Glassed & Blinded Unprovoked On A Night Out - Matt Syron

Welcome to "The Problem With" where each week we look into a problem to get a better understanding of it. This podcast has no sponsors, only my businesses and investments, please check out the links below. 📍I'm on a mission to help men check their levels of Testosterone, more info here: https://www.manual.co/smith 👁Please check out and try Neutonic here: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith  💪For a free trial of my online personal training app go here: https://www.affordableonlinecoaching.com 💰I help small businesses make money online: https://www.jamessmith.business Psychologist and relationship coach Sadia Khan joins James Smith to unpack the problem with dating apps, modern relationships, and the illusion of infinite choice. Together they explore why technology has made commitment harder, attraction more confusing and why everyone - men and women alike - are struggling to connect in an age of endless swiping. Sadia reveals the psychology behind sex appeal, status and loyalty, explaining how dopamine, dating culture and false advice online are reshaping human relationships. From incel culture and OnlyFans to the fear of rejection and emotional detachment, this is a raw, unfiltered conversation about what’s gone wrong with love… and how to fix it. She explains: ◼️ Why dating apps destroy genuine connection ◼️ How “too many options” kills commitment ◼️ The truth about sex appeal and attraction ◼️ Why men and women misunderstand each other online ◼️ The rise of transactional relationships in the digital age 00:00 – The Problem With People Being Single 01:48 – Three Main Problems: Options, Bad Advice & Monogamy 03:28 – Dating Apps: The Illusion of Choice 05:07 – Genetics, Status & What Women Actually Want 08:08 – The Secret Ingredient: Sex Appeal 11:19 – The Three A's: Attraction, Admiration, Adoration 13:32 – Women and Lust: The Sex Response 16:13 – Sexual Dominance vs Sexual Submission 19:30 – Anxiety Kills Sex Appeal 21:11 – OnlyFans: Manipulating Vulnerable Men 24:40 – Sex Workers and Materialistic Values 28:41 – Masturbation in Healthy Relationships 31:39 – The Sex Toy Epidemic 34:36 – Low Testosterone Nearly Ruined My Relationship 38:29 – Stress, Overtraining & Catastrophic Thinking 41:44 – Natural Ways to Boost Testosterone 44:13 – Why Genetics Matter: The TRT Debate 46:17 – Fat Acceptance vs Reality 49:38 – Why Staying Together Requires No Alternatives 51:14 – Two Types of Men: Loyal to the Woman vs Loyal to the Wife 52:35 – The Dubai Dating Scene Explained 55:34 – Why Russian Women Dominate Men in Dubai 58:38 – Escort Culture & Naive Men 1:01:12 – Corrupt Women vs Good Women 1:04:20 – The Danger of Being 39 and Single 1:08:05 – Four Things to Look For Before Having Kids 1:11:49 – Prenups: A Revealer of Character 1:15:12 – Why Your Partner Needs Financial Independence 1:18:05 – AI Relationships: Glamorizing Loneliness 1:19:22 – New Book: The 10 Red Flags 1:20:56 – Closing RemarksClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to "The Problem With" where each week we look into a problem to get a better understanding of it. This podcast has no sponsors, only my businesses and investments. Please check out the links below. 📍I'm on a mission to help men check their levels of Testosterone, more info here: https://www.manual.co/smith 👁Please check out and try Neutonic here: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 💪For a free trial of my online personal training app, go here: https://www.affordableonlinecoaching.com 💰I help small businesses make money online: https://www.jamessmith.business Neuroscientist TJ Power joins James Smith to expose what social media, smartphones, and endless screen time are doing to our brains. From dopamine burnout to digital addiction, he explains how technology hijacks motivation, focus, and happiness - and what we can actually do to fix it. TJ, who left academia after seeing the mental health crisis up close, breaks down how constant stimulation from phones, porn and social media rewires the brain’s reward system. He reveals the science behind low mood, lost confidence, and why so many people feel “flat” despite having more comfort and convenience than ever before. He explains: ◼️ How dopamine addiction quietly kills motivation ◼️ Why boredom is the key to rebuilding focus ◼️ The neuroscience of porn, pleasure, and productivity ◼️ Why young people are more anxious, distracted, and disconnected ◼️ Practical steps to reset your brain and regain control Timestamps: 00:00 – The Problem With Spending Time on Screens 01:28 – What is Dopamine and Why Do We Crave It? 03:48 – The Four Brain Chemicals: Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins 07:09 – Gaming vs Scrolling: Active vs Passive Dopamine 10:08 – Video Games as Life Training 12:23 – Hunter Brain vs Farmer Brain 13:24 – The Trap of Productive Addiction 15:12 – The Man at the Train Station Doing Nothing 18:10 – Four Weeks Without TV or Content 21:23 – Evening Scrolling: Sacred Time or Mental Drain? 24:21 – The UK Safety Act and Porn Age Verification 28:09 – The Million Dollar Scrolling Hypothetical 32:56 – Dating Apps, Height Requirements & Modern Standards 36:33 – Seven Days Without Porn Challenge 40:18 – The Utility of Not Wanking Before a Date 43:46 – Should There Be Hard Blocks on Porn Access? 48:52 – Porn's Impact on First-Time Sexual Expectations 53:05 – Alcohol, Socialising & Why Young People Aren't Drinking 58:43 – The Two-Day Phone Detox in Melbourne 1:02:44 – Small Daily Detoxes vs Big Detoxes 1:06:34 – Why Jiu-Jitsu Hits All Four Brain Chemicals 1:10:12 – Four Plants That Need Watering: Practical Advice 1:15:46 – Escaping Reality Through Screens 1:19:28 – Relationships: When Your Partner Won't Change 1:24:30 – Falling in Love With AI 1:28:03 – Producer vs Consumer Dopamine Addiction 1:34:00 – The Purpose of Having Kids 1:35:31 – The Creator's Confession: Dopamine Hypocrisy 1:39:04 – Mental Health Crash After Bad Post Performance 1:43:48 – Living Without Knowing Your Bank Balance 1:48:50 – Closing Challenge: One Screen-Free Evening Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ed Lawrence joins James Smith for a brutally honest conversation about the problem with making money online, the illusion of quick success and the hidden grind behind overnight wins. From starting 12 years ago with terrible videos to generating $300,000 from a single YouTube upload, Ed reveals how the "make money online" promise is sold as easy… but requires years of eating shit instead. They discuss the reality of building a business, the trap of chasing views over revenue, the burnout of ad-dependent income and why most people give up right before the breakthrough. Ed opens up about parasites nearly killing his business, the obsession required to succeed and learning to build a sustainable income through content, tracking and understanding what actually converts rather than what goes viral. He explains: ◼️ Why making money online takes 10x longer than you think ◼️ How to escape the 9-5 without going broke ◼️ The trap of building followers who never buy ◼️ Why 800 views can make $33,000 (and millions of views can make nothing) ◼️ How YouTube teaches you every business skill you need Timestamps: 00:00 – The Problem With Making Money Online 02:14 – Why Side Hustles Fail vs Full-Time Focus 05:08 – The Trap of "Free" Gym Memberships 06:33 – The Truth About Business Ownership 08:48 – Don't Start a Business Just for Money 11:05 – Building Followers vs Making Money 13:17 – The Stress of Ad Revenue Dependency 16:38 – YouTube is Not a Search Platform 19:15 – Binge-Watching by Design 24:13 – YouTube Makes You Better at Everything 29:35 – Fail as Fast as You Can 32:56 – Packaging Boring Content 37:13 – Everything Has Been Done Before 41:55 – Copy Your Own Outliers 44:41 – Views Don't Equal Money 49:13 – The 10-Year Overnight Success 53:05 – Getting Stuck in Your Comfort Zone 56:12 – The Parasite Wake-Up Call 59:11 – Is AI the Biggest Opportunity Ever? 1:02:00 – Bitcoin vs Gold vs Traditional Money 1:04:09 – Stop Researching Investments, Build Your Business 1:05:13 – Closing Remarks Welcome to "The Problem With" where each week we look into a problem to get a better understanding of it. This podcast has no sponsors, only my businesses and investments, please check out the links below. I'm on a mission to help men check their levels of Testosterone, more info here: https://www.manual.co/smith Please check out and try Neutonic here: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith For a free trial of my online personal training app go here: https://www.affordableonlinecoaching.com   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Mack joins James Smith for an unfiltered conversation that will change how you think about ambition, success, and the hidden traps of productivity. They dive deep into the concept of agency (why some people take control of their lives while others stay stuck) and how it shows up across business, relationships, happiness, and identity. From the “busy trap” to the myth of hustle culture, George unpacks the subtle ways we self-sabotage under the illusion of progress. He questions whether high agency is even healthy… or just a sophisticated form of burnout. James and George explore the psychology of success, the role of genetics, language and culture in shaping mindset, and how becoming a parent can snap you out of your grind obsession. He explains: ◼️ Why high agency can be a hidden mental illness ◼️ The real reason some people stay stuck (and how to escape) ◼️ How productivity becomes a trap disguised as progress ◼️ Why writing things down on a whiteboard might change your life ◼️ What jiu-jitsu teaches us about fear, ego, and self-awareness Timestamps: 00:00 The Problem With Low Agency 02:04 The Jail Cell Test 05:16 Can You Train Agency? 09:05 Context-Dependent Agency 15:15 Life in Austin, Texas 18:04 UK Cynicism vs American Naivety 24:06 The Happiness Paradox 30:02 Language Shapes Thinking 36:07 Hater or Inspired? The Choice Is Yours 42:07 The Busy Trap 46:03 The $1,500 Chicken Sandwich Story 51:34 Parenthood: The Ultimate Agency Hack 59:58 Jiu-Jitsu and Personal Growth 1:03:02 The Gap and The Gain 1:07:26 Warren Buffett's Investment Exercise 1:12:25 Practical Agency Hacks 1:17:20 The A1 Paper That Changed Everything 1:29:11 Eat Frogs, Lick Toads 1:32:35 Why Jiu-Jitsu Hits All Four Brain Chemicals 1:35:31 Closing Advice Welcome to "The Problem With" where each week we look into a problem to get a better understanding of it. This podcast has no sponsors, only my businesses and investments, please check out the links below. I'm on a mission to help men check their levels of Testosterone, more info here: https://www.manual.co/smith Please check out and try Neutonic here: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith  For a free trial of my online personal training app go here: https://www.affordableonlinecoaching.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rapper Professor Green joins James Smith for an unfiltered conversation about the problem with fame, the illusion of success and the hidden loneliness behind recognition. From growing up in Hackney to playing Glastonbury, Professor Green reveals how fame promised to fix everything… and nearly broke him instead. They dive into the darker side of success, the pressure to perform, the loss of privacy and the mental health toll of living as a public persona. Green opens up about his late autism and ADHD diagnosis, the self-sabotage of success and learning to rebuild a life grounded in honesty, fatherhood and self-awareness rather than applause. He explains: ◼️ Why fame magnifies your problems instead of solving them ◼️ How childhood trauma shapes ambition and anxiety ◼️ The reality of addiction, ego, and escapism in celebrity culture ◼️ Why becoming a dad finally made him stop performing ◼️ How self-understanding saved his life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices