Episodes
The Psychology of Ethics, Dogma, and Morality: How We Decide What’s R…
Why do we feel so certain about our moral beliefs while others seem misguided—even dangerous? In this thought-provoking episode of The Psychology of Us , Professor RJ Starr explores the deep psychological forces that shape ou...
Why Smart People Make Dumb Emotional Decisions
Why do intelligent, high-functioning people so often make emotionally reckless or baffling decisions? In this episode, Professor RJ Starr unpacks the psychological gap between intellectual intelligence (IQ) and emotional matu...
The Psychology of Hostile Elders: Aging, and the Decline of Social Gr…
Why do so many older adults seem angrier, more impatient, and less socially graceful than previous generations? What happened to the dignity, composure, and manners that once defined aging? In this episode, we explore the psy...
Why We Need to Be Liked: The Emotional Cost of Validation
Why does a compliment feel like oxygen—and silence feel like a threat? Why do we keep checking for reactions, even when we tell ourselves we don’t care? In this episode of The Psychology of Us , Professor RJ Starr unpacks the...
Why We Love Violence: The Dark Psychology Behind Our Social Urge to W…
Why We Love Violence: The Dark Psychology Behind Our Social Urge to Win, Control, and Punish Why are we so drawn to violence—not just in movies and media, but in everyday life? From binge-watching brutal TV shows to shouting ...
Why the Bad Sticks: the Psychology of Negativity Bias
Why do we fixate on one negative comment even after receiving dozens of compliments? Why does one bad day feel heavier than a week of good ones? In this episode of The Psychology of Us , Professor RJ Starr unpacks the powerfu...
Memory Home: When the Place That Held You Is Gone
In this emotionally rich episode of The Psychology of Us , Professor RJ Starr explores the powerful concept of the memory home —a place that holds your story, your safety, and your sense of self—even if it’s no longer there. ...
The Psychology of Perception
In this thought-provoking episode of The Psychology of Us , Professor RJ Starr unpacks a deceptively simple statement by spiritual teacher Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: “In my world, nothing ever goes wrong.” Blending timeless ph...
Psychology of Rejection Sensitivity
Why do we fear being left out? What makes rejection feel so deeply personal? The Psychology of Us dives into the emotional terrain we all navigate—unpacking the unseen forces that shape how we think, feel, and connect. In thi...
The Psychology of Mockery: Why Some People Derive Pleasure from Other…
Why do some people take pleasure in mocking others when they’re in distress? Why is public ridicule so normalized in sports, politics, and online spaces? In this episode of The Psychology of Us , Professor RJ Starr explores t...
When All You Can Do Is Witness
When All You Can Do Is Bear Witness: The Quiet Power of Staying Present in a Hurting World In a world obsessed with action, results, and performance, what happens when all you can do is feel ? What if you’re not the one who r...
The Lie of Finding Yourself: Why Self-Authorship Is the Real Work
In this transformative episode of The Psychology of Us , Professor RJ Starr dismantles one of the most deeply ingrained myths in modern culture—the idea that you must "find yourself" to live authentically. Through the lens of...
Why We Hate to Wait: The Psychology of Patience
Why does waiting feel so unbearable? What’s happening in our minds when we’re stuck in traffic, refreshing an email inbox, or counting down the days to a big event? In this episode, Professor RJ Starr explores the psychology ...
Anywhere But Here: Longing, Escape, and the Myth of Arrival
Anywhere But Here: Longing, Escape, and the Myth of Arrival is a deeply reflective episode exploring the psychological and emotional complexity behind our desire to be somewhere else—somewhere quieter, freer, better aligned w...
The Psychology of Denial in a Crumbling America
This is a spoken narration of my essay titled You Can’t Light the Fire and Then Complain About the Heat: The Psychology of Regret, Denial, and Self-Inflicted Harm. If you’d like to read along: https://medium.com/@ProfRJStarr/...
The Psychology of Self-Preservation
The Psychology of Self-Preservation: Understanding Silence in Leadership and Everyday Life What makes a person look the other way when truth is being trampled? Why do institutions, especially those tasked with protecting the ...
Extinction Bursts – Why We Resist Change Before We Adapt
Have you ever tried to quit a habit only to find yourself indulging in it even more before finally letting go? Or ignored someone’s message, only to receive a flood of follow-ups? Welcome to the world of extinction bursts —th...
The Psychology of Emotional Unintelligence in Public Life
"The lack of emotional intelligence represented by the American populace in this thread was staggering." -------- What happens when a nation confuses outrage with strength, and cruelty with conviction? In this powerful, speci...
The Age of Shallow Learning: How Superficial Knowledge is Changing Us
We are drowning in information but starving for understanding. In today’s fast-paced digital world, we consume knowledge in bite-sized pieces—quick summaries, viral TikToks, catchy headlines—believing we’ve grasped the full p...
The Psychology of Values: How Your Beliefs Shape Your Life Choices
Why do you do what you do? Why do you think the way you think, speak the way you speak, or spend your time the way you do? In this episode of The Psychology of Us , Professor RJ Starr explores the deep psychological forces th...
Fragmented Focus: Why Our Attention Spans Are Shrinking and How to Re…
Why does it feel harder than ever to focus? Why do we skim articles, half-watch videos, and multitask endlessly without truly absorbing anything? In this episode of The Psychology of Us with Professor RJ Starr , we explore th...
The Psychology of Belief: Why We Believe What We Do
Why do people hold onto beliefs with absolute certainty, even without evidence? What makes us trust misinformation, conspiracy theories, or deeply ingrained ideas that defy logic? In this episode of The Psychology of Us , Pro...
Why People Bully: The Psychology Behind Power and Control
Bullying is more than just schoolyard cruelty—it’s a social and psychological phenomenon that follows us into adulthood, shaping self-perception, relationships, and even workplace dynamics. In this episode of The Psychology o...
The Psychology of Dishonesty: Why People Lie and How to Spot It
Why do we lie, even when the truth seems simpler? In this episode, we explore the psychology of dishonesty—what drives people to deceive, how the brain processes lying, and why some lies feel justified while others carry last...