Proxy with Yowei Shaw

Kyle is losing faith in humanity. How can anyone still support Trump? Are they stupid? Crazy? Or just terrible people?Yowei brings Kyle together with two former MAGA supporters to find out. Get Brian and Ashton's recommendations for books, documentaries. and more in this week's newsletter. Sign up for free at proxyhq.org.How do you get through to someone you love who's deep into MAGA? Hear Brian answer questions from Proxy listeners in our bonus episode for paid members.Funding for this story was provided by the University of California, Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, as part of its “Spreading Love Through the Media” initiative, supported by the John Templeton Foundation.

Georgia Hampton knows the Titanic can't hurt her. So why does just looking at a picture fill her with dread? And can she make the fear go away?We find her a proxy who has spent decades helping people overcome their most irrational fears.Get Georgia's internet rabbit holes and Martin's free guides to overcoming phobias in this week's newsletter. Sign up for free at proxyhq.org.

Yowei cares so much about doing a good job that sometimes it makes her worse at her job. Can you care deeply about your work without obsessing over whether you succeed?Yowei turns to New Yorker staff writer Jay Caspian Kang, who seems to have mastered the art of caring deeply about his work without getting too attached to the outcome.See the photo in Yowei's booth and get Jay's low-investment reading list in this week's newsletter. Sign up for free at proxyhq.org.Is meaningful conversation overrated? Hear Yowei and Kyle debate what makes a good hang, plus Jay's advice to Yowei to shut the fuck up in our bonus episode for paid members.

Ellie never thought she'd be the other woman. Then she fell in love with a married man.We find her a proxy who knows what it's like to have an affair with a married man — and then build a life with him.For more dispatches from the emotions beat, sign up for our free newsletter at proxyhq.org.

Ryan Jay keeps making friends with women. They get close. Then he falls for them. It's happened so many times that he's starting to wonder if he can actually be friends with women without wanting to date them.We find him a proxy, masculinity expert Andrew Smiler, to help him figure out why he keeps falling for his friends — and whether there's another way.For more dispatches from the emotions beat, sign up for our free newsletter at proxyhq.org.