Why We Do What We Do

Many believe you can manipulate colors to influence thoughts and emotions. This is kind of a little bit true. Mostly because clever PR people can leverage existing color associations to prime you to react or feel a certain way. However, this is cultural and learned and subject to change with different associations. Seeing orange won't make you hungry. Unless it's an orange maybe. And assuming you like oranges I guess... It's complicated Links for Today: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Nb1f9MpgO8IC&oi=fnd&pg=PA13&dq=resist+crying&ots=P1VLr5-UEB&sig=yFajNjKAUUf049e5UJIeU7lPwzU#v=onepage&q=resist%20crying&f=false (book on the cultural relevance and history of crying) https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-23505-001 (Study on football players and their perception of crying) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-6494.694156 (Study evaluating motivation for seeking or avoiding emotional situations) https://www.jstor.org/stable/40604147?seq=1 (Study on managing emotions in the workplace) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886920303639 (Study exploring a measure for evaluating motives in emotional expression) https://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/02/cry (Cultural and biological reasons for crying. As well as people who can’t cry) https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/he-speaks-she-speaks/201101/the-crying-game (A somewhat overly gendered article with some valid points on the differences in crying across genders) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jaba.361 (Peer-reviewed study indicating that distraction can increase tolerance for crying) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jaba.4 (Peer-reviewed article on a Functional Assessment of crying) https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/it-bad-your-health-try-not-cry (Blog on why it might be bad to avoid crying) https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-stop-crying#how-to-stop-crying (Strategies to avoid crying) We are on Reddit! https://www.reddit.com/user/WhyWeDoWhatWeDo Recommendations: Abraham: Palm Springs (https://www.hulu.com/movie/palm-springs-f70dfd4d-dbfb-46b8-abb3-136c841bba11) Shane: Park Ave CDs in Orlando (https://parkavecds.com/) You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Although surveys show that men do tend to cry more than women, that disparity disappears when you examine cultures in which crying is not considered taboo. Humans are unique in that we cry and have intense emotional reactions to symbolic events and not just mechanically as a response to an irritant. We discuss how the lacrimal system excretes (fun word) tears and how and why we cry. Although we don't recommend you try to resist crying unless your safety depends on it, we do review some strategies to hold back those tears. But let's all agree that people should feel safe to experience and express their emotions. Power to the criers! Links for Today: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Nb1f9MpgO8IC&oi=fnd&pg=PA13&dq=resist+crying&ots=P1VLr5-UEB&sig=yFajNjKAUUf049e5UJIeU7lPwzU#v=onepage&q=resist%20crying&f=false (book on the cultural relevance and history of crying) https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-23505-001 (Study on football players and their perception of crying) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-6494.694156 (Study evaluating motivation for seeking or avoiding emotional situations) https://www.jstor.org/stable/40604147?seq=1 (Study on managing emotions in the workplace) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886920303639 (Study exploring a measure for evaluating motives in emotional expression) https://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/02/cry (Cultural and biological reasons for crying. As well as people who can’t cry) https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/he-speaks-she-speaks/201101/the-crying-game (A somewhat overly gendered article with some valid points on the differences in crying across genders) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jaba.361 (Peer-reviewed study indicating that distraction can increase tolerance for crying) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jaba.4 (Peer-reviewed article on a Functional Assessment of crying) https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/it-bad-your-health-try-not-cry (Blog on why it might be bad to avoid crying) https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-stop-crying#how-to-stop-crying (Strategies to avoid crying) We are on Reddit! https://www.reddit.com/user/WhyWeDoWhatWeDo Recommendations: Abraham: Palm Springs (https://www.hulu.com/movie/palm-springs-f70dfd4d-dbfb-46b8-abb3-136c841bba11) Shane: Park Ave CDs in Orlando (https://parkavecds.com/) You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Handedness is both genetic and environmentally determined. Consider that left-handedness was demonized by many cultures, and subsequently, many tools and infrastructure were designed to be most easily used by right-handed people. Although there may be some correlations with personality and gender and other things, what hand-dominance may say about you is probably pretty limited. Links for Today: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3168892/pdf/jeab-96-02-283.pdf https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-myths/201303/three-myths-and-three-facts-about-left-handers https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-asymmetric-brain/201908/8-new-scientific-findings-about-left- https://bsci21.org/jeab-behavior-insensitive-to-consequences-in-major-league-baseball/ https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/science/bioscience/the-left-handed-brain-between-science-and-myth/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-asymmetric-brain/202005/7-surprising-facts-about-left-handedness-in-animals https://www.sciencealert.com/there-are-many-myths-about-being-left-handed-but-here-s-what-we-actually-know https://www.thehealthy.com/aging/mind-memory/left-handed-people-myths/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-asymmetric-brain/201907/do-i-kiss-you-right-exploring-side-preferences-in-kissing We are on Reddit! https://www.reddit.com/user/WhyWeDoWhatWeDo Recommendations: Abraham: Psych 2 Movie (https://www.peacocktv.com/psych-2-lassie-come-home) Shane: Steven King shared universe leading to the Dark Tower (https://stephenking.com/darktower/connections/) You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Protests have been a human practice for probably as long as we have had civilized groups. This practice is when a group of people unite to actively force change in their government, community, or world stage. We discuss the history of protesting and provide some helpful suggestions for how to protest safely. Links for Today: https://www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/SafeyDuringProtest_F.pdf https://www.self.com/story/protest-safety https://gizmodo.com/how-to-cop-proof-your-phone-before-heading-to-a-protest-1843828887 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-954X.12111 We are on Reddit! https://www.reddit.com/user/WhyWeDoWhatWeDo Recommendations: Abraham: How to Write A Lot by Paul Silvia (https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/4441010) Shane: John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11318624/) You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

The practice of mummifying the dead was a process that was prevalent in ancient Egypt and practiced in various forms in several areas of the world for thousands of years. Although the procedures differed across cultures subtly, the most popular type was the Egyptian method that took as long as 70 days to complete, and involved a careful process of dehydration, organ removal, and utilization of oils, lotions, and wrapping. The body was preserved in a decorous fashion that enhanced its survival while entombed. The intention was that if the physical body remained intact, that the soul would as well, thus maximizing its potential in the afterlife. A subsequent judgment by the gods was assumed to take place following death, accentuated by the precision of the mummification process. The practice has since died out in Egypt and around the world given shifts in religious beliefs, but there are some modern iterations that exist today, albeit rarely. Links for Today: We are on Reddit! https://www.reddit.com/user/WhyWeDoWhatWeDo https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-excess/201705/sexual-mummification https://mylearning.org/stories/a-step-by-step-guide-to-egyptian-mummification/220? https://www.haikudeck.com/the-7-steps-of-mummification--uncategorized-presentation-NYOs6EpLxt (How to mummy) https://www.si.edu/spotlight/ancient-egypt/mummies https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/mummies-101/ (Mummies for dummies) https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2561280/Forget-coffins-MUMMIFIED-U-S-firm-offers-21st-century-version-ancient-Egyptian-burial-rites.html https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/2400-year-old-myths-of-myths/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/603939/mummy-myths (Mystical mummy myths) Recommendations: Abraham: The Boys Season 2 on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/The-Boys-Season-2/dp/B08C8NJQSH) Shane: Stephen King books (https://stephenking.com/) You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Exorcisms are a dangerous practice that have killed people. We explore the history of exorcisms, how they work, what to expect, and why we should avoid them. Only one left after this in our Halloween series. Links for Today: https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist257/stephwhit/final/exorcism_pro.html Recommendations: Abraham: Listen charitably to people trying to talk to you. Shane: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092076/) You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Mystic healing practices existed in many cultures for a large proportion of human history. But for a few hundred years, people, mostly women, were tortured and killed under suspicion of practicing witchcraft. Religious groups were largely responsible for these horrible act, which also turned out to be lucrative. Links for Today: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/03/witchcraft-juliet-diaz/605518/ (The Rise of Witchcraft) https://youtu.be/rW4XFiHUQAs (Crashcourse on persecuting witchcraft) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60653.Cows_Pigs_Wars_and_Witches (Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Wtiches by Marvin Harris) https://www.theskepticsguide.org/our-book (The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Book) http://hca.gilead.org.il/tinderbx.html (The Tinderbox by Hans Christian Anderson) You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

There are potential evolutionary reasons for fear of darkness, but our language also plays a role. This specific fear, nyctophobia, is relatively innocuous and has some fairly basic treatments. Listen in to learn about why we fear and how systematic desensitization is used to treat it. Links for Today: https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-the-evolutionary-reason-why-we-re-afraid-of-the-dark (Evolutionary reason for fearing darkness) http://yourdost.com/blog/2016/03/the-psychology-of-fear-of-the-dark.html?q=%2Fblog%2F2016%2F03%2Fthe-psychology-of-fear-of-the-dark.html (More evolution and stats about fear of darkness) https://www.verywellmind.com/fear-of-dark-2671872 (Symptoms and treatment of nyctophobia) https://www.verywellmind.com/diagnosing-a-specific-phobia-2671981 (Diagnostic criteria for specific phobia disorders) https://www.amazon.com/Coddling-American-Mind-Intentions-Generation-ebook/dp/B076NVFT5P/ref=sr_1_2?crid=10L25TZN4UV4U&dchild=1&keywords=the+coddling+of+the+american+mind&qid=1600603082&sprefix=the+coddling+%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-2 (Book on getting over fear of darkness) https://letgrow.org/prof-jonathan-haidt-on-how-overparenting-backfires-and-how-to-undo-the-damage/ (Overparenting as it contributes to fear of darkness) https://www.healthline.com/health/nyctophobia#treatment (Treatment for nyctophobia) http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.850.9170&rep=rep1&type=pdf (Unpublished dissertation on desensitization to reduce fear of darkness in children) You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green Party. For this and the next episode, we sit down and interview everyday citizens who are registered to one of the four largest voting political parties in the United States. We keep it positive and they talk about why they find common ground with their aligned party. Links for Today: https://www.reuters.com/ https://www.bbc.com/news https://howiehawkins.us/ You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green Party. For this and the next episode, we sit down and interview everyday citizens who are registered to one of the four largest voting political parties in the United States. We keep it positive and they talk about why they find common ground with their aligned party. Links for Today: https://www.reuters.com/ https://www.bbc.com/news You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green Party. For this and the next two episodes, we sit down and interview everyday citizens who are registered to one of the four largest voting political parties in the United States. We keep it positive and they talk about why they find common ground with their aligned party. Links for Today: https://www.reuters.com/ https://www.bbc.com/news https://www.amazon.com/Debunking-Utopia-Exposing-Nordic-Socialism/dp/1944229396 https://www.amazon.com/Economics-One-Lesson-Shortest-Understand/dp/0517548232 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1947492454/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_qCsxFbNN19C3S You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green Party. For this and the next three episodes, we sit down and interview everyday citizens who are registered to one of the four largest voting political parties in the United States. We keep it positive and they talk about why they find common ground with their aligned party. Links for Today: https://www.reuters.com/ https://www.bbc.com/news You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Euphemisms act as selected by a given verbal community often as an alternative to a subject that has been regarded as touchy, uncomfortable, or politically incorrect. These usually include humorous replacements and in some cases can even be misleading. There are several forms of euphemisms that offer potential for some comical alternatives to certain topics, fostering creative slang among professionals, youths, and others. However, while slang positively units individuals in certain communities, euphemisms should be carefully considered in scientific communities that seek to maintain consistency and objectivity in their research. Further dissemination of scientific jargon may require comfortable translation or euphemisms, but its source should not. Links for Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/through-the-language-glass/201006/tell-me-who-your-euphemisms-are-and-i-ll-tell-you-who-you-are https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/laugh-cry-live/201909/why-grieving-parents-detest-platitudes-euphemisms-jargon https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/laugh-cry-live/201909/how-euphemisms-platitudes-jargon-push-away-the-bereaved https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beyond-freud/201604/therapeutic-euphemism-niceness-isnt-always-kind https://www.slideshare.net/jeiAnnmorano/euphemism-37839303 https://www.dailywritingtips.com/7-types-of-euphemism/ https://image.slidesharecdn.com/euphemism-140810015055-phpapp01/95/euphemism-1-638.jpg?cb=1407635850 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5459766/ Recommendations: Abraham:  Cinema Sins Podcast (https://cinemasins.com/) Shane: Write to your family and friends in prison You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

It's never too late to learn something new! Learning and teaching are inherently linked, so we spend some time reviewing the best most-evidence based strategies for teaching new skills, learning new skills, and how to practice. This can be summarized as: Break the new skill into smaller component skills, build fluency at component skills, have some self-reward system in place, have someone hold you accountable, track your progress, and practice practice practice. Links for Today: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170828-the-amazing-fertility-of-the-older-mind (story of 90-year-old who went to school to learn to read and write) https://www.scoe.org/files/explicit-instruction.pdf (Presentation on efficient and effective instruction from Anita Archer) https://www.td.org/newsletters/atd-links/key-ingredients-for-learning (Main ingredients from cognitive psychology for learning a new skill) https://zapier.com/blog/learning-new-skills/ (10 strategies for learning something new, blog) https://agileleanlife.com/how-long-to-practice/ (Lessons from learning to code on computers, source of the quote: practice until fear turns to boredom) http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/freakonomics/pdf/DeliberatePractice%28PsychologicalReview%29.pdf (The article that popularized the idea that 10,000 hours of practice leads to expertise) Recommendations: Abraham:  Association on American Indian Affairs (Native American) https://www.indian-affairs.org/ Shane: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (http://www.harukimurakami.com/book/the-wind-up-bird-chronicle) You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Black Lives Matter. Special guests Jelisa Scott and Mawule Sevon talk anti-racism and growing up with dark skin in the United States. Links for Today: Check out Jelisa's Podcast: Be Better (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-be-better/id1476015868?i=1000446486643) Recommendations: Jelisa: Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cateteria? (https://www.amazon.com/Black-Kids-Sitting-Together-Cafeteria/dp/0465060684) Mawule: How to be an Anti-Racist (https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Antiracist-Ibram-Kendi/dp/0525509283) You can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.