Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Armchair Umbrella
Hi, I’m Dax Shepard, and I love talking to people. I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy. I invite you to join me as I explore other people’s stories. We will celebrate, above all, the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment. What qualifies me for such an endeavor? More than a decade of sobriety, a degree in Anthropology and four years of improv training. I will attempt to discover human “truths” without any laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th-century scientists, an Armchair Expert.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 18, 2022 • 1h 40min
Woo-Kyoung Ahn (Yale psychologist on thinking)
Dr. Woo-Kyoung Ahn (Thinking 101) is a psychologist and professor of Psychology at Yale University. Dr. Ahn joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how human thinking has evolved over time, how traumatic events can be measured, and what the concept of causal attribution means. Dr. Ahn and Dax talk about the different ways humans confirm their own bias, how people speak differently to their out-groups than their in-groups, and how we rationalize getting cut off in traffic. Dr. Ahn explains what the effects of rumination are on our brains, what the allure of fluency is, and how we are often overconfident in trying to understand others' intentions.
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Aug 15, 2022 • 1h 37min
Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller (Severance, Meet the Parents, Tropic Thunder) is an actor, producer, and director. Ben joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what his experience was directing the first season of Severance, what working through the pandemic was like, and how much he enjoys watching dramas. Ben and Dax talk about what movies shaped their childhoods, who they think the funniest comedians are, and how important good scriptwriting is for successful shows. Ben explains how much he misses acting in movies, how his ultimate goal was always to be a director, and how he views his own identity.
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Aug 12, 2022 • 44min
Armchair Anonymous: Workplace Poop
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about their untimely, unauthorized evacuation in their pants while on the job or at work.
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Aug 11, 2022 • 1h 35min
David Lieberman
David Lieberman (Mindreader, You Can Read Anyone) is an author and psychotherapist. David joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his research into the psychology of the human ego, the art of reading a bluff, and the importance of respect in any relationship. David and Dax talk about the differences between sociopaths and narcissists, who they most admire, and what it really means when people speak negatively about others. David explains how to tell if someone is genuinely interested in you, how he grew up being fascinated with why people do the things they do, and what it actually means to have confidence.
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Aug 8, 2022 • 1h 35min
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Gay Pride & Prejudice, Modern Family, Take Me Out) is an actor and producer. Jesse joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how the businesses of theater and television differ, what winning a Tony award meant to him, and some of his bad audition experiences. Jesse and Dax talk about how they handle negative comments on social media, their experiences having children, and how streaming platforms have changed the television landscape. Jesse explains what a "conversational cul-de-sac" is, where he got his on-stage confidence from, and how he feels about hosting reality shows.
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Aug 5, 2022 • 1h 2min
Armchair Anonymous: Stealing
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time they stole something.
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Aug 4, 2022 • 1h 29min
Tracy Dennis-Tiwary (anxiety researcher & author)
Tracy Dennis-Tiwary is an author and researcher. Tracy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how anxiety can be a tool for people to deal with stress, how it shouldn't always be treated with medication, and that anxiety is a feature of being human and not a malfunction. Tracy and Dax talk about what it's like to travel internationally now, why caring for pets stresses people out, and why mental health and gun issues are often linked. Tracy explains how she started practicing Hinduism, that she is trained as a classical musician, and how we need to reframe what we think about anxiety.
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Aug 1, 2022 • 2h 35min
Shaun White
Shaun White is an Olympic gold medalist snowboarder. Shaun joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he dealt with the pressures of people expecting him to win all the time, how he applied his skateboarding skills to snowboarding, and what drives him to be the best in his sport. Shaun and Dax talk about how there is an element of creativity in snowboarding that's not in other sports and how a big crash late in his career changed his perspective on his future. Shaun explains how he bought his family a new house at a young age, how he incorporated high fashion into his snowboarding clothing style, and what he is up to in his retirement from competition.
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Jul 29, 2022 • 40min
Armchair Anonymous: 911
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time they had to call 911.
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Jul 28, 2022 • 1h 41min
Malcolm Gladwell Returns
Malcolm Gladwell, a renowned author and journalist known for his keen insights into social concepts, returns for an engaging chat. He shares his latest social experiments from his podcast and reflects on the surprising results of his ancestry test. The discussion touches on the nostalgia of classic sitcoms, the impact of social media on youth, and the intricacies of parenting. They also bond over their love for cars and explore the emotional connections tied to them, blending humor with thought-provoking insights throughout.
