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The Angry Therapist Podcast

Why You Feel Empty Even When You’re Doing Everything Right

The Angry Therapist Podcast

John Kim

Mental Health, Health & Fitness

4.61.1K Ratings

🗓️ 18 February 2026

⏱️ 20 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What if the thing shaping almost every decision you make is happening quietly — without you realizing it? John breaks down a powerful idea from psychologist and Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman: there are two selves at play — the experiencing self (who lives life moment-to-moment) and the remembering self (who tells the story and makes most decisions). When those two don’t agree, you can end up living a life that looks “right” on paper… but still feels empty inside. MENTIONED / LINKS (Daniel Kahneman – Nobel Prize) Nobel Prize profile (2002, Economic Sciences): https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/2002/kahneman/facts/ Daniel Kahneman (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman Thinking, Fast and Slow (book): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow PRACTICAL TAKEAWAYS (2-QUESTION FILTER) Before a major decision (work, love, moves, commitments), ask: “How does this feel in my body right now?” “When you look back on this in 5 years, will I be glad I did it?” 🎙️ Host Links: 📘 Read John’s new book in progress Sh*t Your Therapist Would Never Tell You on John’s SubStack ⁠HERE⁠ If you’re ready for deeper work, the Secure Self course is available HERE Order John's new book, Break Up. On Purpose,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow John on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find out more about John⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

When was the last time you had space to feel?

0:04.0

With the National Trust, you might just find life standing still under towering trees.

0:10.0

Maybe you'll find connection among the stories of the past,

0:15.0

or a moment to disconnect from it all on a mountainside.

0:20.0

Whatever you're feeling, wherever you are, with the National Trust, you can make space to feel.

0:29.6

And you know, when you think about your relationship with your exes, right?

0:33.6

It's the remembering self that is playing that story.

0:36.6

And a lot of times, remembering self plays back the highlight reel.

0:41.6

The remembering self with me when I think about the 80s is playing back the highlight

0:44.7

reel for sure.

0:46.1

Here's the key point or the key part.

0:48.6

Your remembering self makes most of your decisions.

0:52.0

And this is what I want to drive home today. It isn't the actual truth

0:57.0

of what happened. It's you telling yourself a story about what happened. And based on that,

1:05.0

you make your decisions. I'm John Kim, a licensed therapist who used to be a miserable f*** before going on a hero's journey and turning expired relationships into revelations.

1:17.9

I use my story to help others come with you instead of at you, unrehearsed on purpose, because self-help doesn't have to be polished or complicated.

1:28.5

Just honest.

1:40.8

I want to talk to you about something that quietly shapes almost every decision that you make.

1:46.1

I know it sounds dramatic and extreme, but I'm telling you, and this is so fascinating,

1:51.8

and you're making decisions without you actually realizing it. And it comes from psychologist and Nobel Prize winner, Daniel Kahneman. And here's the idea. It's the idea that you're not

1:59.2

just one self. There are two of you.

2:02.1

And I'm not talking about parts work.

...

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