In this episode of The You Only Podcast, Low Jackson cracks open one of the most important books he’s ever read: The Emotionally Absent Mother by Jasmin Lee Cori. This isn’t a clinical breakdown or a textbook summary — it’s Low’s honest, unfiltered understanding of the book and how its ideas are helping him make sense of the wounds he carried since childhood.
Low walks through the core concepts of the book: what emotional neglect actually looks like, the subtle ways an absent mother shapes your sense of self, why so many adults still feel “unseen,” and how those patterns show up in relationships decades later. He breaks down the book’s healing steps and shares how he’s applying them in his own life — from recognizing unmet needs to learning how to feel safe, connected, and grounded for the first time.
This episode is for anyone who grew up feeling alone, misunderstood, or emotionally unsupported. Low isn’t claiming to be an expert — just a man doing the work, learning from the pages, and rebuilding himself piece by piece. If you’ve struggled with the silent ache of a mother who couldn’t show up for you, this conversation might be the one that finally helps everything click.
Inside the Violent Mind: What Creates a Killer—and What Could Stop One
What makes a person cross the line into violence? Is it trauma, biology, environment—or something darker buried deep in the brain?
In this episode of The You Only Podcast, we dive headfirst into Adrian Raine’s groundbreaking book The Anatomy of Violence and uncover the shocking science behind why some minds fracture… and others survive.
This episode isn’t just about criminals or killers.
It’s about us.
Our pasts.
Our pain.
And the invisible forces shaping who we become.
Using Raine’s research, we explore:
🔹 The brain abnormalities linked to aggression
🔹 How childhood trauma wires the mind for violence
🔹 The haunting question—are some people born bad?
🔹 And what society gets dangerously wrong about rehabilitation
As someone who’s survived the kind of childhood most people never speak about, I take Raine’s findings personally. Because when you’ve lived through violence, you don’t just study it—you feel it in your bones.
This episode is raw.
It’s honest.
And it might change the way you see the people around you… and the person you used to be.
If you’ve ever wondered why violence exists—or how anyone breaks free from its grip—you need to hear this.
Press play. Go deep. And walk with me into the mind we fear the most.
Welcome to The You Only Podcast, the place where psychology meets real-life survival, healing, and the courage to keep going—especially when life feels heavier than the holidays can sometimes handle. If you’re new here, I’m grateful you found your way into this space. This show was built for people who carry unseen weight: the childhood survivors, the quiet fighters, the ones who look strong on the outside while their heart is whispering, “Please keep going.” Here, I break down the psychology of pain, patterns, and personal growth in a way that actually connects—with facts, with honesty, and with the lived reality of what healing looks like.
Today’s episode is inspired by Bo Stern’s powerful book When Holidays Hurt, because for so many of us, this season isn’t wrapped in joy—it’s wrapped in memories, grief, and emotions we’ve tried to outrun. But buried inside that pain is strength, and hope doesn’t disappear just because life gets hard. Together, we’re going to explore why the holidays trigger so much, what the research says about emotional overload this time of year, and how you can create small but meaningful moments of peace, courage, and self-compassion. Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or you’re listening for the first time, you’re not alone. And you’re in the right place.
What if every choice you’ve ever made — every triumph, every regret, every whispered “what if” — was never truly yours to begin with?
In this episode, we journey deep into Robert Sapolsky’s groundbreaking book, Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will — a work that challenges everything we think we know about choice, responsibility, and human nature.
From the savannahs of Kenya, where Sapolsky studied baboons and the biology of stress, to the quiet corridors of Stanford’s neuroscience labs, this is a story of science colliding with the soul. Sapolsky argues that our actions aren’t acts of freedom, but the final expressions of causes stretching back through time — genetics, childhood, trauma, culture, and chance — all converging in a single, inevitable moment we call “decision.”
But far from hopeless, Determined reveals something deeply human: that understanding our limits might be the first step toward compassion, justice, and peace.
Join us as we explore every chapter, every idea, and every personal revelation that shaped Sapolsky’s lifelong search to understand what makes us who we are.
“Free will is an illusion,” he says — “but kindness never was.”
In this episode of You Only Podcast, we dive deep into Jonathan Haidt’s groundbreaking 2024 book The Anxious Generation, a shocking and essential look at how childhood has been transformed in just over a decade. Haidt, a social psychologist at NYU Stern and author of The Righteous Mind and The Coddling of the American Mind, reveals how overprotection, loss of free play, and the rise of the smartphone have collided to create soaring rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and disconnection among young people. With data, neuroscience, and real stories, this book exposes why girls are suffering at alarming rates, why boys are disengaging, and how a phone-based childhood has rewired an entire generation.
But Haidt doesn’t stop at diagnosis—he offers a roadmap for healing. From delaying smartphones and social media, to rebuilding free play, to reforming schools and communities, The Anxious Generation is both a warning and a call to courage. Published in 2024, it’s already considered one of the most important books of our time, challenging parents, educators, and policymakers to take bold action before we lose another generation.
In this episode, we break down every chapter, explore expert insights, highlight coping skills, and uncover how we can all reclaim resilience and joy in an anxious world.
In this powerful installment of the You Only Podcast with Low Jackson, we journey through Diane Poole Heller’s groundbreaking book The Power of Attachment — a guide to understanding how childhood experiences shape the way we love, connect, and even suffer as adults.
This episode features insights not only from Dr. Diane Poole Heller herself, but also from a wide range of psychological voices who illuminate the paths from insecure attachment toward healing and wholeness. Together, we’ll explore how antisocial personality traits, narcissism, borderline personality disorder, PTSD, and chaotic attachment styles often begin in early family dynamics — and, more importantly, how they can be repaired.
We’ll go chapter by chapter through Heller’s work, uncovering the essence of each attachment style with rich examples, eye-opening statistics, and even nostalgic throwbacks that ground these lessons in everyday life. From the feeling of safety around the family dinner table to the anxious wait by a landline phone in the 1980s, we’ll show how attachment theory is not just clinical — it’s lived.
Expect moving quotes from psychology’s greatest minds — Bowlby, Rogers, Jung, Frankl — blended with modern science, statistics that hit home, and practical tools like breathwork and repair practices.
✨ With over 80,000 listens across all platforms and 300 new followers this month, our community continues to grow into a global circle of seekers. To our faithful listeners in India, the Philippines, Egypt, Bangladesh, and America — thank you. This episode is for you.
Pull up a chair, take a breath, and feel safe. Together, we’ll uncover the hidden blueprint of attachment — and discover how healing is always possible.
In this transformative episode of the You Only Podcast with Low Jackson, we journey into Eckhart Tolle’s groundbreaking book The Power of Now — a work that has become one of the most influential guides to living fully in the present moment.
We’ll uncover how Tolle, a man once trapped in depression and despair, awakened to a new way of being that placed him among the world’s leading spiritual teachers. His message is simple but life-changing: freedom, peace, and clarity are only ever found in the Now.
To deepen this exploration, trauma therapist Hillary Wasson joins us to reveal how empathy and compassion create bridges to healing, and why trauma survivors can especially benefit from the practice of presence. We’ll also discuss the role of breathwork — not just as a relaxation tool, but as a gateway into the present, rewiring the nervous system and calming the mind.
Expect profound insights, moving stories, and practical tools that bring The Power of Now off the page and into your daily life.
✨ With over 80,000 listens across all platforms and 300 new followers this month, the You Only Podcast is growing into a worldwide community of seekers — from India, the Philippines, Egypt, Bangladesh, and America. Thank you for listening, and welcome to the Now.
What if the food on your plate was quietly rewiring your brain? In this episode, we dive into Nutritional Neuroscience by Robin Harris and break down how macros, micros, caffeine, and even energy drinks shape the way we think, feel, and focus. From the hidden power of guaraná discovered by explorers, to the surprising ways phytic acid in oatmeal interacts with your body, we’ll uncover the science that connects every bite to your mental performance.
Packed with statistics, real-world stories, and easy-to-digest explanations of complex terms, this episode feels like sitting in on the most fascinating health class you’ve ever taken. Whether you’re chasing sharper focus, emotional balance, or just curious about the brain–food connection, this episode will leave you hungry for knowledge and inspired to rethink what’s really fueling your mind.
Step into Never Split the Win, the electrifying podcast hosted by the audacious Low Jackson, where Chris Voss’s Never Split the Difference is dissected with razor-sharp intensity. Each episode plunges you into the psychological battlefield of negotiation, revealing Voss’s cunning tactics—mirroring, tactical empathy, and the art of "no"—to dominate any deal. Feel the pulse of high-stakes conversations as Low unveils how to bend minds, shift power, and secure victories without compromise. Curious to master the game where every word is a weapon? Join Low Jackson to unlock the secrets that make opponents yield and deals ignite.
Life begins with a spark—literally. In this electrifying episode of The You Only Podcast, we dive into Frances Ashcroft’s groundbreaking book The Spark of Life, where she reveals the hidden electrical currents that keep every heartbeat, thought, and breath alive. We’ll even explore the mysterious “zinc spark”—the dazzling burst of light released at the very moment life begins, when sperm meets egg.
Frances Ashcroft herself joins us in this episode, sharing her wisdom with a clarity and passion that will leave you rethinking the very power lines running through your body. This isn’t just science—it’s the story of you, your brain, your heart, and the invisible energy that holds everything together.
If you’ve ever wondered what truly makes us alive, or why the tiniest electrical charge can change everything from memory to emotion, this episode is your front-row seat to the awe and wonder of human existence. Tune in, because once you understand the spark that drives life, you’ll never see yourself the same way again.
When disaster strikes, survival isn’t just about strength or luck—it’s about the brain. In Surviving Survival, Laurence Gonzales, award-winning journalist and researcher, unravels the astonishing science behind why some people emerge from life-shattering ordeals stronger, while others collapse under the weight of trauma. Gonzales doesn’t just write stories—he dissects them with neuroscience, psychology, and hard evidence. He has spent decades studying survival, interviewing plane crash survivors, soldiers, climbers, shark attack victims, and disaster experts, weaving together case studies with cutting-edge brain science.
Here’s the jaw-dropping truth: over 70% of people who survive a life-threatening event will develop some form of post-traumatic stress. But Gonzales shows that trauma isn’t the end of the story—it rewires the brain, reshapes decision-making, and can even unlock hidden resilience. The human brain is a survival machine, built with ancient instincts that can betray us—or save us.
From the miracle of survivors walking barefoot out of burning jungles, to the devastating reality of those who seemed safe but never recovered, Surviving Survival isn’t about the moment of crisis. It’s about what happens after—the long war inside the mind. Gonzales reveals the shocking neuroscience of memory, stress hormones, and decision-making, proving that recovery isn’t willpower—it’s biology, retraining the very circuits of the brain.
This isn’t just a book about survival. It’s about transformation. Once you understand how the brain responds to catastrophe, you’ll never look at your own choices—or your own resilience—the same way again.
In this episode, we dive into Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s groundbreaking book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. What does it really mean to be “in the zone”? Why do some moments feel effortless, meaningful, and deeply fulfilling—while others leave us drained and restless?
Csikszentmihalyi spent decades studying artists, athletes, musicians, and everyday people to uncover the science of peak experience. He discovered that happiness doesn’t come from wealth or comfort—it comes from entering a state of flow, where your skills perfectly match your challenges, and time seems to melt away.
Join us as we explore:
How flow transforms ordinary tasks into extraordinary experiences
The surprising link between focus, creativity, and long-term fulfillment
Practical ways you can design your life to experience more flow every day
If you’ve ever wanted to unlock your highest potential—and find joy in the process—this conversation will give you the roadmap.
In this episode of The You Only Podcast, we dive into Robert Cialdini’s groundbreaking classic Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion—a book that has shaped marketing, politics, sales, and even everyday human interaction for decades. Cialdini reveals the six universal principles of influence—reciprocity, commitment, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity—and shows how they are used to sway decisions without us even realizing it.
From why we buy things we don’t need, to why crowds shape our opinions, to why “limited time only” offers trigger our deepest impulses—this episode unpacks the science behind the tactics used by advertisers, leaders, and even friends. We’ll compare Cialdini’s insights to works like Propaganda by Edward Bernays and The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene, showing how persuasion has always been at the core of power and human behavior.
Whether you want to sharpen your defenses against manipulation or learn how to ethically harness the art of persuasion, this conversation will leave you seeing influence everywhere—and once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
In this episode of The You Only Podcast, we step behind the mask with Robert Greene’s The Laws of Human Nature. Every day, people conceal their true motives—hiding envy behind charm, fear behind confidence, and selfishness behind kindness. Greene reveals how these masks shape our relationships, decisions, and even our sense of self. With clips from Robert Greene himself woven into the conversation, you’ll hear his insights in his own words while we explore the timeless patterns of power, influence, and emotion that govern human behavior.
This book isn’t just theory—it’s a practical guide to decoding others while mastering your own hidden impulses. If you’ve been captivated by episodes like The Courage to Be Disliked, Emotional Intelligence, or Propaganda, this one pulls back the curtain even further. Once you hear Greene explain the truths behind the masks we all wear, you’ll never see people—or yourself—the same way again.
Money isn’t just about numbers—it’s about neurons. In Your Money and Your Brain, financial journalist Jason Zweig reveals how every financial decision, from buying a stock to swiping your credit card, is powered by ancient wiring in the brain. Dopamine, the chemical that fuels our craving for reward, pushes us toward risky bets; the amygdala, our fear center, jolts us into panic when markets drop. These invisible forces explain why smart people often make irrational money choices. What makes this book so powerful is how it connects to ideas we’ve already explored together on The You Only Podcast. In Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence, we learned how emotions shape our lives—Zweig shows they shape our financial destiny, too. In The Courage to Be Disliked, we examined how hidden beliefs and social pressure drive our choices—this book proves the same herd behavior controls markets. And just as Edward Bernays revealed in Propaganda how advertising manipulates desire, Zweig uncovers how our own brain chemistry can become the ultimate persuader, luring us into bad financial habits.
But Zweig doesn’t stop at diagnosis—he offers tools. He shows how to pause when dopamine whispers “buy now,” how to quiet the amygdala’s panic during downturns, and how to make decisions that align not with fear or impulse, but with long-term clarity and peace of mind. By the end, you’ll see money not as an external force, but as something inseparable from the biology of the mind. And once you understand that, you can rewire the way you think about wealth—making smarter, calmer, and more empowered financial decisions.
Ever wonder why a single glance can shape your entire opinion of someone? On this episode of The You Only Podcast, I dive deep into the psychology of facial perception and first impressions, uncovering the hidden biases that govern how we see—and judge—the world. Featuring groundbreaking insights from renowned psychologist Alexander Todorov and two other leading voices in social cognition, we explore how subtle cues, fleeting expressions, and unconscious assumptions influence our decisions in ways one barely notices. Intense, thought-provoking, and impossible to ignore, this episode doesn’t just scratch the surface—it exposes the unseen forces behind every glance, smile, and expression. If you’ve ever questioned why you trust one person and mistrust another in an instant, this episode will challenge everything you thought you knew about human perception.
In A General Theory of Love, psychiatrists Thomas Lewis, Fari Amini, and Richard Lannon unravel one of humanity’s oldest mysteries with a startling truth: love isn’t just a feeling—it’s a biological necessity written into the architecture of the human brain. Through the lens of neuroscience and evolutionary psychology, they reveal that our deepest bonds are not mere matters of choice, but neural imperatives shaped by the limbic system. With prose as lyrical as it is scientific, the authors trace how early emotional experiences sculpt our hearts and minds, why our relationships can heal—or harm—us at the cellular level, and how genuine connection can rewire our brains. This episode doesn’t just review a book—it opens the door to understanding why love can be our greatest strength, or our undoing, and how the science of emotion can set us free.
In this soul-piercing episode, we explore The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker—a Pulitzer Prize-winning psychological masterpiece that argues that much of human behavior stems from our subconscious fear of death. Becker exposes how we create symbolic defenses—like success, religion, love, or even war—to distract ourselves from the inevitable. But what happens when those illusions break down? Joined by a passionate guest speaker and featuring raw, moving fan feedback, this episode becomes deeply personal. I open up about one of the darkest chapters in my own life—the moments I felt death pressing in emotionally, spiritually, even psychologically. But also, how grit, reflection, and brutal honesty helped me claw my way back. This isn't just about dying—it's about learning how to live courageously.
If you've ever felt like you were fighting something bigger than yourself—this one’s for you.
Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence shatters the myth that IQ alone determines success, exposing how our ability to understand, manage, and harness emotions is far more vital in shaping our lives. With gripping scientific insight and psychological depth, Goleman unveils how emotional intelligence—rooted in self-awareness, empathy, and emotional regulation—not only predicts leadership potential and mental health but even overrides cognitive intelligence in real-world performance. He reveals that children and adults alike are neurologically wired for emotional learning, and that neglecting this aspect of development is silently fueling school violence, broken relationships, workplace dysfunction, and personal despair. Backed by cutting-edge neuroscience, Goleman shows how the brain’s emotional centers—especially the amygdala—can hijack reason, leading us to sabotage our best intentions unless we actively rewire our habits. The book isn’t just informative—it’s a wake-up call, a compelling manifesto proving that mastering emotion is not “soft”—it’s the core skill of thriving in a chaotic world.
The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck begins with a brutal truth: “Life is difficult.” But within that truth lies the doorway to extraordinary personal growth. This isn’t just a book—it’s a psychological and spiritual excavation of the human soul, stripping away the illusions we build to avoid pain, responsibility, and truth. Peck fuses clinical wisdom with spiritual insight, challenging us to confront our inner darkness and walk the harder path—the one of discipline, love, and grace. It’s not a comforting read; it’s a wake-up call to those brave enough to grow.