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The Jordan Harbinger Show

850: Self-Help Cults | Skeptical Sunday

The Jordan Harbinger Show

Jordan Harbinger

Education, Science, Business

4.812.3K Ratings

🗓️ 25 June 2023

⏱️ 48 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Striving to better yourself is a noble pursuit, and there are plenty of legitimate resources to help you navigate this journey. But how do you protect yourself against the unscrupulous shysters lurking in the shadows looking to exploit you at this vulnerable juncture?

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and fact-checker, comedian, and podcast host David C. Smalley break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions.

On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:
  • Globally, the self-help industry brings in nearly $60 billion per year. But how much of this is generated by programs that actually help people better themselves?
  • Under the surface, many so-called self-help groups are nothing more than cults that use coercive tactics — or even abuse — to keep their "customers" in line.
  • These groups cultivate dependency among the flock while escalating the price of admission.
  • A healthy dose of skepticism and genuine connection with the outside world will help guard against such exploitation.
  • Therapy, research, and self-guided approaches are better bets for promoting genuine well-being.
  • 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 David at his website, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and make sure to check out The David C. Smalley Podcast here or wherever you enjoy listening to fine podcasts! If you like to get out of your house and catch live comedy, keep an eye on David's tour dates here and text David directly at (424) 306-0798 for tickets when he comes to your town!

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/850

This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Special thanks to Airbnb for sponsoring this episode of the Jordan Harbinger Show.

0:04.2

Maybe you've stayed at an Airbnb before and thought to yourself,

0:06.7

yeah, this actually seems pretty doable, maybe my place could be an Airbnb.

0:10.0

It could be as simple as starting with a spare room or your whole place while you're away.

0:14.0

Find out how much your place is worth at Airbnb.com slash host.

0:21.6

Welcome to the show. I'm Jordan Harbinger.

0:23.6

And this is Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of the Jordan Harbinger Show,

0:27.4

where fact checker and comedian David C. Smalley and I break down a topic that you might have never

0:32.4

even thought about. We open things up, we debunk common misconceptions.

0:36.0

Topics such as why the Olympics are kind of a sham, why expiration dates on food are mostly

0:40.7

nonsense, why tipping makes no sense and is possibly even racist, recycling,

0:44.8

band foods, toothpaste, chemtrails, maybe toothpaste is racist too, I don't know.

0:48.4

Normally on the Jordan Harbinger Show, we decode the stories, secrets and skills of the

0:52.5

world's most fascinating people and turn their wisdom into practical advice that you can use to

0:57.1

impact your own life and those around you. We have long form interviews and conversations with

1:01.5

a variety of incredible people from spies to CEOs, athletes, authors, thinkers and performers.

1:06.9

If you're new to the show or you want to tell your friends about the show, I suggest our episode

1:11.1

starter packs as a place to begin. These are collections of our favorite episodes organized by

1:15.6

topic that'll help new listeners get a taste of everything we do here on this show.

1:20.0

Topics like persuasion and influence, disinformation and cyber warfare, abnormal psychology,

1:25.2

crime and cults and more. Just visit jordanherbinger.com slash start or look in your Spotify app to get

1:31.0

started. Today on this edition of skeptical Sunday, the self-help industry is massive. There are books,

...

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