“I CAN’T STOP BEING INFLUENCED”

Summary

Therapy Gecko: “I CAN’T STOP BEING INFLUENCED”

Podcast: Therapy Gecko
Host: Lyle (the Gecko)
Release Date: February 25, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode of Therapy Gecko, Lyle connects with two callers—Joe, an EMT, and then Jimmy, a bartender—discussing the concept of influence in the modern world. The theme, sparked by the episode title "I CAN’T STOP BEING INFLUENCED," meanders through topics like influencer culture, personal change post-COVID, social media, honesty, existential dread, friendship, and the complex struggle of making genuine connections in a digitized, distracted society. Throughout, both Lyle and his guests dissect their vulnerabilities, question perceptions, and share sharp, candid insights about what it means to be a product of influence, both online and off.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Shifting Definitions of Influence and Fame

• Joe and Lyle discuss how fame and influence have become more ordinary and democratized in the age of the internet.
  • Joe: "Influencers in my head went from being, like, famous to now just having influence." (03:16)
  • Lyle: "It's kind of awesome though, right? Because I feel like it's democratized the media landscape and... led to this... middle class of creator." (05:40)
• Joe notes the difficulty and unpredictability of monetizing influence: "It's hard to monetize off the internet if you're not like... you have a podcast that's, I don't know, gained a lot of traction... that's not everybody's case." (06:43)

2. The Nature and Unavoidability of Influence

• Joe's Reflective Take: "I think everybody is [easily influenced]... even if you know it's propaganda that doesn't like remove its influence on you." (10:35)
• Lyle probes whether he or Joe is influenced by advertising and daily stimuli, leading to a candid admission:
  • Joe: "[An ad]... I've been seeing the same ad on Instagram and Facebook for like four or five months... I'm definitely gonna buy that in the future." (11:46)
• Lyle broadens the view: "You're just talking about being influenced by external stimuli of the world. I mean, you're a product of your environment." (13:11)

3. Good vs. Bad Influence—Family, Upbringing, and Choices

• Joe shares his path to becoming an EMT, influenced profoundly by caring for his grandmother and witnessing misinformation during COVID.
  • "In 2020, my grandmother... developed dementia and I had to take care of her... That's why I became an EMT." (13:54)
• Both reflect on their fortune in having had “good influences,” recognizing luck and environment rather than personal merit.
  • Joe: "I feel very lucky for that too... I just got lucky to have good influences." (15:25)
  • Lyle: "I feel like I'm a product of the influence of a lot of people around me... it's been good influence." (15:48)

4. Influence, Authenticity, and Honesty in Relationships

• Discussion about when and how to be honest—should people always bring up issues, or pick their battles?
  • Lyle: “There’s totally... a lot of situations where... you should just pick your battles. I don’t know if I was right.” (22:22)
  • Joe: “For me, it kind of depends on how the person I’m with is operating and who they are... I have the most integrity when I come out of it.” (24:13)
• On Subjective Truth and Consensus:
  • Lyle: “Consensus is just consensus. It doesn’t... automatically make it true... the closest you can get to an objective truth is... you align your personal evaluation of your own feelings with the consensus.” (26:06)

5. Social Media, Digital Exhaustion, and the Modern Malaise

• Both Joe and Lyle articulate existential weirdness since the COVID-19 pandemic, with Joe citing a “timeline shift”:
  • “Every single day since COVID it felt like…we flipped timelines or something or…I can see the effects of like Covid in 2026 extremely clearly.” (37:38)
• Lyle contextualizes this feeling as timeless, comparing it to previous world crises: “Unprecedented times are highly precedented.” (41:14)
• Joe and Lyle agree that much of the current anxiety comes from digital life, information overload, and passive scrolling.
  • “This idea... nihilism... people being like ‘oh the world is a shitty place’... is just kind of bullshit, and... a judgment value to a thing that just simply is.” (47:14)
  • “So much of that is just caused by…the phone... he has an analog room where he doesn’t use any technology.” (48:08)

6. Emotional Experience and the Uniqueness of Human Interaction

• Joe reflects on rare, intense emotional expressions encountered through EMT work:
  • “The second I made eye contact with him...that’s so much intense emotion on his face...I don’t even know what you have to go through to have that.” (55:12)
• Both marvel at human diversity—no two facial expressions or lives are truly the same.

7. Social Connection, Adult Friendships, and the Role of Alcohol

• In the second segment, Jimmy—a bartender—calls in, voicing concerns about alcohol as a crutch for socialization, especially in the bar/restaurant industry:
  • “If I don’t go out and drink, I don’t see my friends... if I were to cut alcohol out, is it like a social suicide?” (68:55)
• Lyle reframes sobriety as an opportunity:
  • “What if there was actually a force that is even more addictive than peer pressure?... feeling like you’re so much better than everyone else.” (73:49)
• Jimmy expresses concern about the fleeting, transactional nature of modern friendships, and the struggle to meaningfully connect outside digital spaces.
  • “It’s a lot harder to find lasting relationships... sometimes it feels like there’s just a general... build a friendship, and it lasts a day or two, then move on.” (82:34)

8. The Exhaustion of Connection, Digital vs. Real Life

• Lyle muses on the limits of friendship and the exhaustion of adult social efforts:
  • “As you get older, you start to have a finite amount... of relationships you can really... put pointed effort into—probably two or three.” (86:51)
• Both agree on the weird paradox of digital connection—simultaneously “always connected” yet feeling less truly engaged.
  • Jimmy: “It’s kind of weird... in that digital age…everybody’s so connected all the time, but also, not connected at the same time.” (90:05)
  • Lyle: “You don’t have to be on [the Internet]. You just put your phone down.” (90:27)
  • Jimmy: “I feel some weird obligation to…be a part of it though... Instagram... I go through, like, wanting to delete... all the time.” (90:45)
  • Lyle: “If anything, it is unproductive... yeah, delete it!” (91:07)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On influence and self-awareness:
  • Joe: “I am easily influenced but then I catch myself. But then at the same time I’m like, wait, even though I’m self aware, like, wait, how influenced should I just get right now?” (10:51)
• On good influences:
  • Joe: “I don’t know. I just got lucky to have good influences.” (15:25)
• On honesty and conflict:
  • Joe: “I base my decisions based on, like, their personality and, like, the harmony of our relationship. Kind of... I choose the option that leaves me with the most integrity.” (24:13)
• On the weirdness of adulthood after COVID:
  • Joe: “I just thought life was gonna have, like, a little bit more sparkle and joy in people’s personal lives, but it doesn’t seem to be the case.” (44:49)
• On the exhaustion of connection:
  • Lyle: “People I really like, I don’t even want to talk to as much, you know.” (88:43)
• On deleting Instagram:
  • Lyle: “If anything, it [Instagram] is unproductive... yeah, delete it! What are you doing? Why do you even have it? Just delete it.” (91:07)
  • Jimmy: “It took someone just saying, if you’re just watching reels, delete it. I’m like, you know what, you’re right.” (91:57)
• Sardonic advice:
  • Lyle: “Don’t start acting like you’re better than everyone else... but feeling like you’re better than everyone else is genius.” (74:02)

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Important Timestamps

• [03:16] Joe on influencers shifting from ‘fame’ to ‘having influence.'
• [05:40] Lyle on the ‘middle class of creator’ and democratization.
• [10:35] Are we all easily influenced?
• [13:54] Joe recounts becoming an EMT after caring for his grandmother during COVID.
• [15:25] Discussing the role of good luck in having positive influences.
• [22:22] Debate: Is withholding the truth sometimes justified?
• [26:06] No objective reality; seeking validation in a world of consensus.
• [37:38] Existential weirdness post-COVID: ‘Flipped timelines.’
• [41:14] Lyle: ‘Unprecedented times are highly precedented.’
• [55:12] Unique human emotions: an EMT's encounter with raw human expression.
• [68:55] Jimmy introduces the idea of ‘social suicide’ if he stops drinking.
• [74:02] Lyle’s (tongue-in-cheek) advice: feel superior when sober.
• [82:34] Jimmy: fleeting friendships and transactional relationships.
• [86:51] The limits of adult friendship.
• [91:07] “If anything, it is unproductive...yeah, delete it!”—Lyle on Instagram.
• [91:57] Jimmy has a moment of clarity: “You’re right.”

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Conclusion & Tone

The episode is candid, meandering, unguarded, and both self-aware and gently funny in the trademark Therapy Gecko style. Lyle acts as an equal co-explorer rather than an oracle—challenging, affirming, and occasionally goofing with his callers. The conversations thread through themes of influence, vulnerability, and self-doubt, underscored by good humor and existential pondering.

Key Takeaways:

• Influence is everywhere; our lives, choices, and even self-concepts are woven from “good” and “bad” influences, and that's inescapable.
• The current era feels uniquely strange, but uncertainty and anxiety are universal, recurring features of history.
• In an age of distraction and digital fatigue, honest connection and personal integrity are more crucial—and more challenging—than ever.
• Sometimes, the healthiest thing you can do is simply “delete Instagram.”

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Final Message from Jimmy:
“Biggest thing I would say—just, you know, love your friends and stay connected to people.” (92:13)

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Episode Vibe: Warm, honest, a pinch existential—with a strong sense of fellow-feeling and encouragement to stay awake, self-aware, and intentional—even if, maybe especially if, you're not sure what the hell is going on.

Transcript

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[Joe (EMT caller)]

How goes? How you doing man?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I. I'm doing all right, brother. I'm, you know, another day, another day of being alive on the great green earth, doing my job, eating food. I cooked breakfast this morning. I never do that, but I did

[Joe (EMT caller)]

it Today, dude, you cooked breakfast. That's actually insane to hear that.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Are you. Are you. I feel like the way you said hi to me makes me feel like you listened to the show, and you listening to the show makes me feel like you maybe know me a little bit, and that makes me feel like you actually are not fucking with me by saying that you are surprised that I cooked breakfast.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

No, I'm not fucking with you at all, dude. I've listened to you for, like, five years, and, like, in my head, like, at one point, I thought you were famous. So, like, yeah, I've known you for a while and, like, you're a guy in my head that, like, you, like, order food in my head, like, a lot of food. So I'm like, you cook breakfast. That's, like, surprising to hear off the top of my head.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I love. I love that I went from famous in your head to a guy that orders a lot of food.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

You were always the guy that ordered a lot of food. But, like. But I guess, like, I don't know how to explain this, but, like, influencers in my head went from being, like, famous to now just having influence, if that makes sense.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

They went from famous to having influence. Can you explain?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, like, if I saw certain influencers prior, like, maybe like, 2018, maybe I would, like, freak out a little bit. They would feel more rare. But now when I see an influencer, I just think more like that they have, like, a following or they have, like, they're having connections with businesses in that. Of that nature. Or maybe they have money or they have, like, a good job. Like, I don't always think they're famous. Like, there might be somebody with 700,000 followers on Instagram. They're an influencer, but they're not famous, if that makes sense.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Okay, that makes perfect sense. But wait, who. What influencers have you seen in real life?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

In real life, I've seen Melvin, Greg, if you know who that is.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

No, who the fuck is? I'm looking them up. He's.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

He's like a Vine influencer that's now, like, an actor on, like, Netflix and stuff like that.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Oh, I feel like I've maybe seen this dude before.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah. Other influencers. I can't. Off the top of my head, I can't think of other influence. Oh, I've seen Chance the Rapper walking around Chicago before.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Okay.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

I know he's not really, like, an influencer. He's a rapper. But, yeah, I feel like people. I feel like Internet people are losing

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

a little bit of power as they should. I mean, it makes total sense. No, no one's really famous right now. I mean, actually, that's not true. The. There's a few people who are famous right now, but the Internet famous. Speed is famous. Timothy Chalamet is famous.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Like, it's weird, dude. Like, there's all. There's so many people who have, like. I mean, every day I learn about some who I've never heard of in my life that has, like, however many followers and, like, sells out giant theater tours and all this crap.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Exactly.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

And I just have no idea who they are. It used to be. There used to be, like, less of an outlet, but that's good. It's kind of awesome though, right? Because I feel like it's democratized the media landscape and it's also led to this, like, I guess, middle class of creator where.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, I think it's scary, dude.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Wait, why is it scary?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Because I think, like, the pipeline from, like, I think the pipeline of having no money and, like, selling a bunch of courses online or gaining a bunch of influence on the Internet and, like, making a living is, like, great for the middle class and the lower class of society. And I think if you take that away, that just is, like, another tool people can't access for, like, financial mobility.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Wait, why do you feel like. Hold on. I was just about to say the opposite. I was about to say it's good for, like, the middle class of creator because you can. Because you can make, like, if you're. If you're smart, you can figure out how to make, like, a living by even if you're not, like, that famous, but you still.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Okay, say that. Say that first part again. Say that first part if you're smart. Yeah, exactly. That's not everybody. That's not everybody. Like, I see people on Instagram talking, like, they have, like, you know, 25,000 followers. They put up a video that gets, like 700k views or whatever, and they're like, yeah, I made, you know, 200 bucks. And I'm like, yeah, it's like, hard to monetize off of the Internet if you're not like. Like, you have a podcast that's, like, I don't know, gained a lot of traction into, like, 20. I don't know. I don't. I don't. I don't remember when I started watching. I think I started watching you in 2021, but I think you started in, like, 2019, right? On, like, Reddit or something. Or 2020 on Reddit. That's not everybody's. Case it is.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

No, it's true. I mean, I make, I make a living through. I make a living primarily through the, like this podcast and through touring. But like, there's a lot of, like, I don't, like, I don't make. I don't, like, I don't really make any money. I make virtually zero money, like posting videos on Instagram. But there's some people who, like, all they do is post videos on Instagram. And I always, I seriously, like, all the time I look at those profiles and I'm like, how is this person making a living?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

It just depends in my opinion who it is and like, what their monetization model is. Like, for instance, there's some people on Instagram who I see are like physical therapists, rehab specialists for like a specific type of injury. Like, they'll be like, hey, if you're a jogger in your 20s to 40s and you tore your MCL on November 2nd, I gotta exercise for you. Like, I know those dudes are making like 20k a month.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Sure. You know what I'm saying?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

If you want to do videos, like.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, if I want. I think if I wanted to do like, I don't know, man. Some people have told me like, oh, you should like, like, if I was like an influencery type of person, I'd be like, book, book a call with the therapy gecko. But that. I would never do that in my life. That sounds so.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Dude, you don't think you're an influency type of person?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I don't. Like, I would like you. I would never in my life will. I swear, I never in my life will like make something on my Instagram where people can like pay money to talk to me. Like, I think, I think that's how like, oh, I. Most influencery people do it. Like, people are like.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

I was literally saying there's probably nobody on the Internet who I followed like more consistently than you. You're probably like, you probably had the most influence on me.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

But I guess, yeah, but like, I guess when I think of like an influencer, I think of like someone who's like, buy my coaching course or like set up a thing with me and I like a one on one and we'll do a whatever, you know.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Dude, when I think of an influencer, I think of somebody that influences my thoughts and my daily actions.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Oh, okay. I was thinking in like a. More of a. Well, okay, whatever. Do you have parents?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, I do have parents.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Are they. They're then they're influencers. They probably influence you.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, but like it's obvious they influence me. They're my parents. That's like part of their role. But like influencer is somebody that like gained my influence through like consensual. Like I saw them and I wanted to follow them and I watched their content and I fed their content into my brain and they, I, I like allowed them to influen.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

You know.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Do you feel like you are easily influenced?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

I think everybody is. Like, have you if you've ever heard, like, even if you know it's propaganda that doesn't like remove its influence on you, like even if you know it's something like proven to be made to trick you, if even when you look

[Jimmy (Caller)]

at it it's still kind of tricking

[Joe (EMT caller)]

you in a way. So I think I am like impressionable, but I'm a very self aware person. So it's like a double edged sword. Like I am easily influenced but then I catch myself. But then at the same time I'm like, wait, even though I'm self aware, like, wait, like how influenced should I just get right now?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I don't know, man. I feel like, I feel like, like advertising. Does advertising work on me? I don't know. I don't like buy a lot of shit. Like, do you? I mean, I guess, I guess, I guess propaganda works in many ways other than like trying to get you to buy shit. But like, do you like, do you when you see ads for shit on Instagram, like, have you ever bought something from an Instagram ad?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

No, but I'll give you an example that like I know one thing that it's influenced me. It's. There's this thing called like a, I forgot what it's called. Called like a bull up bar or it's, it's some type of like at home gym equipment machine that. It's like a couple hundred bucks and I probably wasn't gonna buy it, but I've been seeing the same ad on Instagram and Facebook for like four or five months and I'm like, I'm definitely gonna buy that in the future.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Did you buy it?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

No, I didn't buy it yet, but I know I am gonna buy it.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Do you think that's because of the ad?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Huh. Okay.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

What other ways do you think ad repeatedly.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

What other ways recently do you think you've been heavily influenced?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Oh, you know what? Let me think. One way that I'm heavily influenced is like, so I work with a lot of older people and I Just started this job, like, five or six months ago, and it causes me to, when I'm not at work, be more vigilant around, like, older people in public.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

What do you mean by, like, vigilant? For their safety.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Like, if. Yeah, for their safety, for their guidance. I'll talk to them more. Like, just anything. Like, I feel just more readily available to interact with, like, the elderly population.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, okay. Yeah, that makes sense. I mean, you're talking about, dude, you're just talking about, like, being influenced by external stimuli of the world. I mean, you, you're a product of your environment. You speak English. Whose fault is that? That's everyone around you has been speaking English forever. Now you, now you, now you do it. Now you do it.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, true.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

You know?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

What do you do? You have a job?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, I do have a job. I'm EMT.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Oh, you're an EMT?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Who influenced you to be an EMT?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Probably my pro. Probably my grandmother. In 2020, my grandmother, she developed dementia and I had to, like, take care of her. And during COVID I saw how much, like, medical misinformation there was. Like, I, I, I had kind of wanted to be a doctor my entire life, so I was kind of hip to science and medical research and the, I don't know, understanding of PTE and all that stuff. So when we went through this pandemic, and I kind of saw how people reacted to it and how inflammatory it caused, like, all of society to be, it like, scared me a lot. Like, you know, I had people that I had friends that I knew, I wouldn't wear masks and didn't believe in Covid and just taking care of my grandmother with dementia, I was like, okay, I'm going to become like a CNA or EMT or some, something to go into health care. So then my grandmother passed away, and then I became an emt.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

So would you say that your grandmother was like, an influencer to you?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, for sure, for sure, for sure, for sure. Yeah, it's like crazy to see somebody, it's like crazy see somebody, you know, who could, like, walk and talk and speak, like, deteriorate day to day. Oh, it's crazy.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

You seem like you have had, in your life so far, good influences.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, I would say so. And I, yeah, I feel very lucky for that too. Yeah. Oh, and sometimes I, I, People identify that fact and say, like, hey, you're like, why are you good? And I go like, I don't know. I just got lucky to have good influences.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

There's Nothing. I did.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I feel. I feel that way about my life. I feel like I'm a product of the influence of a lot of people around me, and I think that it's been a. It's been good influence.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, I agree. I agree. Yeah. It's been cool to, like, meet your family, too,

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

but you. My family?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Oh, yeah. My dad.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

To hear your sister, to hear your dad, to hear you talk about your mom. Yeah, that's cool.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah. I have no. I have a really good family and I have really good friends, and they've. They've influenced who I am for sure. But I also spend a lot of time, you know, I'm influenced by the Internet. I'm influenced by random motherfuckers. I mean, I'd like to. Even though I don't want, like, buy shit from Facebook ads, I'm still under the influence of the world I inhabit.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Right, right.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I feel like I've. This podcast. I feel like talking to a bunch of people has influenced me in some way. I can't really put to words it how exactly, but, dude, it's so clear.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

It's when. When you're a listener of the podcast, it's like, clear that there is a actual pay off of how many people you've spoken with throughout your time. Interesting, because when you're. Sometimes when I'm following a conversation, I'm like, taking in with the person saying. And I'm like, I'm with them. I'm like, I'm trying to grasp what they're saying. Like, what are they saying? And then I hear you respond, and I'm like, what the. How does Lyle know what this person is saying? Not only do you know what this person's saying, but you have, like, something thoughtful to say. And I'm like, right? He's probably talked to, like, 20,000 people, bro. Of course he's talked to somebody who's been, like, kind of convoluted or, like, doesn't really know how to make it to the point. Like, of course you. So sometimes, like, even the most recent episode, I forgot the guy was talking about Osama bin Laden's car or something like that, man. The guy's kind of like, kind of. I don't even know what this guy's kind of saying. And you're like, walking them step by step. I'm like, what the heck? Like, it's like, that is the payoff of being a conversationalist is like, you're good at having conversations. And so it's very clear to me you Know what?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

You're a. You're a sweet guy. What's your name?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Please beep out that name. Please.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

All right, sure, we'll beep it out. I'll call you.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Okay?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I'll call you.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Call me Joe. Call me Joe. Call me Joe.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

All right, Joe. All right, we'll beep that out. We'll call you Joe, Joe. No, you're a sweet guy, Joe. You're a sweet guy, Joe. I appreciate you saying all that stuff. No, that guy. I. I feel like a lot of my understanding of people doesn't come from, like, talking to people, though. It comes from just, like, living life and a little bit. And also talking to people, too. I mean, that guy on the previous episode, I knew the people weren't gonna like him, but I also. I found him on a personal level, fascinating and.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah. And also. You know what's so funny, dude? I was. I'm reading the con, and also, I know that. I know that, like, you know, thousands of folks listen to these calls and only, like, you know, 40 of them make comments. But I'm. What? But I look at the comments sometimes, and I'm like. And I'm like, I know that participating in the conversation and listening to the conversation are two different perspectives, and you're going to be understanding the person differently. But I'm listening to. But, like, there's so many times I have a conversation with someone and it's like, I'm there directly talking to this person, and I'm getting such different vibe. Like, I can tell when people are bullshitting me, and I can tell when people are being genuine with me. And I really can, like, tell in my gut. Like, I know, like. Like I'll. I could get 500 comments on a thing of people being like, this guy's bullshitting you. And if I feel like in my gut, I know that they're not. I. Then I just know that they're not.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Right, right. That makes sense.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

But, yeah, I don't know. I don't know what that is. You know, life is crazy. All that stupid stuff, telling somebody how

[Joe (EMT caller)]

hard it is for, like. Like, it's hard for me to people, because I don't know how to prepare my. Before I say it, I don't. Like, if I don't know what to lie about, I don't know how to say the. Like, what. How do people lie that fast?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

What. What do you have to lie about?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

That's what I'm saying.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

What do you have?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Exactly.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

You're a sweet guy.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Why do people Lie in the first place. Why do people lie in the first place?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

People lie for so many reasons.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, that's what's confusing to me.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Do you feel like people lie to you ever?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Oh, good question. Yeah, I. The opposite. I feel like people withhold the truth from me sometimes, which I think is a type of lie.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

What circumstances do people typically withhold the truth to you under?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Like, when people have some type of issue with me and they don't want to have conflict, like, they don't.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

They.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

They don't bring that conflict forth with me. They'd rather be silent or avoid an interaction that's like. That's like a lie. That's like, sort of. You're lying to me.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, I do that sometimes. I did that yesterday. I. Dude, you know what's funny is actually, I'm curious about your opinion of. On this. Just. I want your opinion on this just as, like, another human being is like, okay, so, like, withholding the truth because you don't want to start a conflict. Obviously. Obviously, in, like, probably in a lot of situations, in a large amount of situations, that's the wrong thing to do. If you're feeling something, you don't want to let it boil. You want to let it out, and you want to talk about it in a lot of situations. But there's totally, totally, totally a lot of situations where you. You shouldn't. And you should just pick your battles. You know what I mean? There's. I've. I feel like yesterday I was in a situation where I was like, I'm not gonna tell this person that I was mad at them, because I just. I don't need to start a whole dialogue of a conflict. Like, we can just. We can move past it. I don't know if I was right. I don't know if it would have been healthier to be like, no, I actually felt this way because of this and because of that. You know, it's probably always best to do that, but I don't actually know if it's always best to do that. What do you think? Are there situations where you think it's like, it. Just hold your tongue. Just don't say anything.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

For. For me, it kind of depends on how the person I'm with is operating and who they are, because I. I definitely ask myself the question, like, what does that person want? What. What would they. If they were me, would they want me to tell them? You know, and I try to. Like. Like, for instance, my. The last person that I was with, she was a very honest person. So I operated extremely honestly. Like, and I told her stuff that, like. Oh, I probably didn't want to necessarily tell her, but, like, I think even in hindsight, I'm, like, I left that relationship without regrets because I was, like, honest with that person. But then also, I've been with people that, like, probably wouldn't even care less. So maybe I. Yeah. Might withhold my tongue to avoid conflict, because maybe that person might even, like, favor that or prefer that over than me telling them and, like, creating conflict. So in my opinion, it kind of depends on who you're with.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Okay, so you base your decision on whether or not you think they would want to hear it.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

I base my decisions based on, like, their personality and, like, the harmony of our relationship. Kind of. Like, I think I'm gonna choose the option which, like, makes me, like, I have the most integrity when I come out of it.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Oh, you're gonna choose the option that leaves you with the most integrity?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Oh, that's fucking bold, man. Do you.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Because I want to, like, do right by myself and that person. Like, that's, like, my goal.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Damn. I have respect for you, Joe. Do you have a girlfriend? Do you have a wife?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Dude, I don't have. I'm. I'm a single man right now.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

When you're in a. When's the last time you were in a relationship?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

About a year ago.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Okay. And when you were mad at your girlfriend, did you tell her?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Let me think. So, I. I was, like, very seldomly mad at my girlfriend. And, yeah, I would tell her, but mad is like. I don't really get mad. It's more like I'm. Like, something is like. Like, I think something's off or, like, something's bothering me or, like, I think something's weird. Like, it's not more. It's not like I'm mad. It's more like, hey, what's going on? I come up confused.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah. You know how often there was, like, when you felt that way?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Dude, I'm, like, a really big overthinker, so like, maybe half the time, because sometimes I'm, like, doubting myself.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

You know, what am I doing? Yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

You know what's. It's actually. It's not funny. It's actually terrifying. Is. Okay. I think we have an obsession just as, like, people with wanting to, like, validate our feelings.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Mm.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

And the truth is, once you succumb to the fact that there's no objective reality, it. You kind of start to live in a world where. Okay. So if there's no objective reality. The only person who can like really validate your feelings is you because like, you're the God of your own existence through this sure universe. So like, you can go, it's like you can go on Reddit and be like, my girlfriend said this, or my boss said this, or my mom said this, whatever, and I feel this way, blah, blah. And you might have a bunch of people say something and then you could go, okay, I'm gonna take the consensus of whatever the most people said as validation. But I don't think that consensus and objective truth have like an overlap. Like consensus is just consensus. It doesn't. Just because something is the consensus of how everyone feels about a thing doesn't automatically make it true. So at a certain point, the, the closest you can really get to an objective truth is you take the consensus in as information. And if you decide to align your personal decision and your personal evaluation of your own feelings with the cons, then that's the closest that you'll get to creating a subjective reality backed validation of your own feelings. But you're never going to nothing. You're never going to be right. No, you're never going to be trademark tm. Right. You know, there's no such thing.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

And that's weird. That's like I was, it's, it's weird you say that because I was just thinking about that this morning. How you can walk like they, they say you, you'll never know what it's like to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. And it's like, but you know exactly what it's like to walk a mile in shoes in that same, like brand, that same whatever size, everything. It's just not their shoes. So you just don't know. Like you could. You have the same experience, you just have no clue if it's the same experience.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, you know, you don't know.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

You'll never know.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Also, to play devil's advocate to everything I just said, I think that if somebody has a similar learned experience to you, or maybe they're a little older and they've experienced a lot of stuff, you can like, you can kind of collect an aggregate of other people. And this is almost what we're trying to do on the podcast. You can collect an aggregate of other people's, again, like the cannot. And I don't. Okay, I don't think you should. I don't think that like a group consensus of your feelings is like objective reality, but you could get pretty damn close to something by just collecting an Aggregate, I guess that's what. I don't know if a consensus and an aggregator. No, a consensus and an aggregator are different things, I guess. But if you go around, you collect, like, you talk to, like, 50 people in their 50s, like, advice on being married or whatever, you can kind of gleam certain things where it's like, all right, we put human beings who have similar Ish. Brains as you're saying. They've walked that path in. In the same brand of shoes and the same size. They're not literally exactly your shoes, because you have your unique learned experience. But you ask, you know, 50 people who've walked the same path in the same shoes, in the same brand, and you get the aggregate of their experience. There's clear value in that perspective, but it's. There's still not. There's still nothing objective to it.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Is everything I'm saying making any sense, or am I just sounding.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Of course, dude. Like, there's probably never been a time on this podcast where you're talking and you add that and it's like, no, you didn't make sense. Like, every time, like, yeah, that makes sense, dude.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I love you.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

The only thing I don't know is, like. The only thing I don't know is the difference between, like, aggregate and consensus. I think consensus is just like. Like a. What? Like, the majority conclusion in aggregate is just, like, a large group or body of folks.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I don't know.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

You're the man, Joe.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

How old are you, dude? I'm 28. I. Yeah, I'm 28 years old.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Cool. We're the same age. Yeah, it's crazy.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, that's cool, too. It's cool to listen to a podcast by a guy that's the same age as me.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Cool, man. I. With you, Heavy Joe. Okay, what's your.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

You're like, Steve, you're. Dude, it's like, when you mention. You listen to Stavros Hark. Yes. Or if you mentioned any, like, Bobby Lee thing, it's like, dude, yeah. You're like. You can totally feel the influence of

[Jimmy (Caller)]

those people in your podcast.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, dude. Yeah, I. I listen to Stav's podcast. He's very fun. Well, I like listening to Stavi's World because Stavros is, like, almost a decade older than me, and I feel like a lot of his. I. I met him a long time ago. He did comedy in my basement, like, working seven years ago, maybe. I used to. I used to. I used to be an editor for that podcast, like, six before I did.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

That's Lore that floor.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

It used to be he used to do a show called Stavi solves your problems. And before I did therapy, Gecko, I had a job where for like, yeah, like once a week he would send me like a three hour Twitch vod and I would like pick the best phone calls from his podcast and then I would like make like little Instagram clips and like help run the YouTube page or whatever. And then he. And then I think he like stopped doing it and then he rebranded it or whatever. But it's kind of funny that I used to work for that show before doing this. But it's fun. I like listening to him because he's. Yeah, he's like a decade older than me, but like, it's interesting. And also I feel like a lot of his callers are a little older than me. So it's like, it's like I'm. You know, in. In life you're always like watching a little older than you. Like when you're in elementary school, you're watching like middle schoolers on tv. When you're in middle school, you're watching high schoolers on tv. High school, you watch a college, people. I feel like that just kept going. Like, I'm like. With podcasts, I'm like trying to listen to like I'm very interested in listening to people who are like a little bit older than me talking about life, like having the same problems, you know, like watching like I was. I'm watching Seinfeld because it's like, okay, these people are like living in New York, like dating, running around, but they're in their 30s.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

A little older than me.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

It's interesting because I'm interested less in the age range of who I'm watching or listening to and more of like what that person's thinking about or what they're talking about. And I find that like different age ranges. Think about like, it's not uniform. Like all 60 year olds are not having 16 year old thoughts and vice versa. So I just like to listen to the people that are thinking about the stuff that I like to think about, which is like, like probably human psychology, spirituality and philosophy. Because outside of like those three topics, everything else, not that it makes sense, but like those three are super confusing to begin with. So I'm like already stuck on those.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I like thinking about normal stuff too. I feel like I get to. I get too existential, I get into too much, like life feels too. I see people do it. I see people figure out how to. I see people also who are like older than me, who can I. And I don't like know them intimately. Maybe some. There's some people I know a little intimately who are like older than me that figure it out who like can live life on a lighter tone. And I know how to do that. I figured out how to live life on a lighter tone after like feeling like every day felt like kind of heavy and weird. You know, I like the point. The way you do it is you just design some kind of rhythm to your life that you can get distracted by.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Hmm.

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[Joe (EMT caller)]

dude, I would say for me, since COVID every single day has felt weird. Every single day.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Even every single day.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Every single day since COVID it felt like I. We flipped timelines or something and we live in an inverted one or something or I don't know, it felt like.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Wait, bro, hold on. Why. Why is every single. Every single day for the past six years has felt weird to you?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Because it felt like that was a life altering event that now the consequences of that event like shapes people's lives in such a way that they don't really realize. And it feels, it feels like I can see the effects of like Covid in 2026, like extremely clearly, you know, but you're talking.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

But I. Okay, yes. I mean, Covid completely, completely changed my life. I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for Covet. I have no idea what I'd be doing or what my life would look like. But

[Joe (EMT caller)]

like, like, dude, I'm talking all the way down to like AI and doom scrolling and the economy and all types of stuff. Ice Donald Trump. Like, it all feels like we live in this altered timeline that we weren't supposed to live in. And like Covid was the, like the catalyst that started all of it.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, but dude, you've heard, you've. If you listen to the show, you probably heard me go on this rant before, but like you're acting like it's all. Dude, it's always been like that. We had a fucking. We had two world wars, we had a black plague, we had the Internet and the printing. But like this has always been happening. This is not the first time that there's been like corrupt world leaders or scary technology or change. Like, like life is a Safdie Brothers movie, you know, this is always Going, it's never not. It's never not. And you'll always look nostalgically back on like five years ago. But like it's just always, it's never not been. Always going, it's never not been. Dude. Dude. I was watching this video came up on my YouTube channel. I was 4 years old when 911 happened. So like, I don't remember that shit. But this video came up on my YouTube channel of Conan O', Brien, like addressing his audience on like September 18, 2001. And he goes on this long diet. Like, dude, do you remember when all the stu. All the late night show people got on their desks like March 2020 doom. And they were like doing this whole thing where they were like, I don't know how we're gonna keep moving on in these unprecedented weird times. I mean the fact that all of this crazy stuff is going on and we're, we don't know how we're going to be able to do this show. I, I saw Conan O' Brien do that in 2001, fucking 20 years earlier when fucking 911 happened. Like, like, like all life crazy altering events that have been happening for eternity. You know what I mean? So like that's just another one of them. Unprecedented times are highly precedented.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

They're. Yeah, they're, they're constant, I guess. And because I, because I, I definitely agree with what you're saying and I kind of take back like half of what I'm saying. But like, in a way it still feels like some things that I haven't seen or like they haven't been consistent throughout history. Like for instance, I'm seeing like people's attention span just be. Just gone. Just like not there. Just people sunken into their phones and like while they're driving their people are on their phones and like it's like they're not even conscious or just like. One thing I think is super weird is I, like I walk outside a lot and like during the summertime there's just like, I don't, I don't see like lightning bugs anymore or just like, I see less bugs out. Just like we, when I walk into a McDonald's, there's no people in there. Just like weird stuff. Like I don't remember. I remember that stuff when I was younger, when I was like in 2006, like I walk into a McDonald's, I see a bunch of people. I see lightning bugs. Maybe I was just a kid or maybe I'm getting older, but like I feel like people aren't even watching, like, that much TV nowadays, like, I feel like the world is shifting in a way that it hasn't, and that makes me feel weird, you know?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

The world is shift. Yeah. The world is shifting in a way that is exponential as time goes on, because that's how, like, development and technology goes. But I try to be optimistic in the sense that I still think that it's. I still think, like, when I look at the world and I look at, like, what people are doing and what opportunities, like, are still there and, like, what's still around, I feel very genuinely that if you want to figure out how to make a spot in the world for you to exist thrivingly, that you can do it. Like, there's still. Yeah, you know, I mean, I believe that. Yeah. I mean, dude, you're fucking emt. You, like, do a real thing. You don't, like.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

You don't, like, make a dog videos for a living. Like, you're still here.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

You still have a job where you go around talking to old people about their life. You're still like, it's 20. Like, people are like, we live in this crazy future, and then it's. And we. Sure, we do, but, like, it's right now. It's 20, 26. 6. And we have the crazy AI technology, crazy crap, open claw, dog video chat. We have it all now. We have it all right. It's not a thing that's coming. It's here right now, and you're still here. And EMT being this guy, having these thoughts, talking to old people, but you're like, you're doing. We're. You're doing it. You're succeeding within the crazy future.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I agree. I think it's also because as a child, my expectation of what the current reality that I'm living is, it doesn't line up of what I thought my future would be like, especially with, like, Judah. It's even. It's just, like, weird. Even when I, like, walk into public, I'm like, this is like a. Being an adult. Like what? Like, I don't know. I just thought it'd be different growing up. I thought.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

What? What did you think it would be?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Like, more innocent? I thought people would be, I don't know, happier, more lively. I don't know. Maybe I'm like. Maybe I'm naive, but, like, I thought life was gonna have, like, a little bit more sparkle and joy in people's personal lives, but it doesn't seem to be the case. Like, especially Walking around as an emt, like, whatever. My patients, they're sick. It's obvious that they have a poor quality of life sometimes. But, like, I mean, even talking to, like, receptionists or health. Other healthcare professionals or. I don't know, just like. Yeah. A lot of people these days seem like they're just going through it.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Well, you're in a weird occupation. You picked the wrong occupation. If you want to see people with joy in their eyes, people don't. People know they're calling it occupation.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

That's why I pick with occupation, because I know it's like, sad people, hurt people, miserable people. Because I feel like I. I feel like I have, like a. When I go to sleep, I wake up in the morning. It's like I hit the reset button. I got a clear sleep. I wake up, like, totally fine. I don't know why. It's been like that my whole life. That's why I feel like, like, good for health care. Because, like, I go to bed and I wake up and it's like, whatever, I'm ready, you know,

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Man, I. So I was in Ukraine, like, a month ago shooting a documentary.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Dude, you're going to crazy places, man.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I'm going to crazy places. It's. It's my new thing. I'm going to crazy places. I. Yeah, you're talking about.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

You said something to Lord Mil that you said you. You're an adult in outer space. And I was like, holy crap. Lyle is too. That's crazy.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

But, yeah, but I think I've. I've. I've kind of cracked the code on how to be. I've cracked the code on how to be an astronaut without going insane. I think I have.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I'm pretty sure I have. Anyway. Anyway, so I was in Ukraine making a documentary. We're editing it right now. Hopefully it'll be out in, like, a month. We'll see. But I met this guy Roman. This guy Roman, like, DM'd me on Instagram, inviting me there, and I stayed at his house for a bit, and he's fucking awesome. He's fucking, like. We stayed at his house where he had no fucking power for a bit, and he's, like, just dealing with. He's just, like, dealing with all this crazy crap. He is, like, you know, friends and family that have, like, been, you know, severely affected by this war. And, yeah, we. I don't want to, like, a lot of this stuff is gonna be in the documentary, but he talks about this thing where he's just like. I think nihilism is such. And I think that this idea that we have of people being like, oh, the world is like, a shitty place, and, like, yeah, nihilism and stuff is just kind of. Kind of bullshit, and it's people, like, ascribing a judgment value to a thing that just simply is.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

And I really, really fucked with his. His. His interpretation of life. And I. And it rubbed off. I mean, I feel that way. I feel that way, too. I feel like. And also, by the way, so much of that is just caused by. By the phone. You know, this guy Roman, he talks a lot about, like, trying not to use his phone, and he has, like, an analog room where he doesn't use any technology. And he's very, like, getting off the Internet and stuff. And I really like when you get off the Internet and you just, like,

[Joe (EMT caller)]

look around like, dude, it's crazy.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I don't. I don't want to say that things are quote, unquote, not that bad.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

No, it's like, everything's fine, and you're like, what was going on before?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

It's not. Yeah. You know, it's just. It's not that, like, everything is fine and, like, it's just that the world is. I don't think people realize that the world is in, like, a constant state of motion.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Mm. Like metamorphosis, almost.

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Yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

And I don't. I'm not trying to say, like, there's all. Sure, there's a lot to be afraid of, but there always has been.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That makes sense. That's a very wise, guru thing of you to say.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I don't know. I mean, maybe that's, like, around the block.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

I've completed the loop. I've seen this end already. Thing of you.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Well, I don't know, man. I don't know. I don't know, man. I don't know. But, like, maybe it's because, you know what it is. Maybe it's because, like, you know what it is? I think it's because, like, Americans, like, we've, like, Americans have had a pretty. Have had it pretty chill for a long time. I think we. I think maybe it's just that Americans have had it, like, we've had it pretty fucking chill for a long time.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Right?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

And I feel like a lot of the shit that we're going through, like, it's, like, it's unprecedented for us and that we. I think maybe we're. We have this thing of, like, this couldn't happen to us, and now it's happening. To us.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, of course, of course.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

But, like, this shit's, you know, I don't know. Not to get.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Dude.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah. Stuff.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

But one thing that comforts me is, like, whenever I have scary thoughts about the future or just like, not being okay 20 years from now or 40 years from now, I go, I'm someone that thinks that even though certain thoughts can be really rare and unique, thoughts are pretty repeated throughout human history. And I believe that, like, the thoughts that I've had, my ancestors have had as well. So if I've ever thought, like, oh, no, the future is going to be scary, like, and I'm not, and I'm going to be unsafe. Oh, my God. So many of my ancestors have thought the same thing, and I'm like, proof of their safety, so I know I'm going to be fine. My ancestors have thought the same thing for the problems that existed in their time period. Because that's what I think too. I think, like, I think like, oh, my God, these problems are so brand new. AI and international freaking genocide from the sky. And I go, no, these are just like the features of our generation. The same way that, like, people couldn't predict, I don't know, airplanes flying into buildings in 2000, like, things, you know, everyone has their thing for their time period and it scares them and they persevere. So I know I'll be like, fine in the long run. But, yeah, I don't know, the future is it.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

It.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

I would say less. It's, like, scary in my head and more just, like, completely uncertain what it's going to look like. And that's weird to me.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, but that's. That's an inherent value of the future is. Is. It's uncertainty.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Ah, but I feel like the f. The further you go back in our past, the more the future looks the same. Like, for instance, like, it feels like every three months to every three to six months, we can see like a month or two less into the future. Like, like it feels like maybe we can tell what the future is going to be like in two months, but, like, maybe next month we'll know what the future is going to look like in one month. But maybe back in 2000, we know what the future is going to look like for, like, 20 years. Do you know what I'm saying? Like technology.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I know. Yes. No, I know what you're saying. Things. Yeah, I know what you're saying. We. We've. We, like, since. Yeah, I know what you're saying. Certain technologies have emerged in the last 20 years. That have been, like, exponential in, like, a weird, scary way. And yes, I know when my dad was on the podcast, he talked a little bit about how, like, when he was. Like, when my dad was our age, he talked about, like, being more opted. Like, people in the gen in that generation were like, the future was cool, you know, like, the idea of, like, look at, like, look at that iPhone. Look what this can do. Like, right. We. We went pretty. Nobody's really like, oh, look what this can do. I mean, some people are. Some people are, but things. Things have changed, for sure. I'm not. I don't. All the shit about, like, the world's been in. Caught. I feel like I say some of that shit and people think I'm being, like, like, dismissive of things. And I'm not. I'm really. I'm not. I. I know that.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Like, factual.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah. I think you can. Analytical almost.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

From a grand scale.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, from a grand scale. But you can hold both. Like, things are things, you know?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Right.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Right. Joe, I feel like you. I. I feel like you understand me, Joe, I appreciate you, dude.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

I understand you because, like, not only have I listened to your podcast for so long, but, like, how you question things and the things you think about and, like, the reasons for why you question them and how they make you feel, especially like, I can relate to that so hard. Like, you have no clue. I know it's gonna sound weird that I'm like, go ahead in the shower and I close my eyes and I'm, like, washing my face and I'm, like, thinking about, like, what was Lyle talking about on the podcast?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Like, that's crazy.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Like, just all types of stuff. So, like, I don't know, like, when people go to, like, the. Because. Because one thing I kind of realized is, like, some people don't challenge their thoughts. They don't engage with them. And I feel like I'm, like, always mentally battling my thoughts. Like, I'm like. Especially one thing that triggers, like, more complex thoughts in my head is like, when I see. I was just talking to my mom about this the other day. Like, when I see facial. People display facial expressions that I don't see often. I'm like, what thoughts led to that facial expression?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I don't even make.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

I can't even make those facial expressions in the mirror. Like, what type of thoughts do you have to. Have to, like, feel the emotions that lead to those facial expressions? You know? I know that people.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

How often are you figuring out? How often are you seeing new facial expressions? I feel like I'VE seen all of them.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

I guess I'm just seeing rarer facial expressions more often since I became an emt. Like, for instance, like, just recently we got called. So we got called this like a backup ambulance. They didn't want to call the police. I don't know why. So we. It was an all female crew, and me and my partner came to back up the all female crew because the patient was like 285 pounds, and he was, like, really aggressive. He was alert and oriented. He was, like, not able to walk, but he's able to punch you, you know? And we went. And I remember the second I made eye contact with him, I remember thinking like, holy crap. Like, that's so much intense emotion on his face. Like, how do you have that. Like, I don't even know what you have to go through to have, like, he looked like he was ready to, like, bite somebody's. A piece of somebody's skin out of their, like, flesh.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Like, it.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

I was like, whoa. And it's like, I don't think people understand how unique, like, a human can feel in a human. In an individual body. That's what that tells me. When I see, like, facial expressions I haven't seen before, I'm like, whoa, you feel super unique in your body. That's why you're making those unique facial expressions.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, sure.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Because you're like, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

But I think that this person has. This person has a such a unique feeling in their body that they. That. That it's coming out through their face and you're like, oh, I've never seen that before. It's like a snowflake.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

And not even. Just. Not even. Just like. Not even just their facial expression, but just like, how he was emoting, like, how he was sweating, how he was breathing, what he was saying, like, it was like, whoa. Yeah. I've never seen somebody operating like this. Like, clearly not. Not even just facial expressions. Brand new. But just like, the. What his aura and the, like, the cocktail of everything that he was exhibiting. Just like, we're like, whoa, bro. I don't meet human beings that are in this situation feeling this feeling going through this. Joe, what's up?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Joe, I've enjoyed talking to you. This has been.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Dude, it's been. It's been really odd because I did not know the. The format of these calls were like this.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Oh, what? Just chatting. What do you mean you didn't know the format of the calls were like this. You. What do you mean? How you been listening to the. That thing for this long.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

The podcast is more like, you speak, then the speaker speaks. It's more like a. You're trying to narrate their story, but we're just, like, shooting the Dude.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

We do that, we do that, we do that.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, but, like, the way you edit it, it feels like it's more orchestrated. Like, you have not been trying to orchestrate the way we're having this conversation in the slightest. That's been surprising.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

No, well, not really. Well, not really. Just because we're. Chad, I haven't felt like I needed to.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

That makes sense. That makes sense. I would also like to say, sir, I would not like to be on the podcast.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

You would not like to be on the podcast?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

I would not like to.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

No, you had. Do you. Hold on, Joe. I'm totally putting this call on the podcast. Yeah, of course this is going to the point. We just talked for. We just talked for an hour. Of course I'm putting that. You can't. I'll bleep your name, but of course I'm putting this on the podcast. I can't. You can't. You can't talk to me for an hour and then at the end of it, say, don't use this for the podcast.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

All right, all right, all right.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, I mean, is there any. Did you talk about anything that you specifically don't want in you? I didn't, like.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

You didn't know. I'm just, like, a shy person.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Okay. Yeah. You. You didn't like. I. It'd be one thing if you, like, here's the thing. I would be sympathetic if you, like, revealed a lot of deeply personal, classified information about yourself, but we just shot the. Yeah, yeah, an hour. I'm totally putting for sure this out as a podcast.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

For sure.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I'm sorry, Joe.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

No, that's okay. That's okay. I'm. I'm, like, kind of glad you know, man.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

All right, man.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

All right. Ask me. Ask me the famous question.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Is there anything else you want to say to the people of the computer before we go?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah, my favorite episodes are the Macedonia episode and the Australia episode.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Oh, I don't remember. I know the Macedonia episode.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Come on. Oh, you don't remember now? No, I'm just kidding. What do you say?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I. I'll look. I'm trying to remember. I, I. If I know that there is an Australia episode, and I know that there's a Macedonia episode, and now there's a Joe episode.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

It was nice talking to you, man.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Nice talking. You too, Joe. Keep it real, brother. You have a good one.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah. Take care of you too, man.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Bye bye.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Joe.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

That was Joe. What a nice guy, Joe. Sweet guy. Sweet guy. A lot of integrity on that Joe. That's definitely the most integral Joe I've ever known.

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[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

hello.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Hello.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

What's up, man? What's your name?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Hey, I'm Jimmy. I'm assuming this is Lyle.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

This is Lyle. What's up, Jimmy? How's it going, man? How's life?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I guess good. Is all things, you know, can be considering some sadder situations, but nothing too crazy. At the end of the day, you know, I'm just figuring it out. Also trying to. It's so funny. Everybody says that. Everything like, oh, I talked to this guy, and it's like, suddenly I'm like, super jittery. It's like, oh, now I'm going through that.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

You said. You said. What are things? Did you say sadder things? What did you say earlier?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Yeah, just some sadder. I mean, like, it's basic stuff. Just ended things with a girl recently, stuff like that. Nothing too crazy, but.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

How old are you, brother?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I am 28.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I'm also 28. How does it feel for you to be 28?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Really good, actually. I feel like, you know, 24 to, like, 26 was, like, a really hard time for me. And from, like, 27 onwards, I think I kind of just started to feel myself a lot more and just find a lot more joy in things and be like, oh, wow, like, my brain is fully coming together, I guess, Fully developed.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Dude. I really do feel like you get to decide when your peak is. You know what I mean? Like, if you. If you feel like you peaked when you were like, 24, then. Then that's just it. But I've just. I've just decided I'm gonna keep peaking. I've decided I'm gonna keep being Amazing forever. You know what I mean? That's. That's what you got to do. Even if you're delusional, even if you're like. Even if you have no evidence to actually back that up in any way, shape, or form, you got to just keep rocking it.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

No, dude, I feel exactly the same way. Funnily enough, I, like. I feel like so many people, like, dread 30, but now I'm like, I'm in a spot where I can go looking forward to 30. Almost like a better word. It's like, oh, cool. Like, just this whole new decade starts, and it's like, just new opportunities to kind of, like, keep exploring life and just leave it. Kind of keep figuring myself out.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Dude, it keeps going. I used to think the fact that it kept going was mortified me, but now I'm like, okay, no, we can. This is good. I mean, I saw. I think I've said this on the show before, but I saw, like, I was in line at the airport once, and I saw, like, a guy in his 50s pull out his phone and take a picture of something. And I was like, oh, shit, man. I can. I'm gonna keep. I do that now, you know? I mean, I'm gonna keep being a guy who sometimes takes his phone out to take a picture of something. Like, I could just keep doing that, you know? You know what I mean? Does that sound insane? Do you get what I'm saying?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

No, I think it's just like. Is that just, like, appreciating the little things still, you know?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I don't know. I don't know what I mean by that.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

I take a picture. I don't know.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I'm just like, oh, he's still alive. He's still alive. He's still doing it. He did. You don't. It's not like you turn it. It's not like you turn a certain age and then you combust, you know, you just keep being alive.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I know. This is stuff I always, like, hear you bring up on the show. It's like, I. I wonder what the, like, ages that you, like, kind of stop being alive and how you say, like, oh, like, there's, like, the older person that is complaining to, like, the random, like, grocery store worker or whatever, and it's just like, oh, like, when. When does that transition happen? You know?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I think it's a. I mean, I don't know. I don't have the information. But my theory is that it's whatever you want. I mean, you can keep living as long as you want. I've had times where I thought I was dead as I was done. But I keep going. I keep deciding that I want to keep going. So, anyway, give me your name one more time. I forgot about it.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Jimmy.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Juni.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Jimmy. Think. Jimmy Andrews. Like J I M I.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

It's okay. Okay. I thought it was the name of the Spy Kids character. Jimmy.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Jimmy.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Is there anything in particular that you called in to talk about today?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Nothing too.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Too crazy.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Just kind of thought it'd be fun to just, like, talk to, like, someone about. I guess, just license something that's a similar age but also, like a third party that has no connections to any of it. You know, it can just say whatever and you be okay.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Now, typically, when somebody wants a third party opinion on something, there is like, something is maybe going on or something about your life is transpiring that you're too close to. Is that accurate?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

When you say too close to, what do you mean?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Well, you said you want a third party who doesn't know you, right? And so I'm not. I'm not close to you. I'm not close to your issues.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Well, I guess, like, I wouldn't say there's, like, anything like, particularly, like, oh, like a third party advice. I don't know. I mean, I'll just like, start yapping about some of the stuff that way. Because I don't know how to properly explain it. I'm sure. I don't know. I guess in that, like, same. Same vein, like, of turning 28, like I said, you know, finding yourself out more. Something that I found to, like, battle with a lot recently is, like, alcohol use, for lack of better words. And I don't like to think that I'm like, a crazy, like, alcoholic or anything. Like, that is definitely. That is moments for sure and everything. But there's been so many times, like, throughout life where I'm like, oh, wow. Like, I would love to cut back more. But it also is. I've worked in the bar and restaurant industry pretty much as soon as I got out of high school. And that's always been a thing. And, like, that is just like something that is obviously so ingrained into that culture. And it's really hard to pull away from it sometimes. Which sometimes I think I do struggle with that. Like, and it's just like, oh, like, if I don't. I've run into issues so many times. I was like, oh, if I don't go out and drink, like, I don't see my friends. But then, like, I can still be in Those situations and not drink and it works out, but then it's like almost like a little fly on the wall. You're not necessarily involved fully, which is always just like an interesting, like, way to do it. I sometimes like. But yeah, like, sometimes fear. If I were to like, cut alcohol out of my life, is it like a social destruction, Social suicide, for lack of better words.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Okay, so, yeah, when you'. Yeah, when you're going out and you're not drinking, it's like you're observing the hanging out, but you're not participating in it.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Who are these friends?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Like, even just like, I don't think it's logically so from working in the bar and restaurant industry, it's a lot of people that you just like, meet throughout that, you know, maybe could be better worded is acquaintances or anything like that. But it's still people that, like, I enjoy their presence, you know, I, I think just in general, I'm a very social person, so it's very easy for me to be like, oh, wow, like, this person is just cool to talk to. Like, I like to run into them. And I think I just. Whether it's people I know or not, like, just from being in an industry, you know, it's cool to. A big, A big thing I like about it is being able to just go out and meet new people all the time.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

And you feel like you can't do that without drinking

[Jimmy (Caller)]

just in that environment. Like, I'm sure there are. That's kind of like the part I'm trying to find now. It's like, what are the things that I can do that aren't that and, you know, continue to meet people, I guess.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I mean, you can always, like, be out at bars and like, have a. I mean, I. I've been known to slam down a Diet Coke or two on a night out. I don't really like to drink random. I don't really like to drink randomly. I like to kind of save my drunkennesses for special occasions. So I mean, I don't like, are you running into a lot of situations where you're out and about and everyone else is drunk and so they're just kind of annoying to talk to?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I wouldn't say that they're annoying to talk to. I think I'm just very susceptible to peer pressure as everybody else is doing. I'm like, I might as well, huh, huh.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

That's the thing. You got to get really in if you want to. Like, why are you trying to cut back on drinking? Because I Think if you want to, like, sobriety has to, like, be its own thing that you're, like, getting into, that you're, like, stoked about, you know, because there's a. Like, if I'm trying not to drink or if I'm trying not to eat food, like, I have to be. I have to have good motivation. I have certain behaviors that are bad for me that I'll never stop because I have no motivation to stop doing them. Like. Like. Like food and alcohol. It's easy. Like, if you are getting drunk. Like, if you're getting drunk a lot and fucking stuff up or getting drunk a lot, it's making you fat, then you have, like, an easy kind of motivator. But, like, what's your motivator to stop drinking?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I do think at the end of the day, like, it doesn't. Like.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Like, I.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

There are more times that I'm like, wow, I drank in regret or was like, what benefit did I get out of this? Versus I'm like, wow, like, I went out and drank and, like, had a really good time, you know?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Whether it's just, like, regrettable text messages later, poor choices, poor actions, so on and so forth, you know, the. A myriad of things that can come through all of that.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I think it's just, like wanting to make better life choices, I guess. You know, I was just getting older and feeling better about the choices that I make.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I. Okay, I'm. I'm gonna say something that's gonna sound like a joke, and it's a little bit of a joke, but I'm also dead serious. Okay, Another. Here's the thing. If. If you go out to the bar and all of your friends are drinking, you say you're susceptible to peer pressure, but what if there was actually a force that is even more addictive than peer pressure? I'm going to tell you what this force is, Jimmy. It's a powerful force, and you need to learn to enjoy this force. The force is called feeling like you're so much better than everyone else. When, all right, you are out and all your friends are drinking and you're not drinking, you get the benefit of looking around at all of them, judging them, being like, these people are wasting their lives. I'm taking care of myself. I'm being mature and responsible by not drinking. And then you're gonna feel like you're way better than everyone else. And you. And by the. And. And you should relish in that. Don't act like. Don't. Don't act like it. Okay? Don't let it corrupt your actions. Don't start acting like you're better than her. Acting like you're better than everyone else is a terrible idea. It's not worth anything. It's gonna make people hate you. But feeling like you're better than everyone else is genius. It's. It's a strong, syrupy pleasure similar to that of whichever vice you're abstaining from. You know what I mean?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Mm.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

So next time you're out, just be like, I'm. So next time you're out, just be like, I'm above this. You know, don't let. And here's the thing. You're gonna connect with other people who are also doing that. And you guys can relish in your better than everyone elsenesses together.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

You know, I will. I will absolutely try and practice that tomorrow. So we. I live onto the east coast, so a bunch of friends, we want to go watch the Olympic gold medal hockey game tomorrow, and that is 8am for us. And my goal is to not drink during that, mainly because I want to go to the gym right after, and I probably wouldn't coincide, but I will practice that tomorrow and, you know, like, take that nearly practice, like, all right, cool. Like, this is the feeling that I feel on that, like you said, not express it to the people then, and they're like, ah, holier than thou or whatever. But, you know, definitely, like, keep that in mind and just kind of run with those feelings.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, well, because, like, I don't know. I mean, the motivation comes from the fact that you're, like, propelling forward on a goal, you know, so that's got to be more powerful than the drink you're gonna. Your friends are gonna go drinking at 8:00am

[Jimmy (Caller)]

it's not.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I'm not gonna say it's gonna be

[Joe (EMT caller)]

like a crazy rager or anything like

[Jimmy (Caller)]

that, but still crazy, you know, just. It's time, I would say, so.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

That.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

That is not the norm at all. I don't want that to come off as, oh, that's the norm that everybody does with this friend group or anything. That is just for the. The Olympic hockey games on. We like to watch sports, and it's more of that than anything. You know, that just happens to be a byproduct of going to a bar and watching a sports game more often than not.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

When you're, like, out and about, like, are you the kind of guy where, like, any opportunity to have a beer, you're gonna take it?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I think it. I think it really depends on the mood that I'm in usually, like, right now, at least as I'm, like, talking about, like, I'm in a spot where, like, I feel like I could absolutely be like, nah, I don't need that, you know? But there are definitely times where I'm like, oh, you know what? I'll drink a billion beers. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

What's your name again? Jimmy.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Jimmy.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Jimmy. Jimmy. Is that the main thing? The alcohol usage? Anything else crazy going on in your life?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

The only other thing, and this is the conversation that I guess is kind of sitting on my mind, is that I feel like that, and this might be one that you have some interesting insights into, is I feel like the world has become very nonchalant and just kind of like a carefree and just like a lot of people are trying to be emotionally unavailable. And I think that is something that is, like, really kind of sucks to see right now. And maybe it's because, like, I feel like I placed it when in 24 to 26. Like I was saying at the time, it was very tough. Like, I just was, like, dealing with, like, a lot of illnesses and stuff like that. And because of that, it became very nonchalant. Carefree, which is like, oh, whatever, you know, stuff like that. Now I'm like, over through a lot of that stuff. It's like I'm trying to, like, be emotionally available and, like, out there and put myself out there more so much. And seems like so many people are just, like, openly, like, just being like, yeah, like, that's not what I want right now. Different things like that. Which is cool, you know, you're not gonna wait all the time.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

But I. I have. I have multiple. I have a lot of questions. First of all, are you talking about, like, in general or romantically?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I guess both. I mean, like, in general. I mean.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Okay, I get what you mean. Yeah. Like, you'll be out at a bar, like, talking to somebody, and they're just. And you're just like, why are you not feeling the intense emotion of. Of existence with me right now, type of. Is that what you're talking about?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Yeah.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Yeah. So, yeah, it's like, oh, wait a minute.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

So do you. So do you really believe. Why do you. Why do you think that the world is becoming more nonchalant?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I mean, I feel like there's so much that could be. So many things. I mean, like, I. I think people are scared to, like, I, I. An easy example for this. Just like, off the top of my head, me, like, politics alone, you know, Like, I I think people are scared to, like, maybe say, not that everybody goes and talks about politics, but, like, that's something that's very polarizing right now. You know, there's a lot of people that are like, oh, like if right to left and don't like to talk or like, it just also feels like there are so many polarizing things even outside of politics. So everything's made to be polarized right now, I guess.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

I don't, but. But that's so, like, where you live on the East Coast. What city do you live in?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Pittsburgh.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

You live in Pittsburgh? Dude. I don't know. I feel like on the Internet, things are kind of like, life is a little, like, weird and scary and polarized, but, like, I feel like shit's so different when you are talking to human beings in real life.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I think, like, like, things will be put aside. I don't know. They got like, the connection's there. But sometimes it feels like. I don't know how to describe it. Like, I. Things just feel different, I guess. And maybe that's me, but, like, I feel like there's. For me, it feels like there's just like a general. Like, I feel like opening up and trying to talk to people about things sometimes is like. I don't know how to describe it. So maybe it's just something that's in my own head and not trying to project it onto others. Maybe.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

But

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I don't know. I, I, Maybe it's also just like I'm scrolling, like, spewing into it.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Like, do you think people are trying to be cool? More like they're just not one, like, people are trying to be cool, they're not trying to, like, wear themselves on their chest as much,

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I think. Yeah, that, like, I guess that's more like I'm like, I'm so excited to, like, just kind of like, talk about whatever to anybody and stuff like that. And I feel like there's just a lot of, like, oh, like, you know, kind of keep it in or don't vent too much or things like that. And I'm just kind of like, hey, let it all. Let it all go.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

You know those people. Yeah, but I know what you mean. I think it's like, not the norm. But those people exist, don't you feel?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Yeah, no, they absolutely do. I guess, like, it's just I'm trying to find that fine line and balance of it all.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Where. What? I don't know if you're talking about the Internet or if you're talking about real life. But where, where have you been inhabiting and meeting people in real life that is leading you to these conclusions that the world has become more nonchalant?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I think. And maybe this is just like mistaking nonchalance for. Not like everything has to be like super lasting. But I guess, like, I feel like anymore there's a lot of, like, build a friendship, whatever, but like, it all kind of just like lasts for a day or two and then it's like, all right, you know, just kind of move on, whatever, you know, like, that's not the end of the world. But I feel like there, it's a lot harder to just kind of find lasting, like, friendships, relationships, whatever you want to call it in general. I think there's a lot of just like so many niches to be hit or if that makes sense. I don't know if that's the right word.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

No, it, it makes, it makes sense. But I mean, you gotta, you gotta remember the classic. The older I get, the more I'm realizing that, like, so much of like, friendship is about the exposure over time more than it is like an act of. Because there's so much, like, life demands so much of you. So like, where. If you're going to the same places recurringly with the same people, you become friends with them, but if you, like, meet some dude at a bar once or something, the chances that that friendship is going to last are so low because they require like some form of active, pointed effort between the two of you. It's like you guys just like recurringly see each other. So that's. Yeah, that's meant to die. That's exhausting too. That's an exhausting way to make friends. Like having like, like, you know what I mean? Like, if you, if, if you're. If. So if you and some guy are talking about getting lunch sometime and you guys get lunch and it's like, let's. Let's get lunch once a week. Like, that's fucking exhausting. I don't want to do that. Nobody wants to do that. You know, you just want to be at the same place recurringly that other people are at. That's the, that's the main way to make friends. Relationships are a little different, but. Yeah, I mean, am I, Am I addressing what you're saying or do you feel like I'm not getting it?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

No, I think I, I think you're absolutely, like, in the right, like, hitting the nail on the head. Because, like, don't you. I also have like, the friend groups that I do have. Where, like, it's recurring, you know, it's like good friends, stuff like that. Always happy to see them, like, go to trivia, consistently with them on, like, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

So, like, see, there we go.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

That group exists for sure. Yeah, like, that group exists for sure. It's not like it doesn't. But I think, you know, some of the, like, I think I just need to, like, separate work more. Like I said, just working in the bar industry and stuff like that. I'm so used to. It's kind of like it's a very come and go transaction thing. And like, I wonder if I'm just letting that, you know, seep in. I'm like, oh, this is what I see. There's just a lot of come and go transactions and stuff like that. And it's just like, oh, maybe that's like just work, not real life. Yeah, but it's hard to not wear that as real life whenever. It's what you experience almost daily.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

See, my best friends from high school, we have a. We keep in touch over Facebook messenger, but we're not like, oh, how's your day going? Type of shit. We're in like a. We have a group chat where we just say stupid things to each other every day. I haven't had a real conversation. These are my, like, best friends. I haven't had a real conversation with any of them in, like, at least a couple months. But I said, like, what I'm looking here this morning. I said to my. This morning, one of my friends said, I bet Bob Dylan has said okay at least a hundred times in his life.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

You know, I mean, we have the Discord server equivalent, right? Or just whatever all the memes and stuff into there, right?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

And that Discord, that's the. That's the digital version of the. The hub of where you are, see each other every day, right? You have that thing. If you don't have that thing, you're not. Then all your relationships are gonna die. Because also as you get old, that's what, that's why people get married and shit. Because I think as you get older, you start to have a finite amount of like. Like what relationships can you really actually. How many human beings like relationships? And I'm not talking about, like, romantically or friendship. Like, how many, like, relationships can you actually or fucking do you even want to put actual pointed effort into? The answer is probably like two or three as you get older. And so one of them should be like, you know, your partner, and then the other one is like, Whoever it is that gives you money so that you can live, you don't want to piss that person off. You want that you don't have a good relationship with that person and then, and then maybe pick someone else. But other than that, it's like you just have to live a life where you're naturally adding yourself to those relationships. And I guess that's why alcohol helps, because it's easy to just kind of loosen up. It's exhausting. You know, I'm. I like talking to people. I wouldn't do any of the shit I do if I didn't. But it's exhausting.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

It definitely is. Definitely takes a toll on you. Just like mental energy, you know, as he says it, maybe not physically exhausting, but mentally. I mean, especially holding a conversation for any like anywhere for two hours onwards. I mean, that's. It adds up for sure, dude.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

People I really like, I don't even want to talk to as much, you know. Do you know what I'm talking about?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Absolutely. I mean, that's like a weird thing. And I guess, like, I think maybe I'm like realizing scared of like a digital age more than anything. It's like, I guess it's more like as you've like, kind of talked about like the three relationship things and stuff like that. It's like, oh, like I just like want to see people in person.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Same.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I love digitally all the time.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

So, yeah, I love, I love being around people. I want to be around people all the time. It's talking to them that I'm. That like I'm all I, I, I, I like the whole ambivert thing. I feel that way about, like talking to people, not necessarily being around them. I always want to be around them, but I only want to talk to them sometimes.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

I see.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I think that's still in mind, like as an extrovert, like, I'm extroverted. I'm not gonna pretend, oh, this or that. And like, I just, I do just. Even though I just said it can be exhausting too. I agree. Like, I just kind of want to yap all the time. I don't wanna. Never want to. Shut up.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Jimmy's. Yeah, go ahead, Go ahead.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I was gonna say, but it's like kind of weird in like that digital age thing where it's like now, like, everybody's so connected all the time, but also like, I'm saying, like, not connected at the same time, if that makes any sense. Like, yeah, of course you're there and like, readily available, but I don't know, I guess the non in person interaction sometimes just feels shallow.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Well, the good news is, man, you can fucking. You can go do whatever you want now. You don't have the Internet. The Internet is optional. You don't have to be on there. You just put your phone down.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I don't know, man. I feel some weird obligation to like be a part of it though. Like I said, like, I want to. I don't know why. Like, I. I go through like wanting to delete my Instagram all the time. That's the newest thing. And I, I don't entirely understand why, but I'm like, that's what I should do. I should. Are you like, I get like for you?

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Do you use it for your job or to do literally anything productive whatsoever at all?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

No. If anything, it is unproductive.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, delete it. What are you doing? Yeah, just. Why do you even have it? Just delete it.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

I don't know, because it's another way of just like trying to like stay connected with people and that, that's the

[Joe (EMT caller)]

part that

[Jimmy (Caller)]

scares me to get rid of him. Like, oh, what about.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

No, it's. No, it's. Yeah, but it's not. No, it's not. You're. Do you watch reels

[Jimmy (Caller)]

more than I should right now?

[Joe (EMT caller)]

Absolutely.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, exactly. So you're not, you're not actually connecting with anyone, you're just watching reels or like. No, it's stupid. You should totally delete it. I mean, I have mine deleted off my phone as much as I can, but then I'll watch reels and I hate, I hate watching reels. It's like. Yeah, it's just stupid, man. You don't, you don't need it if you feel like you need to get rid of it.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Jimmy, it took someone just saying, if you're just watching reels, delete it. I'm like, you know what, you're right.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

It's just, it's just a stage, a waste of time. Jimmy, is there anything else you want to say to the people at the computer before we go?

[Jimmy (Caller)]

Biggest thing I would say just, you know, love your friends and stay connected to people.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Thank you, Jimmy. You have a good rest of the day, dude.

[Jimmy (Caller)]

You too, Lyle.

[Joe (EMT caller)]

I appreciate you goc bless, brother.

[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

Nah, man. Being around, like I said, being around people's greatest. The talking to them, like sometimes, like, like having a one on one conversation with like if I'm at like a. Sometimes I'll be at like an event or something and there's a bunch of people around and I'll really feel in my soul. I'm like, I like that I'm here right now. I don't want to talk to anyone here. And then someone will start talking to me and I'll be like, fuck. It's taking a lot of like it depends, right? If I have a lot of energy I'll talk to them. If I don't have a lot of energy I just start saying crazy stuff. I just, I have a crazy person personality that I'll default into when I don't have enough energy to act like a normal person. So but I gotta be careful because I, you know, I'll say some out of pocket randomly that I shouldn't. So I don't know. But also, but also I don't, it's just some person like I don't like, I don't care. I could say, I could say horrible things to like the CEO of Microsoft that makes him hate me and what is he gonna do to my life that matters, you know? So I don't. So it's not often that like if I am at a party and I'm talking to someone, if I accidentally piss them off, it's not often. It's not like that person is gonna then them being pissed off at me destroy my existence, you know, I mean I don't want to be a dick, I don't say anything to be like a dick. But I just, I might, I might say something that someone else is like that guys, I don't know if I like that guy. He's a little weird. But I won't like be mean to people or like rude, you know, I don't know. I don't know, I'm saying anymore.

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[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

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[Joe (EMT caller)]

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[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

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[Jimmy (Caller)]

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[Lyle (Podcast Host)]

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