Day 5 – From Roommates to Rivals: The Olympian Balancing Act | The Game Inside The Games
30 July 2024 - 25 minsHow do Olympians balance the tension between being roommates and supportive teammates one day - and fierce rivals the next?
On day 5 of The Game Inside The Games, Nastia Liukin and Dr. Michael Gervais break down the psychological conflict athletes face when striving for their individual success while also supporting the success of their team - and offer a way forward.
Nastia recounts her own experience with teammate Shawn Johnson, revealing how their close bond was tested as they competed for gold. This episode highlights the delicate balance between camaraderie and rivalry – and explores how athletes navigate these complex moments and relationships.
And in the end, Dr. Mike unveils the...
Series Episodes
The Psychology of Healthy Relationships | Dr Thema Bryant
Dr. Thema Bryant, clinical psychologist, tenured professor of psychology at Pepperdine University, director of the Culture and Trauma Research Laboratory, former president of the American Psychological Association, and author of Matters of the Heart, joins Dr. Michael Gervais to explore the relationship that shapes every other one, the one you have with yourself.
1 hour 10 mins
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Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation and author of Notes for the Journey Within, joins Dr. Michael Gervais to share how much stress is actually useful, what he means when he says success is exhibiting your limitation, and why he believes peace is a state you return to rather than one you build.
33 mins
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The Psychology of Pain | Dr Tom Walters
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1 hour 17 mins
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The Psychology of Motivation | Dr. Masud Husain
Dr. Masud Husain, clinical neurologist, neuroscientist, Professor of Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Oxford, Editor-in-Chief of the journal Brain, and author of Our Brains, Our Selves, winner of the 2025 Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize, joins Dr. Michael Gervais to explain how the brain builds motivation, what happens to a person when that system fails, and why he believes the self is not set in stone.
1 hour 44 mins
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The Psychology of The 10 Commandments| Jamie Metzl
Jamie Metzl breaks down the question behind his new set of ten principles, what happens when you read the original ten commandments literally, and why values collapse under pressure without the skills to hold them.
1 hour 16 mins
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