What does the word “psychopath” really mean—and how often are we getting it wrong? Can someone have some psychopathic traits and still be empathetic? How often are we embracing simplistic ideas of what the terms psychopath and sociopath mean? Are those online “Are you a psychopath?” quizzes harmless fun, or could they actually shape how we see ourselves? And ... Show More
Mar 3
Con man Chase Hughes' military record versus his grandiose claims
How does someone who makes wildly grandiose claims about mind control, interrogation mastery, neuroscience credentials, and secret military psychology operations gain more than 1.5 million YouTube subscribers—and land appearances on shows like Joe Rogan and Diary of a CEO—without ... Show More
1h 29m
Feb 26
Epstein Hysteria! Moral panic and dumb overreactions from Kyle Kulinski, others
The Epstein files release has resulted in many people seeming to lose their minds: engaging in moral panic, having hysterical overreactions, filtering for worst-case interpretations of ambiguous data, images, and emails. Using a video from the political influencer Kyle Kulinski ( ... Show More
29m 29s
Feb 21
Is your existence improbable? Or inevitable? Exploring universalism with Arnold Zuboff
Many view the fact that they are here, experiencing the world, as something insanely improbable... but what if it were instead entirely inevitable? The philosopher Arnold Zuboff walks us through a mind-bending argument, which he calls universalism (aka open individualism), where ... Show More
1h 27m
Aug 2025
The Sociopaths Among Us: How to Spot (and Avoid) a Dark Triad
Have you ever had an abusive boss, a partner who gaslit you at every turn, or a friend who always seemed to bend the truth? You might have crossed paths with someone in the Dark Triad.On this episode of Office Hours, I’m diving into a topic that doesn’t create happiness but often ... Show More
47m 44s
Jan 2018
Psychopathy with Michael A. Cummings M.D.
In this episode, Dr. Cummings and I discuss psychopathy: the fearless, empathyless people, who see others as objects, and have the inability to attach within relationships. Dr. Michael Cummings recently contributed to a book called "Violence in Psychiatry," detailing the biologic ... Show More
56m 46s
Sep 2024
The Dark Triad: Dealing with Narcissists, Sociopaths, and Other Toxic People
Dr. Rick and Forrest unpack the "Dark Triad" of personality traits - narcissism, Machiavellianism, and sociopathy - and explore how these traits can manifest in everyday relationships. They talk about how individuals with these tendencies use charm and manipulation to control sit ... Show More
1h 14m
<p>AN INTERACTIVE TRANSCRIPT IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS EPISODE: <a href='https://share.descript.com/view/PDj7Wi7M2oS'>https://share.descript.com/view/PDj7Wi7M2oS</a> or on <a href='https://stanfordpsypod.substack.com/'>OUR SUBSTACK</a><br/><br/>Eric chats with Delroy Paulhus, Profess ... Show More
