Meredith for Real: the curious introvert

Meredith Hackwith Edwards
  • 4.8 (174)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Each episode explores a taboo question or cultural blind spot with an expert who is themselves, a paradox -Like the atheist doctor who studied near death experiences for 50 years (ep 224)Or the deeply religious man studied by NASA who sees UFOs regularly (ep 261).The mission is to inspire the kind of curiosity that looks for & celebrates nuance, because we all deserve a more curious future.So tune in each week (new episodes every Monday) to question things like American individualism (ep 260), trigger warnings (ep 208) & circumcision (ep 178).Still not sure where to start?Other listeners loved ep 230 - Can a sexless marriage survive? and ep 237 - Black man who attends KKK rallies: race & friendship

  1. 1D AGO

    Ep. 325: Is Chaos Your Comfort Zone? Stress Addiction & How to Break the Cycle

    Felipe Muñoz is the owner of Empathic Practice, a holistic stress management clinic. He combines his Masters in positive psychology, 20 years of marketing experience, & decade of business branding with hundreds of hours teaching meditation to coach professionals, train corporate teams & support individuals on living a more mindful and meaningful life. In this episode, we explore stress as an addiction, identity & community & the real strategy behind ending the chaos.    If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 298: ANXIETY IN YOUR FRIDGE?! Reducing Anxiety Through Food   Guest:  https://empathicpractice.us/ https://www.instagram.com/empathicpractice/ https://www.youtube.com/c/empathicpractice https://www.facebook.com/empathicpractice    Host:   https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal   https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert    Sponsors:  https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    02:28 — Social media and the illusion of being “together” 05:04 — Burnout vs paralysis: the stress bell curve 07:02 — Is stress coming from inside or outside you? 11:00 — Midlife stress and the “how did I get here?” moment 14:06 — Stress as social currency and community glue 15:08 — Why misery bonds faster than joy 16:10 — Gossip, belonging, and opting out of stress culture 17:02 — Are we addicted to stress? 19:02 — When calm feels more threatening than chaos 20:04 — Inverted resilience and self-sabotage cycles 22:02 — The “leg day” metaphor for emotional health 24:02 — Why breath is the first skill we skip 27:04 — Eating lunch at your desk: stress score = 10 28:06 — Clutter as a mirror of the mind 29:04 — Scrolling before bed and delayed nervous systems 30:06 — Multitasking: survival skill or stress amplifier? 31:08 — Eustress: how to tell good stress from bad 34:06 — Self-care vs escapism: intention matters 35:06 — Rituals, routines, and sacred coffee 36:06 — Psychedelics, big resets, and what comes after 37:06 — Are you actually stressed — or just identifying as stressed? 38:06 — Do we need therapy… or just a hobby? 39:06 — Curiosity as a human survival trait 41:06 — What Empathic Practice really offers Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

    1h 3m

  2. 12/29/2025

    Ep. 324: The Hoarder Within Us: The Psychology of Our Stuff [REMASTERED]

    Dr. David Tolin is the Founder & Director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Institute of Living, the author of over 200 scientific journal articles & even received the Award for Lifetime Contribution to Psychology from the CT Psychological Association, but you may recognize him from the reality TV series Hoarders, The OCD Project or My Shopping Addiction. In this episode he shares what diagnosing hoarding disorder looks like, what brain scans reveal & the myth of trauma.  This episode originally aired November 27, 2023. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 208: TRIGGER WARNINGS: MAKING US FRAGILE OR HELPING US HEAL?   Guest:  https://drtolin.com/home https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidtolin/ https://a.co/d/hDRDee8   Host:   https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal   https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert    Sponsors:  https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    02:38 — How common hoarding really is 04:05 — When clutter ≠ hoarding disorder 05:00 — Why letting go feels painful 06:02 — What actually causes hoarding 08:00 — Attention, cognition, vulnerability 10:00 — Why empathy changes everything 11:05 — ADHD, brain scans, and myths 14:10 — The “salience network” explained 15:05 — Why clutter fades into the background 16:00 — When every object feels urgent 17:05 — Decision-making becomes unbearable 18:10 — Avoidance as survival strategy 20:00 — Why animal hoarding is different 23:00 — What people actually hoard 24:00 — When hoarding becomes extreme 25:10 — Digital hoarding counts too 26:05 — Emails, photos, and emotional pain 27:00 — Objects as identity 30:15 — The downward arrow technique 31:20 — Why therapists and patients talk past each other 32:15 — Anthropomorphizing our stuff 33:20 — Why kids’ toys still haunt us 34:15 — Grief as an accelerant 35:20 — Stuff as memory protection 36:10 — Acquiring as mood regulation 37:10 — When retail therapy backfires 38:15 — Emotion regulation gone wrong 39:10 — Compassion without enabling 40:05 — Boundaries that don’t abandon 41:10 — Why insight takes repetition 42:15 — Therapy isn’t one magic moment 43:10 — How to stay anchored in reality 44:05 — Questions that interrupt impulse 45:10 — Why self-questioning works better 46:15 — What “success” actually looks like 47:15 — Managing vs curing hoarding 48:10 — Exposure therapy in real life 49:10 — TJ Maxx as a trigger 50:05 — Sitting with discomfort on purpose 51:10 — Rewriting your relationship with stuff 52:05 — How hoarding changed his own habits 53:10 — Keeping what truly serves you 54:05 — Buried in Treasures and next steps 55:10 — Final reflections on stuff and self Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

    33 min

  3. 12/22/2025

    Ep. 323: The Psychology of Arguing on the Internet: Can you ACTUALLY change someone’s mind?

    JonRobert Tartaglione, PhD, studies & teaches influence. He is a psychologist, behavioral scientist & the founder & CEO of a consulting practice called influence 51.   In this episode, we unpack persuasion, perception & arguing on the internet and explore what it really takes to change someone’s mind.   If you like this episode, you’ll also like episode 309: HOW DID THE MEDIA BECOME SUCH A BIASED, STRESS-INDUCING CIRCUS?   Guest: https://www.facebook.com/jonrobert.tartaglione  https://www.instagram.com/probablytat/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonrobert-tartaglione-ph-d-21b26770/ https://x.com/PolPsyTat  https://influence51.com/    Host:   https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal   https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert    Sponsors:  https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    00:00 — The question no one asks 01:42 — Why this story matters now 03:18 — Meeting JonRobert 05:06 — What most people misunderstand 07:02 — The moment everything shifted 09:21 — How power actually works 11:08 — Systems hiding in plain sight 13:47 — When incentives shape behavior 16:05 — Following the money 18:12 — What surprised him most 20:44 — The quiet pressure points 23:01 — Where people lose agency 25:26 — The illusion of choice 27:58 — Why good people comply 30:14 — This wasn’t accidental 32:41 — How narratives get enforced 35:09 — Who benefits from silence 37:42 — The cost of speaking up 40:06 — When resistance becomes personal 42:33 — The moment of reckoning 45:02 — Why fear is effective 47:29 — The psychology underneath 50:11 — How normalization happens 52:46 — What history keeps repeating 55:21 — The warning signs we ignore 58:04 — This pattern feels familiar 01:00:33 — When people finally notice 01:03:07 — Why it feels overwhelming 01:05:52 — Reclaiming critical thinking 01:08:36 — What accountability would look like 01:11:14 — The role of individual courage 01:14:02 — Why hope isn’t naive 01:16:41 — What comes next 01:19:08 — The question listeners should sit with 01:21:30 — Final reflections Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

    1h 9m

  4. 12/15/2025

    Ep. 322: Early Sobriety: Can You Keep Your Friends? [REMASTERED]

    How do you stay connected with friends when everything revolves around drinking? Casey McGuire Davidson was an ambitious corporate achiever who always had a full schedule & anxious energy. She felt wine was the glue holding her life together until she realized it wasn’t. She later found serenity in sobriety, but it wasn’t without some social hiccups. In this episode, she uses her expertise as a certified life & sobriety coach to show us how to keep our friends in the tender time of early sobriety, navigate social hiccups at alcohol-centered events & the BEST way to tell friends you’re not drinking.   This episode originally aired July 31, 2023   If you like this episode, you’ll also like episode 265: HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’RE AN ALCOHOLIC? [REMASTERED]   Guest: https://www.instagram.com/caseymdavidson/  https://hellosomedaycoaching.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseydavidson/  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hello-someday-podcast-for-sober-curious-women/id1508913688  https://www.facebook.com/HelloSomeday/   Host:   https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal   https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert    Sponsors:  https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    00:00 — Why sobriety feels risky 02:00 — The social drinking trap 03:00 — Chasing “normal drinking” 06:00 — Boring, pregnant…or sober? 07:00 — Losing yourself in motherhood 08:00 — When anxiety becomes the clue 11:00 — Why a 100-day challenge works 12:00 — Your brain in withdrawal 16:00 — How to “announce” it 21:00 — When your boss notices 22:00 — Choosing six more months 26:00 — The awkward party moment 27:00 — Three reaction types 28:00 — Why people pressure you 29:00 — The vegetarian analogy 30:00 — Sharing only what you want 34:00 — Telling people in advance 39:00 — Saying no without drama 40:00 — Creating new rituals 43:00 — When friends feel different 44:00 — Handling repetitive drunk talk 45:00 — Leaving before the sloppiness 46:00 — Partner support strategies 48:00 — The social-media minefield 50:00 — Do sober apologies matter? 51:00 — Repair without guilt 53:00 — How to support sober friends 54:00 — The right first response 55:00 — Hosting without assumptions 56:00 — Better beverage options 60:00 — Where to find Casey Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

    45 min

  5. 12/08/2025

    Ep. 321: Relationship Boundaries: NIGHTMARES, Ultimatums & Inner Demons

    Are healthy boundaries lines in the sand? Going no contact?  KC Davis is licensed professional counselor, host of the podcast Struggle Care & author of Who Deserves your love: how to create boundaries to start, strengthen or end any relationship. In this episode, she unpacks the girl bossification of boundaries, the decision flowchart of no contact, how values make “hard calls” easier & how the internet sells quipping one-liners & emphasizes hard lines over nuance.   Guest: https://www.strugglecare.com/  https://www.instagram.com/strugglecare/  https://www.facebook.com/StruggleCare/  https://a.co/d/1b1H1tT  Host:   https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal   https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert    Sponsors:  https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    00:00 — Shower fights & imaginary comebacks 01:50 — Boundaries aren’t quippy one-liners 03:58 — When the boundary advice trap backfires 04:22 — The real definition of an internal boundary 05:05 — How to prep for real-life conflict (not Instagram conflict) 05:42 — Thanksgiving, awkward uncles & psychic responsibility 10:20 — Awareness as Boundary Step One 10:55 — MythBuster: Is there always a winner and a loser? 13:07 — The vulnerability cycle explained 14:10 — When your “issues” aren’t actually your issues 16:22 — How two people accidentally activate each other 18:17 — Boundary Disaster #1: The evangelizing step-dad 20:02 — “Reasonable requests don’t make unreasonable people comply” 21:11 — Deciding what’s livable — not magical 24:14 — Why reframing the offender sometimes helps 25:26 — The stories we tell about other people’s behavior 28:05 — Compassion vs. justifying harm 32:00 — Boundary Disaster #2: The secret sex-offender friend 33:10 — KC’s decision tree for impossible situations 36:08 — Why values make “hard calls” easier 37:02 — MythBuster: Does cheating predict cheating? 40:02 — MythBuster: Must you heal before you date? 43:03 — Boundary Disaster #3: Grandma, screen time & parental authority 44:00 — “How do I get her to respect my decisions?” 47:55 — Middle-ground boundaries for real parents 48:35 — Final thoughts: Boundaries as self-ownership Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

    49 min

  6. 12/01/2025

    Ep. 320: AI = the END of thought freedom in America??!

    How is AI influencing our decisions? Is opting IN to every AI offer causing us to opt OUT of our free will?   Jake Ward is a former NBC News correspondent & is currently the founding editor & host of The Rip Current newsletter & podcast, which looks at the hidden forces of modern life, like Big Tech, business, and politics. He’s also the author of The Loop: How AI is creating a world without choices & how to fight back.   In this episode, you’ll hear how the brain ACTUALLY makes decisions & how corporations leverage that without you knowing, how Corporate exceptionalism + American exceptionalism = tragedy & the case for inefficiency.     If you like this episode, you’ll also like episode 205: NEUROTECH: SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENT OR MIND CONTROL?   Host:   https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal   https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert    Sponsors:  https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    00:48 — The hidden cost of “opting in” 01:32 — Is AI manipulating us? 05:02 — AI’s arrival vs. America’s readiness 06:05 — The brain that isn’t built for this 08:05 — Rock ’em Sock ’em brains 09:12 — Why our instincts make us hackable 15:20 — When companies exploit the “monkey brain” 16:10 — Social casino games and human cynicism 17:14 — The rise of AI psychosis 18:02 — Why young developers can’t see the danger 19:00 — The “scale will solve it” delusion 20:16 — Croissants, bolts, and AI ethics 21:25 — What regulation really looks like 22:30 — Politicians in your chat companion 23:40 — The edge-case problem that becomes everyone’s problem 24:50 — Don’t fear robot overlords — fear amplified instincts 26:02 — Why our brains love flattery bots 27:14 — When chatbots become the worst therapist 28:20 — Isolation vs. connection in recovery 32:55 — Can market signals actually work? 34:00 — The case for the “less convenient” AI 35:10 — Why bad AI is sometimes better for you 42:15 — What parents need to decide early 43:20 — Building community norms before tech does 44:28 — Permission to have more fun without phones 50:20 — Locating yourself in the narrative 51:30 — The allergy model of human behavior 52:48 — How shame keeps us from seeing ourselves 56:40 — Preserving human friction 58:20 — The case for inefficiency 59:50 — Music, jokes, and the death of practice 01:01:10 — The nightmare world of the AI life-coach 01:03:30 — Jake’s practical rules for tech sanity 01:04:48 — Why satisfaction beats happiness 01:08:00 — Jake’s links, book & gratitude 01:09:00 — Meredith’s closing notes & next episode Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

    1h 9m

  7. 11/24/2025

    Ep. 319: Micro-retirement: Cynicism, Burnout & Logistics

    Is this the answer to burnout? How are mini-retirements even possible?   Kira Schabram, PhD, is the Assistant Professor in management & organization at Pennsylvania State University & historian of work who has been studying the details & impacts of a phenomenon called micro-retirement – people treating breaks from work of three or more months. In this episode, you’ll hear how others are doing this idea, why it’s worth talking about & how it could be the solution to widespread burnout among American workers. We compare American attitudes on work compared to our European counterparts, what makes a micro-retirement “successful” & why what we call it matters.   If you like this episode, you’ll also like episode 190: DOES A CAREER CHANGE MEAN YOU’RE A FAILURE?   Host:   https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal   https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert    Sponsors:  https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    00:00 — Why “micro-retirement” even matters 00:27 — The work-first culture problem 01:41 — “Cute but inaccessible?” 02:10 — Who actually takes micro-retirements 02:46 — The two paths into a micro-retirement 04:33 — Life milestones as wake-up calls 04:59 — Why reflection only happens off the treadmill 05:27 — Is micro-retirement just rebranding unemployment? 05:56 — Why the word matters more than you think 06:30 — The need for a new term 07:53 — Why nonprofit leaders burn out fastest 10:39 — Training future leaders by stepping away 11:12 — Sabbatical-as-benefit on a shoestring budget 11:40 — Why employers resist the idea 12:07 — The costs of quiet quitting 12:34 — Why micro-retirements can increase productivity 13:02 — Sabbatical vs micro-retirement: the naming problem 13:35 — Why “3 months minimum” actually matters 14:29 — Why Americans don’t recognize their own burnout 16:18 — The France comparison that changes everything 16:46 — “Where do you vacation?” as identity 17:18 — Pandemic shifts in work culture 18:22 — Could the US ever adopt the August model? 19:57 — What Europe gets right—and wrong—about work 21:20 — Has work become meaning or misery? 21:55 — The generational gap in purpose 24:48 — What happens if cynicism wins 25:54 — A German lens on work meaning 28:12 — FIRE vs micro-retirement mindsets 29:05 — The “aunt at Thanksgiving” argument 30:01 — The burnout-pushed retirement pattern 30:29 — The “do nothing” phase no one expects 30:58 — When nothingness reveals burnout severity 32:02 — Skill-building in the wild 33:40 — The danger of over-planning time off 34:40 — Handling the “yeah but my bills” barrier 35:06 — Micro-retirements aren’t résumé gaps 38:01 — What would happen if 60% of employers offered this? 40:19 — Could mini-retirements reshape whole industries? 41:00 — The hidden cost of burnout recovery 42:46 — Closing reflections on culture, work & wellbeing Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

    43 min

  8. 11/17/2025

    Ep. 318: Dating in Midlife: Where have all the good men (& women) gone?

    Why is dating so hard in midlife? Are we all sending mixed signals?   Abe Morgentaler, MD & Marianne Brandon, PhD are the hosts of the Sex Doctors Podcast, where they deep dive into the science & psychology of sexual health & relationships.    Dr. Morgentaler is a Harvard trained MD who opened the first comprehensive men’s health center in the US, is the leading authority in testosterone therapy, author of four books & currently the Blavatnik Faculty Fellow in Health & Longevity at Harvard Medical School.    Dr. Brandon is a clinical psychologist, author & futurist whose professional writing includes aging & sex, the challenges of monogamy & female low libido.   In this episode, you’ll hear both personal & professional perspectives about the dating pool & approaches including app culture, dick pics, gender equality, hormones, “the ick” & desire-killing control.   If you like this episode, you’ll also like episode 180: IS YOUR ATTACHMENT STYLE RUINING YOUR RELATIONSHIP?   Guests: Theirs https://www.facebook.com/thesexdoctors https://www.youtube.com/@thesexdoctorspod https://www.instagram.com/thesexdoctors/ Hers https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-future-intimacy https://a.co/d/8smce3C https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariannebrandon-59224513/ https://x.com/DrBrandon His https://www.linkedin.com/in/abraham-morgentaler-md-81628b6/ https://x.com/DrMorgentaler https://t4leducation.com/ https://a.co/d/hZHpFn0   Host:   https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal   https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert    Sponsors:  https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    00:00 — Midlife dating déjà vu 01:00 — Where have the good ones gone? 02:03 — Top complaints while dating 03:10 — Picky or self-aware? 04:02 — Tiny towns vs. big cities 05:00 — Strangers, apps, and mistrust 05:58 — Why men send dick pics 07:00 — Filtering for “fast yes” 08:05 — Who’s actually relationship-minded? 08:45 — Is app culture the problem? 09:20 — Entertainment vs. reciprocity 09:58 — Should serious daters ditch apps? 10:40 — The slot-machine effect 11:35 — Standards vs. pickiness 12:15 — Are we avoiding compromise? 13:20 — The myth of perfection 14:05 — How good men spend time 15:00 — Apps aren’t on your side 16:12 — Ancient brains, modern tools 17:00 — Digital dating = amplified disappointment 18:00 — Get out of the house 19:00 — Pick the r Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

    1h 7m
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About

Each episode explores a taboo question or cultural blind spot with an expert who is themselves, a paradox -Like the atheist doctor who studied near death experiences for 50 years (ep 224)Or the deeply religious man studied by NASA who sees UFOs regularly (ep 261).The mission is to inspire the kind of curiosity that looks for & celebrates nuance, because we all deserve a more curious future.So tune in each week (new episodes every Monday) to question things like American individualism (ep 260), trigger warnings (ep 208) & circumcision (ep 178).Still not sure where to start?Other listeners loved ep 230 - Can a sexless marriage survive? and ep 237 - Black man who attends KKK rallies: race & friendship

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