Mind of State

Mind of State Media, LLC•mindofstate.com

Mind of State is a podcast where politics and psychology meet. Each episode features lively commentary on current events, policymakers, and the body politic, and how we have arrived at this moment, as observed through both a political and psychological lens. We explore how "mind" impacts "state" — and vice versa. Tune in, as co-hosts Betty Teng and Jonathan Kopp engage in nuanced conversation with experts from the worlds of politics and psychology as well as others from related fields who have studied the complex dynamics between individual/group psychology and political processes. Mind of State is produced by co-founders Betty Teng, Jonathan Kopp and Thomas Singer, together with Alletta Cooper and Jenny Woodward.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episodes

Partisan Politics, Toxic Identities, Dangerous Divides

What do  Duck Dynasty  and  The Family Guy  have to do with US politics? And what happens when we so identify with a group that we want it to win, even when it's against our self-interest? Our guest, Dr. Lilliana Mason, explores the political impact of "in-group / out-group" dynamics in her book, Uncivil Politics: How Politics Became Our Identity. She uses social psychology to explain how both Republicans and Democrats have come to view politics through an emotional&nbsp...

Feb 19, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 7

Rep. Ilhan Omar's Tweet (Bonus Episode)

Peter Glick returns for a bonus episode to help us unpack and understand the week’s controversy surrounding Rep. Ilhan Omar’s tweet about the pro-Israel lobby, specifically AIPAC. Michael, Betty, and Peter take on the difficult and fraught conversation about anti-Semitism and Israel, and add important psychological insights missing from the debate. © Copyright Original Music "Royal Flush Gang" by Composer Joel Goodman; Published by Oovra Music Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

Feb 15, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 6

Why Everyone Hates the Jews

Recently, the US has seen a disturbing uptick in hate crimes, especially those directed against Jewish people and institutions. From neo-Nazis in Charlottesville to the tragic mass murder at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue, anti-Semitism seems to have found a deadly new voice in America. What drives anti-Semitism today, and how is it different from other kinds of prejudice and hate? Drs. Susan Fiske (Princeton) and Peter Glick (Lawrence U.) join us to talk about how their Stereotype Content ...

Feb 12, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Acknowledging Harm and Repairing the World

How do we move out of a political discourse of blame and shame into one that acknowledges past and present harm done and the need to repair it? In this episode, renowned psychoanalyst, Dr. Jessica Benjamin, discusses the psychological barriers to the struggle for a lawful world based on recognizing our common humanity and universal needs. When basic human needs for recognition are denied, the resulting trauma creates a fragmented, black-and-white worl...

Feb 05, 2019•53 min•Season 1Ep. 4

The Symbolic Power of Trump's Wall

When is a wall not just a wall? When it’s Donald Trump’s Wall. Dr. Thomas Singer, a Jungian psychoanalyst, argues that the Wall needs to be recognized for the symbol it has become in the minds of Trump’s most ardent supporters and harshest critics. Reason, facts, and well-argued positions don’t matter when they come up against the powerful, visceral emotions of a symbol. Tom reminds us that symbols motivate, provoke, and drive us. That’s what Trump has effectively done with his wall. Tom believe...

Jan 29, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Delusions and Lies — the Mind of Trump

What’s the difference between a lie and a delusional falsehood? It’s a matter of perspective—especially when you’re talking about Donald Trump. In this episode of Mind of State, we are joined by Dr. Michael Tansey, a psychoanalyst with a self-proclaimed obsession for Donald Trump. (How else can you explain starting every day by reading Trump’s tweets?) Michael helps us better understand the nature of lying, something we all do to some degree, and why Trump’s lies are so very different, even dang...

Jan 29, 2019•30 min•Season 1Ep. 2

We Are All Going to Die — Someday

Humans are uniquely aware of our own mortality. Someday, hopefully later rather than sooner, each of us is going to die. For our guest, Dr. Sheldon Solomon, recognition of our own death is the most important idea in human history. Sheldon argues, and he has the proof to back it up, that the awareness of our own death (“mortality salience,” is his fancy term for it) influences all aspects of our lives, from religion, to art, to—and this where it gets really interesting for us—our politics. Sheldo...

Jan 29, 2019•50 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Make America Sane Again (Teaser)

Mind of State is a weekly podcast where politics and psychology meet. Each episode features lively commentary on current events, policymakers, and the body politic, and how we have arrived at this moment, as observed through both a political and psychological lens. We explore how "mind" impacts "state" — and vice versa. Tune in, as co-hosts Betty Teng, a NYC psychoanalyst and trauma therapist, and Michael Epstein, an award-winning filmmaker, engage in nuanced conversation with distinguished expe...

Jan 18, 2019•3 min

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