The Jordan Harbinger Show

Sebastian Junger (@sebastianjunger) is a journalist, filmmaker, and bestselling author of The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea. He joins us to discuss his book Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging and what he's learned by covering war for the past 20 years. [Note: This is a previously broadcast episode from the vault that we felt deserved a fresh pass through your earholes!]  What We Discuss with Sebastian Junger: Why do some people get addicted to war and recall times of crisis with fondness? Does an affluent society free of hardship and danger deprive its citizens of an intrinsic need to be useful? Are war journalists armed, and do they contribute to group defense in the field? What happens when someone who’s been through war comes home, and why is it often so difficult for them to reintegrate into society? Why is there a phrase for “going native” but not “going civilized?” And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/710 Sign up for Six-Minute

Dr. John Abramson (@drjohnabramson) is a physician, lecturer of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, and author of Overdosed America: The Broken Promise of American Medicine. His latest book is Sickening: How Big Pharma Broke American Health Care and How We Can Repair It. What We Discuss with Dr. John Abramson: Despite spending an excess $1.6 trillion on healthcare per year compared to other wealthy countries, the amount of time that Americans live in good health ranks a lowly 68th in the world. The pharmaceutical industry, aka Big Pharma, is more focused on making money for its shareholders than maintaining or improving the health of those who rely on its products. Big Pharma funds most clinical trials, controls the research agenda, withholds real data from those trials as corporate secrets, and shapes most of the information relied upon by health care professionals. The US and New Zealand are the only two countries in the world that allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise. The difference:

Your new beau served five years in prison for being tangentially connected to a non-violent, but high-profile crime. You love him, trust him, and believe he deserves a second chance, but there's one problem: you still have to introduce him to your friends and relatives. What's the best way to familiarize your family with your felonious fella? We'll try to find an answer to this and more here on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/708 On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: What's the best way to familiarize your family with the felonious fella you favor without

Johann Hari (@johannhari101) is a New York Times best-selling author and top-rated TED speaker. His latest book is Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention—And How to Think Deeply Again. What We Discuss with Johann Hari: It's not just your imagination: attention spans are shortening, and finding the mental state that fosters deep thinking is increasingly elusive. It's not just kids: college-age people switch tasks, on average, every 65 seconds. Adults? Every three minutes. We've become accustomed to interrupting ourselves when external distractions aren't there to do it for us. It's not your fault: your inability to focus isn't a personal failure; your focus has been stolen from you by powerful external forces that have left all of us uniquely vulnerable to corporations determined to raid our attention for profit. It's not just the internet and technology: our lack of focus has actually been happening for generations. Discover what Johann learned about reclaiming this focus—as individuals, and as a soc

Tessa West (@tessawestnyu) is a social psychology professor at New York University and the author of Jerks at Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them. What We Discuss with Tessa West: The seven types of jerks at work: the kiss up/kick down, the credit stealer, the bulldozer, the free rider, the micromanager, the neglectful boss, and the gaslighter. Why prioritizing conflict management as a skill is crucial for identifying and coexisting with jerks at work. How to stop the jerks at work from taking credit for all of your good ideas. Have mercy: jerks at work aren't necessarily villains -- their poor patterns hurt them just as much as they hurt everyone else. What we can do to ensure that we're not the jerks at work. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/706 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Miss the first show we did with Pivot co-host and NYU Stern School

On this Feedback Friday, Gabe relays the tragic story of a paranoid schizophrenic neighbor that illustrates just how destabilizing unchecked mental illness can be for family members, friends, neighbors, and the patients themselves. And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/705 On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: Gabe relays the tragic story of a paranoid schizophrenic neighbor that illustrates just how destabilizing unchecked mental illness can be for family members, friends, neighbors, and the patients themselves. In spite of having a dream job and a significant other who check

Robert Greene (@RobertGreene) is the author of multiple New York Times bestsellers on power and strategy, including The 48 Laws of Power and The Art of Seduction. His latest book is The Daily Laws: 366 Meditations on Power, Seduction, Mastery, Strategy, and Human Nature. [Note: This is a previously broadcast episode from the vault that we felt deserved a fresh pass through your earholes!] How to learn multiple languages and maintain their use throughout your life. Why it's important to apprentice, and how you can find the right mentor to guide you. How to find your life's task -- even if you think you're too young, too old, or already established in your field. Why social intelligence is crucial on the path to mastery. How keen observation of others serves to sharpen our own skills. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/704 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Mi

Benjamin Hardy (@BenjaminPHardy) is an organizational psychologist and author of books about willpower, self-limiting beliefs, teamwork, and the pursuit of happiness. He returns to the show to discuss his latest offering: Be Your Future Self Now: The Science of Intentional Transformation. What We Discuss with Benjamin Hardy: Prospection: rather than remaining tethered to a past over which we no longer have any control, we can visualize a number of possible futures and choose the course of action that guides us toward the one we find most desirable. Most of us don't guide ourselves toward our most desirable future because we're too busy coping with the immediate concerns of daily life to clearly see the course that would take us there. Are you committing yourself to avoidance-driven goals (like doomscrolling through the news) that serve to distract and knock you off course instead of approach-driven goals that nudge you toward your ideal future self (like learning more about your chosen career so you can d

As a closeted, bi, teen atheist, it's a bummer your mom makes you go to a church — three times a week — that has a problem with your very existence. On top of this, she insists you're being overly dramatic about the depression, anxiety, and insomnia you experience every day. How do you even consider coming out to a mother who can't seem to empathize with your most basic needs? We'll try to help find an answer to this and more here on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/702 On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: As a closeted, bi, teen atheist, how do you even

Ioan Grillo (@ioangrillo) is a contributing writer at The New York Times specializing in crime and drugs. He is the author of El Narco: Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency; Gangster Warlords: Drug Dollars, Killing Fields, and the New Politics of Latin America; and Blood Gun Money: How America Arms Gangs and Cartels. [This is part two of a two-part episode. Make sure to check out part one here!] What We Discuss with Ioan Grillo: The Iron River may sound like something you'd find on a map of Westeros, but it's just a quaint term for the 200,000 guns manufactured or sold in the US moving across the border to Mexico every year. The private-sale loophole that allows "collectors" in the US to sell guns without requiring identification, background checks, or paperwork — often to criminals and cartels at a tidy profit. How "straw buyers" — that is, people with clean records — are paid by gun traffickers to pass background checks and buy firearms en masse without raising any red flags. If they are arrested in the

Ioan Grillo (@ioangrillo) is a contributing writer at The New York Times specializing in crime and drugs. He is the author of El Narco: Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency; Gangster Warlords: Drug Dollars, Killing Fields, and the New Politics of Latin America; and Blood Gun Money: How America Arms Gangs and Cartels. [This is part one of a two-part episode. Stay tuned for part two later this week!] What We Discuss with Ioan Grillo: How did Ioan Grillo -- a journalist from the UK -- find himself covering the illicit guns and drugs trade from behind the scenes in cartel-controlled Mexico and other pockets of Latin America? The opulent cemetery where narcos are buried in multi-leveled, air-conditioned mausoleums that would make the ancient pharaohs blush. The most devastating examples of human catastrophe Ioan has witnessed while reporting narcos-related crimes over the past two decades. How much danger is a journalist like Ioan really in while reporting from the thick of such unfettered violence? How thousan

Your wife and you agree that introducing BDSM and ethical non-monogamy into your marriage has brought you some of the happiest and closest times in your relationship. On the other side of the coin, this new level of communication and honesty has made her more vulnerable than ever to the anxiety and depression she's suffered since childhood. Is there a way to get past the bad without giving up the good this lifestyle provides, or should you just go back to the way things were before? Welcome to Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/699 On This Week's Feedback Friday, W

Sam Harris (@samharrisorg) is a neuroscientist, author, and philosopher; he’s also a staunch critic of religion (while being an advocate of mindfulness) who joins the show to discuss some views that — fair warning — many may find controversial. [Note: This is a previously broadcast episode from the vault that we felt deserved a fresh pass through your earholes!] What We Discuss with Sam Harris: When does stubbornness stop being a virtue and become a confession of intellectual dishonesty? In what ways does Sam consider himself a bit of an Anti-Trump? Why do so many people subscribe to the package beliefs of their political parties or religions even when clearly proven scientific facts prove contradictory to these beliefs? If Sam Harris considers himself primarily a philosopher, how did he wind up with a PhD in neuroscience? Why do we lie — even when we know how destructive it can be? And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/698 Sign up for Six-Minute Networki

Peter Santenello (@petersantenello) is a videomaker, traveler, and entrepreneur whose videos shine a light on the world the media fails to capture -- without political polarization. What We Discuss with Peter Santenello: Why Ukraine was an ideal base of operations for Peter's immersive, culture-hopping videos -- and what made him move to the US just before Russia decided to invade. For all the problems the US faces on the home front, what do Americans take for granted that people from other countries notice and appreciate right away? What video equipment does Peter use to stay as mobile (and non-threatening) as possible while maintaining fairly professional quality? As an American, how does Peter navigate travel in countries with governments that have a less-than-friendly relationship with the United States? What does Peter do to ensure he doesn't cross any boundaries when interviewing people whose cultures and experiences differ radically from his own -- while keeping his videos interesting for fellow o

Your spouse is a louse with a heart that's been cheating. Though you long to leave him, your resolve has been fleeting. You know you should go, so what's making you stay? We'll try to find out on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/696 On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: Did you know The Jordan Harbinger Show not only helps cure cancer, but it safeguards you against being kidnapped in foreign lands? It's true! When his cheatin' heart has told on him, what's really keeping you from leaving the sneaky snake in the dust where he belongs? As the cool uncle, wo

Malcolm Gladwell (@gladwell) has written multiple bestsellers that are probably on your shelf right now, including The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, What the Dog Saw, and Talking to Strangers. His latest book is The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War. What We Discuss with Malcolm Gladwell: Why you're probably worse at detecting when other people are lying to you than you think you are (but at least it's for a good reason). We judge people's honesty based on their demeanor, but not everyone's behavior matches what is expected of them -- which often leads to false impressions. Why do we trust some institutions and people in authority almost without question, and what happens when that trust is (or is perceived to be) violated? How does Malcolm decide what to explore and study for his next book or podcast, and what happens to the ideas that get discarded along the way? Why Malcolm finds storytelling that assembles an imperfect puzzle more satisfying than a

Carole Hooven (@hoovlet) teaches and co-directs the undergraduate program in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, and is the author of T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us. What We Discuss with Carole Hooven: What creates differences between the sexes? How testosterone is at the core of who we are, regardless of gender. The ways testosterone shapes our minds and bodies in the womb and beyond. What we've learned about testosterone from people who have transitioned between genders. How politics is affecting science and research in testosterone. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/694 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Miss our interview with entrepreneur, actor, producer, reality TV personality, and former professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek? Catch up with episode 498: Rob Dyrdek | Manufacturing

Millions of people play the lottery every day. Is it just a harmless game, or something more insidious? Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and fact-checker, comedian, and podcast host David C. Smalley break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/693 On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss: How much do people really spend on lottery tickets, and who does most of the buying? Winning an Oscar, being struck by lightning, or becoming an astronaut are just three things you're more likely to do than win the lottery. What do governments do with the money brought in by lottery sales? At least some of it is put to good use, right? Why winning the lottery isn't a guaranteed way to fulfill your dreams -- and is more likely to turn your life into a nightmare. Why you're better off using the money you'd spend on lottery tickets on

Your faith in the justice system has been shaken because you were arrested for defending yourself against a gun-wielding ex who was threatening to end your life. Now you want to use what you have left of your GI bill to become a criminal defense attorney to help others, but you're still struggling to overcome the trauma you endured from the system's unjust actions against you. What can you do to move on? Welcome to Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/692 On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: Your ambition to become a criminal defense attorney to help others s

Shaquille O'Neal (@SHAQ) has been retired from basketball for years, but he’s still got his irons in plenty of fires. Here, we’ll discuss everything from superheroes to law enforcement to business to sports to podcasting to — yes — the Flat Earth Theory. [Note: This is a previously broadcast episode from the vault that we felt deserved a fresh pass through your earholes!] What We Discuss with Shaquille O'Neal: The real-world experience Shaq endured preparing for a political race in 2020. How Shaq assembled what he calls The Panel to help manage not only his career but all his important life decisions — and how you can do the same. Why Shaq doesn’t consider himself a celebrity (and why that still isn’t a good reason to bug him in the middle of dinner). How Shaq manages his emotions so he stays non-reactive on and off the court. Does Shaq really believe in the Flat Earth Theory? And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/691 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- ou