338: Ozan Varol | How to Think Like a Rocket Scientist

How might enjoying our favorite sports and supporting our most cherished teams and athletes make us accomplices in the world's most heinous atrocities ever committed? Award-winning journalist and podcaster Andrew Gold joins us for this Skeptical Sunday to explore the PR tactic of sportswashing, in which authoritarian regimes use sports to improve their image on the world stage. (And don't worry, David C. Smalley fans! David will return soon for future installments of Skeptical Sunday!) On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss: Sportswashing is a PR tactic used by countries with poor human rights records to improve their image and legitimize their atrocities through sports. Western countries and their businesses are complicit in sportswashing due to the financial incentives they receive. Despite the harm caused by sportswashing, it is difficult to stop due to the lack of accountability and the willingness of individuals and organizations to participate. Golfers have been divided over whether to participate in Saudi Arabia's LIV golf invitation series, leading to a civil war in the sport. Countries with questionable human rights records are increasingly buying sports clubs and sponsoring sports teams, making it important to be aware of where and how we consume sports. Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know! Connect with Andrew on Twitter and Instagram, and check out On the Edge with Andrew Gold here or wherever you enjoy listening to fine podcasts! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/829 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

30 Apr 202345min

After building a successful career and family, you've come to realize you'd rather spend your remaining days in the company of men half your age rather than with your wife of 25 years. Now that it's time to retire, should you stay tepidly wed or chase all the young dudes, instead? We'll explore this and more here on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: After building a successful career and family, you've come to realize you'd rather spend your remaining days in the company of men half your age rather than with your wife of 25 years. Now that it's time to retire, should you stay tepidly wed or chase all the young dudes, instead? Every time you land a career, some global economic catastrophe seems to send you in search of a new one. How can you future-proof yourself against financial displacement if your next chosen field once again goes kaput? How can you resolve a pet custody dispute with an unreasonable ex when your state doesn't have laws to definitively settle such matters? Since being preemptively stigmatized as a potential child molester by your brother-in-law's vindictive ex-wife, you've gone from being an uncle who takes the kids to the zoo and plays board games to the man who leaves the room when your niece enters. How do you handle this situation without punishing your daughter and niece — or running the risk of being baselessly accused of the unthinkable? You've discovered that your neighbors can hear your Zoom therapy sessions through the paper-thin wall between apartments. Should you talk to them about it? Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com! Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger. Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi. Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/828 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

28 Apr 202359min

Paul Rosolie (@PaulRosolie) is a conservationist, a filmmaker, the director of JungleKeepers and Tamandua Expeditions, and the author of Mother of God: An Extraordinary Journey into the Uncharted Tributaries of the Western Amazon. What We Discuss with Paul Rosolie: How Paul Rosolie and his JungleKeepers team showcase sustainable and profitable alternatives to illegal logging and mining for locals — and their descendants — to prosper. Why many uncontacted tribes in the Amazon react to intrusion by outsiders with extreme violence — even when the outsiders demonstrate the best of intentions. How invasive and inefficient gold mining by armed, organized criminals from places as far away as Russia is turning once lush rainforests into mercury-poisoned wastelands. Efforts being made to harness medicinal compounds unique to the Amazon — and the knowledge to use them — and prevent them from disappearing for good. Even if you need to slim down for beach season, Paul doesn't recommend getting lost in the unforgiving Amazon — where he shed a pound a day simply trying to survive before finding his way back to civilization. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/827 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

25 Apr 20231h 35min

You've come to the conclusion that shoplifting is more than just a savvy life hack for fabulous savings — it also fills you with a rush that makes you feel truly alive. But are the thrill and the thrift of thievery worth their risks when (not if) you inevitably get caught? What can you do when produce pilfering has become an irresistible compulsion? We'll look into this and more here on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: Are the thrill and the thrift of grocery thievery worth their risks when (not if) you inevitably get caught? And how can you stop when shoplifting has become an irresistible compulsion? [Thanks to clinical psychologist and addiction specialist Dr. Rubin Khoddam for helping us with this one!] Is overemployment — simultaneously holding down more than one full-time job — somehow unethical even if you complete the work required and still have time for your family? After an expensive divorce from a financially clueless ex, you wonder if the equally clueless but exponentially more kind, wonderful, and emotionally supportive handyman you're with now deserves a chance — even though it'll once again put a strain on the resources you've worked so hard to stabilize? When you're already planning on shifting out of your current industry, is it worth trying to make the dynamic with your obnoxious direct manager more tolerable? Or should you just work on shifting out of your industry sooner than anticipated? Why are we so harsh on the Chinese Communist Party when America and capitalism have problems worth investigating, too? Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com! Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger. Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi. Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/826 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

21 Apr 202356min

Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned award-winning law professor and bestselling author of Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life. His latest book, Awaken Your Genius: Escape Conformity, Ignite Creativity, and Become Extraordinary, is out now. What We Discuss with Ozan Varol: Just because you're recognized as being good at something doesn't mean you have to do it forever — or even ever. The skills we build and the lessons we learn don't go away when we decide to change course — they get repurposed and built upon for the journey ahead. Change doesn't have to be permanent. If a new path doesn't work as expected, consider it a failed experiment and keep experimenting until you find the right fit. How to develop a curiosity over victory mindset in which exploring new perspectives and ways of thinking take priority over always being right. How to discern between belonging to a supportive community and getting sucked into blind, cult-like tribalism. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/825 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

18 Apr 20231h 17min

Who defines the rules about what makes an age gap between two consenting adults "appropriate?" And if the relationship between you and someone nearly twice your age is fabulous, then who has any right to call your age gap scandalous? We'll investigate this and more here on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: If the relationship between you and someone nearly twice your age is fabulous, then who has any right to call your age gap scandalous? Spanking as a form of discipline for developing kids: Yes or no? Is there an "I made a job move but not sharing where to" status that works on LinkedIn? What do you do when you're pro-union in spirit, but the union wants to assassinate the character of your wife who founded the non-profit said union is organizing against? How can you maintain friendship with people for whom your wife doesn't much care? Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com! Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger. Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi. Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/824 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

14 Apr 202354min

Daniella Mestyanek Young (@daniellamyoung) is a survivor of the religious Children of God cult, a US Army combat veteran, an extremely advanced knitter, and the author of Uncultured: A Memoir. What We Discuss with Daniella Mestyanek Young: How the seemingly wholesome Children of God (later known by variations of "The Family") religious group centered around love, faith, and Jesus — and packaged to appeal to impressionable countercultural hippie types of the day — veered into true cult territory under the direction of its leader, David Berg. How female followers of Children of God were encouraged to use their bodies and sexuality to gain converts and money in a practice known as "flirty flashing." How child sexual abuse became a commonplace Children of God practice in an effort to raise "sexually liberated" children. What this cult and others do to cultivate credibility — and raise funds — among its followers and the outside world. The toll that life in a cult takes on those who are lucky enough to exit. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/823 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

11 Apr 20231h 31min

At your new job in healthcare, you're surprised that so many of your colleagues — also well-educated with doctorate degrees — constantly complain about their desire to lose weight while simultaneously snacking on bear claws and eschewing basic exercise. Is there a delicate way to mention that they should be setting a better example for the people they've been tasked to keep healthy without being that annoying new person? We'll try to help you find an answer to this and much more here on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: Your peers in the healthcare profession complain about being overweight while scarfing down donuts and eschewing basic exercise. Is there a delicate way to mention to your colleagues that they should be setting a better example for the people they've been tasked to keep healthy? How do you work with somebody you once intensely loved and thought was "the one" but now can't stand? Additionally, how can you trust in future relationships that seem to develop as intensely without worrying they'll similarly disintegrate? As a woman who aspires to raise a family of your own someday, how do you ensure that your future partner is equally invested in taking care of the children — unlike your friends' useless husbands who can't survive a night without calling for backup? You and your partner of over a decade used to do everything together, but now you sleep in separate rooms and haven't had sex in a year. How worried should you be about the person to whom they're frequently texting "I love you" and whose parents they've taken to referring as "Mom and Dad?" When you're unhappy with the inauthentic version of yourself you've been presenting to the world for as long as you can remember, can you re-learn how to be? Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com! Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger. Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi. Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/822 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

7 Apr 20231h