A LITTLE MORE IMPERFECTS

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The Imperfects

Hugh van Cuylenburg, Ryan Shelton & Josh van Cuylenburg
  • 2.5 (2)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

We’re all imperfect. On this podcast, founder of The Resilience Project Hugh van Cuylenburg, his good friend Ryan Shelton, and only one of their brothers, Josh van Cuylenburg, talks to a variety of interesting people who vulnerably share their own struggles and imperfections, or expertly pass on their wisdom on the subject of imperfection. Whether it’s in The Vulnerabilitea House, The Academy of Imperfection, or with our very own psychologist, Dr Emily, The Imperfects are here to find some valuable takeaways we can all apply to our own imperfect lives.

  1. Joel Pearson - I Think, Therefore AI

    2 DAYS AGO

    Joel Pearson - I Think, Therefore AI

    In the age of AI, do you feel that your future is more uncertain? 💌Join 7,500+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy In today’s Academy of Imperfection, we’re joined by Dr Joel Pearson; a neurofuturist, whose work centres around predicting how AI will impact every aspect of our lives from now on. While many of us (us included) first and foremost imagine the impacts of AI in a tech-revolution-y, robot butler-y, terminator-adjacent way, this episode goes deeper. Joel discusses how young people are forming attachments with AI companions and how we might see, perhaps the first generation in known history with a lower IQ than the one beforehand. We talk about the tangible and interconnected mental health impacts that this major societal disruption will have, and Hugh and Josh ask how in the world can we broach this topic with our kids? BUT, this episode isn’t all doom and gloom. Joel is a tech-optimist, after all. We talk to Joel about how we can foster human connection, and continue to develop our critical thinking skills, whilst not turning away from AI altogether. Joel, this has been invaluable. If you want to watch this full video on YouTube, follow this link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPGa6heppjE  0:00 – The episode we’ve been putting off10:10 – The only certainty is disruption14:15 – Impact of AI on the brain21:23 – Rewards and moral responsibility27:11 – A scary mental health spiral30:31 – Think of the children35:10 – You may now kiss the AI45:06 – Purposeful Utopia58:42 – Seeing is no longer believing1:02:21 – The Roadmap to AI1:11:35 – Finding Motivation in Limbo1:18:15 – Let’s Stack Some Habits 🫖Imperfects episodes mentioned in this episode Dr Emily - Acceptance, That’s Radical - (1:22:53) - https://bit.ly/4dW7Bfa Dr Emily - The Certainty of Uncertainty - (1:22:53) - https://bit.ly/3RTAjVl James Clear - Down The Habit Hole - (1:22:00) - https://bit.ly/4wIg5xV 📖 Things to read The Intuition Toolkit by Dr Joel Pearson - (3:18) - https://bit.ly/4v5NnFM Matt Shumer App Development Industry Blog - (27:11) - https://bit.ly/4uo65rY 💻Things to check out Joel’s website - https://bit.ly/4upBURa Tristan Harris’ Center for Human Technology - (1:25:40) - https://bit.ly/4wGrFJZ Figure Three Robotics - (42:51) - https://bit.ly/42J2Uiz Joel's work at the University of NSW as Deputy Director of Human Readiness UNSW AI Institute - https://bit.ly/4nPA89G  📺 Things to watch House of Dynamite - (26:21) - https://bit.ly/4uw5PYg 🩷To host your own Vulnerabilitea House, purchase here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz 🩵To purchase our journal (or your novel) My Imperfect Life, click here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuW 🩵To join our subscriber community, A Little More Imperfects, follow this link - http://bit.ly/4mqunxu 🩷 AND you can subscribe to A Little More Imperfects through Apple Podcasts too, here - http://apple.co/theimperfects The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1hr 31min
  2. Is AI Conscious? with Joel Pearson

    6 DAYS AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Is AI Conscious? with Joel Pearson

    What about the environmental impact of AI? What do you mean they’re putting data centres into space? Is AI conscious? Can robots create art? What jobs WILL be safe? All these questions and more with Neuro Futurist Joel Pearson. Thank you to our incredible subscribers for sending through these questions. Sign up to A Little More Imperfects to join the community and contribute to future episodes… (made by humans) Patreon: http://bit.ly/4mqunxu Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/theimperfects

    26 min
  3. Discovering Your Brother's Not Perfect

    18 MAY • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Discovering Your Brother's Not Perfect

    Could you do with, perhaps, a little more hair? Well, hairing is caring, and Ryan has, um, hair to share. But first, Hugh plucks a reflection from the pond, and we chat about the integral importance of humour amongst grief. And then, Josh has a bit from a book that changed his life a bit, which takes a VERY emotional turn (not clickbait, we promise). Ciao! Molto bene! 🫖 Imperfects episodes mentioned in this episode - Sam Willoughby - The Tragic Injury That Changed His Life - https://bit.ly/42G5ndE - Bronte Campbell - Comparison, The Thief of Joy - https://bit.ly/49S1S7C - How to Write a Gratitude Letter - https://bit.ly/4fyi1Tk - Ben Shewry (Pt 2) - How The Chef Was Made - https://bit.ly/4eNnF3Q 📖 Things to read - The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - https://bit.ly/4duzppI - How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton - https://bit.ly/4ugs2Jn 🎧 Things to listen to - It’s Not What You Think podcast - https://bit.ly/4tLeUv5 ✍️Things to do - Journal in *My Imperfect Life -* https://www.theimperfects.com.au/shop/

    1 hr
  4. Dr Emily - What To Do With Envy

    17 MAY

    Dr Emily - What To Do With Envy

    What is your envy telling you? 💌Join 7,000+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy Dr Emily Musgrove, our resident psychologist, is back in the studio to talk about the green-eyed monster, and more importantly, how we can work with it to incorporate more gratitude, appreciation and awareness into our lives (hallelujah). Founded in the evolutionary practice of assessing our status in comparison with others, envy comes from the feeling of lacking something that someone else has. In what may have been an adaptive function for a cave person to secure their basic needs, our brains are not equipped for the intense comparison fed to us via social media. Dr Emily chats to Hugh, Ryan and Josh about the layered experience of envy, and how often, it stems from feeling not-enough or unworthy. Of course, Dr Emily brings the strategies. We explore how to work with envy in our own lives, and how to acknowledge it in the lives of our friends and family to protect important relationships. Dr Em, we’ll see you for the sequel on jealousy soon. To watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/B7acUnoekSc 0:00 – Envy vs Jealousy 9:08 – Keeping up with the Jones’ 8:16 – A message around ‘enoughness’ 25:12 – The energy of being a hater 36:50 – A deep longing for a difference experience 42:13 – On the flip side 52:45 - Acknowledge the hard 59:18 – The social emotion 1:07:18 – Working with envy 🫖Imperfects episodes mentioned in this episode Dave Hughes - Me, Myself & Ego - https://bit.ly/4ua3mSP Hamish Blake - Let’s Talk About Self-Doubt - https://bit.ly/4fl7omR Dr Emily - Acceptance, That’s Radical - https://bit.ly/4ugEHwe 💻Things to check out Leon Festinger’s Social Comparison Theory - https://bit.ly/4npfIE5 📺Things to watch ‘Onesies’ Bluey episode - https://bit.ly/4eGTqLS 📖Things to read The Way We Are, by Hugh Mackay - https://bit.ly/4wsJuff Status Anxiety, by Alain de Botton - https://bit.ly/4tvbGeL 🩷To host your own Vulnerabilitea House, purchase here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz 🩵To purchase our journal (or your novel) My Imperfect Life, click here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuW 🩵To join our subscriber community, A Little More Imperfects, follow this link - http://bit.ly/4mqunxu 🩷 AND you can subscribe to A Little More Imperfects through Apple Podcasts too, here - http://apple.co/theimperfects The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1hr 20min
  5. How do you know you're in a thinking trap?

    11 MAY • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    How do you know you're in a thinking trap?

    Introducing the inaugural episode of A Little More Questions, with Josh and Bridge. In our first episode, we are welcoming back psychologist Maria Ruberto to, well, answer a little more questions: How do you know that you’re in a thinking trap? And once you’re in, how do you get out? Some quick housekeeping; this episode is hosted by the best producer in the whole world, Bridget Northeast, and Josh van Cuylenburg (you know, from the podcast). In this episode, Bridge and Josh ask Maria about thinking traps; what are they? How do you know you’re in one? And what strategies can you use to get out of it? We discuss martyr syndrome and victim syndrome, the consequences of silent expectations, and why the statement ‘I think it therefore it must be true’ might not be …. true. And then, we take a good, hard look at compassion and how we can adjust our understanding of its impact. 🫖Imperfects episodes mentioned in this episode Maria Ruberto - Advancing Despite Adversity - https://bit.ly/4d38WR3 Maria Ruberto - Sleep Your Way To Your Top - https://bit.ly/42pFM8D Dr Emily - Who Is Your Inner Critic & Why Is It There? - https://bit.ly/48WmgUP Ben Crowe - Play School - https://bit.ly/3PgLlDa 💻Things to check out Mary Helen Immodino-Yang - https://bit.ly/4dB4Gsa 📖 Things to read Choose Compassion, by James Kirby - https://bit.ly/48WIVAq 💚Where to find more Maria Salutegenics - https://bit.ly/4uJbjyl Resilience First Aid Training - https://bit.ly/4ts1Z0A SOMA for Leadership Development - https://bit.ly/4dh7w4l The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

    1hr 15min
  6. Reuben Williams - What Happened After My Sexual Assault

    10 MAY

    Reuben Williams - What Happened After My Sexual Assault

    Can you think of a moment that turned your life into ‘before’ and ‘after’? For Reuben Williams, that moment was not his sexual assault, rather, the decision he made in the aftermath to pursue justice. 💌Join 7,000+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy Incredibly vulnerable, Reuben talks Hugh, Ryan and Josh through what it felt like in the 24 hours after the assault, how he knew, undeniably, what happened to him was wrong, and why he chose to report it. We talk about the intricacies of healing, privilege, and having a world class difficult conversation with the ones you love. And then, Josh asks Reuben how you can best show up for your friends who might be going through something similar. Reuben, it was such a privilege having you in the studio. If you want to watch this full episode on YouTube, follow this link - https://youtu.be/okQnOwV2MJE  0:00 – An Imperfect Meet-Cute6:44 – The night of the assault19:28 – Identity, privilege, and idealism33:09 – Family Dynamics41:16 - World Class Difficult Conversation47:39 – The Waiting Game59:15 – Reuben’s Letter1:04:24 – A divine test1:10:30 – Just help1:18:46 – How can you be a better friend? 🫖Imperfects episodes mentioned on this episode Rana Hussain - Belonging For Connection - https://bit.ly/49voquJ 🎧Things to listen to SportsGrad Podcast - https://bit.ly/42V75HT 💻Things to check out SportsGrad - https://bit.ly/49p2hOD 🚨If you’d like to reach out to someone for support after listening to this episode, here are some great places to start 1800 RESPECT Centre Against Sexual Assault - 03 5441 0430 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) OR 1800 806 292 (Sexual Assault Crisis Line) 🩷To host your own Vulnerabilitea House, purchase here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz 🩵To purchase our journal (or your novel) My Imperfect Life, click here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuW 🩵To join our subscriber community, A Little More Imperfects, follow this link - http://bit.ly/4mqunxu 🩷 AND you can subscribe to A Little More Imperfects through Apple Podcasts too, here - http://apple.co/theimperfects The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1hr 29min
  7. Dr Emily Answers Your Questions on Parental Burnout

    4 MAY • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Dr Emily Answers Your Questions on Parental Burnout

    What is parental burnout? How does it differ from parental stress? How can you actually recover when being a parent is, well, a full-time job? 🩵Subscribe here to listen - http://bit.ly/4mqunxu Dr Emily is back in our favourite little corner of the internet (A Little More Imperfects) to answer as many questions as she can, asked by you guys, about the topic of parental burnout. Dr Em explores through these questions the themes of overwhelm, anger and rage, and identity, and well as taking Hugh, Ryan and Josh through the conditions that may lead to parental burnout. Most importantly Dr Emily guides us through how, in the trenches of burnout, we may be able to offer ourselves some compassion and work our way out of it. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who submitted a question, and as always, thank you to Dr Emily. Ciao! 🫖 Imperfects episodes mentioned on this episode - Dr Emily - Overcome With Overwhelm? - https://bit.ly/4wcKi8c - Dr Edna Lekgabe - New Baby … New Brain … Matrescence - https://bit.ly/42dgytW - Janelle Booker - Living With ADHD - https://bit.ly/4tRagMR - Maggie Dent - ‘Good Enough’ Parenting is Good Enough - https://bit.ly/4w8nEgY - Dr Emily - Compassion of The Self - https://bit.ly/4taKySc - Dr Emily - What Are Your Values? - https://bit.ly/4n4O0wi - Penny & Hugh - The Elephant in the Relationship - https://bit.ly/4thglkC 📖 Things to read - Beyond Job Burnout: Parental Burnout by Moira Mikolajczak et al. - https://bit.ly/4tJuQP2 - Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood by Sharon Hays - https://bit.ly/4elOGLu 💻Things to check out - Dr Sophie Brock’s work on The Perfect Mother Myth - https://bit.ly/4w7zAiZ The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

    1hr 12min
  8. Jan Fran - Wars For Your Attention

    3 MAY

    Jan Fran - Wars For Your Attention

    In a world so divided by hate, how can we choose to show love? This week we are joined by journalist Jan Fran, who unpacks the horror of witnessing horror. 💌Join 6,500+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy Talking through her unravelling relationship with social media and the utter helplessness she feels watching atrocities cut into 30 second clips, Jan explores how becoming a mother cracked her open in ways she didn’t know possible. Joining us in the Vulnerabilitea House to answer every question in the deck (kidding), Jan and Josh discuss the guilt of turning away, and the consequences of leaning in. And finally, Jan bonds with the Hugh, Ryan and Josh about the fundamental importance of deliberately creating community. Jan, you are remarkable. 0:00 – Introducing Josh’s housemate 8:42 – The art of being vulnerable 17:19 – I wish I could stop going on social media. 27:13 – Being cracked open 35:32 – Deliberately building community 46:39 – Anticipating the Comments 53:34 – Optimist by will If you’d like to watch this full video on YouTube (and see Josh’s Frant banner), follow this link - https://youtu.be/BRoyNdZEZD0  🫖Imperfects episodes mentioned in this episode Dr Edna Lekgabe - New Baby … New Brain … Matrescence - (33:21) - https://bit.ly/48vQZb5 How (and Why) Ryan Dumped His iPhone - (20:50) - https://bit.ly/4tGRXKj 💻Things to check out The Frant - https://bit.ly/4cSeFaO Ette Media - https://bit.ly/4t1OzIw 🎧 Things to listen to We Used To Be Journos - https://bit.ly/4dcAGT9 📱Things to help you set social media boundaries One sec - https://bit.ly/4cEYMpF Brick - https://bit.ly/4vXSzfP 🩷To host your own Vulnerabilitea House, purchase here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz 🩵To purchase our journal (or your novel) My Imperfect Life, click here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuW 🩵To join our subscriber community, A Little More Imperfects, follow this link - http://bit.ly/4mqunxu 🩷 AND you can subscribe to A Little More Imperfects through Apple Podcasts too, here - http://apple.co/theimperfects The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1hr 11min
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2.5
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2 Ratings

About

We’re all imperfect. On this podcast, founder of The Resilience Project Hugh van Cuylenburg, his good friend Ryan Shelton, and only one of their brothers, Josh van Cuylenburg, talks to a variety of interesting people who vulnerably share their own struggles and imperfections, or expertly pass on their wisdom on the subject of imperfection. Whether it’s in The Vulnerabilitea House, The Academy of Imperfection, or with our very own psychologist, Dr Emily, The Imperfects are here to find some valuable takeaways we can all apply to our own imperfect lives.

Information

  • Creator
    Hugh van Cuylenburg, Ryan Shelton & Josh van Cuylenburg
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    319
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Hugh van Cuylenburg, Ryan Shelton & Josh van Cuylenburg
  • Show Website
    The Imperfects
  • Provider
    The Imperfects Podcast Pty Ltd

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