The Social Exchange

Honoring children-- that's Jeanine Fitzgerald's MO. In this interview, she explains what it takes to be a positive influence in the life of each child-- each person -- that she interacts with.

Jeanine's child-first philosophy is evident in all of her work: Her book, "The Dance of Interaction"; her frequent keynote speeches (which she delivers internationally); her work as an educational and family consultant; and in her career as a teacher, working with children in the Fitzgerald Community School, the school that she founded in Massachusetts.

Today, she and Zach discuss the differences between standard schooling and education. Per Jeanine, the latter is something that happens by way of honoring children and everything they bring to the table: their strengths, their passions, and their natural sense of curiosity.

In other words, Jeanine Fitzgerald doesn't teach kids how to be different people; she assists them as they grow into the best versions of their authentic selves.

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FOLLOW JEANINE FITZGERALD

Her web site http://www.jeaninefitzgerald.com/

Fitzgerald Community School https://fitzgeraldcommunityschool.com/

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THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR PATRONS!!!!

- Steven Rabinowitz

- Jessie Dunleavy 

- Andrew Tatarsky

- Dean LeMire

- Christy McPher

Zach speaks with Peter Gray about how American schools are failing kids, and how to reverse the tide!

Peter Gray, Ph.D. is a research professor at Boston College, is author of:

Free to Learn (Basic Books) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XKX5BBG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Psychology (Worth Publishers, a college textbook now in its 8th edition). https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Peter-Gray/dp/1429258667

He has conducted and published research in neuroendocrinology, developmental psychology, anthropology, and education. He did his undergraduate study at Columbia University and earned a Ph.D. in biological sciences at Rockefeller University.

His current research and writing focus primarily on children's natural ways of learning and the life-long value of play. He a founding member of the nonprofit Alliance for Self-Directed Education and a founding board member of the nonprofit Let Grow.

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FOLLOW TSE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Zach's twitter https://twitter.com/rhoadsoda

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The Social Exchange FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/socia...

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THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR PATRONS!!!!

- Steven Rabinowitz

- Jessie Dunleavy 

- Andrew Tatarsky

- Dean LeMire

- Christy McPherson 

- Nunzio De Martino (Courtesy of "Don Nunzio Limos" https://donnunziolimos.com/) 

- Susan Lennon

- James Stacks

- Chris L

- W Leon Naufahu 

- Sherry Chandler

- Dee-Dee Stout

- Christopher Hanlon 

- André Pampel

- CARTER Vermont https://www.cartervermont.org/

- Rick Barnett 

- Anne M. Earle

- Inigo

- Jon Holt

- Laila Ferguson

- Mary Kay Villaver

Today I spoke with my friend and fellow podcaster, Eric White. 

Eric is a deep thinker and a compassionate human-- skills he shares with the world via his podcast, "theEWpodcast". 

We talked about Eric's past traumas and how he uses those experiences and memories to build a meaningful life now and into the future. 

We also talked about his basis for podcasting in the first place (which he does mostly to be helpful to others). 

Lastly, we had a meta conversation about why hosting podcasts-- engaging critical thinkers in good-faith conversations-- is such a useful way of sharing one's experiences and skills as well as contextualizing oneself in the world. 

We had this conversation remotely, of course, but you could easily imagine us on a couch in a living room with adult beverages . . . . that was the casual nature of this conversation. 

I hope you'll enjoy your early access to this first of two interviews with Eric White. 

**Check out Eric's podcast and other content at his web site** 

http://ericwhte.com/ 

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FOLLOW TSE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Zach's twitter https://twitter.com/rhoadsoda

The Social Exchange FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/socialexchan...

The Social Exchange FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/socia...

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THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR PATRONS!!!!

- Steven Rabinowitz

- Jessie Dunleavy 

- Andrew Tatarsky

- Dean LeMire

- Christy McPherson 

- Nunzio De Martino (Courtesy of "Don Nunzio Limos" https://donnunziolimos.com/) 

- Susan Lennon

- James Stacks

- Chris L

- W Leon Naufahu 

- Sherry Chandler

- Dee-Dee Stout

- Christopher Hanlon 

- André Pampel

- CARTER Vermont https://www.cartervermont.org/

- Rick Barnett 

- Anne M. Ear

Zach speaks with Damon L. Jacobs about harm reduction as it relates to vaping, drugs, PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis) for HIV prevention, and COVID-19. (DAMON'S BIO IS BELOW)

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**ABOUT DAMON L. JACOBS**

Damon L. Jacobs is a New York-based Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a tireless HIV prevention advocate who focuses his work on health, love, and pleasure. Through his clinical work, Damon has helped hundreds of couples and individuals create joyful and peaceful relationships.

He is also the author of the books RATIONAL RELATING and ABSOLUTELY SHOULD-LESS. Damon is best known for championing the use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) through his work on social media, news print, broadcast appearances, and is featured as one of 35 “Leading HIV Activists” by The Advocate.

His trainings have helped thousands to learn practical skills for living an empowered and fulfilling life. His work has been featured on MSNBC, The New York Times, USA Today, NPR, The Dan Savage LoveCast, New York Magazine, Fox News Latino, New York WPIX 11, ABC News.Com (Tampa), Al Jazeera America , The Advocate, OUT Magazine, Huffington Post Live, Daily Xtra, Queens Public Access,HIV Equal, Broadway World, POZ Magazine, Feast Of Fun, The Body.com, The Bilerico Project, Affect Magazine, Globo TV (Brazil), RTL Nieuws (Dutch), and more.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT DAMON

http://damonljacobs.com

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**CHECK OUT OUR SPONSOR "THE ZEN BARN**

http://zenbarn.com

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Biologist, philosopher, author, and Stoic, Dr. Massimo Pigliucci discusses the wisdom behind living a stoic lifestyle.

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Welcome to episode 67!

Today, Dr. Massimo Pigliucci tells Zach how he discovered stoicism and why he began practicing.

They also discuss the history of stoicism as well as its practical applications, especially in dealing with novel situations like-- well, a global pandemic.

Then they talk about the differences, as well as the overlap between, a stoic lifestyle and other practices such as mindfulness and the kinds of cognitive therapies that Zach practices in his work.

All of this and more on episode 67 with Dr. Massimo Pigliucci!

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FOLLOW MASSIMO'S WORK:

Website: https://massimopigliucci.com/

Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/MassimoPigliucci

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

Latest Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085DNHK7L/...

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We wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

In the spirit of overcoming difficult times, I'm sharing an interview that I conducted with a man named Michael Galipeau (AKA Mikey G)-- the interview was a segment of the LPP Podcast (which you should check out on YouTube or audio podcast)

Mikey was raised in a state-run institution which was traumatic in and of itself and led to years of homelessness and a lot of destructive-- even suicidal-- behavior.

He also developed a relationship with legal and illegal drugs-- drugs he used as coping mechanisms. 

But Mikey doesn't tell a "the drugs hijacked my brain" story.

In fact, he believes that drugs probably saved his life, and there were many times through the course of his life that he used illegal drugs responsibly. There were also times that he used drugs destructively. 

He says he is "recovered" by  which he doesn't mean "no longer doing dugs" but that his life was once out-of-balance but is now more-or-less balanced and is one full of meaning, purpose and connection. 

Once homeless and down on his luck, Mikey is now:

- Co-Producer New York Harvest Festival and Cannabis Freedom Rally Recovery Advocate Dutchess County Behavioral and Community Health Department

- CEO, MG Consulting

- MSW Intern, Urban Survivors Union

- Executive Consultant, Tennessee Recovery Alliance 

- New York State Lead, Recovery Advocacy Project

- Trainer and Co-author, Recovery Coaching A Harm Reduction Pathway

- Co-Founder and CEO, Heady Krew Productions.

Enjoy this story, and let your new years resolutions reflect Mikey's. My suggestion: rather than being a slave to a series of prohibitions.

INSTEAD OF "I won't drink"; "I won't eat sugar";  "I won't be an angry person" (all of which have merit and probably have utility in many lives)....

TRY "I will form a healthy relationship with alcohol"; "I will develop a healthful eating routine"; "I will find greater joy in life"

Happy New Year! Enjoy this incredible story with my new friend Mikey G. 

William B Irvine speaks with Zach Rhoads about his philosophy of life, stoicism, and he offers exercises for stoic practice (as per his popular books "A Guide to the Good Life", "The Stoic Challenge," and others).

Some relevant discussion topics from todays' episode:

- William's stumbling across (and landing on) Stoicism by way of Buddhism and a philosophy of life.

- A history of stoicism

- Tranquility and savoring life (the meaning of "a good life")

- Evolution, psychology, and human nature--- and how stoicism accepts and transcends these things. '

- Applied Stoicism (a view from above; negative visualization; voluntary discomfort)

- The caricature of the emotionless stoic

- The limitations of stoicism

- Cognitive behavioral therapies and addiction. And more topics .

I hope you'll enjoy episode 66!

(NOTE: Professor Irvine and I have disagreements about the fundamentals of drug addiction. We were short of time and it didn't feel worth our time (nor would it have been fruitful in the final minutes of our discussion) to debate these fundamentals, but perhaps this can be the topic of a future episode.

You can learn more about my views on drugs and addiction here: https://lifeprocessprogram.com

----------------------ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST--------------------------

Besides writing several books about stoicism and the philosophy of life, William Irvine is a philosophy professor at Wright State University. He has also written for the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Salon, Time, and the BBC, and appeared on podcasts such as The David Pakman Show, Happiness Lab and Sam Harris' "Waking Up" podcast (and several others).

You can find links to all of William Irvine's work at his web site: https://www.williambirvine.com/

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This is my answer to a question that popped up in The Social Exchange Facebook group (The link to the group is here )

It was a good question that got me thinking about to make headway on important issues that many of us are so incredibly divided on. 

I've been talking about recording my responses to FB questions in podcast form for a long time now, and so that starts now!  

Note: It's not important whether you agree or disagree with my own beliefs / conclusions-- what's important is that you get to listen to the way I form beliefs (which are always subject to change given appropriate evidence). 

I'm going out on a limb to think through an important issue, out loud, and in good faith... even though it feels like it could be a little risky to do so. And I encourage all of you to do the same whenever you can!  I also encourage you to try to notice, as much as you can, when others are making themselves vulnerable for the sake of reasoned dialogue, and to respond accordingly. 

So I hope you enjoy the one-off episode... I'll create more in the future. 

Below is the question that I'm responding to, followed by a list of time-stamps by topic. 

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-----------Here's the question that I'm responding to--------------- 

"I know Zach has talked about cognitive dissonance in this space previously. It’s worth another discussion as I cannot comprehend that thousands upon thousands people, especially now in South Dakota, still believe the Pandemic is a concoction of the fake news. They deny they are suffering from the virus and tell hospitals there is another reason they are sick because Covid-19 is not real. 

Even the governor, Kristi Noem, continues to say, “My people are happy because they are free” in response to mandating masks and other restrictions. All the while the test positivity rate in SD is an astonishing 58%. I know SD is not the only state with this dissonance. What will it take, what can it take for these people to accept the science and the reality of this insidious virus?"

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0:00 - 2:00 Discussion about The Social Exchange Facebook group and my basis for creating today's episode

2:00 - 2:55 Reading today's question from TSE Facebook group. 

3:00 - 5:25 Disclaimer about this episode's format

5:25 - 11:15 What is cognitive dissonance (with examples)? 

11:25 - 14:05 Turning the question inward (before trying to change others' beliefs, , it's wise to inspect one's own beliefs for blind-spots and errors) 

14:05 - 15:48 Zach's personal beliefs about COVID 19 (epidemiology + implications)

15:48 - 16:54 Zach states his level of confidence that his beliefs re: COVID are true

16:54 - 22:33 Zach's personal beliefs about our country's response to COVID (how we ought to respond) 

22:33 - 22:55 Zach states his level of confidence that his beliefs re: appropriate COVID response are true. 

22:55 - 28:09 What might people in South Dakota believe about COVID 19 and appropriate COVID 19 responses?  And why might they believe these things are true?

28:09 - 29:13 Should we (or someone) try to convince citizens of South Dakota to change their beliefs re: COVID 19 and appropriate COVID 19 response? (If so what should we suggest that they change their minds about?)

29:13 - 32:02 How can we convince COVID-19 deniers, more generally, to acknowledge

Jessie Dunleavy is an author and drug policy reform advocate whose son Paul died of an accidental drug overdose. She went on to write a memoir about Paul's life from her perspective called, “Cover My Dreams In Ink”.

Today, Jessie and I talked about the memoir and the myriad topics included in its pages:

- Parenting

- The public school system

- Special education

- Neurodiversity

- Mental health

- Trauma

- Addiction

- Drug policy / the war on drugs

- The addiction treatment system

- Hope for the future... and other topics.

Jessie shared her perspective about these topics that are always on my mind as well. Hers is the perspective of a loving mother, of an educator, of an author, and of a concerned citizen who aims to make a positive impact on society.

I don’t usually have two-hour-long conversations with my guests because— well, they don’t have time for it. I think that the conversation will be much more enjoyable and enlightening after having done so.

I’m so grateful that Jessie was willing to spend this much time working out some of these interesting questions in real-time. And I’m grateful that you’re interested.

Please enjoy episode 65 with Jessie Dunleavy!

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FOLLOW JESSIE’S WORK:

Her web site: https://www.jessiedunleavy.com/

BUY HER BOOK! https://www.jessiedunleavy.com/book

Follow Jessie on twitter: https://twitter.com/jessiedunleavy

Visit her Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/jessiedunlea...

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Make a donation to The Social Exchang

Welcome to The Social Exchange Podcast! 

Today's guest is Dr. Jeffrey Singer. 

Dr. Singer shared his thoughts and professional opinions about America's COVID response-- the good, the bad, the upsetting, and the hopeful--  and what he believes are the most sensible and holistic approaches moving forward. 

He also discussed ideas for drug policy, including the proper relationship between government and drug access, as per this recent White Paper (coauthored with Michael Cannon) https://www.cato.org/publications/white-paper/drug-reformation-end-governments-power-require-prescriptions

Finally, he and I talked about the 2020 election and the unnecessary sigma associated with voting third-party

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Follow Dr. Jeffrey Singer: CATO press and publications: https://www.cato.org/people/jeffrey-s...

His paper with Michael Cannon: https://www.cato.org/publications/whi...

And here's A relevant article re: Dr. Singer's attitudes and beliefs re: COVID: https://thecritic.co.uk/issues/novemb...

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Make a donation to The Social Exchange Podcast: http:/