We welcome special guest Jeff Guenther LPC to defend the Law of Attraction, which we lambasted in #37 Vision Bored. Creator of Therapy Den and the Portland Therapy Center, Jeff claims that the law of attraction is the best model we have for how the universe works, and that there’s nothing problematic about it. José and Danielle are not so sure.
Read MoreDanielle and José assess whether or not the Law of Attraction is total bullshit. After careful consideration, we’ve determined that although there are lots of ways in which the Law of Attraction might be helpful, it also can be politically dangerous and, at times, utter nonsense.
Read MoreWhat happens when the responsibility to have an open mind pushes against the responsibility to protect people from hateful speech and ideology? José argues that having an open mind is required for us all to develop into our full selves, but cautions that this open-mindedness should happen primarily in the intimacy of private spaces, not necessarily on the public stage.This episode is the bookend to: “#11: Tolerating the Nazi Next Door,” so we recommend you take a listen to that one from our archives here.
Read MoreAre you the same person that you were when you were six years old? Does identity exist over time? Danielle suggests that there is no such thing as a permanent essential self or soul and argues for the Buddhist idea of “no-self.” José is skeptical, believing instead that we are essentially the same over time.
Read MoreIs prostitution immoral? Danielle begins this episode thinking that prostitution is morally permissible, if it is between two consenting adults. José argues that prostitution is morally wrong because it objectifies and dehumanizes women in a physical and irredeemable way. By the end of their conversation, Danielle’s not sure what she thinks anymore.
Read MoreWhy is feeling two or more conflicting things at the same time so hard? Danielle and José talk about the experience of ambivalence and dive into how our feelings are connected to our beliefs about the world. They explore some ways to understand, work through, or even just sometimes accept ambivalence in our daily lives.
Read MoreDuring this (past) holiday season, Danielle and José explored why cultivating gratitude may lead to increased well being, happiness, and richness of meaning. They suggest that gratitude is an achieved mental state that involves a re-cognition of our lives into a narrative of growth and positivity.
Read MoreJosé and Danielle discuss conspiracy theories. Why is it that some, otherwise rational, people get hooked into crazy conspiracy theories like the anti-vax or flat earth movements? José suggests that perhaps it’s because they’re tired of feeling like alienated sheep and want to start feeling like heroes in their own lives—and, he adds, we are all susceptible to this pitfall.
Read MoreDanielle and José discuss whether philosophy can help save the crappy high school public education system. They talk about the real goals of high school public education, whether and how schools can actually teach critical thinking, and what kind of education will actually serve students for the world in which we live.
Read MoreWe welcome special guest Paul Waldau, recently retired Professor in the Animal Behavior, Ecology and Conservation Department and Director of the graduate program in Anthrozoology at Canisius College and author of Animal Rights, to talk about the relationships we humans have with non-human animals. How has viewing humans as special or distinct from other animals damaged our world? Should we view animals as having some of the same rights that we humans have, and if so, why?
Read MoreJosé and Danielle respond to some listener criticism of episode #45: Everybody Has to Live Somewhere. They talk about what they got right—and wrong—in that episode, and they reflect more generally on how engaging with criticism can enrich and deepen our understanding of the world, each other, and ourselves.
Read MoreMuseums are weird, or so says Danielle. In fact, she thinks that they are glaring evidence of the racist imperialist history of the West, and because of that, she finds it hard to find the serenity and aesthetic transcendence that we have all been trained to expect there. José thinks that we have a chance to define ourselves and connect with others by engaging (quietly, please!) with these very same objects. They fight it out.
Read MoreJosé and Danielle consider our ethical responsibility when we participate in gentrification. Is gentrification simply a natural process of changing neighborhoods, or do we have some responsibility for its negative impact on—and displacement of—poorer residents?
Read MoreIs it ok to laugh at racist jokes? Does it make you racist? Does it matter who is telling the joke? José tries to stake a position between calling out racist jokes as harmful, and not becoming so politically correct that we take ourselves too seriously. Also, Danielle and José each tell—and laugh at—some racist jokes.
Read MoreSpecial guest Lucy Collins joins Danielle and José to talk about motherhood and death. They explore the idea that motherhood allows women to be uniquely in touch with death, aging, and change. This experience is full of vulnerability and a confrontation with one’s life experience that cannot be ignored.
Read MoreThis episode, José and Danielle talk about how to have difficult conversations. José suggests that the classic way of thinking about conversations—as the communication of information or beliefs—does not actually get the best results. Instead, if we are to find truth, connection, and a shared public life, we need to learn to identify and communicate emotional feelings, a much more difficult task.
Read MoreIt’s our annual Year in Review show, and we welcome our audio editor and engineer, Dan Short, as our special guest. José, Danielle, and Dan reflect on how Think Hard has grown in the last year, what we’ve learned, and what our favorite episodes are. We also discuss some goals for the future of Think Hard in the year to come. (Spoiler: We want to connect more with you, our listeners!)
Read MoreDuring this holiday season, Danielle and José explore why cultivating gratitude may lead to increased well being, happiness, and richness of meaning. They suggest that gratitude is an achieved mental state that involves a re-cognition of our lives into a narrative of growth and positivity.
Read MoreJosé thinks all television shows are bad because they share in two fatal flaws: the problem of overlapping narrative arcs and the limitation of outsider influence. After going back-and-forth, Danielle argues that newer television shows successfully manage these limitations, and José agrees to watch suggested shows and report back in a future episode.
Read MoreDanielle and José circle back to their conversation about the existence of God that they first had in episode #12: Is it Morally Wrong to Believe in God? This time, they debate not only the morality of the belief, but get right to the heart of the question: Does God exist? José is a theist and Danielle an atheist, so the conversation is rather lively!
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