The Utility of Self-Delusion (and Big Show Update)
Proxy with Yowei Shaw
Yowei shares exciting show news and goes on a self-delusion bender with the team at Proxy HQ. Is she being delusional? Or is delusion just necessary for starting any new project? From the episode: Useful Delusions: The Power & Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain, by Shankar Vedantam: www.hiddenbrain.org/books Radiotopia from PRX: www.radiotopia.fm Episode credits: Produced by Yowei Shaw Edited by John DeLore Mixed by Kyle Pulley To help this independent show exist, consider joining our Patreon: You’ll get our newsletter and exclusive...
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Presenting: Alternate Realities (from NPR's Embedded)
Proxy with Yowei Shaw
Conspiracy theories have been gaining traction all the way to the highest seats of power. So, are there emotional dynamics at play that we could understand to be able to do something about it? Last year, Zach Mack’s dad sent him a strange email, asking to bet $10,000 to settle once and for all who was correct and who was the brainwashed one. From NPR’s Embedded podcast, this is episode 2 of the Alternate Realities series: Down the Rabbit Hole. From the episode: Listen to the rest of the Alternate Realities series from NPR's Embedded here:...
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Presenting: "Stings for Our Enemies. Honey for Our Friends." (from Our Ancestors Were Messy)
Proxy with Yowei Shaw
For as long as she can remember, Nichole Hill has had a complicated relationship with Black history. Then in 2020, she stumbled on a digital archive of pre Civil Rights era Black newspapers and got obsessed with the scandalous stories she found. Our Ancestors Were Messy is her new podcast that explores Black history through the lens of gossip and drama. In this episode, Nichole tells the story of a Victorian era love triangle that rocked the elites of DC. From the episode: Nichole Hill is an audio show-runner, writer, and the host and creator of Our Ancestors Were Messy and...
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Presenting: I felt too seen. Um, dragged. (from Basket Case), Plus an Update
Proxy with Yowei Shaw
Basket Case is a new show about mental health. In this episode, host Nicole Kelly (NK) takes on perfectionism, an issue that Yowei has personally struggled with. Plus, some breaking news about Proxy. Listener survey: bit.ly/proxysurvey To help this independent show exist, consider joining our Patreon: You’ll get access to our newsletter and exclusive monthly bonus episodes. This month, Yowei talks to NK about their relationships with perfectionism and how having forced fun and a punk rock attitude have helped them creatively survive. Episode credits: ...
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Presenting: An Evil Man (from Little Devils), Plus a Year-End Recap
Proxy with Yowei Shaw
When Yowei heard about the new podcast Little Devils, she was like: finally, someone being honest about a thing we all do. On Little Devils, Jasmin Bauomy interrogates the snap judgments she makes of other people, to find the story behind that annoying thing they do. In this episode, we share a story from Little Devils and we toast 2024 with a year-end recap. From the episode: Listen to the full season of Little Devils on all platforms: https://pod.link/1783097137 Support their Patreon: Follow @littledevilsshow and @jasminbauomy on Instagram and BlueSky ...
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The Group That Gets It
Proxy with Yowei Shaw
The story of someone who suffered alone in secret for 8 years with a problem he was too afraid to Google - and then he stumbled into a support group. In this episode, we dive into the emotional dynamics of support groups with Jason Yu. Why did support groups help him, when nothing else did? From the episode: - Jason Yu's support group in podcast form for people who compulsively pick their skin, pull their hair, bite their nails - an organization for body-focused repetitive behaviors and : Jason’s book recs for learning how to build community and gather...
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Is there anything we can actually do about polarization?
Proxy with Yowei Shaw
Whoever wins the election, Americans will still want to rip each other's heads off. Social psychologist Jay Van Bavel helps us understand why we should care about polarization, how we got here, and what, if anything, we can do about it. From the episode: Jay Van Bavel is a social psychologist at New York University and the author of The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony: https://www.powerofus.online/ The paper on political sectarianism Jay co-wrote: Follow Jay on X and Instagram:...
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So many tears but what do they say?
Proxy with Yowei Shaw
We all know that moment - when you feel like you need to cry in front of other people, but don't want to cry. In this episode, Yowei talks to Heather Christle, the author of , to parse what’s happening in that moment, what tears are saying and how we should respond to them. From the episode: Heather Christle is a poet and professor at Emory University. She has a new book coming out in March called . It's available for preorder in all the usual places. You can follow Heather on and @heatherchristle. from our crying experiment Episode credits: ...
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Presenting: The Art of Vulnerability and Connection with Mae Martin (from ReThinking)
Proxy with Yowei Shaw
Recently, Yowei noticed a pattern among new friends she's making. These friends all make her feel lighter, more playful, and listened to... and they all have a background in improv comedy. Today, we're sharing an interview that gets inside the head of an improv comedian to see how they connect with other people. This episode comes from ReThinking, a podcast where organizational psychologist Adam Grant has lively discussions and debates with people about new thoughts and new ways of thinking. In the interview, Adam talks to comedian Mae Martin about the...
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Did we make our goal???
Proxy with Yowei Shaw
Finally, a campaign reveal. Did we get additional funding to hire Kim for more hours? Plus, some updates for what’s in store for Proxy. Episode credits: Produced by and Kim Nederveen Pieterse Mixed by Proxy is a completely independent production. To support the show and get exclusive bonus episodes and other goodies, go to . Other ways you can support: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! That stuff matters apparently. Follow us on , , , and for updates, BTS, and shenanigans. Subscribe to the podcast on...
info_outlinePlease note: This story contains brief mention of suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 9-8-8, or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
Elliot and Miles loved working at the same company, until the spectre of layoffs came to haunt them.
From the episode:
- Ofer Sharone's book The Stigma Trap: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-stigma-trap-9780190239244?cc=us&lang=en&
Episode credits:
- Produced by Yowei Shaw
- Edited by John DeLore
- Mixed by Kyle Pulley
- Research and reporting support by Kim Nederveen Pieterse
Proxy is a completely independent production. To support the show and get exclusive bonus episodes and our newsletter, go to patreon.com/proxypodcast.
Follow us on Instagram @proxypodcast and @yoweishaw
Get in touch at [email protected]