Best Mydb Podcasts (2025)

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1625 || one must imagine sisyphus happy 11:02

Play Pause

7h ago11:02

11:02

“Do you think that the trees grow tired every winter of having to shed their leaves and think to themselves, I don’t want to go through another bitter winter? And when it comes time to regrow them in the spring, do you think they say “I don’t want to push new buds out, I don’t want to form new growth and bear new fruits.” “You don’t have to struggl…

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1624 || longtermism 10:40

1d ago10:40

10:40

A society grows great when old men plant trees under whose shade they know they’ll never sit. Yesterday we discussed the difficult task of creating Long-term nuclear waste warning messages, today I want to talk about longtermism, or the idea of doing the right thing for the future generations. William MacAskill on Longtermism Read about Long Term N…

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1623 || what to talk about, after the arguing (the nuclear waste problem) 10:12

12h ago10:12

10:12

If you need a conversation starter to break the awkward lulls and post-fight silences at your Thanksgiving dinner, I HIGHLY suggest looking up the wikipedia page for Long-term nuclear waste warning messages + discussing it with any and everyone who will engage. The question: How can we effectively communicate a truly DEADLY danger 10,000 years in t…

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1622 || the limiting nature of overthinking 10:16

6h ago10:16

10:16

"If we focus [too much] on ourselves and how we feel, then we are limiting our experiences by definition." Victoria Spratt wrote, in her article: "You’re Thinking About Yourself Too Much" SUPPORT JULIE (and the show!) DONATE to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund AND THE Sudan Relief Fund GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdam…

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1621 || finding purpose at an all you can eat buffet 12:09

22h ago12:09

12:09

Finding your purpose in life is like finding your favorite food at a brand new "all you can eat" buffet. You arrive hungry and excited, and everything looks pretty delicious. You try to fit a little bit of everything on your plate. You try tiny nibbles and some disappoint. Others surprise. Others are what you expect. And when it’s time to go back u…

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1620 || self absorbed vs. self aware 11:57

5d ago11:57

11:57

"If we focus [too much] on ourselves and how we feel, then we are limiting our experiences by definition." Victoria Spratt wrote, in her article: "You’re Thinking About Yourself Too Much" Try Huel with 15% OFF for New Customers today using code MYDB at https://huel.com/mydb. SUPPORT JULIE (and the show!) DONATE to the Palestinian Children's Relief …

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1619 || stop overthinking yourself 9:54

2h ago9:54

9:54

"I think about myself a lot, and not in a good way. I find myself obsessing over past mistakes, cringey moments, etc. and end up feeling guilty and panicked. Eventually I end up concluding that I'm a terrible person who deserves to be feeling this way." Here is the Original Post on the Meditation Reddit: Read the Substack from Soft Perception who s…

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1618 || we’re in a self-objectification crisis 11:07

3d ago11:07

11:07

Understanding your identity is honestly, none of your business. Don't attach yourself to an identity, because identity, is inherently limiting to it's understood definition. Some of us are trying to fit in where we don't belong, and we wonder why we're uncomfortable. Watch the full aurora quote: " It’s easy to feel safe in yourself when you stop an…

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1617 || if your screen is your kingdom 10:44

12h ago10:44

10:44

Some of us don’t engage with the rest of the world anymore not because the rest of the world sucks any more than it always has - but because you have built an intolerance for the world where you are not the dictator. As Siece Campbell put it, “your algorithm worships you. You are the only one who lives inside this tiny box, let’s say you’re spendin…

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1616 || how to do hard things 9:38

10h ago9:38

9:38

The brain’s main goal is to protect us, so when we ask it to do anything new (particularly if you are neurodivergent) it signals to the brain that there may be danger lurking - so it refuses to do it, because it believes that is what keeps us safe. Many brains looks at all new tasks like a hot stove. So how do we manage this? According to kdimerc w…

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1615 || the hot stove conundrum 9:02

14h ago9:02

9:02

Our brain’s main goal is to protect us, so when we ask it to do anything new (particularly if you are neurodivergent) it signals to the brain that there may be danger lurking - so it refuses to do it, because it believes that is what keeps us safe. Many brains looks at all new tasks like a hot stove. So how do we manage this? According to kdimerc w…

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1614 || how to do a cost/benefit analysis on your habits 9:40

17h ago9:40

9:40

How do we hold space for two contradictory ideas? How do we hold space for the reality that things won't always make sense? We can't control everything, but we can build up our "tolerance for distress", which can lead us to wanting to control the stuff we can't, less. The source: https://dialecticalbehaviortherapy.com/distress-tolerance/cost-benefi…

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1613 || running from your shadow makes it bigger 8:39

3h ago8:39

8:39

"Living systems theory has been so helpful to me. I think there is a drive within living systems to complexify, to wake up—there is an evolutionary movement. I speak out of the love and excitement generated by my little work, which many people are doing with me. It does require being able to experience pain. It does require tears and outrage. It do…

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1612 || the great unraveling 9:23

2h ago9:23

9:23

Today we talk about what Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone's book Active Hope. Specifically the three stages of dealing with the current crisis. “Business as Usual” - Those who refuse to change. The people that believe that the current system is the best or only way. “The Great Unravelling” - Those who are inundated with despair about the fact that p…

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1611 || are we blaming the wrong guy? 7:45

9h ago7:45

7:45

America has a habit of blaming poor people + immigrants for the problems that policy makers create. Stop letting the oppressors scapegoat the oppressed, and start focusing your outrage on the people who perpetuate (and profit from) this harmful false narrative. The Big Short Script: https://www.sellingyourscreenplay.com/wp-content/uploads/screenpla…

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1610 || break some rules for justice 8:29

2h ago8:29

8:29

"Perhaps the greatest failure of liberal democracies is their historical failure to successfully protect the vital economic and security interests of their less advantaged citizens through their institutions." "It is a cruel irony that this great promise of democracy is rarely realized in practice." "The job of trade unions, parties, and even radic…

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1609 || how do you know? 9:19

4h ago9:19

9:19

How do we really know anything? Well, it starts by connecting with what you feel. Faron Sage's article: "How Do We Make Heads or Tails of What's Going On?" SUPPORT JULIE (and the show!) DONATE to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund AND THE Sudan Relief Fund GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.com TUNE IN ON INSTA…

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1608 || when rules are meant to be broken 7:55

18h ago7:55

7:55

It's that time again, where we take a step back and check in with the cop in our heads. “One day you will be called upon to break a big law in the name of justice and rationality. Everything will depend on it. You have to be ready. How are you going to prepare for that day when it really matters? You have to stay "in shape" so that when the big day…

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1606 || buck what society says 9:38

13d ago9:38

9:38

Your brain does what is reliable, not what is best. It does what is safe, not what is productive. Our culture has shaped each and every one of us through rules + repetition. How has society tampered down the way you connect to your body and to others? How has society's expectations stifled you? How have our societal norms impacted the way you feel?…

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1605 || habit hacking 7:57

3d ago7:57

7:57

optimize your cues + your environment to create + reinforce better habits + discourage your "not so good" ones. Time cues < (paired with another) action cues. "I will do this at 7 am every single day" is waaaaay harder to commit to than committing to something with something else, "I will do this after I do that." Intrinsic motivation > external re…

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1604 || old dog, new tricks 9:58

21d ago9:58

9:58

You can, in fact, teach an old dog new tricks - if you use a couple of old ones. Habits are formed and reinforced through repetition, salience (how much it stands out), time, intensity, specificity. Today we talk about what that means. https://www.carolinafnc.com/post/10-principles-of-neuroplasticity https://www.joincarbon.com/blog/the-neuroscience…

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1603 || repetition (for good vs. evil) 7:40

22d ago7:40

7:40

Repetition is how we learn, so be careful what (and who) you're listening to. The source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-main-ingredient/202509/harnessing-the-power-of-repetition-for-good-and-evil More reading: https://www.neurolab360.com/blog/principles-of-neuroplasticity-repetition-matters Use findhelp.org is an amazing website where…

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1602 || satisfaction vs. pleasure 8:17

23d ago8:17

8:17

Today we talk about how to build your tolerance for discomfort. THE SOURCE: https://shoesandshots.substack.com/p/discomfort-is-the-price-you-pay-for Further reading: https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/dealing-pain-discomfort/ and: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/living-well-when-your-body-doesnt-cooperate/202405/stret…

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1601 || urge surfing 8:50

24d ago8:50

8:50

It's not about giving in, and it's not about fighting it. Sometimes, you can just observe, ride the wave, and allow it to pass. Resisting Impulse Spending: https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/holiday-shopping-personal-finance-spending.html Urge Surfing: https://www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/sites/default/files/2021-03/urge-surfing.pdf Stop impulse S…

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1600 || broke, but connected 10:12

25d ago10:12

10:12

You are not a failure if you’re struggling right now, though it may feel like it. But your value and worth is not reflected in your ability to pay your bills that don’t stop growing, and your ability to get up and do anything beyond work that never stops coming. Poverty is a systemic failing, not a personal failing. Remember you can’t really think …

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1599 || becoming less reactive 10:22

26d ago10:22

10:22

Did you know you can "hack your brain" for things beyond your productivity? You can become more resilient, more conscious, more in control, through a few simple practices. It's not about avoiding anything that makes us feel sad, but it's about becoming conscious of the process of engaging with it. It's not about the content, but the process. Empowe…

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1598 || a few more brain hacks 8:55

27d ago8:55

8:55

Feeling disconnected or unsure? Dr. Pat suggests: Body Check-In: When you consume news about social or political issues, what sensations do you notice in your body? Do you feel tense, numb, energized? Triggers and Ancestry: Think about a recent moment you felt fear or shut down in response to authority or conflict. How might this reaction connect t…

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1597 || easy brain hacks 8:58

28d ago8:58

8:58

Did you know you can "hack your brain" for things beyond your productivity? You can become more resilient, more conscious, more in control, through a few simple practices. It's not about avoiding anything that makes us feel sad, but it's about becoming conscious of the process of engaging with it. It's not about the content, but the process. Empowe…

1
1596 || your brain is play-doh 9:51

29d ago9:51

9:51

Our brains are malleable, and we can actually enrich our experiences to encourage more "plasticity" or adaptability in our own heads - if we know what to look for. Very Well Mind on Brain plasticity: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-brain-plasticity-2794886#:~:text=Strengthening%20existing%20pathways:%20Neurons%20that,adapt%20to%20the%20changin…

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1595 || brains are lazy, we are not 9:34

30d ago9:34

9:34

Think about a good joke. If you knew the punchline right away? It's less funny. If you had to have the punchline explained? Less funny. But if you understood the punchline within a few moments, and got the satisfaction of "realization" in real time? That makes a BANGER of a joke. It's all about the appropriate level of challenge and thinking. Accor…

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1594 || dropping the cognitive load 9:37

1M ago9:37

9:37

It's not about spinning all the plates, it's about setting most of them down so you can actually focus on the spinning process. THE SOURCES: Reducing cognitive load to learn: https://theelearningcoach.com/learning/reduce-cognitive-load/ Getting into flow state: https://rts-1988.medium.com/getting-to-flow-state-while-studying-simulating-mental-effor…

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1593 || parenting yourself with love + logic 10:18

1M ago10:18

10:18

When I’m having a rough time, trying to treat myself like I liked to treat my students, with empathy, compassion, patience, kindness, attention, care, time, etc. and in an effort to build muscles that can provide them with that empathy, compassion, patience, kindness, attention, time, care, etc. for themselves? I feel like the everyday things that …

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1592 || consulting with love + logic 8:37

1M ago8:37

8:37

Instead of trying to control others, become a consultant. "Children need thoughtful guidance and firm, enforceable limits. We set those limits based on the safety of the child and how the child’s behavior affects others. Then we must maintain those limits to help children understand that they are responsible for their actions and will suffer reason…

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1591 || micromanager vs. drill sargent 8:23

1M ago8:23

8:23

"Effective parenting centers around love: love that is not permissive, love that doesn’t tolerate disrespect, but also love that is powerful enough to allow kids to make mistakes and permit them to live with the consequences of those mistakes. Most mistakes do have logical consequences. And those consequences, when accompanied by empathy — our comp…

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1590 || tools for skeptical thinking || throwback 6:39

1M ago6:39

6:39

Enjoy this throwback episode (from day 872) before the new series drops on Monday! "There's a sucker born every minute." - P.T. Barnum Carl Sagan shares guidelines with us for how to critically think. Today, I share them with you! Critical thinking never goes out of style. especially when we consider how MUCH information we are forced to take in on…

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1589 || the list for getting unstuck || throwback 6:12

1M ago6:12

6:12

ENJOY THIS THROWBACK EPISODE FROM DAY 751, BEFORE THE NEW SERIES DROPS ON MONDAY - Make a list of all the shit you're good at + a list of all the good shit in your life + all the shit that bothers you about your life. Using the first two lists, attempt to solve the last list and bingo-bango you've got yourself a lil action plan template. WATCH: www…

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1588 || why learning sucks 9:56

1M ago9:56

9:56

Curiosity is fragile. Learning is difficult as hell. Our brains are built for efficiency, not thinking. We can trick our brains into motivation by worrying about the difficulty of the challenge, rather than the topic or the content. We rely on our memories more than our thinking brain. According to Daniel Willingham's book, "Why Students Don’t Like…

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1587 || a silly + true teacher story 8:35

1M ago8:35

8:35

Some of the lessons I prioritize, still: Stop being so hard on yourself when you’re struggling to learn or master or understand something new. You’re actually doing a great job as a learner. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, trying, messing up, learning. If you knew already, you wouldn’t be learning anymore. Learning is impossible to mess…

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1586 || some of my teacher stories || birthday episode 7:48

1M ago7:48

7:48

And that’s the beauty of math, right? There are many ways to get there, but there is one answer. It’s tidy, if you’re tidy. It’s also why I hate math - because I am not the tidiest worker. I try to be, and am training myself to be so I can enjoy the process of things more, and actually invest in the process as much as the outcome, but when I was yo…

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1585 || dirt in a cog 8:45

1M ago8:45

8:45

Dirt in a cog is a way to embody resistance. It focuses on slowing down, jamming up, creating little bits of friction that make it difficult to keep attacking our citizens effectively. We need all types of resistance, don't think there are limits to your modes of resistance. Make fascism hard. Don't normalize the violence we're seeing. Keep showing…

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1584 || the next best choice 8:50

1M ago8:50

8:50

Joy is part of the practice. When you can't find it and don't know where to start? Start small. Start by reminding yourself that joy still exists, and it's a frequency vibrating right above our heads, and if we can just poke our heads out of this damned hole, we can find it - tap into it, and use it like the resource it is. Pay attention to the gli…

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1583 || tactical frivolity (joy is our way out) 9:32

1M ago9:32

9:32

Tactical frivolity is what happens when you use humor, whimsy, and joy to make those in power look ridiculous. It flips the script and reclaims agency. The optics matter, the message matters, and how the message arrives matters. So get involved, stop leaning into despair, and flip that damned script. Get some joy in your resistance. It's exactly wh…

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1582 || mental gymnastics (and how to stop) 8:37

1M ago8:37

8:37

Beliefs require faith, rationality requires flexibility. Unless your belief is rooted in rationality, these things can conflict. Refusing to acknowledge or label something doesn’t make it go away, but it does take your power away from being able to confront or address it. Resources for Resisting a Coup: https://makeyourdamnbed.medium.com/practical-…

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1581 || analysis paralysis 9:16

1M ago9:16

9:16

Our brains have a tendency to over-value the effect of TINY inconsequential differences when comparing options. Distinction bias is a cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate how different their options are when they compare them to each other rather than evaluating them independently, against some absolute standard. This bias often leads …

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1580 || contrast effect 9:07

2M ago9:07

9:07

The contrast effect is a bias where the perception of something is distorted by being compared to something else, making the differences between them seem greater than they are. SOURCES: BUSTER BENSON'S MEDIUM POST: https://medium.com/@buster/cognitive-bias-cheat-sheet-55a472476b18 Contrast effect: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrast_effect#:~…

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1579 || omission bias 9:17

2M ago9:17

9:17

The omission bias refers to our tendency to judge harmful actions as worse than harmful inactions, even if they result in similar consequences. SOURCES: BUSTER BENSON'S MEDIUM POST: https://medium.com/@buster/cognitive-bias-cheat-sheet-55a472476b18 OMISSION BIAS: https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/omission-bias and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omis…

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1578 || different versions of negativity bias 8:29

2M ago8:29

8:29

Our brains are designed to notice interesting (or negative) events. This can lead us to make decisions based on the negative experiences in our lives, and forget to consider the positive. SOURCES: BUSTER BENSON'S MEDIUM POST: https://medium.com/@buster/cognitive-bias-cheat-sheet-55a472476b18 More biases here: Bizarreness effect, Humor effect, Von R…

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1577 || how the brain copes with too much information 8:23

2M ago8:23

8:23

Too much information means our brain needs to take some shortcuts. Let's discuss how they work so we can know what to watch out for. SOURCES: BUSTER BENSON'S MEDIUM POST: https://medium.com/@buster/cognitive-bias-cheat-sheet-55a472476b18 Read more about the biases here: Availability heuristic, Attentional bias, Illusory truth effect, Mere exposure …

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1576 || frictionless leads to swaglessness 9:09

2M ago9:09

9:09

Friction is a type of resistance that leads to consideration, growth, and unique solutions. Without friction, we all flatten into the same, boring, identity. Also, friction doesn't "go away" it shifts. So, where you find a frictionless experience, it means that someone else had to take that on. Most importantly: Friction isn't the enemy. It is a va…

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1575 || our frictionless society 9:49

2M ago9:49

9:49