BeatYourGenes
Beat Your Genes Podcast
Evolutionary psychology with Dr. Doug Lisle, PhD and Nathan Gershfeld, D.C.Most psychology advice treats your brain like a broken machine. Beat Your Genes starts somewhere different: your instincts aren't broken. They're just optimized for a Stone Age environment that no longer exists. Dr. Lisle - Evolutionary psychologist, former Stanford lecturer, and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - has spent decades developing frameworks that explain human behavior from the ground up. Nathan Gershfeld, D.C. - trained first as an electrical engineer and then spent 14 years as a Doctor of Chiropractic. He br...
Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: beatyourgenes.org
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Episodes
371: Evo Psych Didn't Ruin Anything, You're Just Focused on the Scary Part 11.12.2025 1:07:24
0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 02:42 Q1: Listener struggles with finding meaning and motivation after embracing an evolutionary-psychology worldview that feels deterministic and uncomfortable. 7:03 The start of psychotherapy 17:00 Life problems are competitive 33:10 You're not better off not knowing about human nature 49:07 Everybody knows the truth, deep down 1:05:04 Final thoughts Q1: This podcast...
370: Chasing vs. Coasting: Why the Dynamics Change for Both Sexes 19.11.2025 57:38
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 01:51 Q1: Are men destined to hold more power in relationships due to women being the higher investment party? 09:23 What are relationships? 18:08 Are women the only ones who need affirmation & esteem signals? 34:30 What do we need in a relationship? 46:32 The only...
369: Love - The Glue Between Anxious Women and Wandering Men 06.11.2025 47:22
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 02:25 Q1: When Neuroticism Sees the Breakup Coming Before He Does 11:25 Small Adjustments vs Sudden shifts 20:30 Analyzing key parameters 36:20 Q2: Pair Bonding: Nature's Anti-Chippy Software Update 45:15 Final thoughts Q1: I am a female scoring high on the vulnerabil...
368: Great Romance vs. Great Regret… PLUS: Can the "Least Attractive" Still Be Happy? 01.10.2025 1:04:00
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 04:03 Q1: Married for 20 years but never loved him 21:10 Using the written word to express yourself 40:55 Q2: Can the "least attractive" still find sexual satisfaction and happiness? 1:03:25 Final thoughts Q1: I have been married to my husband for 20 years, we are bo...
367: Emotional Affairs: A Modern Problem in an Ancient Brain 19.09.2025 1:04:09
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 01:08 Q1: Emotional Affairs – Is there such a thing? Is this a modern phenomenon? 16:20 Human Love instincts 24:10 A modern day problem 46:46 Can you prevent an emotional affair? 1:02:45 Final thoughts Q1: Does Dr. Lisle believe in such a thing as an emotional affair...
366: Closing an Open Loop – Friend Disappeared 17 years ago 11.09.2025 51:46
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 01:40 Q1: My friend went missing 17 years. How can I get closure? 14:14 Getting familiar with different causes of death 33:23 Trying to find out what you're worried about 51:30 Final thoughts Q1: My question is about closing an open loop when it is impossible to get c...
365: Hustle Culture, Burnout, and the Evolution of Self Esteem 22.08.2025 1:12:26
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 02:56 Q1: Do we call people lazy to excuse ourselves or to change them? 12:42 Q2:If goals bring esteem, why so much burnout? 28:20 Who gets burned out most often? 44:44 Evolution of Self esteem 1:10:20 Final thoughts Q1: Is the attribution of 'laziness' to others a form...
364: Marriage: Nature's Most Optimistic Mistake? 07.08.2025 58:35
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 01:50 Q1: What factors can predict divorce? 18:20 The Love Instinct 50:14 Q2: If marriage reduces effort to earn esteem, how can a woman feel secure having kids—and is it her job to vet the man well enough not to leave? 56:44 Final thoughts Q1: Can you speculate/attem...
363: Too Anxious to Relax, Too Average to Admire? 23.07.2025 56:25
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 02:00 Q1: Too neurotic to ever feel truly calm? 18:26 Recommending an expert in anxiety & OCD 31:55 Q2: If I think I'm a 7 but men treat me like a 3, who's right—me or evolution? 54:30 Final thoughts Q1: Dear Dr. Lisle, I'm a big fan of yours and have come to understa...
362: Esteem, Friendship, and Finding Your People 11.07.2025 48:12
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 02:48 Q1: Regarding Episode 27 "How to make great friends", Could DDL address more specifically how to make great friends? Similarly he has said we should earn esteem in the right way from the people who matter. How do we know what the right way is, and how do we identi...
361: Lingering Loyalties, Distant Intimacies 25.06.2025 44:31
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 04:25. Q1: Divorced dad entangled with ex 12:28 Genetic commitment calculations 27:14 Q2: Stuck with a closed-off boyfriend 33:53 Hugging an un-huggable friend 42:09 Final thoughts Q1: Any advice for a divorced dad who is still entangled with his ex wife? We have been d...
360: Affairs, Flares, and Fantasy Matches 12.06.2025 1:16:23
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 02:41 Q1: How common are affairs? Is this typical human behavior? 34:12 Q2: Am I broken or just in the wrong pair bond? 57:40 Tenacious Delusions in Psychology 1:15:35 Final thoughts Q1: Can Dr. Lisle talk about the frequency of affairs, particularly in modern western...
359: When They Stop Caring: Hygiene, Hope & His Libido 29.05.2025 54:41
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 04:31 Q1: My daughter doesn't care about her appearance – could it be more than just preference? 14:32 Q2: Our 42 year old dependent daughter said she'll kill herself after we die 32:35 Communication & Negotiation 39:06 Q3: My pot-smoking husband's libido has decrease...
358: Pretty Girls, Cold Feet, and Estrogen Dreams 16.05.2025 45:55
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 01:35 Q1: I'm pretty but my ugly competitors are getting plastic surgery! 19:05 Q2: My big, expensive wedding is coming up… but I don't want to get married anymore 27:59 Q3: Can I increase my estrogen to get more beautiful? 44:28 Final thoughts Q1: You say that a wo...
357: Loving the Irrational, Living with the Stuck, Losing the One 01.05.2025 59:44
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 01:39 Q1: I've alerted my wife that she has distortions, but she still has them! 18:53 Irrational emotions vs distortions 29:48 Q2: Why would someone complain about their job but do nothing differently? 47:51 Q3: How can I get over the loss of my husband? 57:33 Final th...
356: You Want Them to Change—But Will They? Suicide, Marijuana, and Sobriety 17.04.2025 1:14:47
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips 0:32 Q1 Nephew is suicidal, but he called to tell me 09:19 The psychology of suicide 30:08 Follow up question from E355 37:20 Q2 My husband is addicted to marijuana – can he change? 53:07 Q3: I'm one month sober – can it last? 1:14:19 Conclusion Q1: What do you do when a family...
355: I Married Him to Have Kids... Now He Doesn't Want Them! 03.04.2025 44:57
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips 0:22 Q1 H usband just decided he no longer wants kids 18:08 What could have gone wrong? 27:01 Cinderella Effect 32:06 Q2 I'm pregnant and need emotional support, but my husband is focused on his business 44:10 Conclusion Q1: I'm a 39 year old woman and my husband has just d...
354: Can't Lower Your Standards? That's Not a Flaw – It's Your Biology. 20.03.2025 46:48
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. Q1: How does one know if or when it is time to settle in dating? I'm 45 years old and have only dated men who I would consider a friend, and have never met anyone who excites me like a romantic partner would. Therefore, I let these men go, kept looking for the next best thing and never found it....
353: Wife hired an escort while I was working, Going to grad school to find a rich husband, Strategies for getting revenge 06.03.2025 1:10:23
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 0:51 My wife hired an escort but says it wasn't technically cheating! 19:01 I'm going to grad school to find a rich husband, but I'm not that into it 40:38 Scratching the psychological itch to get revenge Question 1: Dear Dr. Lisle, I'm a 38 year old male and I work ve...
352: My son is demoralized! I married for money 25 years ago, now what? I love my partner, but I want some comparison 21.02.2025 53:21
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. 0:00 Teaser Clips & Intro 1:09 My son doesn't work, spends all day in his room, and lacks interest or motivation 17:08 What causes motivation? 21:40 I married a man I don't love 25 years ago 42:24 Very happy with my partner of 12 years, but want to experience someone else as a comparison Que...
351: What is Transference and Counter-transference in a Psycho-therapeutic relationshiop? Is this Freudian concept out-dated? 05.02.2025 49:31
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with co-host, Nathan Gershfeld. In today's show, Dr. Lisle discusses a listener's question about transference and counter-transference. 0:00 Intro 0:57 Question #1 2:46 A synopsis of psycho-dynamic thinking 9:36 Psycho-dynamic thinking is naïve and bizarre 11:21 What is a therapeutic relationship 20:10 Attraction can o...
350: Are women delusional,humble, or just right about how hot they are? What is "the Magic 10%"? Listener wants to know why she fantasizes about women while with boyfriend, Listener is puzzled by choices of family member with aggressive cancer 22.01.2025 56:53
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with host, Nathan Gershfeld. In today's show, we discuss a recent survey reported by survey artist, @Aella_Girl (on X). This survey reveals some interesting deductions about human mating difficulties in finding our "Magic 10%". Dr. Lisle explains what the term "Magic 10%" means, and we then go over 2 listener questions – th...
349: "Going crazy" after cheating on husband, Are there limitations to Personality or Intelligence tests? Are problematic/disagreeable co-workers less estrogenized? Follow-up question from E347 09.01.2025 1:11:05
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with host, Nathan Gershfeld. In today's show, Dr. Lisle discusses the idea of "going crazy", a question about personality and intelligence testing, a question about disagreeable co-workers, and a follow-up from episode 347. 0:00 Teaser Clips 1:23 Question 1: Woman cheats on her husband then snaps 9:57 Can it be induced by ps...
348: Dr. Lisle's Book Update, Friend acting unbothered following his wife's death 26.12.2024 49:50
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with host, Nathan Gershfeld. In today's show, Dr. Lisle gves us an update on his upcoming book, and we take a question from a listener who is rethinking a friendship with their friends' husband following the death of his wife. 0:00 Teasers and Intro 0:23 Year in Review and Book Update 23:42 Friend acting unbothered followi...
347: Do husbands just want sex and food? Are good looking people the only ones that can find love? 11.12.2024 1:08:44
Evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, PhD discusses listener questions with host, Nathan Gershfeld. In today's show, Dr. Lisle discusses our first question in which a wife feels like she's sometimes just being used for sex and food. Question #2 is from a listener wondering if some people are just doomed to never find love. 0:00 Teasers and Intro 1:21 Question 1: Wife admires husband but sometim...
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