Danielle and José discuss having consistency in our ideas and beliefs. Why is consistency important? Should we have more allowance for nuance, evolution, or mushiness in our thoughts? What are the risks of remaining inconsistent or, conversely,

#57: On Manifesting and Mirrors

Oct 2nd, 2019

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

#37: Vision Bored

Sep 18th, 2019

Danielle 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 d

#56: Tolerating the Racist at Thanksgiving Dinner

Sep 4th, 2019

What 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

#55: Carjacking Today, Freedom Tomorrow?

Aug 21st, 2019

Are 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 skeptic

#54: The Paradox of Bodily Fluids

Aug 7th, 2019

Is 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 ph

#53: Both Sides Now

Jul 24th, 2019

Why 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

#14: I'm Not a Masturbation Couch

Jul 17th, 2019

José is troubled by his sexual fantasies of women because it objectifies them. Danielle and José consider: Does sexual desire always or necessarily involve the dehumanizing objectification of others? Is it morally acceptable to objectify som

#41: Re-cognizing Gratitude

Jun 27th, 2019

During 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 o

#52: Flip Flop

Jun 12th, 2019

José hates casual clothes: jeans, cargo shorts, sweat pants, and the dreaded flip flops. He argues that the excuse many people give that these clothes are “comfortable” is really just a band-aid, and will never get to the real underlying sou

#51: Buying Happiness

May 29th, 2019

Danielle is wondering how to make decisions about how to spend her money, which leads to the larger question of what constitutes the good life. What purchases will make us happy, and how do we know what to choose? José offers some budgeting

#50: Of Heroes and (Epistemological) Hostages

May 15th, 2019

José 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 feel

#49: Shut Up and Punch Your Ticket

May 1st, 2019 55m 27s

Danielle 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 ki

#49: Shut Up, and Punch Your Ticket

May 1st, 2019

#48: Why Shouldn’t I Punch A Chimpanzee?

Apr 17th, 2019 51m 26s

We welcome special guest Paul Waldau, author of Animal Rights and recently retired Professor in the Animal Behavior, Ecology and Conservation Department and Director of the graduate program in Anthrozoology at Canisius College, to talk about th

Why Shouldn't I Punch a Chimpanzee?

Apr 17th, 2019

We 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

#47: Real (Estate) Criticism

Apr 3rd, 2019

José 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 an

#46: Hush! I’m Committing Cultural Violence

Mar 20th, 2019

Museums 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 al

#45: Everybody Has to Live Somewhere

Mar 6th, 2019

José 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

#25: On Racist Jokes (Funny Ones)

Feb 20th, 2019

Is 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 to

#44: Change Like a Mother

Feb 6th, 2019

Special 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 c

#43: If My Therapist Could See Me Now

Jan 23rd, 2019

This 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

#42: I’m Not Sure What I Think

Jan 9th, 2019

It’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 episo

#41: Re-cognizing Gratitude

Dec 26th, 2018

During 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

#40: The Handmaid’s Fail?

Dec 12th, 2018

José 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 succe