After the tragic mass shooting deaths of 19 elementary school kids and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas on May 24, 2022, America is, once again, doing some soul searching. We have had over 200 mass shootings thus far in 2022, and there's no end in

Zen Buddhism, Psychotherapy, and Living Skillfully

Apr 27th, 2022 1h 10m

In this episode of The Reasonably Good Life, I interview licensed psychologist and ordained Zen Buddhist priest Dr. David Zuniga. Dr. Zuniga's a good friend of mine, and we've have many wonderful conversations in the past, so I thought it would

Navigating the Challenges of Psychotherapy (interview by Karly Fritsch)

Apr 20th, 2022 54m 21s

In this episode, I am interviewed by Karly Fritsch, who is in a master's program at St. Bonaventure University in New York - on her way to becoming a licensed professional counselor. We discuss a range of topics such as some of the challenges o

Life as a Psychologist (interview by Emma Lian)

Apr 13th, 2022 1h 40m

In this episode, I was interviewed by Emma Lian, who is a junior at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. She is a smart and studious young woman who reached out to me on her own accord to ask me some questions about the practice of psychology

Are Screens Bad for Young People? (Part 2)

Apr 1st, 2022 59m 46s

Are screens as bad for young people as we fear? This is the second part of my interview with Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson, a psychology professor at Stetson University, and one of the world's leading researchers on the effects that screens are h

Are Screens Bad for Young People?

Mar 16th, 2022 1h 53m

Are screens as bad for young people as we fear? We cover all of the important topics in this episode of The Reasonably Good Life (so much so that I had to break this into two episodes). In this episode, I interview Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson.

Leggo My Ego: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Ego

Mar 9th, 2022 38m 27s

We evolved to have an ego because having a coherent sense of self can help us to survive and thrive. However, our ego can become overly-attached to just about anything - status, power, prestige, other people, our team, tribe, or political party

Hold On Loosely: How and Why Attachment Can Lead to Suffering

Feb 16th, 2022 43m 17s

The more we are able to manage our suffering in life, the happier we will be. It's difficult to be happy when we are miserable! Of course, some suffering is part of the human condition and inescapable. Yet, we often suffer more than we need to

Why Do We Suffer More Than We Need To?

Feb 9th, 2022 37m 16s

We all suffer in life, and some of us suffer more than their fair share. That said, we all suffer more than we need to suffer. Why is that? The better we understand the nature of our suffering, the more strategies we can learn to reduce it. Joi

The Purpose and Problem of Suffering

Jan 23rd, 2022 42m 12s

Most of us have been dealing with more suffering in recent years with problems like the ongoing pandemic, increased polarization, natural disasters, and other calamities. Why do we suffer and what can we do about it? We have all probably heard

Why Do We Believe in Fake News, Lies, and Conspiracy Theories?

Oct 28th, 2021 25m 18s

We like to think of ourselves as reasonable people who seek truth. As we navigate the complexities of this world, we want to know the truth so that we can make skillful decisions. Yet, it is extremely easy for us (myself included!) to be led as

Are Facebook and Instagram as Bad for Teens as We Fear?

Oct 13th, 2021 24m 50s

Frances Haugen is the "whistleblower" who was a former project manager at Facebook. She amassed internal documents that became part of the Wall Street Journal's investigative report known as "The Facebook Files." Some of these documents alleged

Why Does It Always Seem Like It's the End of the World, Even When It's Not?

Oct 6th, 2021 32m 31s

Throughout history, it seems like every generation worries that the end of the world is near. This trend has continued to this very day. When we read the headlines and our social media feeds, it is hard not to fall into despair. But reality is

6 Root Causes of the World's Problems

Sep 17th, 2021 31m 9s

Why does the world have so many problems? Why are some of them so difficult to overcome? While there are many reasons, I explore six factors that I believe contribute to these problems. Importantly, the more we understand the root causes of the

What is the Secret of Success?

Aug 27th, 2021 28m 56s

There are countless books, articles, and opinions on the subject of success. We all want to be "successful" in life, whatever that means! Is there a secret to it? While not necessarily a secret, I cover a critical key to success in this episod

What Is the Purpose of Life?

Aug 21st, 2021 18m 42s

It's a miracle that we exist at all. As far as we know, we only have this one life to live. What are we supposed to do with it? How then shall we live? In a manner of thinking, "What is the purpose of life?" is the Ultimate Question. How we an

An Introduction to The Reasonably Good Life

Aug 12th, 2021 28m 6s

Welcome to the first installment in my new series, "The Reasonably Good Life"! It's about using Reason to pursue the Good Life in this complicated world. If you are like me, you are tired of seeing and hearing about all of the craziness in Amer

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