Awaken Out Of Context

When does everyday distress become part of who we are? Nick Haslam is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Melbourne whose research explores concept creep: how ideas such as trauma, bullying and addiction expand over time. We discuss when mental health labels help us understand ourselves, when they can limit us, and why self-awareness does not always need a diagnosis attached to it.
I bring my own experiences into the conversation as we talk about autism, neurodivergence, therapy and taking responsibility for what happens next. We also get into community, social media, the changing use of narcissism, and Nick’s research on dehumanisation. There’s a detour into Psychology in the Bathroom, including shy bladder, public urinals and what our bodies reveal when we’re trying to look confident.
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 Self-awareness without a diagnosis
00:18 When distress becomes identity
03:57 When trauma labels help or hinder
09:24 Big-T trauma and concept creep
12:52 Bullying, addiction and expanding definitions
16:25 Autism, Asperger’s and the spectrum
22:35 The rise of neurodivergence language
26:57 Are there different kinds of depression?
28:35 Do we need more psychologists?
31:36 Self-focus, loneliness and community
35:57 Mid-roll
36:24 Bali, belonging and social media
42:09 What can concept-creep research change?
44:17 Why Nick chose psychology
46:11 Psychology in the Bathroom
47:51 Shy bladder and public urinals
55:41 What does dehumanisation mean?
57:54 Tracking mental health language on Reddit
1:03:53 Narcissism as a label
1:08:17 Where to find Nick’s work
1:09:00 Closing message
MY STUFF
The Chapter System (the PDF): https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x
All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com
NICK HASLAM
University of Melbourne profile
https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/individuals/professor-nick-haslam
Nick’s writing at Inside Story
https://insidestory.org.au/authors/nick-haslam/
Nick on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nick-Haslam
Psychology in the Bathroom
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9780230367555
Related research: ADHD and autism language on Reddit (2025)
https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e70914

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

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

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 Trailer
00:01:04 Resilience and rebuilding after setbacks
00:04:05 Learning to put client value first
00:06:36 The risk of relying on one client
00:11:12 Sales, trust and knowing when to say no
00:13:47 Perceived value, status and honest selling
00:18:43 A decision-making framework for your team
00:21:06 Client churn and company culture
00:25:50 Choosing the right clients and protecting culture
00:28:08 Family, travel and a different version of success
00:33:28 Family, ageing and the cost of being busy
00:36:55 Questioning the dream of home ownership
00:40:10 Buying back time and the pull of work
00:42:01 Work as an escape and the plan to move abroad
00:44:23 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

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/