We explain popular and weird, little-known ideas in psychology. Whether you are a little curious about psychology, or a student, or even a professional, we have something for everyone.
One of the most enduring values, mottos, or goals is the pursuit of happiness. We strive for it implicitly or explicitly for much of our lives. So, what is happiness? How do we achieve it? Why can't you just be happy? Because it depends :D
Recommendations
Abraham: Fix My Frankenhouse (seasons 1-2; https://www.hgtv.com/shows/fix-my-frankenhouse)
Shane: A Short Stay In Hell by Steven Peck
Holidays (9/30/2026):
My mom’s birthday! Happy birthday, P-Nut!
Banned Websites Awareness Day
Blasphemy Day
Chewing Gum Day
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Day
International Podcast Day
International Translation Day
National Hot Mulled Cider Day
National Love People Day
National Microcephaly Awareness Day
National Mud Pack Day
National Women’s Health and Fitness Day
Orange Shirt Day
Time for Yoga
Thunderbirds Day
World School Milk Day
National Chimney Safety Week
National Dog Week
National Fall Foliage Week
Links and References:
Harris, R. (2022). The happiness trap: Stop struggling, start living (2nd ed.). Robinson
Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast
How to Lie With Math
Episode 490
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 • Duration 01:01:32
The title maybe a little misleading. This is about how we delude ourselves into adopting information as factual becuase it is presented using real math. Math is extremely important and valuable and a necessity for most sciences. However, like any other tool, math can give the illusion of knowledge while actually tricking us into believing things that are not correct. We primarily focus on averages and how problematic this concept can be, but extrapolate this into other forms of math that can be used to lie and mislead even the ones who are executing the computations.
Become a supporter of this podcast: .Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast
Mini: Do We Need Privacy?
Monday, September 21, 2026 • Duration 18:06
We have many mechanisms in place to protect our privacy. Some people care less about this and some people have taken this to tremendous extremes. Of course, many want unambiguous rules about privacy, but there is a lot of room for nuance. So, we ask the question about whether or not we need privacy and share some of the reasons people have given. The short answer is: until we can trust each other, we need privacy.
Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast
Writer's Block
Episode 489
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 • Duration 57:28
Creating content can be very effortful. Particularly when that creating entails a lot of writing. And in pursuit of that endeavor, writers sometimes find themselves stuck and unable to produce ideas to further their writing task. What is going on behaviorally and psychologically? We'll discuss some of the research behind writer's block and what you can do to get over the block. Do you have any tricks to overcome writer's block?
Recommendations
Abraham: A Short Stay in Hell (Steven Peck: https://www.strandbooks.com/a-short-stay-in-hell-9780983748427.html)
Shane: The Pleasures of the Damned by Charles Bukowski (https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-pleasures-of-the-damned-charles-bukowski?variant=32130591162402)
Holidays (9/16/2026):
Ann Bradstreet Day
National Guacamole Day
Trail of Tears Commemoration Day
National GED Day
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
National Cinnamon Raison Bread Day
National Collect Rocks Day
National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina
Become a supporter of this podcast: .Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast
Mini: Snake Oil
Monday, September 14, 2026 • Duration 15:03
We use the term snake oil to refer any fradulant product, service, or claim that is not what it says it is and lies or misconstrues what it does. You might already know that this comes from a real product that had those exact qualities. You might not know what that product was actuallly based on. We discuss the history of snake oil and why that term stuck around.
Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast
Diagnoses: More Harm Than Good? With Dr. Stu Law pt. 3
Episode 488
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 • Duration 44:15
This is the final discussion in which we "break our silence" as the click-bait headlines like to call it, on our final thoughts about diagnoses and why we believe that they have caused more harm than good. Due to the nature of separating an entire discussion into two parts after the fact, this episode jumps into the discussion pretty quickly.
International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Spectrum Awareness Day
International Box Wine Day
Day to Protect Education From Attack
Emergency Services Day
References:
Barlow, D. H., & Nock, M. K. (2009). Why can’t we be more idiographic in our research? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(1), 19–21.
Beck, A. T., & Alford, B. A. (2009). Depression: Causes and treatment. University of Pennsylvania Press.
Beck, A. T., Davis, D. D., & Freeman, A. (Eds.). (2015). Cognitive therapy of personality disorders. Guilford Publications.
Beck, A. T., Emery, G., & Greenberg, R. L. (2005). Anxiety disorders and phobias: A cognitive perspective. Basic Books.
Beltz, A. M., & Gates, K. M. (2017). Network mapping with GIMME. Multivariate behavioral research, 52(6), 789-804.
Become a supporter of this podcast: .Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast
Mini: Life Expectancy
Monday, September 7, 2026 • Duration 13:03
How we understand, talk about, and think about life expectancy is sometimes misunderstood by some flukes of math. Understanding how numbers work can illuminate a clearer picture of history and mortality. Long story short, (or short story shorter, this is a mini afterall), there have been old people who lived to be old (very old) for most or all of human history.
Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast
Diagnoses: More Harm Than Good? With Dr. Stu Law pt. 2
Episode 487
Wednesday, September 2, 2026 • Duration 58:18
This continues our discussion with Dr. Stu Law. We further elaborate on the issues with a diagnostic system for mental health and what the pitfalls are, including faulty underlying assumptions. After recording, we had enough content in this discussion for two separate episodes. So, we awkwardly added a post-hoc conclusion in this discussion and a similar intro to the next episode.
Recommendations Part 2
Abraham: Rick & Morty Season 9 (https://www.hbomax.com/?utm_id=sa|22393148778|180575663513|297385727722&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22393148778&gbraid=0AAAAApH9fnpTr6yDijXdlc51psz-wvFmK&gclid=CjwKCAjwtKrUBhAhEiwAr77ZosVPKgR3u_fZCszdZHzumdiOcQNAKwT0a7Nf_f0fizQrw8F_yunqPBoC2nAQAvD_BwE)
Shane: Unwed Sailor - High Remembrance (https://open.spotify.com/album/0U5ebcuEkgaH7nYtQ01puI?si=TJaLAOzySAS6YynsVxegoA)
Holidays (9/2/2026):
Bison-Ten Yell Day
Calendar Adjustment Day
Global Talent Acquisition Day
National Blueberry Popsicle Day
National No Patrick Day
Pierce Your Ears Day
Spalding Baseball Day
V-J Day
World Coconut Day
References:
Barlow, D. H., & Nock, M. K. (2009). Why can’t we be more idiographic in our research? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(1), 19–21.
Beck, A. T., & Alford, B. A. (2009). Depression: Causes and treatment. University of Pennsylvania Press.
Beck, A. T., Davis, D. D., & Freeman, A. (Eds.). (2015). Cognitive therapy of personality disorders. Guilford Publications.
Beck, A. T., Emery, G., & Greenberg, R. L. (2005). Anxiety disorders and phobias: A cognitive perspective. Basic Books.
Beltz, A. M., & Gates, K. M. (2017). Network mapping with GIMME. Multivariate behavioral research, 52(6), 789-804.
Birkhoff, G. D. (1931). Proof of the ergodic theorem. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 17, 656-660.
Brown, T. A., Campbell, L. A., Lehman, C. L., Grisham, J. R., & Mancill, R. B. (2001). Current and lifetime comorbidity of the DSM-IV anxiety and mood disorders in a large clinical sample. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110(4), 585–599.
Become a supporter of this podcast: .Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast
Mini: Talking With Myself
Monday, August 31, 2026 • Duration 13:19
You've probably noticed people talking to themselves and had some thought or comment about that. Perhaps something along the lines of: "That person might be crazy." Well, turns out it is much more normal than you might think. What do you talk to yourself about?
Birkhoff, G. D. (1931). Proof of the ergodic theorem. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 17, 656-660.
Brown, T. A., Campbell, L. A., Lehman, C. L., Grisham, J. R., & Mancill, R. B. (2001). Current and lifetime comorbidity of the DSM-IV anxiety and mood disorders in a large clinical sample. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110(4), 585–599. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.110.4.585
Clark, L. A., Watson, D., & Reynolds, S. (1995). Diagnosis and classification of psychopathology: Challenges to the current system and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 46, 121–153. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.46.020195.001005
Fried, E. I. (2015). Problematic assumptions have slowed down depression research: why symptoms, not syndromes are the way forward. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 309.
Fried, E. I., & Cramer, A. O. (2017). Moving forward: challenges and directions for psychopathological network theory and methodology. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(6), 999-1020.
Galizio, A., Frye, C. C., Haynes, J. M., Friedel, J. E., Smith, B. M., & Odum, A. L. (2018). Persistence and relapse of reinforced behavioral variability. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 109(1), 210-237.
Galatzer-Levy, I. R., & Bryant, R. A. (2013). 636,120 Ways to Have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8(6), 651-662.
Glick, I. D., Murray, S. R., Vasudevan, P., Marder, S. R., & Hu, R. J. (2001). Treatment with atypical antipsychotics: New indications and new populations. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 35(3), 187–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3956(01)00020-6.
Hayes, S. C., Wilson, K. W., Gifford, E. V., Follette, V. M., & Strosahl, K. (1996). Experiential avoidance and behavioral disorders: A functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(6), 1152-1168.
Hofmann, S. G., Curtiss, J., & McNally, R. J. (2016). A complex network perspective on clinical science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11(5), 597-605.
Hofmann, S. G., & Hayes, S. C. (2019). The future of intervention science: Process-based therapy. Clinical Psychological Science, 7(1), 37-50.
Hofmann, S. G., Meuret, A. E., Rosenfield, D., Suvak, M. K., Barlow, D. H., Gorman, J. M., ... & Woods, S. W. (2007). Preliminary evidence for cognitive mediation during cognitive-behavioral therapy of panic disorder. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 75(3), 374.
Kessler, R. C., Chiu, W. T., Demler, O., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 617–627. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.617.
Newman, C. F., Leahy, R. L., Beck, A. T., Reilly-Harrington, N. A., & Gyulai, L. (2002). Bipolar disorder: A cognitive therapy approach. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10442-000.
Lenzenweger, M. F., Lane, M. C., Loranger, A. W., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). DSM-IV personality disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological Psychiatry, 62(6), 553–564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.09.019
Molenaar, P. C. (2004). A manifesto on psychology as idiographic science: Bringing the person back into scientific psychology, this time forever. Measurement, 2(4), 201-218.
Molenaar, P. C., & Campbell, C. G. (2009). The new person-specific paradigm in psychology. Current directions in psychological science, 18(2), 112-117.
Meehl, P. E. (1978). Theoretical risks and tabular asterisks: Sir Karl, Sir Ronald, and the slow progress of soft psychology. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46(4), 806–834.
McNally, R. J. (2012). The ontology of posttraumatic stress disorder: Natural kind, social construction, or causal system? Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 19, 220–228.
Piccirillo, M. L., & Rodebaugh, T. L. (2019). Foundations of idiographic methods in psychology and applications for psychotherapy. Clinical psychology review.
Popa, A., & McDowell, J. J. (2016). Behavioral variability in an evolutionary theory of behavior dynamics. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 105(2), 270-290.
Sidman, M. (1952). A note on functional relations obtained from group data. Psychological Bulletin, 49(3), 263
Volkovysskii, R. L. & Sinai, Y. G. (1971). Ergodic properties of an ideal gas with an infinite number of degrees of freedom. Functional Analysis and Its Applications (Funktsional'nyi Analiz i Ego Prilozheniya), 5(3), 185-185.
Clark, L. A., Watson, D., & Reynolds, S. (1995). Diagnosis and classification of psychopathology: Challenges to the current system and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 46, 121–153. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.46.020195.001005
Fried, E. I. (2015). Problematic assumptions have slowed down depression research: why symptoms, not syndromes are the way forward. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 309.
Fried, E. I., & Cramer, A. O. (2017). Moving forward: challenges and directions for psychopathological network theory and methodology. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(6), 999-1020.
Galizio, A., Frye, C. C., Haynes, J. M., Friedel, J. E., Smith, B. M., & Odum, A. L. (2018). Persistence and relapse of reinforced behavioral variability. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 109(1), 210-237.
Galatzer-Levy, I. R., & Bryant, R. A. (2013). 636,120 Ways to Have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8(6), 651-662.
Glick, I. D., Murray, S. R., Vasudevan, P., Marder, S. R., & Hu, R. J. (2001). Treatment with atypical antipsychotics: New indications and new populations. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 35(3), 187–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3956(01)00020-6.
Hayes, S. C., Wilson, K. W., Gifford, E. V., Follette, V. M., & Strosahl, K. (1996). Experiential avoidance and behavioral disorders: A functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(6), 1152-1168.
Hofmann, S. G., Curtiss, J., & McNally, R. J. (2016). A complex network perspective on clinical science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11(5), 597-605.
Hofmann, S. G., & Hayes, S. C. (2019). The future of intervention science: Process-based therapy. Clinical Psychological Science, 7(1), 37-50.
Hofmann, S. G., Meuret, A. E., Rosenfield, D., Suvak, M. K., Barlow, D. H., Gorman, J. M., ... & Woods, S. W. (2007). Preliminary evidence for cognitive mediation during cognitive-behavioral therapy of panic disorder. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 75(3), 374.
Kessler, R. C., Chiu, W. T., Demler, O., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 617–627. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.617.
Newman, C. F., Leahy, R. L., Beck, A. T., Reilly-Harrington, N. A., & Gyulai, L. (2002). Bipolar disorder: A cognitive therapy approach. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10442-000.
Lenzenweger, M. F., Lane, M. C., Loranger, A. W., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). DSM-IV personality disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological Psychiatry, 62(6), 553–564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.09.019
Molenaar, P. C. (2004). A manifesto on psychology as idiographic science: Bringing the person back into scientific psychology, this time forever. Measurement, 2(4), 201-218.
Molenaar, P. C., & Campbell, C. G. (2009). The new person-specific paradigm in psychology. Current directions in psychological science, 18(2), 112-117.
Meehl, P. E. (1978). Theoretical risks and tabular asterisks: Sir Karl, Sir Ronald, and the slow progress of soft psychology. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46(4), 806–834.
McNally, R. J. (2012). The ontology of posttraumatic stress disorder: Natural kind, social construction, or causal system? Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 19, 220–228.
Piccirillo, M. L., & Rodebaugh, T. L. (2019). Foundations of idiographic methods in psychology and applications for psychotherapy. Clinical psychology review.
Popa, A., & McDowell, J. J. (2016). Behavioral variability in an evolutionary theory of behavior dynamics. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 105(2), 270-290.
Sidman, M. (1952). A note on functional relations obtained from group data. Psychological Bulletin, 49(3), 263
Volkovysskii, R. L. & Sinai, Y. G. (1971). Ergodic properties of an ideal gas with an infinite number of degrees of freedom. Functional Analysis and Its Applications (Funktsional'nyi Analiz i Ego Prilozheniya), 5(3), 185-185.
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