Bounce! Conversations with Larry Weeks

Tommy Chong is a grammy award-winning comedian and is legendary for his invaluable contribution to American counter-culture as part of the iconic comedy duo Cheech & Chong. During their reign, the twosome recorded six gold comedy albums, including the 1973 Grammy winner "Los Cochinos," and starred in eight films, most of which Chong co-wrote and directed. The first, "Up In Smoke," was the highest-grossing comedy of 1978, topping $100 million at the box office. Others were "Cheech and Chong's Next Movie" (1980), "Nice Dreams" (1981), "Things Are Tough All Over" (1982), "Cheech and Chong: Still Smoking" (1983), and "The Corsican Brothers" (1984).  Tommy has acted in several other films, including 1990's "Far Out, Man!" and "National Lampoon's Senior Trip" (1995). He also starred as "Leo" on Fox's "That 70's Show," and guest starred on ABC's "Dharma & Greg" and "The George Lopez Show."  Tommy is also the author of the New York Times Best-Seller The I Chong: Meditations from the Joint and the book, Cheech and Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography.  In 2003 a fully armed SWAT team raided the comedian's home, culminating with Tommy being sentenced to 9 months in federal prison for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute "Chong Glass," a family business specializing in handmade glass water pipes (bongs). On this episode, Tommy talks about that experience and pretty much his whole life; growing up in Canada, getting his start in rock and roll, finding improv comedy, his time with Cheech and Chong, and getting into the business of CBD and Cannabis.   I interview people, for the most part - to get their perspective as to relates to challenge whether personal or professional sometimes it's corporate and more often than not, the episodes refer to some documented touchstones like a book or research - a catalog of lessons  This one is a bit of an exception.  This episode is not so didactic; the lessons are in the pure experience - the story - and an entertaining one at that.  Enjoy! To see show notes, resources, and more, visit larryweeks.com   

What can we learn from survival science about recovering from trauma? What can survivors of extreme events teach us about creating a new normal?   My guest on this episode is Laurence Gonzales. Laurence Gonzales is the author of numerous books and has won many awards, including two National Magazine Awards and the Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Laurence also received a Journalism Fellowship from the Santa Fe Institute and where he was also appointed a Miller Scholar.  Laurence wrote the best-selling books Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why, its sequel Surviving Survival: The Art and Science of Resilience, and Everyday Survival: Why Smart People Do Stupid Things. In these books, Laurence chronicles not only how some endured life-threatening situations and somehow survive them, but also their second acts; the difficulty of moving on from their trauma to the equally challenging return to or re-creation of a "normal" life. The extreme events that Laurence writes about are helpful to study as it lends perspective; we realize we are one among many who may have it far worse than we. Also helpful are the lessons learned on how the brain and body work during and after traumatic events.  Some of our talking points…. How evolutionary wiring works for us and against us  PTSD or PTS Why some survive, and others do not  Problems with narrow domain expertise and ego  Active coping skills and suggested activities  Awareness, behavioral scripts, and accidents Cognitive dissonance  The brain's rage pathway  Goal seeking behavior and the power of hobbies  I've been trying to get Laurence on for over a year - schedules just didn't align, but we finally made it happen happy to say and it was well worth it.  Enjoy! 

In this episode, my focus is on how to find peace of mind amidst turmoil and persistent uncertainty. So many things that are directly affecting our lives are also out of our direct control - and it can be maddening.  Serenity now.  The Ancient Greeks used the term ataraxia, which means a state of serene calmness. Steven Gambardella writes in the Sophist, "Ataraxia is not a positively-defined state such as "happy" or "excited" It was believed by the Hellenistic philosophies to be a "resting" state of serenity."    To achieve this state, the Stoics taught the need to discern between "things not up to us" vs. "things up to us."  "Some things are within our power, while others are not. Within our power are opinion, motivation, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever is of our own doing; not within our power are our body, our property, reputation, office, and, in a word, whatever is not of our own doing." - Epictetus in the Enchiridion Herein lies the key to much of our neurosis, not understanding what's in your control and what's not. Crazy is treating outcomes as objects; to paraphrase psychoanalyst Leslie Farber, where you can directly move an object, you cannot directly will an outcome - and your goals can distort your psyche when confusing the two. My guest is philosophy professor Massimo Pigliucci. Massimo has a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He is currently the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and the practical philosophy of Stoicism.  He is also the author or editor of 14 books, including the bestselling How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life. Other titles include Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk and his just published A Field Guide to a Happy Life.  Some of or talking points on this episode How his life changed in 2014 Re-discovering Stoic philosophy  Thoughts and suffering Stoicism 2.0 How stress is created The dichotomy of control Holding things lightly; loans from the bank of the universe Unhooking happiness from results Ambition, goals and the challenge of process orientation Pandemics, mask-wearing and citizenship Historical perspectives on crazy political seasons and unorthodox leaders On pacifism and civic engagement  Massimo was great as usual so - take a break from the insanity out there, put your earphones on, go for a walk and listen.  Enjoy!  For show notes, resources and more of my content visit larryweeks.com 

What do you do when you're faced with a big decision? If you're like most people, you might make a pro and con list, although many don't even do that - if you're like me, you might over-analyze and spend too much time searching for that extra data point that might make you sure. There is a better way to make quality decisions and minimize second-guessing.  My guest is Annie Duke.  Annie is an expert on decision fitness and is the author of two books on decision making, the bestseller Thinking In Bets, and her latest How To Decide, Simple Tools For Making Better Choices, is the topic of the show.  Prior to the books, Annie used high stakes poker as her decision lab and became one of the world's top poker players, winning her first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet in 2004. That same year, she won the $2 million winner-take-all, invitation-only Tournament of Champions. In 2010, she won NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship.  Before professional poker, Annie was awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship to study Cognitive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.  This is the second time I've had Annie as a guest (See Ep. 22) and the topic of this episode follows from the first except here we shift from highlighting causes of bad decisions to discussing in more detail the process for making better ones. We move to the more practical as she outlines the tools and heuristics we can use to make quality decisions and second-guess yourself less.  Here are just some of our talking points.  A review of "resulting" and why it's a problem What's wrong with pro-con lists - and what's better Assigning probability and forecasting  The tree of possibility The decision multiverse  The three-column decision map Why we should embrace educated guesses Factors leading up to election cycles and how predictions might be wrong yet correctly made before  and much more  Note Annie's audio is less than optimal but listen closely, it's a gold mine of decision-making wisdom you can use right away.  Enjoy! 

"It's like an aha moment when you suddenly see it, the moment you say, oh, all these negative feelings are awesome and wonderful, this is a positive deal. The moment you see that you suddenly won't want or need them anymore.”  - Dr. David burns  “What you resist not only persists but will grow in size” - Carl Jung  This was recorded in late August and throughout much of the world, we are still dealing with the pandemic via restricted living. Our routines have been disrupted and our world of experiences narrowed, going on six months. Add to the mix all the negative news that precedes a national election, and you have a recipe for depression and anxiety. Enter my guest on this episode is Dr.David Burns, M.D. David was a previous guest back when I started the podcast (episode 5), and he is one of the pioneers in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) so very happy to have him back on.  Dr. Burns is currently Adjunct Clinical Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine, where he is involved in research and teaching. He has received numerous awards, including the A. E. Bennett Award for his research on brain chemistry, the Distinguished Contribution to Psychology through the Media Award, and the Outstanding Contributions Award from the National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists. He has been named Teacher of the Year three times from the class of graduating residents at Stanford University School of Medicine, and his best-selling book, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, published over 40 years ago, is still in the #1 Amazon spot for books on depression.  Now he has a new book that innovates on the methods in the first called Feeling Great – The Revolutionary New Treatment for Depression and Anxiety, which is based on more than 40,000 hours treating individuals with severe mood problems. Dr. Burns says that our negative moods do not result from what’s wrong with us, but rather - what’s right with us. And paradoxically, when you listen and “hear” what your negative thoughts and feelings are trying to say, you won’t need them anymore, and recovery follows. The goal, according to Dr. Burns, is not just complete elimination of negative feelings, but the development of joy and enlightenment.  Some talking points from the show.   A review of the origins and basics of CBT  David's new treatment protocol - TEAM CBT  A list of cognitive distortions  Discerning healthy and unhealthy sadness   On dealing with cancer  Agenda setting How and why of honoring negative thoughts   Case studies and patience response  Read to investigate your feelings and experiment with how to change them?  Enjoy! For resources and more visit larryweeks.com   

"The greater the mistake, the more foolish the belief, the more consequences of that belief...Then, the greater your need to reduce that dissonance in your favor because the gap is greater between yourself and feelings of self worth" - Carol Tavris  On this podcast, we talk about what happens after we make a terrible mistake. What is our response to our mistakes? Do we try to brush it off? Do we say screw it and double down?  Mistakes don't necessarily end with the mistake itself - it can get worse, much worse.  It's akin to the axiom for failure testing software;  Almost all catastrophic errors are the result of incorrect handling of non-fatal errors that are explicitly signaled.  Consider Bill Clinton. It is arguable that had he admitted to his relationship with Monica Lewinsky early and contritely, he would have avoided a 4-month long impeachment process - and embarrassing testimony recorded for posterity.  Or we can get better, we can learn and grow from our mistakes.  But that takes admission along with taking responsibility so that we don't make the same mistake again.  This podcast explains why that's so hard to do.  My guests are Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson. They co-authored the book "Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions and Hurtful Acts" The book, and our conversation, is about cognitive dissonance theory applied to a wide variety of topics, including politics, religious belief, memory, criminal justice, and even family quarrels.  Carol is an American social psychologist, public intellectual, well-known writer, and lecturer. She's devoted her career to the psychological sciences; the beliefs and practices that guide people's lives. Carol has a Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Michigan, has taught psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles and the New School for Social Research. Carol is also a member of the editorial board of Psychological Science in the Public Interest. Her articles, book reviews, and op-eds have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, The Times Literary Supplement, Scientific American and other publications. Elliot Aronson is one of the most famous names in the discipline of social psychology due in no small part to his best book, The Social Animal. He is listed among the 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century. He has taught at Harvard University, the University of Minnesota, the University of Texas, and is currently professor emeritus of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz.  This was an easy conversation as Carol and Elliot are both so very likable. I told them that if I had to tell someone about my mistakes, it would be them, as they came across as genuinely caring.  I think you'll agree.  Our conversation covers these topics and more.  Why people might justify bad decisions.  Cognitive dissonance The pyramid of choice Faulty memory  Keeping beliefs against revealed evidence  Dealing with our bad memories How to learn from mistakes  Cancel culture  Partitioning mistakes from persons Anatomy of an apology  Enjoy! For resources and more visit larryweeks.com 

Rory Sutherland is a best selling author, ad man being the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy and Mather and co-founder of Ogilvy Change, a behavioral science practice where they believe the greatest gains to be made in business and society are psychological, not technological.  Rory is regarded as one of marketing and advertising's most original thinkers and inspirational speakers; a cumulative 7M viewers have seen his Ted Talks.  This is Rory's second appearance on the podcast. The first episode 20,  which is still very popular. Because Rory has his finger on the pulse of consumer psychology, I wanted his take on the impact of stay at home orders on our respective western consumers as the Coronavirus (hopefully) wanes.  How will our consuming and workplace behavior change?  So this is a wide-ranging conversation covering these topics and more... Speculating on permanent and temporary consumer behavior changes  Behaviors that are inherently resilient Social norms The future of the workplace, commuting, public policy, travel, and movies Trends vs. vectors  What does he think about marketing/advertising on the edge of a pandemic?  What should brands do amidst all this change? Habits and social copying  Enjoy!  For resources and notes see larryweeks.com

I'm never sure how to introduce James Altucher to anyone who might not have heard of him. He's a best selling author with a hugely successful podcast, investor, serial entrepreneur, former VC & hedge fund manager, computer programmer, and chess master. I'm sure I've left some out but just Google him, he's everywhere.  Returning for his second appearance on the podcast (see more of his story here), James is one of the most interesting people I know. But his superpower and what I admire about him most is his vulnerability. He's an open book and not afraid to lean into controversy.  To the point of this show, on his podcast, he's been talking with a wide variety of experts about the Coronavirus, everyone from an immunologist, physicians, geneticist, economist to policy experts and super forecasters in the form of regular updates starting in February. He also lives in Manhattan, which is ground zero for the epidemic here in the states, which gives him another perspective I don't have.  Well, I thought I'd short cut my research and just call him for a distillation of what he's finding out; what after all these conversations has he concluded about what is happening now?   So here are just some of the topics we cover  Political risks for any opinion on what to do next  The math used for Coronavirus spread / who got what wrong?  Issues with flattening the curve  Dividing the certain from the uncertain He view on when this will it effectively "end" Possible shape of the recovery - L,U,V,W? Economic impact and when he thinks the country should open up or could open  How the future has been pulled forward  Businesses that may never return to normal  How to be an idea machine  Business ideas that are favorable in this environment  His personal practices for recovering from setback - as he's been through many   Enjoy Seem more at larryweeks.com

William B. Irvine is a professor of philosophy at Wright State University. The author of seven books, including The Stoic Challenge and A Guide to the Good Life, he has also written for the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Salon, Time, and the BBC. He lives in Dayton, Ohio For the context of the show I refer you to his latest,  The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher’s Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer and More Resilient  Philosophy for William is not just an academic career; he actually lives it, having adopted Stoicism many years ago, making him an outlier in the academic community. In many ways, this ancient school of thought preempted many aspects of modern psychology and how to use some of its tenants to deal with setbacks.  The Stoics’ realized that even though you have limited control over what setbacks you experience, you can develop considerable control over how you respond to them. One of the 1st century Stoics Seneca wrote about the differences between experiencing a setback and suffering from it, by changing the perspective of how one thinks of setbacks.  You’ve probably read or heard of some form of this quote attributed to another Stoic, Epictetus  “We suffer not from the events in our lives but from our judgment about them.” On this show, we explore that precept - with some helpful thought experiments that I encourage you to try  Topics covered  How he came to Stoicism Comparisons with Buddhism Psychology of a setback   Stoic framing (the test frame, hero frame, target frame)  Negative visualization  “The last time” exercise and premature nostalgia  Resetting hedonic standards The power of perspective  Enjoy!  For show notes and more see larryweeks.com

This episode is about trying to understand our true capacity to cope with stress and how to arouse the dormant resilience in all of us.  My guest on this show seems to be proof there are benefits from extreme physical challenges. In his case, actually seeking out stressors and using them to hack the nervous system - reprogramming it's response to those stressors. Scott Carney is an investigative journalist who has worked in some of the most dangerous and unlikely corners of the world. His work has been the subject of a variety of radio and television programs, including NPR and National Geographic TV.  Before writing what eventually became the New York Times bestseller, "What Doesn't Kill Us," Scott set out to prove that the now-famous "iceman" Wim Hoff was a charlatan and his workshop retreats destined to kill people. Instead, Scott winds up climbing Mount Kilimanjaro half-naked, submerging himself in ice water learning radical breathing techniques (see Episode 6 of this podcast). The experience gave Scott almost superhuman levels of endurance, and he says it quieted a persistent autoimmune illness.  At the core of these methods is a technique Scott outlines in detail with his new book "The Wedge." In this episode, we talk about how it works, what he found on his search for other people who understood the language of the body's response to the environment. What other "wedges" did he discover?  This chat with Scott helped me think of stress as something to use. Specific stressors can be opportunities to build a form of strength in the area where the stress is met, whether physical or mental. During the interview, Scott talks about the brain's ability to build "libraries of emotional experiences" tied to stressful events. He thinks you can hack the libraries by various means of exposure and or wedges dealing with the stress to change how you experience it, thus increasing your ability to cope. This chat will push you to reconsider how far out your limits may be.  Some interesting sections of the conversation... What he learned from Wim Hoff The two way communication between the mind-body and body-mind  Relationships between physiological and psychological stress Possibilities in reprogramming the nervous system Placebos How to use environment to increase resilience A new game of catch - with iron weights  Confronting fear in a laboratory  Enjoy! For show notes and more visit larryweeks.com