Proxy with Yowei Shaw

A Niche Conundrum Called Capitalism

Is manifesting legit?

Nicole Can't Stop Being Aggro

The podcast explores the emotional challenges of being a labor organizer, particularly the reliance on anger as a primary motivator and its potential drawbacks. It features Nicole, a labor organizer, and Deborah Gould, an ACT UP activist and political theorist. Gould discusses how ACT UP channeled anger to combat the A...

Proxy x Heavyweight

Bob and the Forgiveness Spell

The episode explores the complex journey of forgiveness, particularly in the context of childhood trauma, focusing on Erin's struggle to forgive her mother for a difficult upbringing marked by chaos and abuse. Erin seeks guidance from Robert Enright, a forgiveness researcher, to navigate her anger and resentment. Enrig...

A Happy Halloween Campaign Update (Last Day To Sign Up!)

Yaroslava Can't Go Home

This episode explores the experiences of individuals displaced by political violence and war, focusing on the challenges of building a new life while grappling with guilt and longing for home. Yara, a young woman from Ukraine, and Sariyah, who grew up in the West Bank, share their personal stories of displacement and t...

How This Introvert Ally Gets Along with Introverts (Plus Campaign Update)

The First Ever Extrovert-Introvert Cage Match

The podcast explores the dynamics and potential conflicts between introverts and extroverts in friendships and relationships. It highlights the common frustrations extroverts face, such as perceived poor communication and consistent cancellation of plans by introverts, which can trigger feelings of rejection. Introvert...

An Estrangement Mystery

Family estrangement often centers on the "missing missing reasons" dynamic, where adult children feel they have clearly communicated their grievances, yet parents remain genuinely bewildered. This disconnect stems from deep-seated defense mechanisms; when confronted with their failures, parents often experience a cogni...

JC's Kids Won't Talk To Her

Family estrangement creates profound emotional rifts, often leaving both parents and children feeling misunderstood and isolated. A facilitated dialogue between Chess Dugas, who cut ties with her parents, and "JC," a mother estranged from her children, reveals that while specific triggers vary, the core pain stems from...

Alex and the Impossible Ask

Independent podcasters face a persistent emotional and financial conundrum: how to solicit listener support without feeling like a grifter or succumbing to the perceived sleaziness of direct solicitation. The core challenge involves balancing transparency about production costs—the "recipe"—with the tangible value prov...

Sandy and the Silence

The silence of cisgender people regarding the surge of anti-trans legislation creates profound isolation and despair within the trans community. Journalist Sandy Ernest Allen addresses this by inviting cisgender individuals to share their motivations for supporting trans rights, revealing that personal connections, sha...

How to Cope with Now

Collective trauma and the "poly-crisis" of modern life trigger a psychological wall of denial, often leading to compassion fatigue and emotional distancing. Research into the "arithmetic of compassion" reveals that human empathy is innumerate, causing individuals to shut down when faced with overwhelming statistics of ...

Overthinking about Narcissism (from Magical Overthinkers)

Proxy Conversations with Sexual Offenders?

The Science of Trusting Your Intuition (from Science of Happiness)

Zakiya Used to Be So Fun

The podcast explores the phenomenon of personality change, particularly focusing on how life events can shift one's core characteristics. It centers on Zakiya, who identifies as a former extroverted "people person" now grappling with social anxiety and a preference for solitude after the pandemic and a series of person...

How to Break Out of 'Narrative Autopilot' [TEASER]

Amanda and the Nonstop Narrator

The podcast explores the phenomenon of narrativizing one's own life, focusing on Amanda Montell's struggle with an internal "story maker" that sometimes prevents her from fully experiencing life. Amanda fears she's living inauthentically by constantly framing her experiences as stories. Psychology professor Jonathan Ad...