TechnologyScience

Polymathic Being Podcast

Michael Woudenberg

Counter intuitive insights from technology, innovation, philosophy, psychology, and more.

www.polymathicbeing.com

Play

Open in

29 episodes
weekly
Avg 15 min
English

Episodes 29

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

Sunday · 10 min
Mansplaining vs. Shelaborating
Today’s topic risks the accusation of mansplaining to explain the nuance behind how humanity has evolved both mansplaining and shelaborating to communicate important information for our survival. By understanding the value and the difference, we can learn how to interact and communicate better. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
October 4 · 6 min
From Front Porch Neighbors to Backyard Strangers
Today’s topic explores the consequences of how our social lives transitioned from the front porch to the backyard and what that’s done to our sense of community. We’ll also look at some simple steps you can take to reconnect with those around you! Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
September 27 · 14 min
How to Die Like a Boss
Today's topic stares death in the eye in order to help identify what really matters regarding your legacy, your impact on life, and your ability to let it go for what comes after. Today, we’re going to learn how to die like a boss. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
September 20 · 11 min
The Problem with Polymaths
Today’s topic directly addresses a critique of those who claim polymathy as their focus. We’ll explore how to balance the ego of titles, the hubris of credentials, and uncover the truth of polymathy and its value in solving wicked problems. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
September 13 · 9 min
Chit-Chat
Today’s topic works through a great deal of angst surrounding small talk that too many of us dismiss as shallow or irrelevant. However, the research tells a different story of how it unlocks our superpower of social learning and rewards us with feelings of belonging, involvement, and camaraderie. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
September 6 · 9 min
The Bunnies and the Bears
Today’s topic investigates two views of the world that exist across societies. It’s a simplified view with significant consequences for understanding different perspectives. It’s critical to personal relationships as well as how we can view larger social systems. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
August 30 · 11 min
How to be Right
Today’s topic explores an old axiom of mine and how that ties into the core philosophy of Polymathic Being. The goal is to improve our ways of thinking, open ourselves to new information, and to truly learn how to be right in our search for truth. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
August 23 · 6 min
Rediscovering Awe
Today’s topic is a quick reminder to slow down and appreciate the complexity of the world around you. It’s a great antidote to misery and doesn’t require anything special. We’ll introduce a simple technique that can help you find awe in almost anything. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
August 16 · 21 min
Masking as Neurodivergent
Today’s topic attempts to unmask true anti-social behaviors from the protective cover of neurodivergence. We’ll explore the current state of the neurodivergent world, identify key patterns to pay attention to, and in doing so, I truly believe that once we pull off that mask, we can create healthy, inclusive cultures. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
August 9 · 10 min
The Catastrophe of Smokey Bear
Today's topic ignites the conversation about human hubris and its ecological impact when we view ourselves as masters of nature, or set apart from the consequences. It looks at the recent focus on wildfires and how they’re largely of our own creation, though, not through the reasons that are often provided. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
August 2 · 15 min
The Noble Savage
Today’s topic explores the mythos of tribal cultures worldwide. When we dig just below the surface, we find the same humans, the same issues, and the same struggles, whether in the Amazon jungles, among American tribes, or in the cities of the world. We’ll also discover how to reconnect with the land to ensure thriving. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
July 29 · 1 hr 13 min
Hack Your Brain! A dynamic exploration into Counterintelligence and Mixed Mental Arts
Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
July 26 · 17 min
Damn the Patriarchy
Today’s topic investigates the nuance between the Patriarchy and the Matriarchy and how our common misunderstandings of what they really are deny us an understanding of what it truly means to be human. Let’s strip back the false binaries and fictions to find out how nature optimized us for both. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
July 19 · 9 min
Earning Life
Today’s topic addresses a common misunderstanding that our survival in a hostile natural world has become systematized through complex transactional mediums which are misinterpreted as requiring humans to pay to live. We’ll step back from the moral language and dive into evolutionary biology to see the truth. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
July 12 · 11 min
Laugh at Yourself
Today’s topic adds to our toolkit of Mixed Mental Arts and provides another way to embrace humility, which we first explored in Embracing our White Belts. This powerful art can be applied to politics, our life circumstances, and to our own behaviors to uncover the absurd things we do, and then laugh them away. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
July 5 · 12 min
A Defense of Populism
Today’s topic strives to untangle and understand what is actually meant when we use populism as a pejorative. As with much of politics, we find that its use reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of a critically important concept, and that the solution is far easier to achieve individually than we’re told. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
June 28 · 16 min
The Original Porn
Today’s topic wrangles with a contradiction between male and female consumption of erotic content. Men tend to prefer visual, and women tend to prefer verbal. This, in itself, isn’t the contradiction; that occurs when we have such different perspectives on the acceptability of those media as well as the twists and turns of female sexuality we aren’t supposed to discuss in polite company. Let’s go deeper! Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
June 21 · 16 min
Don't Lose Your Voice
Today’s topic addresses the challenges of an uncritical use of AI in writing. On the one hand, AI represents a transformative tool that can help unlock creativity, improve research, sharpen arguments, and challenge bias. On the other hand, it can lull the author into a sense of agreement, feeding their ego, and drowning their voice in the banality of the average. Let’s dig into the consequences and the solution. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
June 14 · 11 min
Unsettling Science
Today’s Topic is Part 11 in our Keys to Innovation series and tackles the idea of “Settled Science,” showing just how myopic and resistant to new information that idea really is. Worse, it lacks creativity and locks out innovation when consensus can no longer be challenged, preventing us from learning, unlearning, and relearning. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
June 7 · 30 min
The Two Rules of Life
Today’s topic forces us to face two rules that govern our lives. The first is evolutionary biology, and the second is soul maturation. We’ll see how ignoring these two rules creates chaos in society and how understanding, appreciating, and embracing them creates fulfillment. A quick caveat before we get going: This topic is going to make many people uncomfortable, and my intent isn’t to offend. I’m trying, without moral claims, to understand how the world works and what that means for us humans. If you feel triggered, that’s a good thing, and you should lean in on that to better understand yourself. Don’t forget to check the footnotes for references and other observations. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe

Showing 1–20 of 29 episodes