Judd Spitzer

Category: Psychology

  • Are You Willing to Challenge Yourself?

    Are You Willing to Challenge Yourself?

    We live in a world filled with opposing ideas—clashing perspectives, shifting cultural landscapes, and debates that seem to grow louder by the day. But amid all this noise, are you actually engaging in critical thinking? Are you analyzing the ideas presented to you, or are you being led by the nose, believing anything you see and hear simply because it aligns with your current worldview?

    Controversy has an undeniable pull on us. It stimulates the brain, triggering a reaction in our cortex that rewards curiosity, novelty, and even the forbidden. Have you ever scrolled past something and thought, I wouldn’t normally click on that…—but then you do? That’s your brain seeking novelty and rewarding you for stepping into the unknown.

    But why? Why are we wired this way?

    The Thrill of the Taboo

    What’s controversial to one person may be completely mundane to another. Taboo subjects naturally evoke curiosity, discomfort, and even pleasure in challenging our beliefs. If a deeply held religious or political belief is questioned, the reaction can go one of two ways: either you dismiss it outright and get defensive, or you secretly explore the opposing idea, even if just to understand what makes it so provocative.

    Either way, your brain is engaged. Either way, you’re rewarding yourself.

    But for some of us, controversy isn’t just a passive experience—it’s a thrill. Pushing boundaries isn’t about getting attention; it’s about intellectual engagement. It forces us to explore topics we might otherwise ignore and consider perspectives we may not have entertained before. And isn’t that what makes us more complete as human beings? Isn’t that what fuels growth?

    The Risks of Thinking (and Speaking) Freely

    Engaging in controversial thought is not without its risks. Speaking your mind—even with good intentions—can come at a cost:

    • Reputation risk – People you respect may turn against you.

    • Censorship – Platforms can silence voices they find too disruptive.

    • Misinterpretation – Your words may be twisted into something you never intended.

    But taking risks is what life is about.

    In today’s internet-driven world, where everyone has a voice, ideas are thrown into the digital ether at an unprecedented speed. Whether you post on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, or Threads, you’re engaging in a global conversation where some will love you, and others will hate you. That’s not new, but the instant accessibility of reactions is.

    It used to be that controversial thinkers had to write books, find publishers, and wait for discourse to unfold slowly. Today, ideas are uploaded, shared, and dissected within seconds. Are we better off for this, or is this a curse on human discourse?

    Is Controversy Necessary?

    I believe controversy is not only necessary—it is essential for the survival of a free-thinking society. Without it, we stagnate. Without it, progress dies. Free speech is the foundation of human evolution—intellectually, socially, and politically.

    But that doesn’t mean every disagreement is productive. There are some ideas we can “agree to disagree” on—but others? Some moral and ethical lines simply should not be crossed. We are, after all, dealing with a world where racism, classism, murder, and mayhem are on the rise. Can we debate those things in good faith? Should we?

    It’s not enough to pretend we believe in fairness and justice while turning a blind eye when it’s inconvenient. The golden rule only works if we actually follow it, not just recite it when it suits us.

    So how does this all conclude?

    The Choice is Ours

    Can we, as a society, engage in real conversations about the issues that shape our future? Can we explore controversial and taboo topics without shutting down or shutting others out? Or are we destined to become rigid, unmoving relics of our own personal beliefs, forever unwilling to evolve?

    As the world grows, so will its complexity. We will either move forward together or be left behind.

    So I ask again: Are you willing to challenge yourself?

  • The Ultimate Marshmallow Test: Selling Your Soul for Instant Gratification

    The Ultimate Marshmallow Test: Selling Your Soul for Instant Gratification

    Introduction: The Spiritual Marshmallow Test

    What does it mean to sell your soul? While it’s often framed in supernatural terms—making a pact with the devil in exchange for wealth, power, or fame—it’s actually something we face every day. Every time we choose immediate gain at the expense of long-term consequences, we take part in a spiritual version of the Marshmallow Test.

    Before we dive in, let’s talk about what the Marshmallow Test is and what it teaches us about patience, self-control, and the temptation to trade something precious for a fleeting reward.

    The Marshmallow Test: A Psychological Experiment on Patience and Reward

    The Marshmallow Test, conducted by psychologist Walter Mischel in the 1960s, was a simple but revealing experiment. Children were given a choice:

    • Eat one marshmallow now, or…

    • Wait and receive two marshmallows later.

    Researchers followed up with the children years later and found that those who could delay gratification tended to have better life outcomes, including higher academic achievement and stronger emotional resilience. The test became a metaphor for self-discipline and long-term thinking.

    Here’s a video of the Marshmallow Test in action:

    So, what does this have to do with selling your soul? Quite a lot.

    The Deal with the Devil: Famous Cases of Soul-Selling

    The idea of selling one’s soul appears throughout history, folklore, and pop culture. In every case, the deal seems great at first—instant success, power, or pleasure. But inevitably, the price proves to be too high. Here are some famous examples:

    1. “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (Charlie Daniels Band, 1979)

    • In this classic country song, a young fiddler named Johnny wagers his soul against the Devil in a high-stakes music duel.

    • Johnny wins, keeping his soul, but the lesson remains: the Devil is always looking to make a deal, tempting us with the promise of quick victory.

    2. Oh, God! You Devil (1984)

    • This comedy film features a struggling musician, Bobby Shelton, who sells his soul to the devil for fame and fortune.

    • As expected, he realizes too late that the cost is too great, and he desperately seeks a way out.

    3. The Tragic Tale of Faust

    • One of the most famous soul-selling stories comes from the legend of Faust, a scholar who makes a pact with Mephistopheles for unlimited knowledge and pleasure.

    • In Goethe’s version, Faust eventually finds redemption, but in many retellings, he faces eternal damnation, having wasted his soul on temporary pleasures.

    4. Robert Johnson and the Crossroads Legend

    • Blues legend Robert Johnson is rumored to have sold his soul to the devil at a crossroads in exchange for extraordinary musical talent.

    • While the story is likely folklore, it reflects a real fear: what would you give up for greatness? And at what cost?

    5. Bedazzled (1967 & 2000)

    • This comedic take on soul-selling follows a man who makes a deal with the devil (played by Elizabeth Hurley in the 2000 remake) to win the love of a woman.

    • Each wish he makes backfires spectacularly, proving that the devil’s deals always come with fine print.

    The Everyday Marshmallow Test: What Are We Selling Our Souls For Today?

    Selling one’s soul isn’t always about literal deals with the devil. We make choices every day that reveal our willingness to trade long-term fulfillment for short-term gain. Some modern examples:

    • Selling out for fame: Social media influencers compromising their integrity for clicks and sponsorships.

    • Financial compromises: Taking a soul-crushing job just for the money, knowing it drains your passion and purpose.

    • Moral shortcuts: Cheating, lying, or betraying values for an immediate win, only to regret it later.

    At its core, the soul-selling conundrum is really a test of character. Are you willing to trade something priceless for a quick fix, an easy win, or a fleeting pleasure? And if you do, can you live with that choice for the rest of your life—or eternity?

    Conclusion: The True Price of a Soul

    Much like the children in the Marshmallow Test, we are constantly faced with temptations that test our ability to delay gratification and hold onto what truly matters. The real question isn’t whether you’d sell your soul for fame, fortune, or power. It’s whether you’re selling pieces of it every day without even realizing it.

    So next time you face a decision that requires sacrificing your values for an easy win, ask yourself:

    Is it worth it?

    Would you still take the deal if you had to live with it forever?

    And if the Devil came knocking, would you be ready to walk away?

  • The Stanford Prison Experiment: 50 years later.

    The Stanford Prison Experiment: 50 years later.

    There is a 3 part special on Nat Geo right now that takes a look at the Stanford Prison Experiment. They interview the men who volunteered as well as Dr. Zimbardo and his wife (then girlfriend). The premise of the experiment was to take a random group of men and make half of them guards and the other half prisoners, and given a very basic set of rules. See how they would behave.

    This comes on the heels of the Milgrim experiment where participants were told that they were working on a Project to increase memory and learning and see how their behavior would be when asked to give shocks that could be deadly to one of the other participants in the study.

    After watching all three parts of the show you probably would come to the conclusion just as I that people do behave a bit crazy after a while without controls in place. In the beginning of the show, the men who were interviewed claimed that they were just acting for the six days. But doctors Zimbardo explains how he could not believe that that is the case, based upon the videos and the observations that he saw over the. Six days.

    What I find interesting is that we live in a world where that experiment has been done in different ways such as TV shows like big Brother or other reality shows like the real world. People do behave as you think they might behave unless there are rules and people are watching. But after a certain amount of time, people forget that they’re being watched. Ultimately, I think Zimbardo had a very good understanding of human behavior.

    he did not believe that people were inherently evil from what I gathered from the show, but rather that without checks and balances and strong, external influences that people can do things that they would not normally do and behaving ways that they would not normally behave in society given a structure That tells them that they are the role of the overlord versus the criminal.

    This show comes at a good time when the world is at the precipice of doing things that are related to group think. Are we willing to standby and let other people behave badly? This is the thing that we should be contemplating as members of society. What is the difference between right and wrong good and evil and what we are willing to standby and let other people do without the kind of checks and balances that are normally in place.? Where do our ethics lie?

    So, after watching the show, I listened to an episode of the Hidden Brain podcast. This podcast discussed the prison experiment after the three-part series premiered and provided additional insights beyond what the TV show offered. While the participants claimed to believe they were demonstrating the negative aspects of prisons, they failed to consider the perspective of Zimbardo’s girlfriend or reflect on his own reflection on the experiment. Zimbardo realized he had become detached from the reality within the prison he had created. A normal person would never condone such behavior, but as the administrator, he treated it as routine. Therefore, I believe Zimbardo’s self-reflection on the experiment led to differing viewpoints and ultimately resulted in him becoming a renowned expert in examining human behavior based on his own experience conducting that experiment.