SuperPsyched with Dr. Adam Dorsay

What is civility? What are the consequences of its absence? And why is it so important? Many people may inadvertently believe the words “polite” and “civil” are interchangeable. But as you hear and think about these words, you're probably recognizing just how different they are. I am so glad my guest, Alexandra Hudson (https://alexandraohudson.com/), has dedicated years of her life to write a fantastic book about this topic and it is hot off the press. The book is called The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves. Alexandra’s website perfectly summarizes the book’s relevance with this statement, “In an era of fraught political tension, civility—a respect for the dignity of others—is the key to bridging the divide.”I couldn’t agree more. So many outstanding enterprises and causes—including the United States—have been the result of people with different points of view coming together and working together with civility. So, with that end in mind, listen in, as Alexandra shares her thoughts on the importance of civility.

Improv isn’t just for comedy. If there are superfoods like blueberries that are good for your health, improv may just be a super-skill that has implications and applications that are also good for your health. No joke. And the skills are highly learnable and can measurably help you become a better person. They can make you a better collaborator in marriage, parenthood, business, and just about everywhere in life. Many Fortune 500 companies, including Clorox, have been able to boost their bottom line by using the skills they’ve implemented from improv. I had the pleasure of speaking with Kelly Leonard (https://www.secondcity.com/people/kelly-leonard+), the Vice President of Creative Strategy, Innovation and Business Development of Second City in Chicago, the oldest continually operating improv center in the world. The list of graduates who have come from Second City is utterly astounding. If you are a fan of any of these people, you can thank Second City: Amy Poehler, Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Tim Meadows, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Joan Rivers, Jordan Peele, Alan Alda, John Belushi, Stephen Colbert, Cecily Strong, and so many others. All of them developed their chops under the same roof, where my guest has worked for 35 years. Kelly is the author of an excellent book on improv called, Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses "No, but" Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration - Lessons from the Second City. I loved this book and so did a fella by the name of Stephen Colbert who said the book, “…is for anyone looking to be more creative in their work and in their life.” Other similar praise came from Dan Pink and Vanity Fair. In this episode, you will hear how improv works, and why you should consider developing these skills. You may even find yourself bringing people like Kelly to your workplace to help improve performance and employee morale through the types of play that only improv can bring. So, listen in as Kelly and I talk about why you need to learn improv, the super-skill in life.

We humans tend to be empathic, and our brains reward us with hits of dopamine when we help our fellow beings. So, it is no surprise that when we do good by providing charity or means for our fellow humans to improve their lives, we feel good.  And because of that, I am so excited to speak with the guest on this episode, Mark Gerson. Mark is an incredible human being. He has a JD from Yale Law School, he married a rabbi, is the author of a brilliant book, the host of a great podcast, and he has had spectacular success in the business world founding Gerson Lehrman Group also known as GLG, Thuzio, Tel Aviv Angel Group and, later, Maverick Ventures Israel, a venture capital fund. But these are just some of the things that impress me about Mark. At least as impressive has been his total dedication to his charities and to measurably making our world a better place. He oversees United Hatzalah, an inspired medical operation in Israel, as well as African Mission Healthcare Foundation, a similarly inspired medical operation that supports Christian Medical Ministries in Africa. He talks about the benefits of participating in charity work and the meaning and sustainable joy it provides. He also shares tips on fundraising: a Jedi level skill that requires incredible finesse and has been described as the most difficult sale of all. So, listen in as Mark shares timeless wisdom of charity: how we get so much more than we give, when we give. If you’re so moved, the link for African Mission Healthcare is: africanmissionhealthcare.org and the link for United Hatzalah is israelrescue.org.

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). 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.