Distrust, Polarization And Hypocrisy With Michael Hallsworth - TWMJ #1023
Release Date: 02/15/2026
A World Of Intelligent Machines With Steve Brown - TWMJ #1044
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1044 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). has spent more than twenty-five years helping organizations prepare for the future of technology. A former Senior Director and in-house futurist at during the launch of , former Chief Evangelist and Futurist at , entrepreneur and advisor, Steve has worked with global brands including Nike, JPMorgan Chase, Samsung, Disney and more to navigate digital transformation and the rapidly evolving AI landscape. His latest book, , argues that AI is not another technology deployment but a fundamental...
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A Playbook For Growth With Nicolas Darveau-Garneau - TWMJ #1043
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Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1042 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). has spent more than three decades changing how organizations think about people, performance, and leadership. As one of the pioneers of the strengths movement, his research has influenced millions of managers around the world and helped reshape the way companies approach employee engagement and organizational culture. After beginning his career as a researcher at , Marcus became one of the driving forces behind some of the most influential ideas in modern management. His books include , , , and . He has...
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Winning With AI With Charlene Li - TWMJ #1041
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1041 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when every leadership team is being told that artificial intelligence will change everything, has spent her career helping organizations separate signal from noise. A New York Times bestselling author and trusted advisor to CEOs and boards, Charlene first became widely known for helping leaders understand transformative shifts through books like , and . Her latest book, , co-authored with , tackles one of the most pressing questions facing business leaders today: not what AI is, but what to do...
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AI And The Knowledge Economy With Sangeet Paul Choudary
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Welcome to episode #1040 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). Long before artificial intelligence became the dominant business conversation, was helping leaders understand another profound shift in economic power: the rise of platforms. As the co-author of , founder of , advisor to global corporations and governments, and a respected thinkers on digital business models, Sangeet has spent years studying how technology changes the sources of competitive advantage and reshapes entire industries. His latest book, , extends that work into the age of artificial...
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Developing A Vital Voice With Carmine Gallo - TWMJ #1039
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1039 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). I believe that communication has always been one of the most valuable skills in business. But in an era of AI-generated content, algorithmic feeds, podcasts, newsletters, keynote stages, short-form video and endless digital noise, it may be becoming even more important. Few people have spent more time studying what makes ideas resonate than . A communication coach, author, and instructor in executive education at , Carmine is best known for bestselling books including , , and . His latest project, , is...
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Human Agency With Marcus Fontoura - TWMJ #1038
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1038 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when technology feels simultaneously more powerful and more opaque than ever, is making a case for something many people feel they’ve lost: agency. A Technical Fellow and Corporate Vice President at , Marcus has spent decades helping build the infrastructure that powers the modern internet, including leadership roles at , and . His new book, , is both a guide to understanding the technologies shaping our lives and a reminder that we are not merely passengers along for the ride. Drawing on...
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The Value Of Uncertainty With Simone Stolzoff - TWMJ #1037
Thinking With Mitch Joel
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Modern Marketing With MichaelAaron Flicker - TWMJ #1035
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1035 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when marketers have more data, more technology and more precision than ever before… consumer trust, attention and loyalty somehow feel more fragile than ever. Few people are exploring that paradox more deeply than . An entrepreneur who started his company at just fourteen years old, Michael has spent years studying the intersection of marketing, behavioral science and human decision-making (he runs an agency, vventure capital firm and leads several other businesses). His book, (along with...
info_outlineWelcome to episode #1023 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).
In an era where outrage travels faster than reflection, few accusations carry as much moral force as the charge of hypocrisy… and yet few concepts are as misunderstood. Michael Hallsworth is Chief Behavioral Scientist at the Behavioral Insights Team and a leading voice in behavioral economics, with academic appointments at the University of Pennsylvania and a career devoted to understanding how real people actually think and act in complex systems. His research spans public policy, organizational behavior and social judgment, examining how incentives, norms, and cognitive biases shape everything from government programs to corporate decision-making. In his new book, The Hypocrisy Trap - How Changing What We Criticize Can Improve Our Lives, Michael challenges the conventional belief that hypocrisy is simply a moral failing to be stamped out. Instead, he reframes it as a process… an inconsistency we dislike because we believe someone is gaining an unjust benefit… and argues that relentless accusations can backfire, breeding cynicism, polarization, and institutional decay. Drawing on evolutionary psychology, behavioral science, and contemporary case studies, he distinguishes between common standards hypocrisy and the more corrosive double standards that undermine fairness itself. He explores how social media amplifies moralistic aggression, how public signaling can both distort and reshape behavior, and why tolerating certain forms of inconsistency may be necessary for leadership and democratic compromise. Rather than excusing deception, Michael calls for sharper discernment: identifying which inconsistencies cause real harm and which reflect the unavoidable trade-offs of human life. Grounded in rigorous scholarship yet strikingly practical, his work urges greater self-reflection, empathy and intellectual humility in a culture quick to condemn. Enjoy the conversation…
- Running time: 55:05.
- Hello from beautiful Montreal.
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- Here is my conversation with Michael Hallsworth.
- The Hypocrisy Trap - How Changing What We Criticize Can Improve Our Lives.
- Behavioral Insights Team.
- Michael’s Substack, The Judgement Gap.
- Follow Michael on LinkedIn.
Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction to Hypocrisy.
(02:46) - Understanding the Nature of Hypocrisy.
(05:49) - The Cultural and Historical Context of Hypocrisy.
(08:51) - The Evolutionary Roots of Hypocrisy.
(11:50) - The Role of Hypocrisy in Politics.
(14:43) - Hypocrisy in Business and Society.
(17:57) - The Hypocrisy Trap Explained.
(20:56) - The Balance of Hypocrisy and Honesty.
(23:41) - The Emotional Impact of Hypocrisy.
(26:36) - Empathy and Self-Reflection in Hypocrisy.
(31:32) - Understanding Hypocrisy and Its Implications.
(36:16) - The Role of Social Media in Hypocrisy.
(40:56) - Navigating Integrity and Leadership.
(47:09) - The Complexity of Accusations and Context.
(55:13) - Rethinking Hypocrisy and Forgiveness.