Pathologically Overanalyzing

Ben Maher

I think open conversations with friends are the most valuable treasure trove of information available to us. It is in these conversations that we get to the core of human nature, that we learn what really matters to people, what impacts their emotions, and how. I had many of those conversations in my day-to-day life and wanted to share. So I started recording. My name is Ben Maher, and on this podcast, I have conversations with my friends about love, friendship, family, mindfulness, motivation, acceptance, creativity, personal growth, and more, to get to the bottom of how people actually work.

  1. Apr 29

    Gabriella: Being Alone, Friendship Fragility, and Play

    I was surprised how short this conversation was when I went back to edit it, not that it bored me, but it felt like we covered a lot of stuff. Maybe it means I could have been better at both asking for specifics and giving them about myself. Maybe it means I took up too much space and didn't give Gabriella enough. Or maybe it's completely perfect as is and deserves zero criticism. You be the judge.

  2. Mar 15

    Josh: Social Perceptions, Opinionation, Vulnerability, and More

    An hour and a half plumbing the depths of Josh's psyche. Tune in.

  3. 12/13/2024

    Being Quiet, Being Loud, Being Manipulative, and More with Zach

    I didn't actually listen to this whole thing before posting it, but I listened to some of it and the title vaguely describes some of the parts I listened to.

  4. 05/31/2023

    Being Overwhelmed, Pursuing Desire, Questioning Humanity, and A Bit about AI

    Somewhat out of laziness, I go it alone for this one. Listen to me ramble about being very busy, but trying to stay grounded in what I'm doing, connecting to my human emotions, and considering our changing human values as AI becomes more prominent.

  5. 05/25/2023

    Film with Mackenzie Arnolds

    Mackenzie and I spoke about films as true art vs. commercial products, her narrow, hard-to-define criteria of what makes a film truly great, the effect of character and what makes good characters, and more. Enjoy!

  6. 05/17/2023

    Social Circles with Zach Fertal

    How do you break the surface tension of a social circle? Are we comfortable with them stagnating, or do we always seek growth? How do different layers of circles merge? How important is proximity and shared activities in the maintenance of social groups? Zach and I discuss all these questions and more in this episode.

  7. 05/10/2023

    Short, Medium, and Long-term Focus with James Concepcion

    We did a deep dive on focus: the effect of having long-term focus on a singular goal, the necessity to exercise focus in the short and medium term, what helps focus, and what hurts it. We also discuss the interplay between focus and motivation, and the tension between focus and shame. All of this happens in the context of James's current medical school trajectory and my own goals with this podcast. Enjoy! Also! There is intro music now! That is curtesy of my friend Joe Bosco, whose other work you can find on Spotify (check him out, he's fantastic).

  8. 05/03/2023

    Aesthetics' Representation of Belonging, Isolation in Suburbs And Cities, Work and Creativity, And More with Nina Chen

    Nina and I had an incredible conversation. We started by discussing personal aesthetics and dove into its connection with music taste. Then we thought about how the presence of friends in one's life is affected by age and setting. We made a bit of a jump to discuss romantic dynamics, and then jump again to discuss the meaning of work and creativity in our lives. Then we considered the role of diversity in early life and the present. We conclude by pondering whether Nina would've been friends with a younger me.

See All (38)

About

I think open conversations with friends are the most valuable treasure trove of information available to us. It is in these conversations that we get to the core of human nature, that we learn what really matters to people, what impacts their emotions, and how. I had many of those conversations in my day-to-day life and wanted to share. So I started recording. My name is Ben Maher, and on this podcast, I have conversations with my friends about love, friendship, family, mindfulness, motivation, acceptance, creativity, personal growth, and more, to get to the bottom of how people actually work.

Information