Bounce! Conversations with Larry Weeks

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    

At the moment as I publish this, there are 340,000 cases of the Coronavirus and over 9,700 deaths from it in the U.S. Over 70,000 deaths world wide.  The amount and velocity of information on the pandemic is overwhelming and much of it conflicts. Do this - don't do that. I need help parsing all of it.  Enter Dr. Alex Lickerman, M.D.  Alex is a direct primary care physician at ImagineMD, spending the first 20 years of his career as a leader at the University of Chicago, where he ran primary care for seven years and taught generations of today’s leaders in medicine. There he enjoyed a reputation as “a doctor’s doctor,” caring for many physicians who are themselves today considered leaders in their fields.  I wanted to talk with Alex about the Coronavirus because of his unique qualifications as a physician and his work in resilience. Alex is the author of, The Undefeated Mind: On the Science of Constructing an Indestructible Self that formed the basis of the landmark Resilience Project, which he began while at the University of Chicago. Short show (36 mins) but I get to ask a lot of questions that he kindly answers in detail Comparisons New York vs Chicago What's unique about the Coronavirus Current best treatments   Separating fact from the news  Symptoms and timeframes What should I do if I get sick? How long will this last? Tylenol, Advil - which ? The problem with hydroxychloroquine Percentages - sick or very sick Hospital capacity in the US On face masks How long will this last? Why and how we can be calm

As I publish this (April 2020) the current Coronavirus pandemic has been a setback for all of us in various degrees, some worse than others. Hence, I would encourage you to listen to this episode and share with someone who could use it. My guest is Dr. Steven M. Southwick, who along with Dennis Charney are the co-authors of Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges.  The book summarizes research into the psychological, biological, and social impact of trauma, and it combines the latest scientific findings in the area of resilience drawing on two decades of work with  trauma survivors  “Resilient individuals resemble a twig with a fresh, green living core. When twisted out of shape, such a twig bends, but it does not break; instead, it springs back and continues growing”  - George Vaillant  Steven completed his psychiatry residency at Yale University School of Medicine. He is the Glenn H. Greenberg Professor of Psychiatry, PTSD and Resilience at Yale University Medical School and Yale Child Study Center. He is also the Medical Director of the Clinical Neuroscience of the Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD. Steven has worked with a wide range of trauma survivors including combat veterans, civilian children and adults with PTSD, and very high functioning, former prisoners of war. There is a bit of irony in this episode based on the times we are living through in 2020. One, is my warning to those who were having an easy time of life that challenge would come so prepare now. The other is Steven's admonition for social connection. Harder now as we are all social distancing but even more important due to the stress many are going through. Hello Zoom. We also cover these topics on this episode   His research into resilience and PTSD  What led him to write the book  How the brain may work against you in traumatic or challenging circumstances.  Why and how each of us differ in our responses to stress The resilience factors Passive and active "toughening" Trauma and growth  What survivors do to successfully cope with extreme circumstances.  Active toughening and the importance of recovery Social pain and the importance of social networks.  The “bleed” effect of exercise on emotion The power of “squads”  What he asks someone who is suffering when they first come to him for help Much more here so please listen I write about all my shows, visit www.larryweeks.com

Depending on the research, there are anywhere from 40% - 60% percent of us admitting we make New Year's resolutions, A study from the University of Scranton found that 23% of people quit their resolution after one week. And only 19% of individuals actually stick to the goals longer term. We put off starting a project we planned, or once started, we never finish.  We swear to eat healthily, lose weight, or you name it, only to see ourselves defeated by what seems to be a lack of will.  If we really want to do these things, why don't we do them?  My guest on the show is Dr. Piers Steel. Piers is a Distinguished Research Chair at the University of Calgary, where he teaches human resources and organizational dynamics at the Haskayne School of Business.  Piers is one of the world's leading researchers on the science of motivation and procrastination.  He's also the inventor of the procrastination equation – an equation that can explain every scientific finding on procrastination ever and is laid out in his oft-cited book The Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Stuff Done. You're about to find out not only why you procrastinate, but the science around what works to overcome it, i.e., how to increase motivation.     When you learn the equation, you can use it to diagnose where your lack of motivation might be coming from. And from there, you can increase your motivation on-command. Piers lays it out for us. On this show, some of the topics we cover include … Long-held myths on why people procrastinate  The truth about why we procrastinate  He breaks down each part of the motivation equation and talks through how to work with them The power of context The real problem with impulsiveness and some tricks to thwart temptation Sort ranking the motivation variables by impact THE #1 Reason people procrastinate  What elevates motivation and what depresses it The problem with smart goals Enjoy!  For resources, show notes and more visit larryweeks.com

M.I.T. Technology Review dubbed Nir Eyal, “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology” as he is the author of the bestselling book on building habit forming products (Hooked). So who better to help us understand the neuroscience of distraction. Nir's new book, "Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life" is the topic of this podcast.  "In the future, there will be two kinds of people in the world: those who let their attention and lives be controlled and coerced by others and those who proudly call themselves 'indistractable." - Nir Eyal  Saying this show is about distraction doesn't do it justice. This is probably just me, but distraction is so universal I think we minimize its impact in our lives. I think we hear about it all the time of late due to the onset of the smartphone. And if we don't have that problem, well, we think we have no problem.   This is about your time and attention, why you lose control of it and how to get it back. It's about valuing your attention and we only have so much time left and we're not guaranteed whatever amount we think we have left. This episode is very quick listen in a sense that Nir gets right into it, I had to be very fast with my note taking.  Some of the topics we cover include ... Technology and addiction On habit forming products Differences between addiction and distraction The psychology of distraction, causes etc. The psychology of email A 4-step framework for becoming indistractable The problem with to-do lists Time boxing and values On hyperbolic discounting There is a lot under these topic umbrellas and much of the episode is tactical. I took a ton of notes and have already seen the benefits of applying much of it. Fit this in, you should hear it.  Nir's resources, show notes and more at larryweeks.com

This is a podcast about results, getting things done. How to move past uncertainty and define the future.  In this episode I talk with J.J. Sutherland. He is the CEO of Scrum Inc and is also the co-author of Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time, written with his father, Jeff Sutherland, the co-creator of Scrum. His newest book The Scrum Fieldbook, A Master Class on Accelerating Performance, Getting Results, and Defining the Future, is the topic of this show. For those of you unfamiliar with the term Scrum, it's a framework originally used as a faster, more effective way to create software in the tech industry. The Scrum process is now being used successfully in general business practice all over the world in companies of all types, outside of pure tech. This chat is in part a discovery process as to why that is.  J.J. says Scrum is the art of changing the possible or what is possible. And I think after listening to this episode, you might join him in that belief.  Some great advice here on not only what Scrum really is or how it works but J.J offers some great insights on teamwork, why projects fail, how to use failure and fear as catalysts and how Scrum can be applied anywhere.  Be prepared to be motivated to get stuff done after listening.  Enjoy!  I blog about all episodes, for more info visit larryweeks.com

“…What it takes to keep up isn’t as much about coding, AI, algorithms… it’s about being change oriented, it’s about being forward thinking, and it’s about being willing to develop skills in this new world.” --Gerald Kane What allows some organizations and individuals to thrive in new world of rapid technology innovation and disruption while others fall behind or get stuck in obsolescence? Exploring these questions and more is an expert on digital disruption and my guest on the podcast, Gerald Kane, professor of Information Systems at Boston College, Carroll School of Management. After a major six-year study into how digital technologies have disrupted companies of all sizes, Kane talks with me about some of the key findings from his newly released book, “The Technology Fallacy: How People Are The Real Key To Digital Transformation.” Thousands of interviews with employers and employees went into his research, revealing some interesting findings outlined in the book.  If your an executive running a company or a CDO or just in charge of digital transformation, listen up. And if you're just an employee who wants to keep pace with change and stay relevant in the workplace, I would listen to this show.  On the show we talk about  Why adapting to technological disruptions isn’t actually all about the technology - and why thinking it is could lead to failure What type of mindset makes a difference in the companies that succeed at dramatic change vs those that fail to adapt  Defining will over skill The similar characteristics companies have that thrive in disruption The importance of culture and what that means really How to stay relevant in the modern workplace The age factor, why succeeding in the digital era is not about age - and what attribute IS important  How to develop employees for long-term success through change and tech disruption with examples of how companies are doing that The digital maturity scorecard, what industries lead or lag Jerry was a great interview and not only generous with his findings but passionate about them. Enjoy! I write about all my shows at larryweeks.com   

"I'm focusing on making decisions through A.I. They're making so many choices for us, mostly in ways that allow us to be productive but the flip side is the extent to which we are fully in control of our decisions. It's not quite what it used to be. The algorithms are nudging us in different ways" - Kartik Hosanagar My guest on this episode is Kartik Hosanagar. Kartik is a professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, one of the world's top 40 business professors under 40. He is a 10 time recipient of the MBA or undergraduate teaching excellence awards at the Wharton and his research has received several best paper awards. Kartik also co-founded and developed the core IP for Yodel and is involved with many other startups as either an investor or board member. Kartik's new book, A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence: How Algorithms Are Shaping Our Lives and How We Can Stay in Control, is the topic of our discussion.   This episode is a look into the brains of all of your devices, at least the software that's running them, and how those brains are learning and influencing you.  You need very little technical knowledge to enjoy this episode. In fact the less you know technically the more it would behoove you to listen.  Kartik does a masterful job not only explaining how algorithms work but how advances in A.I. are impacting your life - and what we can do about it personally as well as collectively.  And if you're curious at all as to all the buzz about artificial intelligence, Kartik provides a short history lesson on it's origins and evolution from narrow automation to autonomous learning.  There's also a great retelling of how the AlphaGo computer beat the world's best *human* Go professional.  Some additional talking points in this episode ... Why algos matter and the risks associated with decisions  Issues with data and data brokers Algorithmic bias  On the evolution of A.I. A.I. similarities in human nature Black box problems - when we cannot know why a machine takes an action it takes The predictability-resilience paradox How to take control, the importance of agency  His view of the future and how we can prepare for it   And much more.            Enjoy!       If you like this episode, I write about all my podcasts at larryweeks.com       

The abbreviation A.I. along with its phrase “artificial intelligence” for many invokes fantasies of sentient overlord robots everywhere or benevolent machine assistants or sexy operating systems. It can be difficult to separate hype from reality. Newsfeed cycles don’t help either. Stories circulate with titillating headlines as to what A.I. has just done without context as to where it's failed. Regardless we should pay attention, because the ultimate goal of A.I. is to not only make machines intelligent - but as intelligent as humans. Hence my guest, Rob May. Rob is the CEO and Co-founder of Talla, a Boston-based company offering AI-Powered automation for service and support Teams. He is an angel investor in 50 A.I. companies and the Managing Director at Half Court Ventures. Rob also writes InsideAI, the world's most popular email newsletter on artificial intelligence. I wanted to have somebody like Rob on not only because of his deep expertise running his own company but his broad exposure to many different types of A.I. forward companies. Join us as we discuss these topics and more Defining and discerning A.I. and Machine Learning  Hype and current reality  Where is A.I. working  Where and why companies fail with A.I. Perspective on the near and long term futures of A.I. How companies and people can prepare for broad adoption Where does he see most of A.I.'s value creation coming from How he evaluates companies to invest in who say they use AI and much more ... I write about my shows, visit www.larryweeks.com for more