Best Honest Dialogue Podcasts (2025)

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#425 - What Russians Believe About Russia: A Dialogue with Paul Chaisty & Stephen Whitefield 1:30:35

2d ago1:30:35

1:30:35

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Paul Chaisty and Stephen Whitefield about public opinion in Russia. They discuss Russia’s transformation since the fall of the Soviet Union, Consolidation and contestation within Russia’s hybrid political economy, and generational changes under Putin. They talk about authoritarianism, collecting p…

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#424 - Reforming Our Institutions: A Dialogue with Yuval Levin 1:10:13

6d ago1:10:13

1:10:13

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Yuval Levin about the importance of reforming our institutions. They discuss why institutions are important, individuals and institutions, slow change with institutions, and the mistrust and dislike of institutions. They also make the case for elites, building broad political coalitions, Trump’s 2…

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#423 - Changing Personality: A Dialogue with Olga Khazan 59:46

9d ago59:46

59:46

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Olga Khazan on whether one could change their personality. They discuss why someone would want to change their personality, constancy over the lifespan, and why she used the BIG-5. They talk about extroversion and connection, neuroticism and mindfulness, openness to experience, conscientiousness, …

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I Didn’t Feel Seen Until I Started Podcasting (with Emili Johnson) 45:30

10d ago45:30

45:30

In this episode, I’m joined by Emili Johnson, creator of the Black Girl Iowa podcast. Emili shares how starting a podcast became a powerful act of self-love and resistance. We talk about finding your voice when you’ve spent years feeling invisible, navigating mental health as a Black woman in Iowa, and the unexpected burnout that comes with podcast…

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#422 - The Power of Behavioral Genetics: A Dialogue with Robert Plomin 1:45:08

12d ago1:45:08

1:45:08

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Robert Plomin on behavioral genetics. They discuss why behavioral genetics has explanatory power, heritability, genetics and psychological research, SNPs, GWAS, and epigenetics. They also talk about shared and non-shared environments, twin models and adoption models, heritability and cognitive abi…

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#421 - Beauty and the gods: A Dialogue with Hugo Shakeshaft 1:04:36

17d ago1:04:36

1:04:36

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Hugo Shakeshaft about ancient greeks ideas about beauty and the gods. They discuss beauty in ancient Greece and its impact on modern times, architecture and beauty, beauty and aesthetics, and the gods and beauty. They talk about the relationship between humans and the gods, superficial and deeper …

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Beyond Talk Therapy: A Journey of Trauma, Healing & Psychedelics with Alex Abraham 36:22

17d ago36:22

36:22

Send us a text Tune into this deeply personal conversation with Alex Abraham, author of Trauma and Ecstasy. Alex shares his deeply personal journey through repressed childhood trauma, including sexual abuse and its physical manifestations. He candidly discusses the limitations of traditional healing methods like talk therapy in addressing deep-seat…

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#420 - Translating Homer's The Odyssey: A Dialogue with Daniel Mendelsohn 1:20:52

19d ago1:20:52

1:20:52

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Daniel Mendelsohn on his new English translation of Homer’s The Odyssey. They discuss the massive impact of The Odyssey, major themes in the Odyssey, authorship, and translation for our time. They talk about the lines and meter of the Odyssey in English, oral to written form, adapting the Odyssey,…

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#419 - Resisting Groupthink, Embracing Nuance: A Dialogue with Jenara Nerenberg 1:23:04

24d ago1:23:04

1:23:04

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jenara Nerenberg about the importance of nuance thinking and healthy dialogue with others. They discuss self-censoring, groupthink, rise of gurus, podcasters, and influencer culture. They also talk about heterodox thinking, ethics of speaking to a larger audience, healthy dialogue with others, and…

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#418 - Sex Is A Spectrum: A Dialogue with Agustín Fuentes 1:26:36

26d ago1:26:36

1:26:36

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Agustín Fuentes about biological sex. They talk about the history of sex evolution, the importance of gametes, intersex individuals, and history of sex binary. They talk about gonads and hormones, sex variation in the animal kingdom, spectrum question, gender, gender and sports, gender and bathroo…

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Suffering in Silence - A Story of Trauma & Recovery with Captain Adam Meyers 1:01:08

1M ago1:01:08

1:01:08

Send us a text In this deeply personal interview, Police Captain, Adam Meyers bravely shares his journey following a critical shooting incident in 2016, the subsequent struggles with trauma, depression, and unhealthy coping mechanisms, and his eventual path to recovery and mental health advocacy. This powerful conversation cuts through the often st…

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Pressure, Identity & Mental Health as a Creative 37:37

1M ago37:37

37:37

Steven Lewis joins the show to talk pressure, identity, and mental health as a creative. From routines to social media stress, we unpack how to stay grounded while building your brand. Mental Health Resources: Therapy for Black Men: https://therapyforblackmen.org NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): https://nami.org Mental Health America: ht…

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#417 - The Golden Road: Ancient India and the World: A Dialogue with William Dalrymple 58:56

1M ago58:56

58:56

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with William Dalrymple about India and the Golden Road. They define the Golden Road of ancient India, discuss evidence other cultures interacted with India, and discuss the spread of Buddhism out of India. They talk about similarities and differences with the Silk Road, Kushans and Scythians, Hinduism,…

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Mental Health, Murals & Representation 24:50

1M ago24:50

24:50

What does inclusive public art look like when it comes from lived experience? In this episode of Coffee Can’t Fix Everything, I sit down with Marissa Hernandez—a artist from the Des Moines art scene—to talk about mental health, faceless portraits, and how her murals bring representation and healing to public spaces across Iowa. Topics we cover: Art…

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#416 - A New History of the Americas: A Dialogue with Greg Grandin 1:20:49

1M ago1:20:49

1:20:49

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Greg Grandin about a new history of the Americas. They discuss the term “American,” landscape of the Americas in pre-colonial years, Spanish colonialism, British colonialism, and the American and French Revolutions. They talk about Bolívar and Gran Colombia, the Monroe Doctrine, FDR’s new deal in …

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Transform your Life Now 0:21

1M ago0:21

0:21

1. “Broke is Temporary. Wealth is a Mindset.” Voiceover: “Being broke is just a situation. But staying broke? That’s a mindset. Change how you think. Change your money story.” “Follow for daily financial motivation!”

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#415 - Off The Spectrum: Autism and Females: A Dialogue with Gina Rippon 1:30:47

1M ago1:30:47

1:30:47

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Gina Rippon about autism in females. They discuss the increase in autism cases, defining autism, and origins of autism. They also talk about the history of the autism diagnosis, identity, current diagnostic criteria, specific presentations in females, neurological features, eating disorders, futur…

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Exploring Positive Masculinity for Gender Equity with Chelepe Mocwana 1:17:09

1M ago1:17:09

1:17:09

Send us a text In this episode Kgaugelo Habyane engages in an insightful discussion with Chelepe Mocwana. We explore the complexities of positive masculinities as a vital tool for achieving gender equity. Chelepe shares his experiences and perspectives on redefining masculinity beyond patriarchal norms, emphasising the importance of empathy, self-a…

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#414 - Death and the Afterlife in the Ancient World: A Dialogue with Robert Garland 1:25:13

2M ago1:25:13

1:25:13

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Robert Garland about death in the ancient world. They talk about how ancient cultures considered death, beginnings of understanding death, process of dying, funerals, different cultural beliefs about the afterlife, caring for the bodies of the deceased, afterlife for non-believers, and many more t…

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#413 - Single Motherhood Since 1980: A Dialogue with Nicholas Wolfinger & Matthew McKeever 1:26:43

2M ago1:26:43

1:26:43

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Nicholas Wolfinger and Matthew McKeever about single motherhood since 1980. They discuss major causes of single motherhood, income, workforce change, teenage mothers, and low fertility rates. They also talk about the differences between divorced vs. non-married mothers, income and family size, rac…

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#412 - The Neuroscience of Choice and Change: A Dialogue with Emily Falk 58:06

2M ago58:06

58:06

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Emily Falk about the neuroscience of choice and change. They discuss studying values, strengths and limits of fMRIs, value system in the brain, reward system, making choices, the self, making future choices, values with others, and many more topics. Emily Falk is professor of Communication, Psycho…

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#411 - A History of the Female Body: A Dialogue with Helen King 1:16:05

2M ago1:16:05

1:16:05

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Helen King about the history of the female body. The give an overview of the four parts (breasts, clitoris, hymen, womb) of the female body and discuss how medicine shaped positive and negative ideas about the female body. They talk about breasts, clitoris, female genital mutilation, hymen, womb, …

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#410 - The Social Genome: A Dialogue with Dalton Conley 1:24:58

2M ago1:24:58

1:24:58

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Dalton Conley about the social genome. They discuss the nature/nurture debate, polygenic index (PGI), and ethics of PGI and Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) studies. They give some critiques of The Bell Curve, three major Gene-Environmental interactions (active, passive, reactive), epigeneti…

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Designing Meaningful Moments of Pause with Charles Achampong 48:32

2M ago48:32

48:32

Send us a text Join Kgaugelo Habyane in this insightful conversation with Charles Achampong as they explore the importance of family time, the transformative power of travel, and the necessity of creating moments of pause in our busy lives. Charles shares his experiences from taking a year-long trip around the world with his family and the profound…

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#409 - Animals as Doctors of Nature: A Dialogue with Jaap de Roode 1:15:16

2M ago1:15:16

1:15:16

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jaap de Roode about how animals heal themselves. They discuss whether animals intentionally or unintentionally seek out medicinal plants, four ways animals fight infection, Monarch butterflies and treating against parasites, chimps and their gut health. They also talk about birds using cigarettes …

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God, Guilt, and What the Hell Comes Next 1:35:39

2M ago1:35:39

1:35:39

In a world where religion has done as much harm as good, what does faith even mean anymore? In this episode, we talk with Tona Rowett and Michelle Scott-Huffman about what happens when belief gets messy, and how people are reclaiming spiritual identity after trauma. We get into the damage done by the Church, the quiet power of personal theology, an…

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Shifting From Debate To Dialogue with Rooken Podesta 45:58

2M ago45:58

45:58

Send us a text "What are you trying to take care of?" – a simple yet powerful question that shifts the way we engage in conversations. In a world where men are often told to suppress emotions, solve problems alone, and dominate rather than dialog, how do we create space for deeper, more meaningful connections? Rooken Podesta is the perfect man to e…

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#408 - The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire: A Dialogue with Henry Gee 1:57:05

3M ago1:57:05

1:57:05

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Henry Gee about the decline and fall of the human species. They discuss the lifetime and decline of a species, when humans began to decline, what does it mean to be human, bipedalism, Homo Erectus, and slow human growth. They also talk about domestication and disease impacting humans, overpopulati…

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#407 - Baddeley's Model of Working Memory: A Dialogue with Alan Baddeley 1:48:56

3M ago1:48:56

1:48:56

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alan Baddeley about his model of working memory. They define short-term memory, metacognition, overview of memory, memory loss and self-identity, and chunking in working memory. They talk about the levels of processing model, attention and working memory, overview of his multi-component model of w…

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#406 - Polar Science in the Arctic and Antarctica: A Dialogue with Neil Shubin 58:59

3M ago58:59

58:59

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Neil Shubin about polar science in the arctic and Antarctica. They discuss polar science, Arctic and Antarctica, hot ice, blue ice, life under the Antarctic ice, fossil discoveries, meteorites, climate change, and many other topics. Neil Shubin is a Paleontologist and Evolutionary Biologist. He is…

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#405 - The Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis: A Dialogue with C. Daniel Batson 1:00:34

3M ago1:00:34

1:00:34

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with C. Daniel Batson about his work on empathy and altruism. They discuss the empathy-altruism hypothesis, Bloom’s work on empathy, empathic concern, egoistic and altruistic motives, cooperation, future of altruism/empathy research, and many more topics. C. Daniel Batson is a social psychologist and E…

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Leading Through Life: Navigating Disappointment, Balance, and Growth 40:09

3M ago40:09

40:09

In this episode of Coffee Can’t Fix Everything, we sit down for a raw and insightful conversation on the realities of leadership, parenting, and personal growth. We dive into the mental health challenges that come with leading in both professional and personal spaces, the impact of burnout, and how to develop emotional resilience in the face of set…

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National Divorce: A Bad Idea, or Inevitable? | Elijah Haahr 2:13:34

3M ago2:13:34

2:13:34

In this episode of Middle Outcast, we talk with Elijah Haahr, former Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives, about the shifting landscape of American politics. We discuss how long-form conversations are changing political engagement, the role of social media in deepening polarization, and whether the United States is truly headed for a na…

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#404 - Socrates and Living A Philosophical Life: A Dialogue with Agnes Callard 1:16:29

3M ago1:16:29

1:16:29

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Agnes Callard about Socrates and living a philosophical life. They discuss untimely questions, intellectual intimacy, savage commands, socratic ethics, truth inquiries, living a philosophical life, and many more topics. Agnes Callard is a philosopher and Associate Professor of philosophy and Direc…

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#403 - Land Power: A Dialogue with Michael Albertus 1:23:48

3M ago1:23:48

1:23:48

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Michael Albertus about land power. They define land power, land sovereignty, and discuss land ownership. They talk about the great reshuffle, settler reforms, collective reforms, land-to-tiller reforms, and cooperative reforms. They discuss federal vs. private lands, 1860 Homestead Act, land and r…

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#402 - The Age Of Choice: A Dialogue with Sophia Rosenfeld 1:17:07

3M ago1:17:07

1:17:07

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Sophia Rosenfeld about the modern history of choice. They discuss the concept of choice in different domains of society, choice and freedom in liberalism and neoliberalism, choice in shopping, choice in religion, choosing romantic partners, choice in politics, choice in reproductive rights, and ma…

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Reclaiming Communal Love Among Men 21:02

3M ago21:02

21:02

Send us a text In a world where violence, disconnection, and individualism seem to overshadow compassion, we ask: Where’s the love? In this episode of Manned Up Conversations, we explore the concept of communal love a love that affirms, nurtures, and holds space for men to express care, support, and connection. We dive into African philosophies lik…

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#401 - Intent to Destroy: The Ukraine-Russian War: A Dialogue with Eugene Finkel 1:20:42

3M ago1:20:42

1:20:42

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Eugene Finkel about the Ukraine-Russian War. They discuss Russia’s 200 year crusade to end Ukraine, identity, shared histories, and impact of Mongol and Ottoman empires. They talk about the Donbas and Crimea regions, Putin’s version of history, Galicia and Eastern Front in WWI, Ukraine independenc…

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Forgiveness vs. Healing: Overcoming Trauma with Courageous Fire 34:05

4M ago34:05

34:05

In this episode of Coffee Can’t Fix Everything, I sit down with Courageous Fire, a survivor, advocate, and author of The Other Child. We unpack the complicated relationship between forgiveness and healing—why they aren’t always the same and why choosing self-compassion over forced forgiveness can be the key to true healing. Courageous shares her jo…

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The Art of Saying No: Making Decisions That Align with Your Goals 26:56

4M ago26:56

26:56

#229 The Art of Saying No & How to Not Feel Guilty About It ;) Welcome back to Burnout to Brilliance! Kelly here, joined by my amazing co-host, Sarah. If you’ve ever felt stretched too thin—juggling everyone else’s demands while your own goals slip through the cracks—then this episode on The Art of Saying No is for you. We’re digging into why “no” …

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#400 - The Extinction of Experience: A Dialogue with Christine Rosen 1:14:56

4M ago1:14:56

1:14:56

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Christine Rosen about changes in our experiences within today’s society. They talk about the value of human experience, speed of change with technology, becoming users not individuals, embodied experience, and spatiality. They also discuss audience capture, institutional reform, our future experie…

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How to Overcome Procrastination and Take Action 31:02

4M ago31:02

31:02

#228 How to Take Action & Overcome Procrastination Welcome back to Burnout to Brilliance! Sarah here, joined by my awesome co-host, Kelly. Have you ever stared at your to-do list while binge-watching yet another Netflix show? Today’s episode is all about How to Overcome Procrastination and Take Action—especially when fear, overwhelm, or good old Ne…

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The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions 16:07

4M ago16:07

16:07

Send us a text Shoutout to you if you're joining us for the first time, and thank you for coming back to listen; your support is greatly appreciated. The first episode for 2025 is inspired by Ms Lauryn Hill's Motives and Thoughts, The Trial of Socrates and some of Carl Jung's shadow work. As we go into this transition period (our last pefect square…

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#399 - A Christian Democracy?: A Dialogue with Jonathan Rauch 1:15:26

4M ago1:15:26

1:15:26

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jonathan Rauch about the impact of Christianity on democracy in the United States. They discuss Christianity without dogma, why secular America should care about Christianity, and if a secular religion is possible. They talk about why people are less religious, evangelical Christians aligned with …

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Letting Go of Perfectionism: The Courage to Be Imperfect 27:36

4M ago27:36

27:36

#227 Letting Go of Perfectionism: The Courage to Be Imperfect Welcome back to Burnout to Brilliance! Kelly here, joined by my wonderful co-host, Sarah. If you’ve ever caught yourself rewriting the same email 10 times or feeling anxious because something isn’t “perfect,” this episode is for you. We’re tackling a powerful (and freeing) concept: Letti…

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Who? 32:46

4M ago32:46

32:46

In this episode of Middle Outcast, we take a step back and introduce ourselves—Tom and Myke—and share the stories that shaped who we are today. From Myke's journey as a Midwest tinkerer turned community-building tech guru to Tom’s path from a small-town kid to a Marine Corps veteran with a passion for creating and problem-solving, we explore the un…

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#398 - The New India: A Dialogue with Rahul Bhatia 1:40:08

4M ago1:40:08

1:40:08

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Rahul Bhatia about the many recent changes in India. They provide an overview of the recent social changes in India, the Citizenship Act and National Register, Citizenship based on religion, protests against the Citizenship Act, history of the RSS, Infosys, Modi, and many more topics. Rahul Bhatia…

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