Jonah Asks

By: Jonah Hall
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  • Summary

  • Jonah Asks is about connecting human beings. The episodes are interview-conversations with friends and friends of friends. These extended conversations often circle back to the following themes: *technology in our lives; *turning 40 *identity; *childhood; *parenting *creativity; *anxiety; *meditation/therapy *nature; *animal connections/pets; *friendship; *psychology; *socioeconomics *equality; *relationships Broad enough? In other words, being human.
    Copyright 2023 Jonah Hall
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Comedy & Humor Social Sciences
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Episodes
  • Episode 65: With Moshe, Part Two (On Attention, Social Media, Happiness and Mental Suffering, the Human Species, Artificial Intelligence, Universal Basic Income and the Future)

    Episode 65: With Moshe, Part Two (On Attention, Social Media, Happiness and Mental Suffering, the Human Species, Artificial Intelligence, Universal Basic Income and the Future)
    Feb 7 2023
    Welcome Back to Jonah Asks, Here's part two of my conversation with Moshe. We discuss: attention, social media, happiness and mental suffering, the human species and biology, artificial intelligence, universal basic income and the future. music: This instrumental piece is an original of mine, based around a piano recording, added effects and then a sampled cello and atmospheric pad loop from samplefocus.com. You can find it on my other podcast, Poems, Guitar and Meditations.https://player.fm/series/poems-guitar-and-meditations/piano-cello-atmospheric-loop-for-sleep ParentingBalancing the desire to give attention and support with the need to step back and observe young children. 6 minAttention and FocusMaintaining attention amidst the wave of information and social media's impact. 10 minMoshe Chooses HappinessMental suffering - Mental suffering was rampant in Moshe's family. Moshe's aunt was a Holocaust survivor. On her deathbed, her son asked her "Was everything so bad?" She responded, "There were some good things, but we don't talk about that." Happiness seemed unavailable to many who lived through and survived the Holocaust. Moshe has atrial fibrillation. He has to be careful with his heart. Too much stress with atrial fibrillation can lead to stroke. 20 minProgress of the Human SpeciesMoshe is a firm believer in the progress and survival of the human species. "I'm not arguing with the universe. I will argue with reality. My optimism is based on the possibility that the evils of capitalism the way we know it and the development of artificial intelligence and other technologies will force mankind to develop a new paradigm and new understanding of how society should work. 28 minConsidering the Future: 2050 and BeyondWe veer into the future, the impact of artificial intelligence, the possibility of Universal Basic Income, etc. We disagree about how humans will evolve. 37 minTechnology and Techno-UtopianismMoshe sees human progress as an inevitability. Jonah sees human connection as a practice that has been eroding in modern life. 42 minBiology Isn't Bothered By Our Obsession with Technology...or Is It?Moshe believes in biology. Jonah believes in our biological need to make connections. Resources: New Yorker "Two Supreme Court Cases That Could Break the Internet" https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/two-supreme-court-cases-that-could-break-the-internet Tristan Harris - Center for Humane Tech https://www.humanetech.com/who-we-are
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    54 mins
  • Episode 64: With Moshe, Part One (On Memory, Positive Psychology, Jewish Migration, Israel, Identity and Self-Definition)

    Episode 64: With Moshe, Part One (On Memory, Positive Psychology, Jewish Migration, Israel, Identity and Self-Definition)
    Jan 31 2023
    Welcome Back to Jonah Asks, Moshe is my neighbor. He is a modern philosopher, with an optimistic outlook, having trained himself in positive psychology. He was born in Israel in 1951 and came to New York City in the early 1970s, before returning to Israel and then eventually landing in the Bay Area. music: Neil Cowley "Eureka Pulse" 3 minPositive Psychology Moshe discusses his study of positive psychology and choosing his own personal happiness and well-being. "Wanting to be happy is a license that I acquired in my years. There is a methodology for it and I think I got. At this point it works for me and I am good with that. I was a sad Jew." 9 minSpirituality and Identity Going beyond the self. Fighting to define yourself rather than be defined by a given identity. 12 minMoshe's Family History Parents leaving Poland and arriving in Israel during the 1930s. Cold and superstitious places. Pogroms and then the Holocaust. Moshe's father came to Palestine in the mid 1930s, with many Jewish immigrants. Moshe's mother escaped Poland in 1938 via train through Germany, before taking a ship from Trieste to Palestine. 17 minMiddle Eastern history and Moshe's parents. Palestine and the creation of Israel in 1949. 23 minMemory Jonah discusses memory and writing. Moshe has been studying philosophy and psychology. He discusses the biological need to recall negative experiences for survival. 26 min Being Jewish Israeli experience compared with suburban American experiencesMoshe explains how the history of Jewish oppression informs the Israeli pride in Judaism.Jonah's mother's childhood: Secular Jews in suburban DC (late '40s into early '60s) 32 min Pain versus Suffering Moshe discusses Yuval Noah Harari's ideas about pain versus suffering. Pain is contemporary and neurological event. Suffering is spread over time and is often a speculative psychological event. 37 min Moshe wrote to Professor Sapolsky, who studies stress. 39 min Moshe in New York City, 1973 Moshe was released from Israeli military service in 1973 and found his way to New York City. 43 min Moshe Meets His First Wife, Tina Couch-surfing, squatting, and getting by. Figuring out how to live in the United States, with a tourist visa. A wild pack of cats and a smelly small apartment in New York City. 47 min Moshe and Tina move to Somerville, MA then back to Israel then Children From New York to "Slummerville." Tina had to hide the relationship from her strict Jewish mother. Eventually, they moved back to Israel and had children. Later, they moved to the Bay Area, in part to get medical treatment for their son, who had a kidney situation. 53 min Divorce and a New Marriage After 19 years of marriage and two children, Moshe discovers Carla at his child's preschool. "I saw this beautiful woman working with a jackhammer, breaking the asphalt." 61 min Moshe Is Afraid of Helplessness (Like Many of Us) Through much of his life, Moshe has prized self-sufficiency. He understands this as a reaction to his mother's helplessness. In his later years, he has accepted the deep love of his second wife and attachment. Many thanks to Moshe for the wonderful conversation. Stay tuned for Part 2, coming soon. Links: Yuval Harari's TED talks https://www.ted.com/speakers/yuval_noah_harari Positive Psychology TED talks https://positivepsychology.com/positive-psychology-ted-talks/
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Episode 63: Jonah Reads: "To Build a Fire" by Jack London

    Episode 63: Jonah Reads: "To Build a Fire" by Jack London
    Jan 15 2023
    Welcome back to Jonah Asks, In this episode, Jonah Reads. Jack London's "To Build a Fire" (1908). A classic story of a man and a husky traversing the Yukon in winter. It helps to keep in mind the story was written in 1908.
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    40 mins

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