People Who Read People: A Behavior and Psychology Podcast podcast

People Who Read People: A Behavior and Psychology Podcast

This is a podcast about deciphering human behavior and understanding why people do the things they do. I, Zach Elwood, talk with people from a wide range of fields about how they make sense of human behavior and psychology. I've talked to jury consultants, interrogation professionals, behavior researchers, sports analysts, professional poker players, to name a few. There are more than 135 episodes, many of them quite good (although some say I'm biased). To learn more, go to PeopleWhoReadPeople.com.

This is a podcast about deciphering human behavior and understanding why people do the things they do. I, Zach Elwood, talk with people from a wide range of fields about how they make sense of human behavior and psychology. I've talked to jury consultants, interrogation professionals, behavior researchers, sports analysts, professional poker players, to name a few. There are more than 135 episodes, many of them quite good (although some say I'm biased). To learn more, go to PeopleWhoReadPeople.com.

 

#192

Does contempt for Trump voters help Trump? Are we in a feedback loop?

For many people, Trump represents a uniquely dangerous figure in American history. But wha... more

23 Nov 2025

37 MINS

37:43

23 Nov 2025


#191

The Orgasmic Meditation story: Origins and psychology of OneTaste and Nicole Daedone

I talk with journalist Ellen Huet, whose new book Empire of Orgasm digs into the strange o... more

18 Nov 2025

1 HR 13 MINS

1:13:30

18 Nov 2025


#190

Can behavior clusters help determine a lie? Tim Levine on deception detection science

Many people think there are telltale signs of lying — shifty eyes, nervous fidgeting, mayb... more

13 Nov 2025

52 MINS

52:51

13 Nov 2025


#189

Tracking people over terrain: What's real, what's fiction?

Have you ever wondered how tracking people actually works? You’ve probably seen a lot of H... more

26 Oct 2025

50 MINS

50:34

26 Oct 2025


#188

NLP pseudoscience and its use by Chase Hughes and other con artists and deceptive faux-gurus

You’ve probably heard of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). It’s a popular thing. It’s th... more

20 Oct 2025

2 HR 21 MINS

2:21:10

20 Oct 2025


#187

Is the internet a methamphetamine of the masses?

Is it possible that internet communication, by speeding up and distorting our interactions... more

14 Oct 2025

38 MINS

38:37

14 Oct 2025


#186

"They're the violent, crazy ones!": How polarization warps our views of our political opponents

A major barrier to reducing toxic polarization is that so many of us—especially those who ... more

06 Oct 2025

20 MINS

20:40

06 Oct 2025


#185

Are you and I (and everyone) the same person? A talk on Open Individualism with Joe Kern

What if your sense of existence, your self-awareness, isn’t unique at all—but the very sam... more

27 Sep 2025

1 HR 36 MINS

1:36:03

27 Sep 2025


#184

The psychology of Bad Vegan: Sarma Melngailis on narcissistic abuse and life after

The documentary "Bad Vegan" was about Sarma Melngailis’s nightmarish journey from successf... more

08 Sep 2025

1 HR 28 MINS

1:28:32

08 Sep 2025


#183

The surprising power of nostalgia — and how it can be used on you

What does nostalgia do to our minds — and our wallets? In this talk with Jannine Lasaleta,... more

31 Aug 2025

1 HR 01 MINS

1:01:07

31 Aug 2025


#182

My life-changing experience with meditation

In the summer of 2024, I went on a five-day solo retreat in the mountains of New Mexico. I... more

19 Aug 2025

37 MINS

37:57

19 Aug 2025


#181

Are you a psychopath? Debunking myths and looking for nuance in "dark" traits

What does the word “psychopath” really mean—and how often are we getting it wrong? Can som... more

09 Aug 2025

1 HR 08 MINS

1:08:13

09 Aug 2025