What Is “Now”? & How to Deal with Poisonous People

Something You Should Know

Mike Carruthers | OmniCastMedia

Social Sciences, Science, Health & Fitness, Education, Self-improvement

4.5 • 4.3K Ratings

🗓️ 27 April 2026

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What if you followed people for 80 years—tracking their health, happiness, and relationships over a lifetime? That’s exactly what one of the longest-running studies ever has done, and what it reveals about how to live a good life may not be what you expect. https://www.adultdevelopmentstudy.org/ We all think we know what “now” means—until we try to define it. The present moment feels obvious, yet science struggles to explain it. Your brain doesn’t have a clear way to register “now,” and your experience of time can stretch, compress, and shift depending on what you’re doing and how you feel. Jo Marchant, science writer and author of In Search of Now: The Science of the Present Moment (https://amzn.to/4tKBvbs), explores how we experience time, why it feels different from moment to moment, and how we can become more aware participants in the way we perceive our lives unfolding. Most people have encountered someone who drains their energy, creates conflict, or leaves them feeling worse after every interaction. These “poisonous” individuals often display traits like manipulation, lack of empathy, or extreme self-centeredness. The real challenge isn’t just recognizing them—it’s knowing how to deal with them without letting them take a toll on your well-being. Dr. Leanne ten Brinke, psychologist at the University of British Columbia and author of Poisonous People: How to Resist Them and Improve Your Life (https://amzn.to/4dT7e5w), explains how to identify these patterns, why they’re so impactful, and what you can do to protect yourself. Getting too little sleep can do more than make you tired—it can change what your body craves. Interestingly, it has something in common with another behavior that also increases hunger in a very specific way—and not for the healthiest foods. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3763921/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS POCKET HOSE: For a limited time, when you purchase a new Pocket Hose Ballistic, you'll get a FREE 360 degree rotating pocket pivot and a FREE thumb drive nozzle! Just text SYSK to 64000 RULA: Thousands of people are already using Rula to get affordable, high-quality therapy that’s actually covered by insurance. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Rula.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get started. QUINCE: Refresh your wardrobe with Quince! Go to ⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! SHOPIFY: See less carts go abandoned with Shopify and their Shop Pay button! Sign up for your $1 per month trail and start selling today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ PLANET VISIONARIES : We love the Planet Visionaries podcast! In partnership with The Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. Listen or watch on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you are listening to this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I know you like interesting and thought-provoking conversations and ideas because you listen to something you should know.
0:08.8	So let me recommend another podcast I know you will enjoy. It's the Jordan Harbinger Show.
0:15.2	Jordan has a real talent for getting his guests to share stories and offer thought-provoking insights.
0:21.5	Over the years, I've sent a lot of people to listen,
0:23.9	and I get feedback from people who are so glad I introduce them to the Jordan Harbinger Show.
0:29.7	Recently, he discussed Scientology and the children who are raised in that organization.
0:35.5	It's a fascinating conversation, and he talked with Dr. Rhonda Patrick
0:39.5	about how to protect your mind and body from the modern world. And it's tougher than you think.
0:46.1	I've gotten to know Jordan pretty well. We talk frequently, and I tell you, he is a very smart,
0:51.1	insightful guy who does a hell of a podcast. Check out the Jordan Harbinger show on
0:56.1	Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Today on something you should know,
1:05.6	the best advice you may ever hear, backed by 80 years of research. Then we'll explore what time is, what is now, and how managing time can backfire.
1:16.6	The more accurately we try and measure time, the more efficiently we try and use our time,
1:21.6	the more we're trying to pack in, the less time people feel they have.
1:25.6	So this is why it's called time famine.
1:28.3	So we're living longer than ever, and yet people feel like they haven't got enough time that
1:31.3	always rush.
1:32.3	Also how the lack of sleep can make you gain weight, and the personality traits of poisonous
1:39.3	people and the damage they can do.
1:41.3	People with these personality traits by virtue of being callous and manipulative,
1:47.0	that manipulative part comes with a lot of deception.
1:50.0	When you're around these people, you know, you start to see what they're saying and the reality does not line up.
	...

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