Learning English with Human Beans

#74 – The Psychology Years

Marc's story ...

#73 — Selfish or Altruistic. What is our true nature?

Are we secretly wired to think only of ourselves, or is the drive to help others hardwired into our DNA? In this episode of Learning English with Human Beans, Alice and Marc debate one of the greatest questions about human nature. Marc, with his scientific and analytical mind, confronts us with Hobbes' cynicism, the laws of evolution, and the brain's dopamine circuits. Alice grounds the conversation in empathy and everyday life, making the case that kindness is far more than a cultural illusion. From the bystander effect to vampire bats, from babies judging puppets to the neuroscience of the "warm glow"—get ready for a deep, thought-provoking exchange that will challenge everything you think you know about why you do good.

#72 – Is Utopia the Narcissus of politics?

In this new episode of Learning English with Human Beans, Marc and Alice shift into high gear! After deconstructing the illusion of the “perfect self,” we tackle its collective equivalent: the perfect society. Delving into André Comte-Sponville's Treatise on Despair and Bliss, we explore why our political utopias are often just a reflection of Narcissus on a societal scale. From “Make America Great Again” nostalgia to eco-anxiety and progressive technocracy, why do we always fall in love with an image instead of facing reality? If power is always imperfect and history has no magical destination, why continue to engage? Discover how “de-hope” (despair in the noble sense) does not lead to cynicism, but to more lucid, freer, and more vibrant political action.

#71 – What Does It Mean to Live in De-Hope?

Explore why the "self" is a dream and how "de-hope" leads to radical freedom. This episode dives into André Comte-Sponville’s philosophy to challenge the self-help industry and reclaim the present moment. De-hope is the neutral state of being free from expectations and the "trap of time". It is not a form of sadness, but a way to stop fighting reality and find happiness in the now. This "zero degree of hope" allows us to live with a sense of freedom, unburdened by future projections. The sense of a unified "I" is a narrative construction rather than a permanent substance. We are essentially "characters without actors," performing roles shaped by history, biology, and social forces. Realizing that the self is an illusion liberates us from the exhausting pressures of modern self-optimization. Using Spinoza's concept of conatus, the podcast frames existence as a striving life-force rather than a fixed identity. Inspired by the film About Time, the episode encourages living each ordinary day with total presence. True joy comes from faithfully enjoying our messy, mortal being exactly as it is today.

#70 – Mikasa Ackerman's Psychological Journey

Mikasa Ackerman is Attack on Titan's most lethal warrior—rated 10/10 in combat, capable of decimating titans and humans alike with surgical precision. Yet beneath her unmatched strength lies a devastating psychological fragility. In this deep-dive analysis, we explore Mikasa through the lens of clinical psychology, examining how Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD) shapes every aspect of her character. From her founding childhood trauma to her final, impossible choice, we dissect the mechanisms of trauma bonding, separation anxiety, and codependency that define her relationship with Eren. We examine how Isayama brilliantly channeled pathological attachment into superhuman violence, creating fiction's most compelling paradox: a warrior who can survive anything except being alone. But Mikasa's story goes deeper. Through her structural parallel with Ymir Fritz, we discover how one woman's liberation from toxic love became the metaphysical key to breaking a 2000-year cycle of enslavement. We explore what the series teaches us about the difference between love and dependence, freedom and attachment, and what it truly costs to choose ethics over comfort. Major spoilers for the entire Attack on Titan series.