Summary4 min read

The Michael Chernow Podcast

Episode: Good vs Evil Is Happening Inside You

Host: Michael Chernow
Release Date: June 29, 2026

Overview

In this Monday Moment episode, Michael Chernow dives deep into the lifelong negotiation between good and evil within us. Drawing from philosophy, spirituality, and his personal experiences, Michael explores how both forces must coexist and how our reactions to life's ups and downs shape our journey. The episode is an introspective guidance session on cultivating awareness, mindful response, and embracing both joy and suffering.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Coexistence of Good and Evil

Good and evil are inseparable:
- Michael posits that over a lifetime, we experience both joy and suffering in roughly equal measure.
- "In this life, good and evil absolutely have to coexist." (00:27)
Nature of duality:
- Even in the lives of those who've "lived a great life," there's an approximate 50/50 split between happiness and pain.
- Life is never purely “a bed of roses”—darkness always accompanies light.

Internal Negotiation, Not a Battle

Not a war, but a negotiation:
- “I don’t think that there’s a fight. I don’t think that there’s one that’s winning all the time. I think that there’s a negotiation.” (02:52)
- Michael describes the dynamic as a constant back-and-forth, almost a conversation or plea between the forces of good and evil about what we deserve and experience.

How Good and Evil Manifest in Life

The role of evil:
- "Evil wants us to run. Evil wants us to hide. Evil wants us to act out. Evil wants us to react." (01:15)
- Acting without thought or in reaction strengthens the darker side within.
The nature of good:
- "Good wants us to slow down. Good wants us to embrace. Good wants us to smell the roses. Good wants us to respond." (01:28)
- Good urges us to pause, reflect, recognize beauty, and respond mindfully.

Our Response Creates Our Experience

The domino effect of negativity:
- If we "feed the bad wolf"—living in fight or flight, being reactive and agitated—negative outcomes snowball.
- "The bad side of things, the darker side of things, tends to be more prominent in life. That’s my experience." (03:55)
Philosophical and practical ramifications:
- Although these ideas may sound spiritual or abstract, Michael insists that they play out tangibly in day-to-day life.

Practical Tools for Navigating Life’s Dualities

Slowing down and asking for help:
- “If we can slow down, breathe, ask for help, the darker stuff won’t feel as dark.” (05:05)
Celebrating the good:
- When good things happen, it’s essential to really acknowledge them:
  - “Pause, look around, take a deep breath, smile, tell your friend they’re awesome, call your mother and tell her you love her.” (05:22)
- These actions foster resilience and gratitude, making life feel more balanced.

The Aggregate: Finding Balance

The concept of 'Even Steven':
- While some periods will seem dominated by hardship, over a whole life things generally balance out.
- “In the aggregate, it ends up working out pretty even, Steven. Especially if you slow down. Especially if you embrace.” (06:01)

Memorable Quotes

“Good and evil absolutely have to coexist.” (00:27)
“Evil does not want us to take any time to think about how we respond or answer a problem. And good wants us to slow down.” (01:15)
“There is a negotiation on most things between good and evil because they need to coexist.” (02:25)
“If we feed the bad wolf... the domino effect begins.” (03:42)
“It’s never going to only be a bed of roses tiptoeing in the tulips. There’s always going to be rain. There’s always going to be mud.” (04:38)
“If we can slow down, breathe, ask for help, the darker stuff won’t feel as dark.” (05:05)
“In the aggregate, it ends up working out pretty even, Steven.” (06:01)

Notable Moments & Timestamps

Introduction to the topic: the duality within & inspiration from personal reflection (00:00–00:27)
Good vs Evil as internal dialogue & life’s negotiation (00:27–02:52)
Descriptions of what ‘good’ and ‘evil’ want you to do (01:15–01:36)
The “negotiation” model rather than a battle (02:52–03:42)
How reacting vs responding changes outcomes (03:42–04:38)
Practical advice: slow down, gratitude, relationships (05:05–06:01)
Conclusion: returning to the ‘Even Steven’ balance and closing wisdom (06:01–end)

Summary Takeaway

Michael Chernow uses this episode to encourage listeners to recognize and honor both sides of their inner experience. By slowing down, responding rather than reacting, and embracing both joy and suffering, we can keep our inner negotiation balanced—and ultimately lead a more fulfilled life.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
A
An entrepreneur straight out of New York City, Michael Chernow. What's cracking? Welcome back to the Michael Chernow Podcast Monday. Moment. I've been leaning deep into the spirit, deep into some philosophy and something I want to talk with you guys about today, something that I've been pondering a bunch is this idea that in this life, good and evil absolutely have to coexist. Good and evil have to coexist. And in the aggregate of one's lifetime, chances are it's a pretty even split of good and bad. What do I mean by that? Feelings of joy, Feelings of pain or suffering. And I would say if you ask a, you know, a person that's been around a long time and heading on to the next realm, how much time do you think you've spent in suffering and how much time do you think you've spent in joy? And I would probably tell you that that person who, who has lived a great life would probably say it's a 50. 50 SP. What does that mean? I genuinely believe in good and evil. I genuinely believe in good and evil. And I also have done a fair amount of work on how I receive the good times and the bad times. Evil wants us to run. Evil wants us to hide. Evil wants us to act out. Evil wants us to react. Evil does not want us to take any time to think about how we respond or answer a problem. And good wants us to slow down. Good wants us to embrace. Good wants us to smell the roses. Good wants us to respond. This is also known as God and the dark side or the devil. And the older I get, the more I believe that that is a thing. I believe that there is a negotiation on most things between good and evil because they need to coexist. And there's been so many times throughout my life where I've just been like, God, why have you put this in my path? And I'm sure a lot of people listening, whether you believe in God or not, can relate to that. Why me? Why today? Why this person? Why this? Help me. I need help. We reach out a lot when things are either really, really bad or when they're really, really good. And I do strongly believe that there is a negotiation happening at all times between good and evil. And I don't think that there's a fight. I don't think that there's one that's winning all the time. I think that there's a negotiation. And the good side says, I think this person deserves this. And the bad guy says, I think this person does not deserve this. Let's negotiate. Let's negotiate. And, you know, I believe that's what happens. And the way we respond to those things, whether good or bad, kind of dictates how much of the good we get and how much of the bad we get. And I really do believe that if we feed the bad wolf, meaning we live in fight or flight, we yell and scream. We are easily agitated and frustrated. We. We don't give ourselves any time to respond to what life throws at us. The domino effect begins. And the bad side of things, the darker side of things, tends to be more prominent in life. That's my experience. It's actually what I believe. I know that might sound crazy to some people, but it's what I believe. And if you think about it practically, you might understand a little bit more about how this, how these things unfold in life. Philosophically, it makes sense. And it's never going to only be a bed of roses tiptoeing in the tulips. There's always going to be rain. There's always going to be mud, there's always going to be dirt. There's always going to be bigger waves, harder to navigate seas, always. And so if we can slow down, breathe, ask for help, The darker stuff won't feel as dark. And if, when the good things happen, we really do stop and smell the roses, like, really do. Pause, look around, take a deep breath, smile, tell your friend they're awesome, call your mother and tell her you love her. Just out of the blue, like, this could be a happier existence because good and evil have to coexist. Good and evil have to coexist. You cannot have one without the other. Even split, even. Even Steven. And it might not feel like that all the time. Some. There will be days, weeks, months, sometimes even years where it feels super dark, painful. It's a grind. But in the aggregate, it ends up working out pretty even, Steven. Especially if you slow down. Especially if you embrace. Till the next one, y'. All. Peace.