Awaken Out Of Context

Jason Berry

5.0 (1)
Society & Culture
Semimonthly

Awaken Out of Context is a podcast and travel film project about who we are outside the identities, expectations, and environments that shaped us. Through long-form conversations, solo episodes, and story-led travel films, Jason Berry explores identity, behaviour, change, and how context shapes what we believe, want, and become. New episodes every Monday 5AM UK | Sunday 9PM PST

4d ago

Why Good Intentions Aren’t Enough | Martin Hagger - #140

Why do we keep failing to do the things we genuinely want to do? Martin Hagger is a Distinguished Professor of Health Psychology at UC Merced whose research explores motivation, self-control and behaviour change. In this conversation, we look at the gap between setting a goal and following through, why changing your environment can help or derail you, and what conscientiousness actually tells us about how we behave. We also discuss AI and the importance of questioning its answers, Martin’s research on mindfulness skills and Headspace, and how to recognise the situations that pull us back into old habits. I bring my own experiences into the conversation as we explore identity, drinking culture, social pressure and what it takes to make a change stick. If this one’s got you thinking about goals, I built something for exactly that. The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x Chapters: 00:00 Opening: when one does hurt 00:29 The intention–behaviour gap 03:45 Free will, self-control and conscientiousness 07:09 How environment shapes our habits 13:29 Personality is not destiny 16:56 AI, motivation and questioning the answers 25:45 Mid-roll 26:13 Headspace and learning mindfulness skills 28:35 Meditation and Martin’s own practice 33:40 What mindfulness changed for me 35:05 Working out what you actually want 37:07 Recognising triggers and planning for them 42:17 When moderation does not work for you 45:01 When an old habit stops fitting your identity 51:30 Drinking culture and social pressure 53:58 Social media and being watched 57:08 Alcohol advertising and conflicting messages 1:02:06 Moderation, polarisation and the attention economy 1:05:34 Martin’s next behaviour-change research 1:08:25 Where to find Martin’s work 1:09:43 Closing message 🎙️ MY STUFF The Chapter System (the PDF): https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com Martin Hagger: Martin Hagger’s university profile: https://psychology.ucmerced.edu/content/martin-hagger Martin’s research and SHARPP Lab: https://sites.ucmerced.edu/martinhagger/people/martin-hagger Martin on ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Martin-Hagger The Handbook of Behavior Change: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/handbook-of-behavior-change/BD76D0E53DB1BC2EE8C53C1603D45E6A Headspace mindfulness-skills study discussed: https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.70215
Oct 19

LMNT Co-Founder Robb Wolf on CrossFit, Carbs & Performance - #139

Robb Wolf is a co-founder of LMNT, a former research biochemist and the author of The Paleo Solution and Wired to Eat. In this conversation, we talk about sodium, electrolytes and the questions that come up when you train hard while eating a low-carb diet. I ask him about my own experience with HYROX, the tension between feeling healthy and performing well, and how an ancestral approach to food fits the demands of modern sport. We also get into blood pressure, the paleo movement and how Robb eats today. We then talk about building LMNT, why the company shares its electrolyte recipe, and Robb’s account of the maltodextrin controversy. From there, we get into online criticism, his changing views on fasting and what being fired from CrossFit’s nutrition-certification teaching role taught him about friendship and community. We finish with training, recovery, family and work, including how LMNT builds periods of rest into its schedule and why Robb thinks a few hours of focused work can be enough. If this one's got you thinking about goals, I built something for exactly that. The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x Chapters: 00:00:00 Opening: LMNT and the sodium question 00:00:36 Robb’s current chapter and the growth of LMNT 00:04:25 POTS and Robb’s account of sodium’s role 00:06:36 Low-carb training and the origins of LMNT 00:11:13 Carbohydrates, heat and electrolyte needs 00:12:54 Sodium, retail pushback and who LMNT is for 00:17:09 Blood pressure, blood tests and individual context 00:22:38 Ancestral diets and modern athletic demands 00:27:37 What remains of the paleo movement 00:30:42 How Robb eats today 00:35:24 HYROX, low-carb diets and performance 00:43:17 The trade-off between health and competition 00:45:08 LMNT’s electrolyte ratio and DIY recipe 00:48:16 How LMNT became a business 00:53:11 Mid-roll 00:53:38 Robb’s account of the maltodextrin controversy 01:00:20 Transparency, criticism and online incentives 01:07:05 Why Robb changed his mind about fasting 01:13:45 Being fired by CrossFit and losing a community 01:17:51 Training, periodisation and recovery 01:21:52 Technique under fatigue 01:23:30 Work, health and family 01:29:56 LMNT’s work-and-recovery cycle 01:33:58 Deep work and judging output 01:36:49 Where to find Robb 01:37:32 Closing message 🎙️ MY STUFF The Chapter System (the PDF): https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com Robb Wolf: Substack: https://robbwolf.substack.com/ Website and books: https://robbwolf.com/ LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/ The Healthy Rebellion: https://join.thehealthyrebellion.com/ Mentioned in this episode: LMNT’s DIY electrolyte recipe: https://science.drinklmnt.com/electrolytes/best-homemade-electrolyte-drink-for-dehydration LMNT’s Toxicology in Context series, including links to the other articles: https://science.drinklmnt.com/did-you-know/toxins-vs-toxicology-why-dose-matters
Oct 12

The Cost of Chasing Money | Haydn Botts - #138

Haydn Botts is an entrepreneur and the founder of Pattern Systems, where he builds AI systems and automations for businesses. In this conversation, we start with resilience and the three years of setbacks that forced him to rethink how he does business. From there we get into the danger of relying on one client, the difference between closing a sale and delivering real value, and why he would now rather lose a deal than sell something he doesn’t believe will help. We also talk about client relationships, recurring revenue and the effect that churn can have on a team. We also explore ambition, family and what financial freedom would actually make possible. Haydn talks about wanting to travel with his children, experience different cultures and build a life that keeps his family together. The conversation moves through home ownership, status, caring for ageing relatives and the tension between working towards freedom and spending all your time working. We also get into protecting company culture, choosing the right clients and giving your team a clear framework for making decisions. If this one's got you thinking about goals, I built something for exactly that. The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x Chapters: 00:00:00 Trailer00:01:04 Resilience and rebuilding after setbacks00:04:05 Learning to put client value first00:06:36 The risk of relying on one client00:11:12 Sales, trust and knowing when to say no00:13:47 Perceived value, status and honest selling00:18:43 A decision-making framework for your team00:21:06 Client churn and company culture00:25:50 Choosing the right clients and protecting culture00:28:08 Family, travel and a different version of success00:33:28 Family, ageing and the cost of being busy00:36:55 Questioning the dream of home ownership00:40:10 Buying back time and the pull of work00:42:01 Work as an escape and the plan to move abroad00:44:23 Where to find Haydn 🎙️ MY STUFF The Chapter System (the PDF):https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com Haydn: Pattern Systems: https://patternsystems.ai Socials: @hxydnbotts
Oct 5

Yale Professor Joshua Knobe - Why Are We Drawn to Sad Art? #137

Joshua Knobe is a Yale professor and experimental philosopher whose research explores identity, morality, human behaviour and the way we decide what makes someone their “true self.” In this conversation, we start with a deceptively simple question: what makes you, you? From there we get into why we see the “good” parts of people as more real, how relationships and first impressions shape identity, and how much of who we are changes depending on the people and situations around us. We also explore alcohol and personality, the different versions of ourselves we present online and in person, whether authenticity is even possible, and why social media can distort the way we understand ourselves and other people. Joshua also talks about morality, spirituality, art, emotional expression and the strange point where documenting your life starts to become a performance. If this one's got you thinking about goals, I built something for exactly that. The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x If you like this type of episode, you'll probably like any of the following: https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLGUpYukY0ZPc/videos Chapters: 00:00:00 Preview 00:01:29 What Makes You, You? 00:03:11 Why We Think the “Good” Part Is the Real You 00:07:56 Why We Believe There’s Good Deep Down 00:11:38 The Different Versions of You 00:15:44 Why Your Best Work Feels Like the Real You 00:18:05 Alcohol and the “Real” You 00:23:33 Attachment, Shame and Self-Perception 00:29:31 Are You More Real In Person Than Online? 00:34:11 Why Men Communicate Differently 00:40:32 Religion, Spirituality and the True Self 00:41:34 Why Do We Like Sad Art? 00:48:46 When Pain Becomes Art 00:53:43 Travel, Distance and How We See Other Lives 00:56:55 Why Art Stops Being About the Artist 01:02:12 When Does Footage Become Art? 01:03:53 Can You Ever Be Authentic on Camera? 🎙️ MY STUFF The Chapter System (the PDF): https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com Joshua Knobe: Website: https://campuspress.yale.edu/joshuaknobe/ Yale: https://philosophy.yale.edu/profile/joshua-knobe Experimental Philosophy: https://experimental-philosophy.yale.edu/
Sep 28

Maurice Schweitzer - Wharton Professor: Why We Lie, How Context Shapes Us & When Goals Go Wrong - #136

Maurice Schweitzer is a Wharton professor whose research explores trust, deception, negotiation, decision-making and the way we manage how other people see us. In this conversation, we start with a deceptively simple question: what makes you, you? From there we get into how culture and travel shape identity, whether AI can deceive us, why humans lie, and the strange line between dishonesty and kindness. We also explore the downside of goal setting, why ambitious targets can sometimes encourage unethical behaviour, and how easy it is to lose sight of the bigger goal while chasing the one directly in front of us. Maurice also talks about impression management, authenticity, prosocial lies, the cost of bad feedback, and his latest work on how the metaphors we use can shape the way we understand the world. If this one's got you thinking about goals, I built something for exactly that. The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x Chapters: 00:00 What makes you, you? 02:51 How travel and culture change who we are 06:37 AI, context and what makes us human 11:30 Can AI be deceptive? 15:44 Why do humans lie? 20:22 British small talk and socially acceptable deception 22:50 Prosocial lies: when kindness and honesty collide 25:33 The hidden cost of polite dishonesty 30:58 Surprise parties, proposals and “good” deception 35:25 Can goals make us unethical? 41:26 Goal hierarchy, values and knowing when to stop 43:46 Work, travel and competing priorities 46:07 Impression management and authenticity 49:33 How metaphors shape the way we think 🎙️ MY STUFF The Chapter System (the PDF): https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com Maurice Schweitzer: Wharton: https://oid.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/schweitz/ X: https://twitter.com/me_schweitzer Friend & Foe: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/205841/friend-and-foe-by-adam-galinsky-and-maurice-schweitzer/
Sep 21

Is It Possible to Find Peace During a Period of High Stress? #135

If you’re going through a period of high stress and you can’t just take time off, this episode is about how to create genuine pockets of peace anyway. I’ve been experimenting with some ridiculously simple ways of switching off properly after work, and somehow I’ve ended up having some of the most peaceful moments I’ve experienced in years. A lot of it comes down to removing stimulation; shutting the laptop, turning the phone off and basically doing nothing for a bit. That’s also led to some pretty strange moments of presence, including feeling weirdly connected to a dog and walking through the sea thinking the waves felt almost alive. It’s not about learning to tolerate an unsustainable life; it’s about finding peace while you’re working your way through a difficult chapter. If this one's got you thinking about what chapter you're in right now, I built something for exactly that. The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x If you like this type of episode, you'll probably like any of the following: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMebuClQRf09omZ7V629URAvyHG0KxIH_ Chapters: 00:00 Can stress and peace exist at the same time? 01:30 Making the most of limited downtime 02:54 “But you live in paradise” 03:31 Knowing when to stop working 04:45 The simplest way I’ve found to switch off 08:47 Getting your phone out of the equation 11:25 Replacing your phone with a journal 12:38 When ordinary life starts feeling vivid 13:48 “I felt like a dog” 15:55 When the ocean felt alive 17:56 Extreme work needs extreme rest 18:48 Don’t use this to tolerate an unsustainable life 19:26 Eustress, “dick stress” and losing the plot 20:00 Stress doesn’t have to disappear to feel peace 🎙️ MY STUFF The Chapter System (the PDF): https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com
Sep 14

Ed Latimore: Professional Heavyweight Boxer, Army National Guard Veteran, Physics Graduate & Writer | Efficiency Is a False God | #134

Ed Latimore is a professional heavyweight boxer, Army National Guard veteran, physics graduate and writer. In this conversation, we explore AI, learning, identity, fatherhood and why “efficiency is a false god.” We also discuss chess, dyslexia, creativity, sobriety, digital life, personal constraints and how difficult experiences can become unexpected advantages. If this one's got you thinking about what chapter you're in right now, I built something for exactly that. The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x If you like this type of episode, you'll probably like any of the following: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMebuClQRf09omZ7V629URAvyHG0KxIH_ Chapters: 00:00 Trailer 00:52 Fatherhood & Becoming the Dad He Never Had 06:00 Authenticity in the Age of AI 13:06 Why Ed Loves Chess 20:06 How Boxing Taught Ed How to Learn 34:00 AI, LLMs & the Hard Work of Thinking 45:01 “Efficiency Is a False God” 55:18 Reading, Dyslexia & Intelligence 1:04:04 Why Constraints Become Advantages 1:18:22 Old Identities & What We Choose to Resurrect 1:29:03 Likability & Emotional Control 1:34:37 What’s Next for Ed Latimore 🎙️ MY STUFF The Chapter System (the PDF): https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com https://x.com/EdLatimore https://edlatimore.com/about https://www.linkedin.com/in/edlatimore/ https://www.youtube.com/@EdLatimore1
Sep 7

The Hardest HYROX I’ve Ever Done (Bangkok) - #133

This was my first HYROX of 2026 and the first since the back injury I picked up in Bali a couple of months ago. As a result, I was nowhere near the level of training I was used to before a race. I knew it was going to be difficult, but I didn't expect to be surrounded by the medical team. Join me as I journey from Phuket to Bangkok for this Thailand vlog. I also ventured around Bangkok for 4 days and show you some of the sights along the way. This is not your typical Bangkok travel vlog, so don't expect all the tourist spots. It mainly involves me wandering around hot and flustered, getting lost, and an emotional visit to Khao San Road, 9 years after my first-ever backpacking trip, where it all began. If this one's got you thinking about what chapter you're in right now, I built something for exactly that. The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x If you like this type of episode, you'll probably like any of the following: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ky3sQEMwUM&list=PLMebuClQRf09N1EW4xaBRDZJQqPlDB_5B Chapters: 0:00 Are you okay? 0:15 Phuket Airport (and the gangster taxi driver) 1:04 I've left it in the taxi 2:29 Faster is safer 3:15 First morning in Bangkok 4:06 Pre-race prep is not going well 4:41 Khao San Road, 9 years on 5:43 I don't deserve to be here 6:57 Race morning 7:55 No gels. Haribo it is 9:04 HYROX Bangkok (the race) 9:16 The medic 10:11 The day after 11:17 Honest reflection on the result 12:05 Grab bike to Sukhumvit 15:45 The crash 17:35 Massage 18:29 Khao San at night 19:01 Meet Kevin 21:01 Aging documentary filmmaker 🎙️ MY STUFF The Chapter System (the PDF): https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com

Awaken Out of Context is a podcast and travel film project about who we are outside the identities, expectations, and environments that shaped us. Through long-form conversations, solo episodes, and story-led travel films, Jason Berry explores identity, behaviour, change, and how context shapes what we believe, want, and become. New episodes every Monday 5AM UK | Sunday 9PM PST

Creator

Jason Berry
Years Active

2023 - 2026
Episodes

141
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© Jason Berry
Show Website

Awaken Out Of Context

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