Mahon McCann Podcast

John Vervaeke, a cognitive science professor at the University of Toronto and creator of the 'Awakening from the Meaning Crisis' series, dives deep into the challenges of the attention economy and the impact of social media on our quest for truth. He explores how digital distractions can lead to loneliness, despite increased connectivity. The discussion also touches on innovative voting methods to combat polarization and the ethical dilemmas of AI in shaping user behavior, urging a reevaluation of values beyond mere economic success.

Jeffrey Dahmer, prolific American Serial Killer and Cannibal, has the number one TV show on Netflix this week? (And I thought Zak Efron playing Ted Bundy was bad) Dahmer’s racked up the most views for Netflix since the debut of Stranger Things Season 4 with 196.2m hours of watch time since its release on September 21st. What is our weird obsession with evil mass-murdering serial killers? And culturally, why can’t we stop making creeky-cassette-playing documentaries about every lunatic with aviator sunglasses and 10+ murders under his belt?Read the full article at: https://mahonmccann.substack.com/ Get full access to Wisdom Dojo at www.mahonmccann.com/subscribe

Massimo has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He currently is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York.He is the author or editor of 14 books, most recently 'The Quest For Character: What Socrates can teach us about the art of living well' (Get your copy of the book here).In this podcast, we are talking about Stoic philosophy, improving our character, cultivating wisdom, the story of Socrates and the wreckless Alcibiades, Ancient Spiritual exercises, Tribalism and more!Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/lp4FwXNhp9ASubscribe on Substack: https://mahonmccann.substack.com/ Get full access to Wisdom Dojo at www.mahonmccann.com/subscribe

Dive deep into cognitive distortions and the pitfalls of mind reading, where assumptions lead to misunderstandings. Discover how reflecting on Stoic principles can transform your interpersonal insights. The discussion also weaves in Socratic wisdom, emphasizing the beauty of acknowledging ignorance and the quest for truth. By challenging unproductive thoughts, we can shape our perceptions and foster more authentic connections with others.

Adam Lane Smith, also known as Attachment Adam, is a registered therapist specializing in attachment issues. He dives into the intricacies of attachment styles, exploring their roots in childhood and their generational impact. The conversation highlights the importance of effective communication and building trust for healthy relationships. Adam also shares strategies for recognizing red flags and navigating the complexities of love, emphasizing the role of vulnerability and self-awareness in fostering deeper connections.

Audio essay on Jordan Peterson and quitting the drinking for something better in life. To read the full article visit: https://mahonmccann.substack.com/ Get full access to Wisdom Dojo at www.mahonmccann.com/subscribe

Rob Walshe is The Irish Dog Father, one of Ireland's premiere dog walkers and dog trainers and in my opinion, Dog thinkers!  In this podcast, we are talking about the strange origins of Shitzu's, what human beings have done to dogs, dog psychology, tips and insights for dog owners and what our canine friends can teach us about love and ourselves.  Watch the video podcast on youtube: https://youtu.be/eeZoKI2t514Subscribe on Substack to get weekly insights and inspiration: https://mahonmccann.substack.com/ Get full access to Wisdom Dojo at www.mahonmccann.com/subscribe

The Choice of Hercules. As a young man blinded by rage, Heracles killed his over-critical music tutor with a single blow. After this incident, understandably, he took himself off into the forest to think about his life and reflect on what he was going to do next? To his surprise, two ladies met him in the forest; both were dazzlingly beautiful and taller than ordinary women. The first stood before him in sensuous colours and glittering jewelry, while the other was clad in simple white. The first was called Kakia or (vice), although her friends knew her as "happiness." She said: "Choose me Hercules, and your life shall be a ceaseless pleasure, and no effort of mind or body will be demanded of you." Then the other spoke up, Aretê or Virtue, and she said: "Choose me Hercules, and you will have the honour of your countrymen, but I cannot promise a life without labour, for no man may reap where he does not sow…"Heracles deliberated on the choice, and the benefits which the two Goddesses offered. Finally, he chose the path of Virtue — both the bitter and the sweet. Because of this choice, he faced 12 trials, madness, entering the underworld, and the death of his family but afterwards was deified by Zeus and became a God - the highest honour a mortal can receive. Mental Health in Crisis.Epictetus made the point in one of his lectures that Hercules could never have been Hercules if he stayed in bed all day. Hercules was Hercules because he faced such great adversity. Adversity was what made him great, and yet we all avoid and complain about our own hardship?The Choice of Hercules is ancient and deep story, first recorded by Xenophon in his Memoropilia and comes from at least 400 BC in Ancient Greece, and God knows where before that. The story warns of the temptation of an easy life of pleasure and reward without any effort and the moral difficulty in choosing a life of honourable pain and effort that may or may not lead to achievement. We all know this when our parents as kids poke and prod us to do the right thing and not take the easy way out. But often this kind of simple truth has often become laughable in the modern world.But what is not laughable is that we have a severe mental health crisis at the moment amongst young people, and the data is very clear on that fact. So the question is, why? Why, in a time when people are more entertained, well-fed, and safer than ever, less under threat, and outside the food chain, are we more distressed than ever? The answer to this question lies in the choice of Hercules and Modern Neuroscience. The Answer From Neuroscience."Wickedness can be had in abundance easily: smooth is the road and very nigh she dwells. But in front of Virtue the gods immortal have put sweat: long and steep is the path to her and rough at first; but when you reach the top, then at length the road is easy, hard though it was." - Hesiod, Works and Days.They didn't have neuroscience back in 400 BC, so they had to make do with the insights of literature and Philosophy. Now, in the 21st century, we have empirical research into the brain's functioning that can help us elucidate the central importance of the choice of Hercules and the philosophy within for mental health.One of the most exciting discoveries of modern neuroscience is that pleasure and pain are located in the same part of the brain and behave like a balance; tipping the brain to the side of pleasure causes a mirror symmetric tip to the side of pain because the brain wants to maintain balance, homeostasis. (This is a crude description, and if you want to see Dr. Anna Lembke explain what she calls 'The Pleasure/pain balance', then watch this video here.) The basic idea is summed up in the old expression: what goes up must come down, and the further we go up, the further we go down.Dopamine and Mental Health. "High levels of Dopamine achieved without effort will destroy a person" -Andrew Huberman, American Neuroscientist.Dopamine is the molecule of drive, motivation, and pursuit and is described as the 'molecule of more'; it makes us want more of what makes us feel good. Often times people think, Dopamine is about reward, but Dopamine is about pursuit and craving of reward (The reward itself is more of an opioid in nature). Dopamine supply is finite but also renewable. This means you can 'use up’ your supply of Dopamine but, if you wait, it will return to baseline levels. When we experience unnaturally high levels of Dopamine from exogenous pleasures, drugs, alcohol, and highly-rewarding technology like social media or video games, we create a phasic burst of Dopamine, a sudden increase in the supply, and thus when the high wears off we fall below the baseline level. When we stop using an exogenous supply of Dopamine, we experience 'Dopamine free-fall' which is essential discomfort, dysphoria and irritation. The temptation then is to engage in what is called ‘Dopamine Stacking’, which is when you experience ‘Dopamine Free-fall’ and then immediately add another highly rewarding behaviour on top to prevent the Dopamine drop. Think when you are doom scrolling Instagram so you change to Youtube for something more rewarding. If we continue to do this for a long time, our brains downgrade our own supply of Dopamine because we have what is called an ‘exogenous supply’, and then when we stop using our drug of choice we will experience the universal symptoms of withdrawal: anxiety, depression, irritability, and insomnia, or in other words, the classic symptoms of mental illness.  Dopamine is essential for mental health. Mental health can be defined as the ability to set and pursue goals (most people enter therapy because they feel 'stuck', either they don’t have goals, or they can’t achieve the goals which they are pursuing). Without Dopamine, pursuing goals is impossible. Rats with a healthy amount of Dopamine will pursue food in their cage even over an electric shock pad. However, a Dopamine deprived rat won't even get up to eat if a food bowl is placed beside it, and will eventually starve to death within arm's length of a decent meal.The mechanics of Dopamine show how an easy life of pleasure with no effort can lead to more pain, discomfort, and ultimately mental health problems. Pleasure is psycho-physiologically costly, and thus the industries of pleasure in the modern world, fast food, rewarding technologies, and endless luxuries, are making us sick and depressed.What Can We do about it?It's convenient to say that this is a modern problem caused by the market. In some ways it is. However as the story of Hercules's choice points out, this is a perennial human problem - a choice between the lower and higher angels of our nature? I don't see any way a human being can be mentally healthy in the 21st century without some awareness of this problem and the functioning of their physiology.Understanding the mechanism of Dopamine and the pleasure/pain balance leads one to conclude that you should spend your Dopamine points wisely and not pursue rewards that lead to no outcome, in religious language, actions that bear no fruit. We are all in danger of living a life of pointless distraction and making ourselves feel good without producing anything to really feel good about. Making the decision to pursue the path of Virtue, effort and reward, rather than reward without effort, is deeply challenging. In my opinion, this is the moral fight of our generation: taking on the responsibility of self-regulating to avoid self-destruction. The problem is that reward is now de-coupled from effort, and we can get endless pleasurable rewards for free. Naturally, as mammals, we seek pleasure and avoid pain, but part of maturing and becoming successful as a human being is being able to endure pain to get real rewards, to achieve, from the French Achever, meaning "gain as a result of effort." No effort, no achievement. The choice of Hercules is more relevant than ever and is essential to well-being, to function well as a human being, which is what well-being really means. Now the environment is being engineered by other humans to distract us and make us addicted, which is making that choice even, to keep us living the easy life. We have to make this decision voluntarily, each of us. We need a culture and leaders who encourage us to overcome cheap pleasures to face honourable pains, to grow and develop ourselves as people. However, we all face the choice of Hercules every day when we experience that Dopamine free-fall and face the choice to go on and become more indebted to pleasure or to say ‘no’ and accept the cold and unpalatable suffering. A tough decision to make, one which I struggle with myself daily, but it is an important decision - which path will you choose?Did you enjoy this article? Share it with somebody!This will be the last post as I usually take the month of August off to refresh myself, gather new ideas, and guests and generally sort my s**t out. So you will hear from me again on September 1st! Warm Regards, Mahon. Get full access to Wisdom Dojo at www.mahonmccann.com/subscribe

Sup Monks! (very special podcast today)Donald Robertson is a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist and best-selling Stoic author. He has written seven books on philosophy and psychotherapy, including the best-selling' Stoicism and The Art of Happiness’ and 'How To Think Like A Roman Emperor', and the recent 'Verissiumus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius.' (Get your copy of Verissimus here)In this podcast, we talk about Donald's new book, the choice of Hercules, virtues vs vices, Social Anxiety, Worrying, Anger, Social Media and how philosophy teaches you to talk to yourself better. If you haven't already, I highly recommend getting Donald’s books and I consider them an antidote to many of the modern ailments we are experiencing at the moment, see more of his books at: https://donaldrobertson.name/ If you like this podcast and others, please consider sharing Monk with a friend and spreading the good word:Full Audio Podcast:Full Video podcast:Any questions or reflections? Feel free to email me back! I always love to hear from you. Warm Regards, Mahon. Get full access to Wisdom Dojo at www.mahonmccann.com/subscribe

Resistance: The Enemy of Mankind. "The more important a call to action is to our soul's evolution, the more Resistance we will feel about answering it. But to yield to Resistance deforms our spirit. It stunts us and makes us less than we are and were born to be."- Stephen PressfieldLast week, I spoke about our inner daimon, an inner spiritual guide that can help us grow and develop in life. However, this wasn’t completely honest, as I left out the shadow side to that ability. An inner enemy that wants to stop us from growing and developing and wants to keep us weak and afraid, called: Resistance.A lot of people have messaged me previously asking about motivation and procrastination and how they can actually sit down to do their creative work? This is the topic of a book called 'The War of Art’ by reformed procrastinating writer, Stephen Pressfield. In this book, he coined the term Resistance. An inner antagonist we all must face to sit down and do something significant. Resistance manifests as an inner voice that rationalises, it tells you you aren't good enough, It tells you the work isn’t good enough, it tells you why bother? Resistance tries to divert you from your destiny; Pressfield says Resistance is a con-man whose only goal is to stop you from doing the work and realising your potential. Resistance is the source of procrastination and resistance is nothing other than fear, the fear that prevents you from living a full life. An example of how Resistance maims a person in this way is the life of Adolf Hitler. Hitler wanted to be a painter and architect. He applied to art school, but the Resistance standing between him and his goal was too great. He struggled with criticism and was scared to put his dreams on the line. In the end, it was easier for Hitler to start a world war and oppress an entire population than go through the pains of committing to his art. Facing Resistance is no joke. As a writer, I face procrastination all the time. I’ve planned entire careers and lives to avoid facing resistance. Pressfield points out people live entire lives designed to avoid facing Resistance, start pointless jobs, and relationships, have endless dramas and seek mindless pleasure-seeking to avoid the task. We are all in danger of living fake and chaotic, disorganised lives to avoid facing Resistance. The true path, Pressfield says, involves using Resistance like a compass - resistance points North in the direction of maximal growth and development. Makes sense? Where you least want to go is where you will find what you need. This is the old mythological idea of the dragon's cave and the dragon's gold - under the biggest problems lies the biggest reward. So, in other words, Resistance, where you are procrastinating, is where your heroic life really is. But then, the real question arises, how do you go after it?Becoming a Warrior."Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance."― Steven PressfieldFor Pressfield, defeating Resistance and procrastination involves a permanent change in attitude. The problem is we are, what Pressfield terms, ‘amateurs' - easily intimidated and scared off the field and fail to fearful rationalizations and the promises and diversions of Resistance. Resistance is a liar and means to divert us from our destiny, and Pressfield says we have to turn 'Pro' to face it. That means the same way you peel yourself off the couch to go to work to put food on the table, is the same you have to approach your creative work. Seth Godin, best-selling author and marketing genius, used to say ‘writer's block can only happen if you're thinking like a writer - plumbers don't get plumbers' block.’ You just have to get the job done. Pressfield points out that life is a sport you have to play hurt. Everybody is all hung up on healing these days and finding the perfect moment where you feel completely perfect to start the work, when really really you have to accept that it will never be perfect and just get going. Overcoming Resistance is about bringing your God-given gift into this world and giving birth to that sucker. Instead of letting Resistance push you away, let it call you forward. Pressfield compares this ideal attitude facing resistance to the Navy Seals. If you put the Navy Seals in cold water, they'll rub sand in their eyes to make it worse. If you starve them; they dehydrate themselves too. In other words, if it gets tougher, they want it to be even tougher again! This is because they know that the more challenging the conditions, the more they will grow. They cultivate a mindset that enjoys the pain, the suffering, and misery because it is a creating an immovable spirit, a point of pride and honor in the strength of their character. In my life, the same has been true in martial arts, the bigger the challenge, the more fear, the more progress. Mostly in life, pain, fear, and discomfort means we should stop and need to go the other direction. But this is a logic of a prey animal, an amateur, to become a Pro and beat Resistance, you need to be able to head into the eye of the storm.What you learn in martial arts is that making a habit of facing fear and practising courage is the best way to live. It never gets easier but resistance is never tougher than when you quit for awhile. Practise helps you identify what are excuses and rationalisations and ignore them and cultivate an attitude of getting the job done, no matter what. When an interviewer asked Elon Musk if he ever thought getting to Mars was too big a job? Elon said he didn't think of it that way. In his mind, human beings had to get to Mars at some point, and failure wasn't an option - the job simply had to be done, and so he was doing it. This has to be your attitude facing Resistance; there simply isn't a plan B, you have to be all in.   Develop a Growth Mindset."Are you paralyzed with fear? That's a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember one rule of thumb: the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it."― Steven Pressfield.This attitude of facing Resistance, and becoming a creative warrior, long developed in martial arts and the military, has recently been confirmed by Neuroscience. In her groundbreaking research, psychologist Carol Dweck at Stanford University was investigating why people fail. In one experiment, students were given a series of puzzles, ranging from easy to difficult. To her surprise, some kids liked failure and treated it as a learning experience. One ten-year-old boy even yelled out - "I love a challenge." This attitude epitomizes what Carol went on to coin as a growth mindset. A growth mindset thrives on challenge and sees failure as a springboard for stretching existing abilities. As opposed to a fixed mindset that sees failure as final. The difference between a fixed and growth mindset, in my opinion, is believing or disbelieving resistance - and this is something you can control. A growth mindset sounds like a hokey, modern personal development concept. However, what it really represents is an enlivening attitude toward challenges that can make overcoming resistance and procrastination a joy. The secret to developing this mindset is by changing your attitude to challenge. That challenging things are good. This makes the challenge more salient you and motivational because motivation is mediated by Dopamine. When you desire the challenge and difficulty, you attach a dopamine reward to doing hard tasks and create a positive feedback loop - rewarding yourself for taking on the hard task, which in turn helps you take on more hard tasks in general. You can do this by setting clear milestones, it might be writing a page, sitting down for an hour or two hours - whatever the goal, the point is I’m making a habit of sitting down and facing that resistance and rewarding myself for doing so. Habitually facing challenges takes the sting out of resistance and cultivates positive feedback loops. People often say the phrase 'enjoy the process'. In my opinion, this is what they are referring to, discovered by ancient philosophers, artists, and warriors, and now, modern neuroscience - the attitude is to see facing resistance and challenge as the goal. This is a fundamental shift in how you live your life, away from easy pleasure-seeking, and giving into fear and rationalisations and excuses, toward the hard and honourable combat with the forces of Resistance, which is the work of Gods and heroes. The best way to overcome procrastination is to make facing Resistance a way of life, and to remind yourself that when you see resistance it’s your job to go and face it - get it tattooed on your skin if you have to - we don't let the Resistance win. If you want to explore this topic more in-depth, I highly recommend getting Pressfield's, as it explains these truths more eloquently than I ever can, hereThank you for reading Monk. This post is public so feel free to share it.Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Get full access to Wisdom Dojo at www.mahonmccann.com/subscribe