People Who Read People: A Behavior and Psychology Podcast
1) The surprising power of nostalgia — and how it can be used on you
What does nostalgia do to our minds — and our wallets? In this talk with Jannine Lasaleta, we talk about her research into the surprising psychological and emotional effects of nostalgia. Why do peopl...Show More
2) My life-changing experience with meditation
In the summer of 2024, I went on a five-day solo retreat in the mountains of New Mexico. It was the first time I’d ever really committed to meditation, and to my surprise it turned out to be a deeply ...Show More
3) Are you a psychopath? Debunking myths and looking for nuance in "dark" traits
What does the word “psychopath” really mean—and how often are we getting it wrong? Can someone have some psychopathic traits and still be empathetic? How often are we embracing simplistic ideas of wha...Show More
4) Penalty kick mind games: Reading and using body language in sports
I talk with sports psychology and behavior researcher Philip Furley about how athletes' body language communicates far more than we realize — and how it can affect teammates, opponents, judges, and ev...Show More
5) Madness explained: How trauma and stress can break the mind
I talk to psychologist Richard Bentall about psychosis, schizophrenia, and the psychological roots of mental illness. Bentall is the author of the well known book "Madness Explained." We explore how s...Show More
6) Are your memory and sense of self full of illusions? | with Anne Wilson
Psychologist Anne Wilson studies how we construct our identities over time—how we remember the past, imagine the future, and tell ourselves stories that shape who we believe we are. In this episode, w...Show More
7) We're all narcissists... but some are a lot worse than others
I talk with Craig Malkin, author of the best-selling Rethinking Narcissism: The Secret to Recognizing and Coping with Narcissists, in which he explains that narcissism is a spectrum. It's healthy and ...Show More
8) The "deep whys" behind autistic behaviors | with Barry Prizant
I talk to Barry Prizant, author of the popular book "Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism," about the often misunderstood world of autism. We explore the idea that many so-called “autistic...Show More
9) Why we freak out when the world stops making sense | with Stephen Heine
Why do we feel so unsettled and agitated when the world doesn’t make sense? In this episode, I talk with psychologist Steven Heine about his Meaning Maintenance Model — a theory that explains how we r...Show More
10) How blockchain tech could revolutionize journalism and reduce polarization
Can blockchain tech reinvent journalism—and reduce toxic political polarization in the process? In this episode, Zachary Elwood talks with Don Templeman, founder of Aemula, a radically new kind of new...Show More