The Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has recently warned of a loneliness epidemic in the United States and has cited research suggesting that loneliness can be as toxic to our health as 15 cigarettes per day. Unfortunately, societal trends do not support people getting together in real life. Attendance at virtually all community gatherings is on the decline, whether we are referring to social groups, religious organizations, or even picnics.Sadly, our 35,000-year-old brains are not wired for the isolation we are experiencing these days. Our social brains crave community and togetherness, and even the most introverted of us need some communal connection, but we rarely know how to do it or where to even look.And that is why I'm so happy to speak with Charles Vogl (https://www.charlesvogl.com/). Charles has spent time in diverse communities such as the Peace Corps in Zambia, Yale University where he did his master’s degree in spiritual traditions, philosophy, and business., and here in Silicon Valley where he has served at Google’s Vitality Lab. He is the author of a book I loved called The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging. Charles speaks about the principles that help communities thrive and why we need them. I agree with bestselling author Richard Leider, who said of the book, "At last, here is an insightful guide to create the community you have envisioned for yourself and others." Amen, brother.   So, listen in as Charles and I talk about the art of community.

On Labor Day, Steve Harwell, the front man of Smash Mouth, died at the age of 56. Like many people, I’m a big fan of the band and I’m really sad about this. Smash Mouth’s lead guitarist and songwriter was Greg Camp (https://gregcampmusic.com/) and, yes, he wrote all the songs you love including All Star. Fortunately, I’ve known Greg for many years, and he gave a great interview in episode #35 a few years ago. He was kind enough to meet up again to share some intimate, behind-the-scenes experiences of his relationship with Steve, as well as his memories of this icon of pop culture, describing Steve, the person behind his front-man image. Greg gives a beautiful homage to Steve in this episode, and he creates art in bringing Steve to life as he grieves the loss of his friend and bandmate. You will hear about Steve’s spectacular successes… you’ll also hear about Steve’s hardships… some of which utterly devastating. We touch upon the tragic loss of Steve’s only child, Presley, who died at the age of six months from leukemia. As you might imagine, this is a kind of loss that has no word or descriptor. I mean, there is a word for someone who’s lost a spouse (a widow or widower), or a child who has no parents (an orphan), but there is no word for what Steve experienced, and it is overwhelming to even imagine. You’ll also hear the lighter and inspirational side of Steve including how he convinced Greg to join forces with him to create Smash Mouth, Steve’s philosophy of “do something every day,” stories about who Steve was, how he changed Greg’s life and even saved Greg’s life, as well as the song that defined Steve in Greg’s eyes (interestingly, it’s probably not a song you’ll expect). In fact, I received permission to include that song at the end of this episode, so, appropriately, we close with the voice of Steve and the guitar of Greg and the music of Smash Mouth. So, listen in as Smash Mouth’s guitarist and songwriter, Greg Camp, remembers Steve Harwell. Photo Credit: Kelly Castro (https://www.kellycastro.photo/home#1)

These days there is understandably a lot of talk and a lot of fear about the future of jobs. Speculations are plentiful and some are downright grim.  The questions abound: what will the future bring as it relates to employment? How will my children's work-life look? You may even be thinking, damn, what will my own work look like in a few years? The truth is nobody really knows. But a good place to form hypotheses about the future may exist in thoughtful analysis of current research as well as looking deeply at history. It is crucial that we cool our heads and listen to thought leaders who have real-world experience plus those who have given deep and objective thought to the matter. And that is why I'm so grateful to have had this conversation with just such a person. Jeff Wald is the Founder of Work Market, as well as several other technology companies including Spinback which was eventually sold to Salesforce.  Jeff is now an angel investor who holds an MBA from Harvard University and an MS and a BS from Cornell University. He’s also the author of a book I found helpful and informative called, The End of Jobs: The Rise of On-Demand Workers and Agile Corporations and Jeff and I geek out to the future of jobs as he sees it. As you will hear, Jeff draws deeply on research and history and he gives his take on the skills that will be necessary in the future, the relevance of college education, jobs on the rise, jobs on their way out, jobs that will change, and his thoughtful weigh-in on where we are heading in general.  So, listen in as Jeff and I talk about the future of jobs.

I’ve covered many important topics on this podcast, but this one is arguably the most important: it’s about ramen.   OK, I jest. But if you are a listener of this podcast, you have likely noticed I cover lots of important psychological issues that we face… I also cover huge pleasures. Among those pleasures, some episode topics have included coffee, barbecue, and ice cream. I’m going to add one more: I am utterly in love with ramen. It is my go-to comfort food, and I am not alone. It has become a huge international sensation and, as you will hear, people where I live in Silicon Valley and all over the world will stand in line for an hour or more just to get a bowl from their favorite shop. In this episode, we discuss the varieties of ramen, why we humans are so drawn to it, its history, some cool activities for parents and children, and so much more.   Fortunately, I know just the guy to talk about this phenomenal dish and his name is Rory Dent! Rory comes from England but has lived in Japan for many years both as a student at Musashi University and as an employee, including working as a cook at a ramen shop, and currently as a tour guide. Recently, he was my family’s tour guide for a spectacular ramen tour in Tokyo, and shortly after we met, I knew I needed to share his brilliance with you, my listener.   So, listen in as Rory and I talk about the international phenomenon known as ramen! Rory's Private Instagram Tour Page: https://instagram.com/tobira.travel?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Tokyo Ramen Tours Link: https://www.tokyoramentours.com/

Gregg Krech, a guest who discusses Japanese psychology and taking action in life. Topics include Japanese therapies, Marie Kondo's work, finding meaning and gratitude, dealing with procrastination, accepting and redirecting feelings using Morita therapy, and the power of empathy and expanding our perspective.

Like most of us, I have wished many things were taught to me at school that were not on the curriculum. While so much of what we need to learn can only be taught through experience, many skills that could be taught in school aren't. Please know I am not faulting teachers or even the education system. There is so much to be taught and the laundry list of items could be endless!   Yet, what are some of the things that we needed to learn but didn't? My new friend, Mark Herschberg answers that question in his excellent book, The Career Toolkit. Mark developed the material from 20 years of teaching MIT students all the things they’ll need to know to succeed but weren’t taught even at a top-tier institution.   I wish I had this book when I started my career but I'm so glad it is available to my children and I'm also grateful it's available to me even at this stage of life.   Mark is a graduate of MIT for both his undergraduate and master’s degree, a seasoned startup expert, a successful CTO at various companies, and he has done all kinds of other cool things in his life ranging from fighting cybercrime and becoming an award-winning ballroom dancer.   So, listen in as mark and I talk about interview skills, negotiation skills, and of course, the skills that we will need as AI becomes more and more relevant. Book link: https://amzn.to/3KDN8gh This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).

Dr. Ildiko Tabori, a psychologist specializing in working with comedians, discusses the mental health challenges faced by comedians. Topics include the healing power of comedy, comedians as clients, the challenges of being a comedian, the influence of the audience, and the importance of problem-solving and cognitive flexibility.

It’s summer as I write this and, for many of us, it’s high season for leisure reading.It causes me to think of my all-time favorite novel… the one I couldn’t put down and the one I keep re-reading over the years. That book is none other than Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s brilliant first of the brilliant Cemetery of Forgotten Books series and its alluring title is The Shadow of the Wind. In addition to it being my favorite book, there’s a story—personal in nature—that I’ve decided to share. It’s one that I still can’t fully believe and I share it in this short SuperPsyched solo episode. If my story resonates with you in any way, I’d love to hear! Book link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143034901/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_S42JHGGZ5PHBZC2N9PWT?linkCode=ml2&tag=superpsyche0b-20 This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).

With the Ted Lasso series finale in our rearview mirrors, I felt the need to record a solo episode tribute to the brilliant creator, Bill Lawrence, and to this incredible show. As a psychologist, I have seen a few shows that have illustrated what humanity could look like at its finest. For me, Ted Lasso is one of the list-toppers of shows that have. I decided to name a few things that this show has done so well and to give a shout-out to its creator, Bill Lawrence, for giving us this incredible gift. I believe I will be forever grateful to him for creating this show as well as Scrubs and Shrinking. So, listen in as I share a love letter to Ted Lasso and Bill and ask you to ask yourself, what would Ted Lasso do?

Without sex, pretty much none of us would be here. And yet, merely talking about the thing that brought us here makes many of us squirm with discomfort. We’re told it’s not polite to talk about it. It’s taboo. And we can even feel shame about it and not even let ourselves know who we are when it comes to our identities and preferences. As a result, that thing we don’t talk about becomes kind of a secret black box that is unknown. Yet, if we’re willing to open that black box, look at its contents without fear or judgment, it’s pretty fascinating. And that’s one of the reasons I’m so happy to have my guest, Ross Benes talk about it on this episode. Ross is an accomplished journalist and author of such books as the Sex Weird-O-Pedia and the Sex Effect. He shares some lesser-known secrets about sex as they relate to individuals, cultures, history, and other areas in life. So, listen in as Ross and I discuss sexual oddities. Book link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1631584375/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_0J5JYPDPNTM39ND0NDV5?linkCode=ml2&tag=superpsyche0b-20 This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).