Why We Do What We Do

Many argue against government regulations. But, it seems they often seem to ignore the regulations that have saved their lives, or the ones that industries affected by the regulations have asked for. Nevertheless, it is true that regulations don't always work as intended and sometimes cause new problems. We list a few regulations that serve an important purpose and some that have failed.

Patreon with us!

Links and References:

• https://www.brookings.edu/articles/10-success-stories-of-government-action-in-the-us/
• https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/fact-sheets/2015/05/government-regulation-costs-lower-benefits-greater-than-industry-estimates
• https://www.sec.gov/spotlight/sec-employees/psrw50ways.pdf
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDqGzMdhL1M&t=8s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF1AdkgpGLk
• https://sensiblesafeguards.org/issues/the-benefits-of-regulation/
• https://www.independent.org/article/2015/07/16/5-unintended-consequences-of-regulation-and-government-meddling/
• https://www.changelabsolutions.org/blog/10-harmful-local-laws
• https://www.mercatus.org/research/working-papers/how-do-federal-regulations-affect-consumer-prices-analysis-regressive

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Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

For our last Halloween-season-themed episode, we are talking about possessions. We have discussed exorcisms in the past. So, for this discussion, we dug more into the philosophy of science for bringing a skeptical analysis to possessions. We had a lot of fun doing it, too.

Recommendations

• Abraham: A Walk in the Park (by Kevin Fedarko; https://www.kevinfedarko.com/a-walk-in-the-park)
• Shane: Werewolf by Night (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15318872/)

Holidays (10/28/2026):

• Champagne Day
• International Animation Day
• Lung health Day
• National Chocolate Day
• Plush Animal Lovers Day
• Separation of Church and State Day
• Statue of Liberty Dedication Day
• Wild Foods Day
• Ace Week
• American Massage Therapy Week
• Brain Tumor Awareness Week
• Disarmament Week
• International Magic Week
• Pro Bono Week

Links:

• https://apnews.com/article/portland-san-francisco-oregon-cff13a56cd41997553ea3e9a8fc21384
• https://www.newportri.com/story/entertainment/2016/10/25/4-degrees-demonic-possession/985256007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=z110720e110720v000001&gca-ft=164&gca-ds=sophi
• https://www.servantsuniversity.com/the-assumptions-of-science/
• https://www.jstor.org/stable/2156020
• https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1525/aa.1958.60.2.02a00040
• https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1548-1352.2008.00013.x
• https://brill.com/view/journals/jocc/8/1-2/article-p23_2.xml

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Our fears change over time. What scares us when we were young is not so scary when we get older. And, what scares us when we get older, does not scare us when we are young... sometimes. We explain the kinds of things that scare us as kids and how and why they change.

Join us on Patreon!

References:

• Watson, J. B., & Rayner, R. (1920). Conditioned emotional reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 3(1), 1–14. doi.org [1]

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The super famous ghost-hunting couple, Ed and Lorraine Warren are the subject of some of the most popular scary stories and pop-culture media. And if history has taught us anything, it is that when people are successful in this way, it is driven by money. We dive into the history of Ed and Lorraine Warren, their ghost-hunting expoits, some of their most famous cases, and some of the darker, sketchier aspects of their lives and career.

Recommendations

• Abraham: Ghosts love candy, too (https://25thcenturygames.com/products/ghosts-love-candy-too)
• Shane: Paleblood - Childhood’s Beginning and Yharnam Sunrise (https://open.spotify.com/artist/1YVTlhDkU8OcWDKNO2aC8c?si=e_iDrPDiTDWQ8Onz5jvwEA)

Holidays (10/21/2026):

• Apple Day
• Babbling Day
• Back to the Future Day
• Caramel Apple Day
• Celebration of the Mind Day
• Check your Meds Day
• Count Your Buttons Day
• Garbanzo Bean Day
• Global Dignity Day
• International Day of the Nacho
• International Print Day
• Medical Assistants Recognition Day
• National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day
• Reptile Awareness Day
• Bullying Bystanders Unite Week
• Food and Drug Interactions Awareness Week
• Freedom of Speech Week
• National Nuclear Science Week
• National Wolf Awareness Week

Links and References:

• https://warrens.net/
• https://ihorror.com/ed-and-lorraine-warren-were-the-real-monsters-during-their-investigations/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASTUApqR4Wo
• https://www.shortform.com/podcast/episode/stuff-you-should-know-2026-01-06-episode-summary-the-warrens-paranormal-power-couple
• https://usghostadventures.com/americas-most-haunted-trending/conjuring-controversy-unraveling-the-warrens-legacy/
• https://usghostadventures.com/americas-most-haunted-trending/conjuring-controversy-unraveling-the-warrens-legacy/
• https://nightscrawlers.ca/2019/10/10/ed-lorraine-warren-the-original-paranormal-investigators/
• https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/war-conjuring-disturbing-claims-behind-a-billion-dollar-franchise-1064364/

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The story of The Winchester Mansion is shrouded in a carefully curated concoction of fanciful stories. These stories have largely been exaggerated or even entirely fabricated. The house is a strange labyrinth of over 160 rooms and curious features such as doors that open to walls and stairs that lead to nowhere. The original proprieter of the mansion, Sallie Winchester, has similarly had her story mutated into something only vaguely representing her life and architectural decision.

Links and References:

• https://skepticalinquirer.org/2024/08/the-truth-about-sallie-winchester-and-the-mystery-house-that-never-was/
• https://www.history.com/articles/winchester-house-haunted

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Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

What happens when you regurgitate items out of your esophagus for a magic trick? A lot of digestive juices on the stuff you just regurgitated. But, if you don't want your audience to know, you might tell them that it goo left over from a ghost! In Biology, ectoplasm is a real thing. In paranormal investigations it has been appropriated in an attempt to bring paranormal entities into normal activities. We'll unpack the science and history of the concept of "ectoplasm" in this discussion.

Recommendations

• Abraham: “Rock the Plank” - Mad Caddies (https://madcaddies.bandcamp.com/album/rock-the-plank)
• Shane: Geoff John's run on Green Lantern (Blackest Night; https://www.amazon.com/dp/1401291198?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback)

Holidays (10/14/2026):

• Be Bald and Be Free Day
• Bullying Prevention Day
• Emergency Nurses Day
• International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction
• International Top Spinning Day
• National Chocolate Covered Insects Day
• National Dessert Day
• National Fossil Day
• National lowercase Day
• National Pet Obesity Awareness Day
• Spider-Man Day
• Stem Cell Awareness Day
• Thank Your Cleaner Day
• World Standards Day
• Biology Week
• Bone and Joint Health Action Week
• Earth Science Week
• Mediation Week
• Meditation Week
• National Case Management Week

Links and References:

• https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/ectoplasm
• https://www.popsci.com/whats-deal-paranormal-ectoplasm/
• https://www.grunge.com/665457/the-strange-truth-about-ectoplasm-explained/
• https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/ectoplasm
• https://medium.com/the-shortform/is-ectoplasm-really-a-thing-77a7b83a0ef7
• https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137027252_6
• https://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/12/warner.php
• https://daily.jstor.org/ectoplasm-and-the-last-british-woman-tried-for-witchcraft/

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Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

We did an episode about the history of halloween a while back. This mini explores more of the myths, legends, ideas, and traditions of the tradition that eventually became Halloween. This is all about the traditions of Samhain (no mention of St. Swithuns).

Tell us your thoughts: info@wwdwwdpodcast.com

Links and References:

• https://www.history.com/articles/samhain
• https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/samhain-festival
• https://www.hawthornandhoney.com/journal/samhain-rituals
• https://www.museum.ie/en-ie/collections-research/folklife-collections/folklife-collections-list-(1)/religion-and-calendar-customs/hallowe-en-samhain
• https://heritageireland.ie/2023/09/samhain-the-roots-of-halloween/

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Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

We are kicking off this spooky season with a discussion about the spectres of the ocean: ghost ships! We tell a few of the both lesser and more well-known stories of ghost ships. We also talk about why they happen and how they influence our behavior. Have you seen a ghost ship?

Recommendations

• Abraham: Saosin (Just Be Honest; https://saosin.com/)
• Shane: Hellboy comics (Mike Mignola)

Holidays (10/5/2026):

• Blue Shirt Day World Day of Bullying Prevention
• Chic Spy Day
• Child health Day
• Day of Unity
• Do Something Nice Day
• Global James Bond Day
• International Day of No Prostitution
• National Apple Betty Day
• National Consignment Day
• National Kiss a Wrestler Day
• National Storytelling Day
• World Day of Architecture
• World Habitat Day
• World Teacher’s Day
• Active Aging Week
• Animal Welfare Week
• Banned Books Week
• Death Penalty Focus Week
• Mystery Series Week
• National Vegetarian Week
• National Chili Week

Links:

• https://explorersweb.com/exploration-mysteries-ghost-ships/
• https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/ocean-oddities-ghost-ships/78374
• https://www.hms-resolute.co.uk/the-nutshell/
• https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2023/10/29/the-mysterious-fate-of-the-baychimo-the-ghost-ship-that-haunted-the-arctic-for-decades/
• https://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/editors-corner/mv-lyubov-orlova-ghostship-sunk
• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/abandoned-ship-the-mary-celeste-174488104/
• https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/horrifying-final-voyage-cruise-boat-22044077
• https://skybrary.aero/articles/fata-morgana

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

We are kicking off this year's spooky seasons mini with a brief history of the town on fire. This is a real place in the United States that has become unlivable since the town accidentally set a gigantic, subterranean coal reserve. This inspired the video game and movie franchise, "Silent Hill." Have you been to Centralia?

Support us on Patreon!

Tell us your favorite memories of the show: info@wwdwwdpodcast.com

Links and References:

• https://www.abc27.com/digital-originals/history-of-centralia-a-pennsylvania-ghost-town/
• https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/centralia-pennsylvania-rebirth
• https://www.history.com/articles/mine-fire-burning-more-50-years-ghost-town

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Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

One of the most enduring values, mottos, or goals is the pursuit of happiness. We strive for it implicitly or explicitly for much of our lives. So, what is happiness? How do we achieve it? Why can't you just be happy? Because it depends :D

Recommendations

• Abraham: Fix My Frankenhouse (seasons 1-2; https://www.hgtv.com/shows/fix-my-frankenhouse)
• Shane: A Short Stay In Hell by Steven Peck

Holidays (9/30/2026):

• My mom’s birthday! Happy birthday, P-Nut!
• Banned Websites Awareness Day
• Blasphemy Day
• Chewing Gum Day
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil Day
• International Podcast Day
• International Translation Day
• National Hot Mulled Cider Day
• National Love People Day
• National Microcephaly Awareness Day
• National Mud Pack Day
• National Women’s Health and Fitness Day
• Orange Shirt Day
• Time for Yoga
• Thunderbirds Day
• World School Milk Day
• National Chimney Safety Week
• National Dog Week
• National Fall Foliage Week

Links and References:

• Harris, R. (2022). The happiness trap: Stop struggling, start living (2nd ed.). Robinson
• https://ndpr.nd.edu/reviews/the-quest-for-the-good-life-ancient-philosophers-on-happiness/
• https://www.weforum.org/stories/leadership/13-great-philosophers-on-the-secret-of-happiness/
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278667273_EMOTIONS_AND_EMOTIONAL_BEHAVIOR_A_CONSTRUCTIONAL_APPROACH_TO_UNDERSTANDING_SOME_SOCIAL_BENEFITS_OF_AGGRESSION
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3160511/
• https://arnoldspumpclub.com/blogs/newsletter/why-chasing-happiness-makes-you-miserable-and-what-science-says-to-do-instead?srsltid=AfmBOornkPKnjN9wQWbXZB8QQh_5fHqMbgEbdpiVJkW6kGlSi9jONIuM
• https://ls.berkeley.edu/news/stop-worrying-about-being-happy-new-berkeley-psychology-research-suggests-doing-so-makes-people
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10224953/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3546638/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1279874/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1284106/

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An important announce and brief explanation.

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The title maybe a little misleading. This is about how we delude ourselves into adopting information as factual becuase it is presented using real math. Math is extremely important and valuable and a necessity for most sciences. However, like any other tool, math can give the illusion of knowledge while actually tricking us into believing things that are not correct. We primarily focus on averages and how problematic this concept can be, but extrapolate this into other forms of math that can be used to lie and mislead even the ones who are executing the computations.

Recommendations

• Abraham: Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain With Democracy (Jonathan Rauch (https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300273540/cross-purposes/)
• Shane: Chat Pile - Who Loves The Sun (https://open.spotify.com/album/2ITnf8HOokOJxjv483Dszk?si=3v175T9iRP2BY8aTU8XPqw)

Holidays (9/23/2026):

• Celebrate Bi-Sexuality Day
• Dogs in Politics Day
• International Day of Sign Languages
• National Checkers Day
• National Great American Pot Pie Day
• National Snack Stick Day
• Restless Legs Syndrome Awareness Day
• See You at the Pole
• Teal Talk Day
• Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week
• Constitution Week
• Deaf Dog Awareness Week
• International Clean Hands Week
• International Deaf Awareness Week
• International Interpreters and Translators Week
• National Adult Day Services Week

Click here to join our Patreon club!

Links and References:

• https://www.toddrose.com/endofaverage
• https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/on-average/
• https://www.anecdote.com/2023/03/179-there-is-no-average/
• https://austraffic.com.au/aba/us-air-force-finds-averages-can-kill

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

We have many mechanisms in place to protect our privacy. Some people care less about this and some people have taken this to tremendous extremes. Of course, many want unambiguous rules about privacy, but there is a lot of room for nuance. So, we ask the question about whether or not we need privacy and share some of the reasons people have given. The short answer is: until we can trust each other, we need privacy.

Click here to join our Patreon crew of cool people

Links and References:

• https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/internet-ethics/resources/why-we-care-about-privacy/
• https://www.privacyguides.org/en/basics/why-privacy-matters/
• https://www.teamim.com/insights/why-privacy-matters-even-if-you-have-nothing-to-hide

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Creating content can be very effortful. Particularly when that creating entails a lot of writing. And in pursuit of that endeavor, writers sometimes find themselves stuck and unable to produce ideas to further their writing task. What is going on behaviorally and psychologically? We'll discuss some of the research behind writer's block and what you can do to get over the block. Do you have any tricks to overcome writer's block?

Recommendations

• Abraham: A Short Stay in Hell (Steven Peck: https://www.strandbooks.com/a-short-stay-in-hell-9780983748427.html)
• Shane: The Pleasures of the Damned by Charles Bukowski (https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-pleasures-of-the-damned-charles-bukowski?variant=32130591162402)

Holidays (9/16/2026):

• Ann Bradstreet Day
• National Guacamole Day
• Trail of Tears Commemoration Day
• National GED Day
• International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
• National Cinnamon Raison Bread Day
• National Collect Rocks Day
• National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina
• National Play-Doh Day
• National Rehabilitation Day
• National Stay Away from Seattle Day
• National Stepfamily Day
• National Tattoo Story Day
• Teenager Workout Day
• Working Parents Day
• Wrinkled Raincoat Day
• World Barber Day

Links and References:

• https://centerforfiction.org/writing-tools/the-truth-about-writers-block/
• https://girlspring.com/4-ways-to-combat-writers-block/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22638809757&gbraid=0AAAAADRYq5RcbP7MWvHMjjH7eQosNAYwC
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7965145/
• https://writers.com/writers-block-what-causes-writers-block-and-how-to-overcome-it
• https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2190/69g4-6ycm-n11h-eeew
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychology-yesterday/202001/a-brief-history-of-writers-block
• https://www.laurenpalphreyman.com/post/4-types-of-writer-s-block-and-how-to-combat-them
• https://escholarship.org/uc/item/50t6h6kd
• https://www.mentalfloss.com/literature/authors/10-cases-extreme-writers-block
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1311997/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2277565/
• https://www.emerald.com/et/article-abstract/59/6/605/91658/A-phenomenological-research-study-on-writer-s?redirectedFrom=fulltext

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We use the term snake oil to refer any fradulant product, service, or claim that is not what it says it is and lies or misconstrues what it does. You might already know that this comes from a real product that had those exact qualities. You might not know what that product was actuallly based on. We discuss the history of snake oil and why that term stuck around.

Click or tap to join our Patreon group

Links and Refrences:

• https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/opinion/the-history-of-snake-oil
• https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/08/26/215761377/a-history-of-snake-oil-salesmen
• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-snake-oil-became-a-symbol-of-fraud-and-deception-180985300/
• https://www.si.edu/object/clark-stanleys-snake-oil-liniment%3Anmah_1298331
• https://www.historytoday.com/archive/history-matters/rise-and-fall-snake-oil
• https://www.natepedersen.com/quackery

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

This is the final discussion in which we "break our silence" as the click-bait headlines like to call it, on our final thoughts about diagnoses and why we believe that they have caused more harm than good. Due to the nature of separating an entire discussion into two parts after the fact, this episode jumps into the discussion pretty quickly.

Recommendations (Part 2)

• Abraham: Flip 7 (https://theop.games/products/flip-7?srsltid=AfmBOope-f-q_QElBRFFD56xiHxlsBbWULVkkXJHpef6OiYa02WlmfZW)
• Shane: Show Me the Body - Alone Together (https://open.spotify.com/album/2itfvUrApVCygurzgNzXJg?si=miioVowrRBSO26h1soi8lw)
• Stu: https://www.youtube.com/@jetlagthegame, Call out Purple Hat DBT theses and dissertations, The Orphans of Davenport (https://wwnorton.com/books/9781631494680), genArete (https://genarete.org/)

Holidays (09/09/26):

• Teddy Bear Day
• Sudoku Day
• Wienerschnitzel Day
• Weirdos Day
• Falsely Accused Day
• International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Spectrum Awareness Day
• International Box Wine Day
• Day to Protect Education From Attack
• Emergency Services Day

References:

• Barlow, D. H., & Nock, M. K. (2009). Why can’t we be more idiographic in our research? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(1), 19–21.
• Beck, A. T., & Alford, B. A. (2009). Depression: Causes and treatment. University of Pennsylvania Press.
• Beck, A. T., Davis, D. D., & Freeman, A. (Eds.). (2015). Cognitive therapy of personality disorders. Guilford Publications.
• Beck, A. T., Emery, G., & Greenberg, R. L. (2005). Anxiety disorders and phobias: A cognitive perspective. Basic Books.
• Beltz, A. M., & Gates, K. M. (2017). Network mapping with GIMME. Multivariate behavioral research, 52(6), 789-804.
• Birkhoff, G. D. (1931). Proof of the ergodic theorem. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 17, 656-660.
• Brown, T. A., Campbell, L. A., Lehman, C. L., Grisham, J. R., & Mancill, R. B. (2001). Current and lifetime comorbidity of the DSM-IV anxiety and mood disorders in a large clinical sample. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110(4), 585–599. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.110.4.585
• Clark, L. A., Watson, D., & Reynolds, S. (1995). Diagnosis and classification of psychopathology: Challenges to the current system and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 46, 121–153. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.46.020195.001005
• Fried, E. I. (2015). Problematic assumptions have slowed down depression research: why symptoms, not syndromes are the way forward. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 309.
• Fried, E. I., & Cramer, A. O. (2017). Moving forward: challenges and directions for psychopathological network theory and methodology. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(6), 999-1020.
• Galizio, A., Frye, C. C., Haynes, J. M., Friedel, J. E., Smith, B. M., & Odum, A. L. (2018). Persistence and relapse of reinforced behavioral variability. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 109(1), 210-237.
• Galatzer-Levy, I. R., & Bryant, R. A. (2013). 636,120 Ways to Have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8(6), 651-662.
• Glick, I. D., Murray, S. R., Vasudevan, P., Marder, S. R., & Hu, R. J. (2001). Treatment with atypical antipsychotics: New indications and new populations. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 35(3), 187–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3956(01)00020-6.
• Hayes, S. C., Wilson, K. W., Gifford, E. V., Follette, V. M., & Strosahl, K. (1996). Experiential avoidance and behavioral disorders: A functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(6), 1152-1168.
• Hofmann, S. G., Curtiss, J., & McNally, R. J. (2016). A complex network perspective on clinical science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11(5), 597-605.
• Hofmann, S. G., & Hayes, S. C. (2019). The future of intervention science: Process-based therapy. Clinical Psychological Science, 7(1), 37-50.
• Hofmann, S. G., Meuret, A. E., Rosenfield, D., Suvak, M. K., Barlow, D. H., Gorman, J. M., ... & Woods, S. W. (2007). Preliminary evidence for cognitive mediation during cognitive-behavioral therapy of panic disorder. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 75(3), 374.
• Kessler, R. C., Chiu, W. T., Demler, O., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 617–627. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.617.
• Newman, C. F., Leahy, R. L., Beck, A. T., Reilly-Harrington, N. A., & Gyulai, L. (2002). Bipolar disorder: A cognitive therapy approach. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10442-000.
• Lenzenweger, M. F., Lane, M. C., Loranger, A. W., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). DSM-IV personality disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological Psychiatry, 62(6), 553–564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.09.019
• Molenaar, P. C. (2004). A manifesto on psychology as idiographic science: Bringing the person back into scientific psychology, this time forever. Measurement, 2(4), 201-218.
• Molenaar, P. C., & Campbell, C. G. (2009). The new person-specific paradigm in psychology. Current directions in psychological science, 18(2), 112-117.
• Meehl, P. E. (1978). Theoretical risks and tabular asterisks: Sir Karl, Sir Ronald, and the slow progress of soft psychology. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46(4), 806–834.
• McNally, R. J. (2012). The ontology of posttraumatic stress disorder: Natural kind, social construction, or causal system? Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 19, 220–228.
• Piccirillo, M. L., & Rodebaugh, T. L. (2019). Foundations of idiographic methods in psychology and applications for psychotherapy. Clinical psychology review.
• Popa, A., & McDowell, J. J. (2016). Behavioral variability in an evolutionary theory of behavior dynamics. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 105(2), 270-290.
• Sidman, M. (1952). A note on functional relations obtained from group data. Psychological Bulletin, 49(3), 263
• Volkovysskii, R. L. & Sinai, Y. G. (1971). Ergodic properties of an ideal gas with an infinite number of degrees of freedom. Functional Analysis and Its Applications (Funktsional'nyi Analiz i Ego Prilozheniya), 5(3), 185-185.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

How we understand, talk about, and think about life expectancy is sometimes misunderstood by some flukes of math. Understanding how numbers work can illuminate a clearer picture of history and mortality. Long story short, (or short story shorter, this is a mini afterall), there have been old people who lived to be old (very old) for most or all of human history.

Support us on Patreon!

Links:

• https://ourworldindata.org/life-expectancy
• https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/usa/united-states/life-expectancy#google_vignette
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4861644/
• https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/lifeexpectancies/articles/howhaslifeexpectancychangedovertime/2015-09-09

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

This continues our discussion with Dr. Stu Law. We further elaborate on the issues with a diagnostic system for mental health and what the pitfalls are, including faulty underlying assumptions. After recording, we had enough content in this discussion for two separate episodes. So, we awkwardly added a post-hoc conclusion in this discussion and a similar intro to the next episode.

Recommendations Part 2

• Abraham: Rick & Morty Season 9 (https://www.hbomax.com/?utm_id=sa|22393148778|180575663513|297385727722&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22393148778&gbraid=0AAAAApH9fnpTr6yDijXdlc51psz-wvFmK&gclid=CjwKCAjwtKrUBhAhEiwAr77ZosVPKgR3u_fZCszdZHzumdiOcQNAKwT0a7Nf_f0fizQrw8F_yunqPBoC2nAQAvD_BwE)
• Shane: Unwed Sailor - High Remembrance (https://open.spotify.com/album/0U5ebcuEkgaH7nYtQ01puI?si=TJaLAOzySAS6YynsVxegoA)

Holidays (9/2/2026):

• Bison-Ten Yell Day
• Calendar Adjustment Day
• Global Talent Acquisition Day
• National Blueberry Popsicle Day
• National No Patrick Day
• Pierce Your Ears Day
• Spalding Baseball Day
• V-J Day
• World Coconut Day

References:

• Barlow, D. H., & Nock, M. K. (2009). Why can’t we be more idiographic in our research? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(1), 19–21.
• Beck, A. T., & Alford, B. A. (2009). Depression: Causes and treatment. University of Pennsylvania Press.
• Beck, A. T., Davis, D. D., & Freeman, A. (Eds.). (2015). Cognitive therapy of personality disorders. Guilford Publications.
• Beck, A. T., Emery, G., & Greenberg, R. L. (2005). Anxiety disorders and phobias: A cognitive perspective. Basic Books.
• Beltz, A. M., & Gates, K. M. (2017). Network mapping with GIMME. Multivariate behavioral research, 52(6), 789-804.
• Birkhoff, G. D. (1931). Proof of the ergodic theorem. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 17, 656-660.
• Brown, T. A., Campbell, L. A., Lehman, C. L., Grisham, J. R., & Mancill, R. B. (2001). Current and lifetime comorbidity of the DSM-IV anxiety and mood disorders in a large clinical sample. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110(4), 585–599. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.110.4.585
• Clark, L. A., Watson, D., & Reynolds, S. (1995). Diagnosis and classification of psychopathology: Challenges to the current system and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 46, 121–153. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.46.020195.001005
• Fried, E. I. (2015). Problematic assumptions have slowed down depression research: why symptoms, not syndromes are the way forward. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 309.
• Fried, E. I., & Cramer, A. O. (2017). Moving forward: challenges and directions for psychopathological network theory and methodology. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(6), 999-1020.
• Galizio, A., Frye, C. C., Haynes, J. M., Friedel, J. E., Smith, B. M., & Odum, A. L. (2018). Persistence and relapse of reinforced behavioral variability. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 109(1), 210-237.
• Galatzer-Levy, I. R., & Bryant, R. A. (2013). 636,120 Ways to Have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8(6), 651-662.
• Glick, I. D., Murray, S. R., Vasudevan, P., Marder, S. R., & Hu, R. J. (2001). Treatment with atypical antipsychotics: New indications and new populations. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 35(3), 187–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3956(01)00020-6.
• Hayes, S. C., Wilson, K. W., Gifford, E. V., Follette, V. M., & Strosahl, K. (1996). Experiential avoidance and behavioral disorders: A functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(6), 1152-1168.
• Hofmann, S. G., Curtiss, J., & McNally, R. J. (2016). A complex network perspective on clinical science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11(5), 597-605.
• Hofmann, S. G., & Hayes, S. C. (2019). The future of intervention science: Process-based therapy. Clinical Psychological Science, 7(1), 37-50.
• Hofmann, S. G., Meuret, A. E., Rosenfield, D., Suvak, M. K., Barlow, D. H., Gorman, J. M., ... & Woods, S. W. (2007). Preliminary evidence for cognitive mediation during cognitive-behavioral therapy of panic disorder. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 75(3), 374.
• Kessler, R. C., Chiu, W. T., Demler, O., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 617–627. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.617.
• Newman, C. F., Leahy, R. L., Beck, A. T., Reilly-Harrington, N. A., & Gyulai, L. (2002). Bipolar disorder: A cognitive therapy approach. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10442-000.
• Lenzenweger, M. F., Lane, M. C., Loranger, A. W., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). DSM-IV personality disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological Psychiatry, 62(6), 553–564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.09.019
• Molenaar, P. C. (2004). A manifesto on psychology as idiographic science: Bringing the person back into scientific psychology, this time forever. Measurement, 2(4), 201-218.
• Molenaar, P. C., & Campbell, C. G. (2009). The new person-specific paradigm in psychology. Current directions in psychological science, 18(2), 112-117.
• Meehl, P. E. (1978). Theoretical risks and tabular asterisks: Sir Karl, Sir Ronald, and the slow progress of soft psychology. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46(4), 806–834.
• McNally, R. J. (2012). The ontology of posttraumatic stress disorder: Natural kind, social construction, or causal system? Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 19, 220–228.
• Piccirillo, M. L., & Rodebaugh, T. L. (2019). Foundations of idiographic methods in psychology and applications for psychotherapy. Clinical psychology review.
• Popa, A., & McDowell, J. J. (2016). Behavioral variability in an evolutionary theory of behavior dynamics. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 105(2), 270-290.
• Sidman, M. (1952). A note on functional relations obtained from group data. Psychological Bulletin, 49(3), 263
• Volkovysskii, R. L. & Sinai, Y. G. (1971). Ergodic properties of an ideal gas with an infinite number of degrees of freedom. Functional Analysis and Its Applications (Funktsional'nyi Analiz i Ego Prilozheniya), 5(3), 185-185.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

You've probably noticed people talking to themselves and had some thought or comment about that. Perhaps something along the lines of: "That person might be crazy." Well, turns out it is much more normal than you might think. What do you talk to yourself about?

Join our amazing fan club

Links and References:

• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/talking-to-yourself
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5986836/
• https://lsa.umich.edu/psych/news-events/all-news/faculty-news/is-it-normal-to-talk-to-yourself--what-it-could-really-mean.html
• https://elemental.medium.com/why-talking-to-yourself-is-a-secret-superpower-5eff091b896c
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/defining-memories/202502/7-benefits-of-talking-to-ourselves-aloud
• https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-22647-2
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11274574/
• https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/62246/chapter-abstract/550947980?redirectedFrom=fulltext#550947980
• https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1080/17470218.2011.647039

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Diagnosing mental health has dramatically shaped how we think about and appraoch our thinking and treatment of mental health conditions. In some ways, this effect has had a profoundly helpful impact for many people. However, in many ways, this system has had a profoundly adverse impact. This episode kicks of a three-part series arguing that diagnoses for mental health have ultimately caused more harm than good. Dr. Stu Law is a special guest helping us understand what we gain and lose in the current system of diagnostic criteria used for taxonomizing mental health.

Recommendations

• Abraham: Within by Protest the Hero (https://protestthehero.bandcamp.com/album/within)
• Shane: Akai MPK Mini MK3 MIDI Board (https://www.akaipro.com/mpk-mini-mk3/)
• Stu: Learning Process Based Therapy, The Anatomy of an Epidemic, Beyond the DSM, The Emperor’s New Drugs

Holidays (8/26/2026):

• Congressional Startup Day
• Make Your Own Luck Day
• Musical Yoga Day
• National Cherry Popsicle Day
• National Dog Day
• National Toilet Paper Day
• Tug of War Day
• Willing to Lend a Hand Wednesday
• Women’s Equality Day
• Be Kind to Humankind Week
• Brake Safety Week
• National Safe at Home Week
• World Water Week

References:

• Barlow, D. H., & Nock, M. K. (2009). Why can’t we be more idiographic in our research? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(1), 19–21.
• Beck, A. T., & Alford, B. A. (2009). Depression: Causes and treatment. University of Pennsylvania Press.
• Beck, A. T., Davis, D. D., & Freeman, A. (Eds.). (2015). Cognitive therapy of personality disorders. Guilford Publications.
• Beck, A. T., Emery, G., & Greenberg, R. L. (2005). Anxiety disorders and phobias: A cognitive perspective. Basic Books.
• Beltz, A. M., & Gates, K. M. (2017). Network mapping with GIMME. Multivariate behavioral research, 52(6), 789-804.
• Birkhoff, G. D. (1931). Proof of the ergodic theorem. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 17, 656-660.
• Brown, T. A., Campbell, L. A., Lehman, C. L., Grisham, J. R., & Mancill, R. B. (2001). Current and lifetime comorbidity of the DSM-IV anxiety and mood disorders in a large clinical sample. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110(4), 585–599. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.110.4.585
• Clark, L. A., Watson, D., & Reynolds, S. (1995). Diagnosis and classification of psychopathology: Challenges to the current system and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 46, 121–153. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.46.020195.001005
• Fried, E. I. (2015). Problematic assumptions have slowed down depression research: why symptoms, not syndromes are the way forward. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 309.
• Fried, E. I., & Cramer, A. O. (2017). Moving forward: challenges and directions for psychopathological network theory and methodology. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(6), 999-1020.
• Galizio, A., Frye, C. C., Haynes, J. M., Friedel, J. E., Smith, B. M., & Odum, A. L. (2018). Persistence and relapse of reinforced behavioral variability. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 109(1), 210-237.
• Galatzer-Levy, I. R., & Bryant, R. A. (2013). 636,120 Ways to Have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8(6), 651-662.
• Glick, I. D., Murray, S. R., Vasudevan, P., Marder, S. R., & Hu, R. J. (2001). Treatment with atypical antipsychotics: New indications and new populations. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 35(3), 187–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3956(01)00020-6.
• Hayes, S. C., Wilson, K. W., Gifford, E. V., Follette, V. M., & Strosahl, K. (1996). Experiential avoidance and behavioral disorders: A functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(6), 1152-1168.
• Hofmann, S. G., Curtiss, J., & McNally, R. J. (2016). A complex network perspective on clinical science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11(5), 597-605.
• Hofmann, S. G., & Hayes, S. C. (2019). The future of intervention science: Process-based therapy. Clinical Psychological Science, 7(1), 37-50.
• Hofmann, S. G., Meuret, A. E., Rosenfield, D., Suvak, M. K., Barlow, D. H., Gorman, J. M., ... & Woods, S. W. (2007). Preliminary evidence for cognitive mediation during cognitive-behavioral therapy of panic disorder. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 75(3), 374.
• Kessler, R. C., Chiu, W. T., Demler, O., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 617–627. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.617.
• Newman, C. F., Leahy, R. L., Beck, A. T., Reilly-Harrington, N. A., & Gyulai, L. (2002). Bipolar disorder: A cognitive therapy approach. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10442-000.
• Lenzenweger, M. F., Lane, M. C., Loranger, A. W., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). DSM-IV personality disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological Psychiatry, 62(6), 553–564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.09.019
• Molenaar, P. C. (2004). A manifesto on psychology as idiographic science: Bringing the person back into scientific psychology, this time forever. Measurement, 2(4), 201-218.
• Molenaar, P. C., & Campbell, C. G. (2009). The new person-specific paradigm in psychology. Current directions in psychological science, 18(2), 112-117.
• Meehl, P. E. (1978). Theoretical risks and tabular asterisks: Sir Karl, Sir Ronald, and the slow progress of soft psychology. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46(4), 806–834.
• McNally, R. J. (2012). The ontology of posttraumatic stress disorder: Natural kind, social construction, or causal system? Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 19, 220–228.
• Piccirillo, M. L., & Rodebaugh, T. L. (2019). Foundations of idiographic methods in psychology and applications for psychotherapy. Clinical psychology review.
• Popa, A., & McDowell, J. J. (2016). Behavioral variability in an evolutionary theory of behavior dynamics. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 105(2), 270-290.
• Sidman, M. (1952). A note on functional relations obtained from group data. Psychological Bulletin, 49(3), 263
• Volkovysskii, R. L. & Sinai, Y. G. (1971). Ergodic properties of an ideal gas with an infinite number of degrees of freedom. Functional Analysis and Its Applications (Funktsional'nyi Analiz i Ego Prilozheniya), 5(3), 185-185.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast