-war-disaster

https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-winston-churchill

https://www.history.co.uk/article/winston-churchill%25E2%2580%2599s-most-famous-ww2-speeches

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Later_life_of_Winston_Churchill#:~:text=Churchill%20suffered%20his%20final%20stroke,since%20W.%20E.%20Gladstone%20in%201898.

Studies consistently list humor as the number one trait for desirability and attractiveness, regardless of gender. So...how do we get funny?

Mark Twain is widely considered one of America’s greatest humorists. And comedy itself as a traveling act originated, in-part, from Twain traveling across Europe and America, taking his humor articles on the road. But as historians seem to enjoy pointing out: Twain didn't set out to invent comedy as a stand-up act. In fact, Twain went on tour because he was flat broke, and public speaking was surprisingly lucrative for the time.

On this episode of The Re-Engineered You we’re looking at humor in general. We want to know why humor seems to be a hack to attractiveness. Why being funny seems to make you more money in life, and if that continues as we age (and so do our jokes). How do we get funny if we’re born with a sense of humor that inspires more groans than guffaws? And we want to break down joke structure as a written art, that way we can discover how naturally funny folks might up their game going forward.

History:

https://blog.bookstellyouwhy.com/mark-twains-legendary-humor

https://twainstudios.com/2013/09/27/mark-twains-style-of-humor-lives-on-in-todays-comedy/

https://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-mark-twain

https://freebeacon.com/culture/comedy-tour-saved-mark-twain/

https://twain.lib.virginia.edu/projects/price/frog.htm

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3177/3177-h/3177-h.htm

https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-mark-twain-burglary-goes-comically-awry/

Science:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/jun/27/gender1

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/whats-so-funny-the-science-of-why-we-laugh/

https://www.sjsm.org/2017/03/the-neuroscience-of-humor-why-some-people-are-funny-and-others-arent/

https://slate.com/culture/2014/04/are-comedians-really-depressed-or-is-sadness-just-funny.html

https://www.juggle.org/be-funnier-with-scotty-meltzer-nice-structure/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufdvYrTeTuU

Colleges are still raising prices, even while faith in higher education plummets. So why are local governments offering free rides to these overpriced institutions?

Every year, The Re-Engineered You collects data and articles on the diminishing state of US colleges. As of the most recent Pew Research numbers, only 22% of Americans say that getting a four-year degree is worth taking on loans to achieve. Even worse, only a quarter of us believe it’s “extremely important” or “very important” to have a college degree at all, without about half of Americans saying it’s less important than it was twenty years ago, despite the rise in technical jobs.

And yet, while the public believes a college degree to be more worthless than ever, employers still prioritize education job candidates, and state governments are panicking at the absence of skilled workers among younger populations. In short; we’re entering an era of artificial intelligence, cyber warfare, and data-driven industry, and we’re producing high school graduates who neither care for a degree, nor believe in a degree. Nowadays, a degree on your wall is less of an indicator of education, and more of an indicator of debt.

Which is why our episode today is all about free college. Which states are offering free degrees in STEM fields, which states are sending their graduates to community college, and which states are honoring alternative, unaccredited systems like Study.com, Sophia Learning, or simple work experience.

Links:

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2024/05/23/public-views-on-the-value-of-a-college-degree/

https://www.npr.org/2024/11/22/nx-s1-5202754/free-college-tuition-university-texas-mit-carnegie-mellon

https://nypost.com/2024/11/18/lifestyle/15-states-you-can-move-to-that-offer-free-college-tuitionno-matter-what-you-earn/

https://www.collegehacked.com/

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/11/well/family/grandparent-grandchild-childfree.html