The Vancrux Podcast - Host Jeevan Matharu

What if most of your daily stress… is based on a false assumption? In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we break down Hanlon’s Razor — the powerful mental model that teaches you to stop assuming bad intent and start thinking strategically. You’ll learn how misinterpreting incompetence as malice fuels resentment, damages relationships, and drains your energy — and how one simple shift can insta...

Are you living as your true self — or performing a version of yourself designed to be accepted? In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we break down the psychology of the False Self vs The True Self — how identity masks are formed, why high performers often feel empty, and how to reconnect with who you really are beneath validation, status, and expectation. 🔥 Useful Links 📘 Become a Person of...

What does it take to go from a young judoka stepping onto the mat… to becoming a World Champion, Olympic silver medalist, and the voice of an entire sport? In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , I sit down with Neil Adams — World Champion, Olympic silver medalist at the Olympic Games, and globally recognised commentator known as The Voice of Judo . We dive into where it all started, the mindset...

What if the biggest thing holding you back… isn’t your past — but your attachment to it? In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we expose the hidden psychological rewards of victimhood — the sympathy, the moral high ground, the removal of responsibility — and why they’re so hard to let go of. Because victimhood feels safe. Responsibility feels heavy. But only one builds power. If you’re ready to...

In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we break down the cognitive development theory of Jean Piaget and explore how your mind was built in stages — from instinctive reaction to abstract, strategic thinking. Why do some people think long-term while others stay reactive? Why do some adapt their beliefs, while others defend outdated frameworks? And are you truly operating at your highest cognitive...

Did civilisation really begin with agriculture — or did belief come first? In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we explore Göbekli Tepe, the 11,600-year-old archaeological site that challenges everything we thought we knew about early human history. Massive stone pillars, advanced symbolism, and organised construction long before farming — was this proof of an advanced society before agricultu...

Would you risk £10 to potentially turn it into £30 — if it meant trusting a stranger? In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we break down the powerful behavioural economics experiment known as The Trust Game , developed by researchers like Joyce Berg, John Dickhaut, and Kevin McCabe. You’ll discover why humans aren’t purely selfish, how trust multiplies value in business and relationships, and...

Why do you know something is wrong… but can’t explain why? In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we break down the groundbreaking moral psychology research of Jonathan Haidt and explore the shocking “moral dumbfounding” experiments — from the infamous incest scenario to the dead chicken, the cannibal lab case, and the flag experiment. You’ll discover why your brain makes moral judgments in mill...

In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we break down one of the most dangerous psychological traps in self-development — the Moral Credit Card . Why do we sabotage progress right after doing something good? Why does donating to charity justify reckless spending? Why does one disciplined week “earn” a destructive weekend? We explore the psychology of moral licensing, identity-based discipline, do...

How does media shape the way we accept the future? In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we explore Predictive Programming —the psychological phenomenon where movies, TV, and culture condition society to accept future realities before they arrive. From AI, surveillance, and digital identity to pandemics and societal change, learn how repetition and storytelling subtly influence perception, beha...

What if the most powerful way to change someone… is to never try to change them at all? In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we break down the psychology of Inception — not the movie, but the method. Why people must believe an idea is their own. Why resistance appears the moment you tell someone what to do. And how Socrates, therapists, elite coaches, and master communicators use questions — n...

CRISPR gives us the power to edit human life — intelligence, disease risk, temperament, even potential. But who decides what “better” means? What happens when the rich can enhance their children — and the poor can’t? And if we remove suffering… do we also remove the very thing that creates greatness? This episode explores the science, the inequality, and the existential cost of redesigning humanit...

In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , I sit down with sales strategist and Shut Up and Win founder Jed Etters to break down powerful modern sales strategies — including his game-changing concept, The Convincer Number . We explore the psychology behind closing, why most people talk too much in sales, and how to build trust, influence decisions, and drive consistent revenue growth. If you want to...

What if real freedom has nothing to do with money, status, or control — and everything to do with your inner state? In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we explore what it truly means to become a liberated soul : free from fear, unattached to outcomes, and awake to the unconscious beliefs that quietly shape most lives. Drawing from philosophy, psychology, and lived experience, this episode is...

We often judge people, risks, and opportunities by how well they fit a stereotype—not by facts or probability. In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we break down the Representativeness Heuristic , a powerful mental shortcut that causes us to mistake familiarity for truth. From hiring and investing to media narratives and everyday judgment, discover how this hidden bias shapes decisions—and how...

Is the global economy really “failing”… or is it being restructured right in front of us? In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we break down how financial crises like 2008 and COVID-19 didn’t just damage the economy — they reshaped who wins, who loses, and who owns what . From government stimulus and corporate bailouts to the rise of Big Tech and the World Economic Forum’s infamous “you’ll own...

What if making things more efficient actually makes the problem worse? In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we explore The Jevons Paradox —the counterintuitive idea that increased efficiency often leads to greater overall consumption , not less. From energy and technology to productivity and personal habits, this episode breaks down why efficiency alone doesn’t save resources—and how human beh...

In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we explore the Shirky Principle — the uncomfortable idea that institutions often preserve the very problems they exist to fix. From healthcare and pharmaceuticals to education, corporations, and social systems, we examine how incentives quietly shift from solving problems to managing them indefinitely . This episode challenges how we think about authority,...

Michel Foucault was one of the most influential — and controversial — thinkers of the 20th century. In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we explore Foucault’s core ideas on power, knowledge, surveillance, discipline, and sexuality , and how modern institutions quietly shape the way we think, behave, and even understand ourselves. From prisons and madness to biopower and self-control, this epis...

In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we dive into one of the most disturbing and revealing psychological studies ever conducted — The Bobo Doll Experiment . Why do humans copy behaviour without being told to? Why does violence, toxicity, and dysfunction spread so easily? And what responsibility do we carry just by being observed? This episode explores observational learning , the hidden ways b...

Why do so many arguments collapse into insults? In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we break down one of the most common — and most manipulative — logical fallacies: the ad hominem fallacy . You’ll learn what ad hominem really means, why people resort to attacking you instead of your argument, how it shows up in money, relationships, work, and politics, and how to calmly shut it down without...

In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we explore the philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre , the central figure of existentialism, and his most powerful ideas: existence before essence , radical freedom, personal responsibility, bad faith, and existential anxiety. Sartre argued that human beings are condemned to be free , meaning there is no predefined purpose or destiny — only the meaning we create t...

If you can’t trust what you heard on the news last week, how can you trust accounts from 100, 500, or even 1,000 years ago? In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we explore why history is not objective truth but a narrative shaped by power, propaganda, and perception. Using real-world examples like Covid , 9/11 , and modern media manipulation, we break down propaganda theory through Edward Bern...

Why does anger vanish the moment there’s no one to blame? In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we explore the Zen koan The Empty Boat and reveal how ego creates conflict, emotional reactivity, and unnecessary suffering. Blending Zen philosophy, modern psychology, and real-world examples, this episode shows why anger isn’t caused by events—but by identity—and how awareness dissolves it without...

Most arguments don’t fail because people disagree — they fail because people aren’t even arguing the same thing. In this episode of The Vancrux Podcast , we break down the strawman fallacy: how people distort arguments, why they do it consciously and unconsciously, and how this single tactic derails debates, relationships, and real communication. You’ll learn how to: Spot strawman arguments instan...