Preconceived

It can be tough to understand how so many Americans are on the "pro-gun" side of the gun debate. For many, the issue seems simple - "guns are bad, and we should do everything we can to limit them". But what is the background of gun legislation? What is the often well-informed and intelligent perspective of many people who support gun rights yet also share the same goal of lowering crime rates in t...

Society conditions us to have particular expectations regarding our careers. Many believe that our work must align with our passions. As the adage goes, if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. But is that realistic? And should blending passion with your career always be the goal? Entrepreneur Seira Flores joins the podcast to challenge the preconceptions regarding what mak...

The Death Penalty is the most severe sentence that can be passed down onto someone in the judicial system. John H. Blume of Cornell University is the Samuel F. Leibowitz Professor of Trial Techniques and the Director of the Cornell Death Penalty Project. He joins Zale to discuss the preconceptions regarding capital punishment and some of the disturbing realities of arbitrariness, unreliability and...

Yoga teacher Karina Guthrie shares her insights on yoga and what it can unlock for those who practice it. How and why did yoga in Western culture develop differently from its origins in the East? When referring to concepts like "energy" and "soul", are these meant metaphorically, or as real entities? Karina is a yoga teacher and coordinator at The Practice in Bali, Indonesia. Hosted on Acast. See...

What is like to lose your vision? What is like to live with a disability? Taylor Katzel joins the podcast to discuss his experience losing his vision from a rare hereditary condition and what it has taught him about life and disabilities in general. Does he like when people ask him about his blindness, or can it sometimes come off as odd small talk? How has losing his sight affected the various do...

We are constantly exposed to advertisements, whether we are always aware of it or not. Forbes 30-under-30 award-winning marketer Tyler Rochwerg joins the podcast to discuss which tools a marketer uses to captivate its target market, some of the ethical concerns surrounding advertisements, and some of the preconceptions about marketing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Toronto Mayor David Crombie was known as "The Tiny Perfect Mayor", and as the name reflects, he is one of Toronto's most beloved political figures from the last many decades. Mayor Crombie joins the podcast to share some thoughts on politics and to impart some wisdom on life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does one make the ever important decision of whether or not to have kids? And do enough people really approach this milestone as a conscious decision, or do their preconceptions of what a normal life entails get in the way? Merle Bombardieri, author of The Baby Decision, joins the podcast to offer her insights on the choice of having kids versus having a child-free life. Hosted on Acast. See a...

Have you ever sat down at a restaurant and felt out of sorts pretending to know which wine to order? What stories and backgrounds can be told in one bottle of wine? Sommelier Svetlana Atcheva of Pearl Morissette winery breaks down wine in a way that can help the novice appreciate it without feeling intimidated, while discussing new trends and perspectives in the global wine market. Hosted on Acast...

Zale is joined again by Eli Gladstone and Eric Silverberg of Speaker Labs for a deep dive on happiness. What makes us happy and what are some of the biggest barriers to happiness? Has the importance of happiness been exaggerated in modern culture? Zale and the guests explore and debate their different perspectives on the topic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Brian Goldman joins the podcast to discuss his latest book, "The Power of Kindness: Why Empathy is Essential in Everyday Life". Is empathy innate, or can it be learned? What are some common threads that can be found amongst the most empathic people in society? Dr. Goldman walks Zale through the journey of his worldwide search to better understand empathy and the concurrent exploration of his o...

What has led to the escalating opioid crisis in North America? Why has opioid addiction increased in recent years? What are some of the best ways to combat the problem? How does mental illness factor into one's reliance on opioids? And why is society so judgmental of those who struggle with addiction? Dr. Sarah Elliott joins the podcast to discuss the history of opioids and what has led to the cur...

In this episode from May of 2019, anthropologist Juanita Duque Serrano joins the podcast to discuss nationalism, borders and territories, and how these concepts inform the way we look at immigration. Leaning on her background in anthropology and on her own experience migrating to the United States from Colombia in 2002, Juanita delves into philosophical questions such as whether immigration is a r...

Food photographer and co-founder of food company Fidel Gastro's, Kyla Zanardi joins the podcast to discuss her experiences in Toronto’s food industry. How has social media shaped the way we look at food? How does Kyla reconcile her involvement in foodie culture with the bigger issues of hunger and waste that face society? What are some of the challenges that she has experienced as a woman in the f...

How does someone go from having no tattoos to a body covered in them? How do one's views on living in the moment, permanence and preoccupation with others' perceptions factor into one's decision to get tattoos? Oren Jourdan sits down with Zale to discuss his transformation from no tattoos to many tattoos and explains why he is just getting started! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

In the grand scheme of the universe, it can be tough to truly ascribe meaningful value to the brief and minuscule existence of our lives on earth. This can be a terrifying prospect or potentially a liberating one. Do any of our experiences in life truly hold any inherent meaning ? And if not, how do we decide to give our lives a meaning of our own choosing? Zale is joined by the owners of Speaker...

Why is it that certain fictional characters resonate so much with the public at large ? What is it that we learn from our favourite television and movie characters that we find so compelling ? Would we truly cherish our favourite characters on Game of Thrones if they were real people in our lives? How would we connect with compelling but flawed characters such as Mad Men's Don Draper if they de-fi...

People typically have strong views on abortion. What informs these views ? Is the Pro choice vs. Pro life argument an overly simplistic framework of dissecting the issue ? An obstetrician who specializes in abortion services joins the podcast to share her insights on reproductive justice and to inform our listeners regarding the medicine, legislation and ethics regarding abortion. 325450 Hosted on...

Does age really matter ? Is life so simple that it can be broken down into milestones typically associated with specific ages ? Zale breaks down the preconceptions of aging with his mother Robin Mednick, who has taken many twists and turns in her life, starting with an extensive education in law, economics and politics, but ultimately veering in completely different career paths. Robin challenges...

Welcome to Preconceived, a podcast where we examine the preconceptions that shape how we view the world and challenge the paradigms by which we have been conditioned to live our lives. We explore philosophical themes such as aging and the pursuit of happiness, examine practical issues such as mental illness and our political and economic institutions, and dive into more seemingly simple topics, su...