meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Jordan Harbinger Show

1010: Participation Trophies | Skeptical Sunday

The Jordan Harbinger Show

Jordan Harbinger

Business, Education, Science

4.812.3K Ratings

🗓️ 30 June 2024

⏱️ 47 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Are participation trophies ruining kids? Jason Feifer debunks myths and reveals the surprising century-long history behind the debate on Skeptical Sunday!

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we're joined by Jason Feifer, the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine, host of the Build for Tomorrow podcast, and author of Build for Tomorrow: An Action Plan for Embracing Change, Adapting Fast, and Future-Proofing Your Career.

On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:
  • As it turns out, participation trophies aren't some newfangled millennial invention. These shiny symbols of showing up have been collecting dust on shelves since your great-grandpappy was in short pants. We're talking 1922, folks — when the biggest participation trophy was surviving the Spanish Flu!
  • All of these folks bellyaching about participation trophies probably have a few lurking in their own attics. It's like complaining about kids these days and their gimmicky rock music while air-guitaring to Led Zeppelin. Pot, meet kettle — you're both made of participation trophy material.
  • Despite what the armchair psychologists down at the local watering hole might tell you, there's no scientific evidence that participation trophies turn kids into snowflakes. As they grow, kids naturally get more interested in winning than just showing up — like trading in their tricycle for a Harley.
  • The whole participation trophy hullabaloo is less about plastic awards and more about our collective freak-out over parenting, work ethic, and why these darn kids won't get off our lawns. It's just generational anxiety dressed up in a well-worn, borrowed suit.
  • Want to level up your success game? Ditch the black-and-white thinking. Winning's got more flavors than Baskin-Robbins, so keep an open mind for what's possible. Embrace the past, eye the future, and you'll be batting home runs with life's curveballs like a pro.
  • Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know!
  • Connect with Jason Feifer at his website, Twitter, Instagram, and

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday. I'm your host Jordan Harbinger.

0:06.6

Today I'm here with Skeptical Sunday co-host Jason Fyfer.

0:09.7

He is the editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine, among other accolades, and he just finished

0:14.2

a trip abroad with two small kids, which is actually much more impressive, actually,

0:18.0

Jason, if you ask me.

0:19.5

On the Jordan Harbinger show, we decode the stories, secrets and skills of the world's most fascinating

0:23.6

people and turn their wisdom into practical advice that you can use to impact your own life and

0:28.6

those around you.

0:29.6

Our mission is to help you become a better informed, more critical thinker.

0:32.9

During the week we have long form conversations with a variety of amazing folks from spies to

0:37.0

CEOs, athletes, authors, thinkers, performers.

0:39.8

On Sundays though, we do Skeptical Sunday, we're a rotating guest co-host and I break down a topic

0:44.6

you may have never thought about and debunk common misconceptions about that topic, such as, why expiration dates

0:51.0

are nonsense, acupuncture,

0:52.6

astrology, recycling, chem trails,

0:54.8

banned foods, gMOs, toothpaste,

0:57.1

crystal healing, energy drinks, and more.

0:59.2

And if you're new to the show

1:00.4

or you want to tell your friends about the show,

1:02.0

I suggest our episode

1:03.0

starter packs these are collections of our favorite episodes on persuasion

1:06.7

negotiation psychology disinformation cyber warfare crime and cults and more

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jordan Harbinger, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Jordan Harbinger and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.