We're All Alright

Phyllis Wilson
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Personal Journals
  • Weekly Series

My name is Phyllis Wilson and this is We’re All Alright, the show that explores all the reasons we have to be hopeful–even joyful–about humanity and about our world today. My goal is to reconnect us with the humans at the heart of the issues, and from that place, explore deep and powerful questions about the world we share and how we think about it. So instead of feeling like all is lost, we start to wake up every morning and think, cool, we’re going to be alright.

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  1. Episode 1

    Are We Our Politics?

    Welcome back for Season Two of We’re All Alright.  This season, I’m exploring questions of identity and otherness.  The big question: Can we allow others–and be okay with others–finding themselves and being themselves when who they are is entirely different from who we are, what we prefer, and what we expect? And where better to start that discussion than with political identity?! Political identity encompasses how and why we choose to define ourselves as members of, in alignment with, or in relation to, political parties, and how we perceive others who do so, especially those of opposing parties. What are we really doing when we adopt a political identity? And is it even useful? In This Episode: A brief history and evolution of political parties in the United StatesWhy binary labels like Left and Right fail to encompass or reflect the reality of the principles and ideologies individuals holdImagining an expanded election processWhy humans create the “other side” References: We’re All Alright S01E08: Media: Where “Truth” Meets Human NatureFrom white supremacy to Barack Obama: The history of the Democratic PartyWhen and why did Democrats and Republicans switch platforms? | Live ScienceBeyond Red vs. Blue: The Political Typology | Pew Research CenterThe Political Typology Quiz | Pew Research CenterLearn More About Phyllis Wilson: WebsiteInstagram: @Alright_Podcast

    26 min

  2. Episode 2

    Are We Our Bodies?

    With the emergence of the Body Positivity movement onto the global stage via social media in the last 10 years, I’m thinking about our bodies. More and more (mostly female) public figures are actively celebrating their bodies, or are simply showing up fully with neither explanation nor apology. There is also more and more vocal backlash when they do. How and why do we identify with our bodies? How much meaning and importance do we place on that identity? And what are the implications for the lives we live and what we get to do during our short time on this planet? In This Episode: How the stories of our bodies we absorb in our formative years stick with usWhy BMI is a deeply flawed measure of health and how it came to widespread useHow the “obesity epidemic” was createdHow collective perceptions of ideal body types have dramatically shifted over timeAn invitation to reconsider how you identify with your bodyReferences: What Is Body Positivity?Weight stigma study in the US and 5 other nations shows the worldwide problem of such prejudice. - The Washington PostWomen's idealised bodies have changed dramatically over time – but are standards becoming more unattainable?.What celeb trainer Jillian Michaels got wrong about Lizzo and body positivityTop 10 Reasons Why The BMI Is Bogus : NPR.Adolphe Quetelet and the Evolution of Body Mass Index (BMI) | Psychology TodayThe Bizarre and Racist History of the BMI | by Your Fat Friend | ElementalWho's fat? New definition adopted - June 17, 1998Five Things You're Getting Wrong About Weight and Weight Loss | TIME.comI Weigh with Jameela Jamil podcast on Earwolf Learn More About Phyllis Wilson: WebsiteInstagram: @Alright_Podcast

    30 min

  3. Episode 3

    Are We The Roles We Play?

    Who are we really? Are we the roles that we play? The work that we do? Are we defined by our relationships? Is that who we are? If I asked you if it was possible for anyone else to tell you who you are, you’d probably say absolutely not! Because you define who you are, right? Which is true. But it’s also not the whole story. We all tell others who they are all the time. And accepting or rejecting what other people tell us about ourselves isn’t as simple or straightforward as we might like it to be. Today, I’m thinking about the complexity of identity. Yes, we choose who we are, and how much any particular role defines us. But we also can’t disregard, dismiss, or discount other people’s perceptions of us, because they, too, make us who we are. In This Episode: How social media has challenged and expanded our perceptions of who we could beThe paradox of possibility and our inescapable internet pastsThe impacts of our split-second perceptions of others on their careers, relationships, and even livesAn invitation to take notice and take action when it comes to perceptionsReferences: The Dropout Podcast The DropoutMonica Lewinsky: The price of shame | TED TalkMonica Lewinsky on Pivoting to Producing, Hollywood Mentors and Her Copious Notes on 'American Crime Story: Impeachment'Learn More About Phyllis Wilson: WebsiteInstagram: @Alright_Podcast

    28 min

  4. Episode 4

    Are We Our Personalities?

    We all love a Personality Quiz, right? You get to see yourself through a lens you may never have considered looking through, and discover things about yourself you never thought about before, and who doesn’t love an excuse to think and to talk about themselves for a few minutes? There has been a boom of Personality Quizzes and Typology Assessments over the last 10 years, and even more so since the pandemic. And it makes sense why.  In particularly chaotic and challenging times, we tend to look for something, anything, to help us make sense of things, to make sense of ourselves, and to reassure us that not only are we equipped to survive this chaos, but that we are able to thrive beyond it. As we’re digging into the questions of who or what can tell us who we are, and the limitations of any person or tool that attempts to do that, I’m thinking about typologies. Our interest in them, our reliance on them, and what that means–what we’re making that mean–about ourselves and about each other. In This Episode: The two fundamental problems with typology testsThe long history of typologies, from Hippocrates to Myers-BriggsHow employers began using typology tests and the consequences of relying on themHow we could move beyond the existing limitations of typologies, and why we would want to References: What Personality Tests Really Deliver | The New YorkerJob hiring increasingly relies on personality tests, but that can bar people with disabilities Learn More About Phyllis Wilson: WebsiteInstagram: @Alright_Podcast

    24 min

  5. Episode 5

    Are We Our Parents?

    We’ve all had a moment where we aren’t just reminded of our parents; we’ve become them. Maybe it’s a certain gesture, speaking in a certain way, when a particular phrase comes flying–involuntarily–out of your mouth, but we’ve all been there. The inevitable has happened.  You’ve become your mother. Or your father. Or another influential caregiver from your childhood. Since this episode is scheduled to air on Mother’s Day, I’m thinking about parents and parenting. How much of who we are do we owe to our parents? And how much of how they are–and were–do they owe to us? In This Episode: How self-parenting empowers you to change your relationship to your pastThe power of allowing yourself to hear your inner voiceLearn More About Phyllis Wilson: WebsiteInstagram: @Alright_Podcast

    10 min
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About

My name is Phyllis Wilson and this is We’re All Alright, the show that explores all the reasons we have to be hopeful–even joyful–about humanity and about our world today. My goal is to reconnect us with the humans at the heart of the issues, and from that place, explore deep and powerful questions about the world we share and how we think about it. So instead of feeling like all is lost, we start to wake up every morning and think, cool, we’re going to be alright.

Information

  • Creator
    Phyllis Wilson
  • Episodes
    15
  • Seasons
    2
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Phyllis Wilson
  • Show Website
    We're All Alright