WEBVTT - BONUS!  Eric Zimmer on The Puzzler Podcast with AJ Jacobs!

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<v Speaker 1>Hey everyone. So Eric was recently a guest on the

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<v Speaker 1>fantastic podcast called The Puzzler with AJ Jacobs. You may

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<v Speaker 1>remember Aj because he's been on the one you Feed

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<v Speaker 1>podcast as well. But it's so fun to listen to,

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<v Speaker 1>so we decided to release an excerpt from it as

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<v Speaker 1>a short bonus episode on our feed. They do talk

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<v Speaker 1>a little bit about our parable, and then AJ made

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<v Speaker 1>a bunch of puzzles that relate to our parable. So

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<v Speaker 1>here's the mini episode from The Puzzler with Aj Jacobs.

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<v Speaker 2>Hello, Puzzlers, Welcome to the Puzzler podcast, the Apple Cake

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<v Speaker 2>and Your Puzzling Swanson's TV Dinner. I'm your host, AJ Jacobs,

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<v Speaker 2>and I'm here with our guest, the awesome Eric Zimmer,

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<v Speaker 2>host of the wonderful podcast right here on iHeart the

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<v Speaker 2>one which I have been lucky enough to be a

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<v Speaker 2>guest on.

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<v Speaker 3>Welcome Eric, Hi Aj, thanks for having me on.

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<v Speaker 2>We are delighted. I love your show and I also

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<v Speaker 2>love the way you start your show. You always start

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<v Speaker 2>your podcast with the same parable, so would you mind

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<v Speaker 2>telling it to us?

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<v Speaker 4>Sure, it's an old parable. We don't really know where

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<v Speaker 4>it comes from. Some people think it's a native American parable.

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<v Speaker 4>Other people insist that's not true. I've been able to

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<v Speaker 4>find no definitive scholarship, so we don't know where it

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<v Speaker 4>comes from.

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<v Speaker 3>But it goes like this.

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<v Speaker 4>There's a grandparent who's talking with their grandchild and they say,

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<v Speaker 4>in life, there are two wolves inside of us that

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<v Speaker 4>are always at battle. One is a good wolf, which

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<v Speaker 4>represents things like kindness and bravery and love, and the

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<v Speaker 4>other is a bad wolf, which represents things like greed

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<v Speaker 4>and hatred and fear. And the grandchild stops think about

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<v Speaker 4>it for a second. They look up at their grandparent

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<v Speaker 4>and they say, well, which one wins? And the grandparent says,

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<v Speaker 4>the one you feel.

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<v Speaker 2>I love that. I love that for many reasons. First

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<v Speaker 2>of all, I love it because the first time I

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<v Speaker 2>heard it was from my son's rabbi when he was

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<v Speaker 2>preparing for his bar Mitz book. But I also love

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<v Speaker 2>it because it's such a good message and weirdly, and

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<v Speaker 2>I don't think this is a stretch. I think that

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<v Speaker 2>it's very relevant to puzzles.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, well, you and I talked about that on our

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<v Speaker 4>most recent conversation on my show. I think you've been

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<v Speaker 4>on a couple times at this point and we were

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<v Speaker 4>able to talk about the way that parable relates to

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<v Speaker 4>puzzles last time.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah right, and for those you should go listen to that.

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<v Speaker 2>But in my book on puzzles, I talk about the

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<v Speaker 2>puzzler mindset, which is all about seeing the world as

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<v Speaker 2>a series of puzzles instead of a series of problems.

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<v Speaker 2>And I actually Quincy Jones, the great musician, he said

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<v Speaker 2>his life philosophy is I don't have problems, I have puzzles.

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<v Speaker 2>So reframing your problems, that's puzzles. Because problems are like

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<v Speaker 2>the bad wolf to me. They're negative, they're they're intimidating,

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<v Speaker 2>and puzzles are like the good wolf. They're sort of

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<v Speaker 2>playful and experimental. So if you feed the good wolf

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<v Speaker 2>of puzzles in your life, then you will have more

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<v Speaker 2>curiosity and positivity than negativity and fear. So that's my

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<v Speaker 2>pitch for why puzzles are not just fun but good

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<v Speaker 2>for your psyche.

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<v Speaker 3>I couldn't agree more.

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<v Speaker 4>I think you just you saying that just made me

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<v Speaker 4>think of a situation in my own life that I

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<v Speaker 4>should try and or I don't don't know. If I

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<v Speaker 4>say should I could try and reframe as a puzzle

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<v Speaker 4>versus just a problem.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I'll tell you I use it. I've been using

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<v Speaker 2>it recently with people when I talk politics, because you know,

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<v Speaker 2>my gut instinct is to try to argue with them

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<v Speaker 2>and like bash them over the head with my correctness.

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<v Speaker 2>But that's not going to work. That never works. So

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<v Speaker 2>instead turn it into a puzzle. What do we really

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<v Speaker 2>disagree about? Why do we disagree? What evidence is there

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<v Speaker 2>that could convince me or her of a different way

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<v Speaker 2>to look at it?

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<v Speaker 5>Yeah?

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<v Speaker 4>And what do they you know, what are the series

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<v Speaker 4>of experiences in their life that have caused them to

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<v Speaker 4>come to that conclusion?

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<v Speaker 1>Right?

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<v Speaker 4>You know, it's another aspect of the puzzle, like why

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<v Speaker 4>are they why do they see the world this way?

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<v Speaker 4>Because that also unlocks a lot of different things.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, Okay, I love talking psychology, but we've got an

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<v Speaker 2>agenda here. We are a puzzle show, so we're going

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<v Speaker 2>to move into the puzzle portion. Are you ready to

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<v Speaker 2>play a quick puzzle?

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<v Speaker 4>I am, I'm I'm not a great puzzle solver, so

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<v Speaker 4>you know, I hope I do? Okay here, but yes,

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<v Speaker 4>I am certainly ready.

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<v Speaker 2>No, we like that first of all, everyone we believe

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<v Speaker 2>everyone is a good puzzle solver. It's just you have

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<v Speaker 2>to let it out. Wolf. The puzzle Wolves, Well, this

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<v Speaker 2>puzzle we came up with is actually related to your

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<v Speaker 2>wonderful show, which is about psychology and self improvement. So

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<v Speaker 2>the idea for this puzzle is that your show is

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<v Speaker 2>so good it needs some spinoffs. So we've come up

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<v Speaker 2>with a bunch of ideas for spinoffs that happened to

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<v Speaker 2>rhyme with your show, the one you feed. So you're

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<v Speaker 2>gonna have to guess what is the spinoff. And I'm

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<v Speaker 2>going to tell you a parable that's at the start

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<v Speaker 2>of every show, and based on the parable, you are

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<v Speaker 2>going to have to figure it out. So, for instance,

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<v Speaker 2>if the parable is about two gardens, not wolves, but

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<v Speaker 2>two gardens, and one of them has a nice, clean

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<v Speaker 2>flower bed with no invasive plants, the title of that

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<v Speaker 2>show might be the one you we'd weed exactly. Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>you got it? So are you ready?

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<v Speaker 3>I am ready, by the way.

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<v Speaker 2>You got that very quickly. So I want to say

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<v Speaker 2>you're underestimated yourself. Uh, this show starts with a parable

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<v Speaker 2>about two books, and one of those books has better

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<v Speaker 2>spelling and fewer typos, and that show is the one you.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, if it's a better book. It's an AJ Jacobs book, right,

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<v Speaker 4>we know that, we know that. So, but I'm pretty

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<v Speaker 4>sure what you're aiming at there is the one you read.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, or even more, the one you if you're looking

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<v Speaker 2>for typos, the one you looking the one you pre

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<v Speaker 2>proof read.

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<v Speaker 4>Oh oh, you've got more multiple syllables in there. That's

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<v Speaker 4>is that that legal?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, we set the rules. I will say. First of all,

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<v Speaker 2>you cannot do better than your first answer about my books.

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<v Speaker 2>So you get not only a correct, you get like

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<v Speaker 2>two points.

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<v Speaker 5>All right?

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<v Speaker 4>All right?

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<v Speaker 2>How about if this show starts with a parable about

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<v Speaker 2>two loads of bread, one is softer? The title of

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<v Speaker 2>that show might be the one you need k exactly

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<v Speaker 2>ad exactly. It's a little tricky with the K. I'm

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<v Speaker 2>going to show what starts with a parable about two

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<v Speaker 2>football teams and which one wins. You need someone to

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<v Speaker 2>help you win on the sidelines. Well, the one you.

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<v Speaker 3>All right, hang on, I don't need another hint. The

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<v Speaker 3>one you cheerlead excellent.

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<v Speaker 2>See now you're in the double syllables. You're fine with it.

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<v Speaker 2>All right. Here's the one, maybe a little trickier. This

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<v Speaker 2>parable is about a colonial doctor. I'm doing a book

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<v Speaker 2>about the early America. So it's on my mind a

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<v Speaker 2>colonial doctor and two of his patients, the one who

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<v Speaker 2>has cured is the one who.

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<v Speaker 4>You Well, I'm I'm thinking we're talking about medicine back

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<v Speaker 4>in the days before we really knew what the heck

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<v Speaker 4>we were doing, and I think a comment and cure

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<v Speaker 4>at that time was one variation of it was leeches.

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<v Speaker 3>So I'm going to say the one you bleed.

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<v Speaker 2>You got it, the one you belied. And by the way,

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<v Speaker 2>for my book, I researched you can still buy medicinal leeches,

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<v Speaker 2>which claim is sort of like the alternative medicine like

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<v Speaker 2>Goop type that you actually these will I don't clean

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<v Speaker 2>your chakras and make you healthy.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, you know that's really interesting. When you say Goop,

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<v Speaker 4>do you mean the magazine that was founded.

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<v Speaker 2>By Yeah, the Gwyneth Paul Show, sort of lifestyle alternative medicale.

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<v Speaker 4>I don't think that. I don't think that group are

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<v Speaker 4>buying leeches a j. I just don't think that. I

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<v Speaker 4>think you're I think it's alternative medicine, but I think

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<v Speaker 4>it's a different crowd.

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<v Speaker 2>All right, Well, have you heard some of the things

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<v Speaker 2>they do? I mean, have a family podcast. I don't

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<v Speaker 2>know if I want to get into details.

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<v Speaker 4>Okay, all right, you're right, I just well, we'll see.

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<v Speaker 4>Maybe we could maybe we could ask them.

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<v Speaker 2>I think it's worth asking. All right, what about one

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<v Speaker 2>last one? What about this is a show about two

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<v Speaker 2>startups and you're an angel investor and the one that

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<v Speaker 2>succeeds is the one that you The one that goes

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<v Speaker 2>to an IPO is the one you.

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<v Speaker 3>Oh goodness, all right, let me think.

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<v Speaker 2>A little tricky. So if you're an angel investor and there's.

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<v Speaker 3>The one, the one you have the most greed.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh, I give you full credit. That was now what

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<v Speaker 2>I was going.

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<v Speaker 3>Okay, give me another hit, give me another hit.

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<v Speaker 2>Well do you know there's like different rounds.

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<v Speaker 4>There's the round ag Oh yes, yes, yes, I've got

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<v Speaker 4>it all right, the one you seed.

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<v Speaker 2>Exactly you did it? Say? I knew you were a

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<v Speaker 2>good puzzler. Thank you so much, Eric.

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<v Speaker 3>That was fun.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm so glad. I'm glad that I was able to

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<v Speaker 2>have you on my show, in addition to being on

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<v Speaker 2>your wonderful show. Speaking of which, where can listeners find

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<v Speaker 2>your show?

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<v Speaker 4>You can search for the one you feed in any

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<v Speaker 4>podcast app u or if you want to know more

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<v Speaker 4>about it, you can go to oneufeed dot net. That's

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<v Speaker 4>O n E y O U f e e d

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<v Speaker 4>dot net.

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<v Speaker 2>Love it. And before we wrap up, as always were

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<v Speaker 2>all you puzzlers at home, an extra credit puzzle. What

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<v Speaker 2>if there's a show about two ship It starts with

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<v Speaker 2>a parable of two sheep in an animal husbandry program.

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<v Speaker 2>The one who has more offspring is the one you blank?

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<v Speaker 2>I see Eric, I.

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<v Speaker 3>Think am I supposed to answer or not?

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<v Speaker 2>No? No, You're doing great?

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, just keep quiet, keep quiet?

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<v Speaker 2>Ye, okay, please keep quiet? All right, and listeners, please

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<v Speaker 2>come back tomorrow for the answer, and don't forget to

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<v Speaker 2>subscribe to the Puzzler podcast and we will meet you

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<v Speaker 2>here tomorrow for more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle you puzzlingly.

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<v Speaker 5>Hello puzzlers, I'm here with the extra credit answer from

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<v Speaker 5>last episode. As you know, I'm the chief puzzle Officer,

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<v Speaker 5>Greg Pliska. We played daily shows with Roy Wood Junior

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<v Speaker 5>where every answer was a show with a day of

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<v Speaker 5>the week in the name. We gave you the clue.

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<v Speaker 5>This showtime comedy shows the events leading up to an

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<v Speaker 5>historical event, where the losses are estimated at one point

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<v Speaker 5>seventy one trillion dollars. That, of course, is Black Monday.

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<v Speaker 5>I hope you enjoyed. We'll see you back here again soon.

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<v Speaker 5>Thanks for playing along with the team here at the Puzzler.

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<v Speaker 5>I'm Greg Pliska, your chief puzzle Officer. Our executive producers

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<v Speaker 5>are Neelie Lohman and Adam Neuhause of New House Ideas

0:11:50.559 --> 0:11:54.520
<v Speaker 5>and Lindsay Hoffman of iHeart Podcasts. The show is produced

0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:58.520
<v Speaker 5>by Jody Averergan and Britney Brown of Roulette Productions. Our

0:11:58.559 --> 0:12:06.240
<v Speaker 5>associate producer is on Raa Schoenberg. The Puzzler with Ajjacobs

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<v Speaker 5>is a co production with New House Ideas and is

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<v Speaker 5>distributed by Poached Artists Oh No Sorry, Rearrange the Letters

0:12:14.040 --> 0:12:19.400
<v Speaker 5>distributed by iHeart Podcasts. If you want to know more

0:12:19.440 --> 0:12:22.640
<v Speaker 5>about puzzling puzzles, please check out the book The Puzzler

0:12:22.720 --> 0:12:25.600
<v Speaker 5>by Ajjacobs, a history of puzzles that The New York

0:12:25.640 --> 0:12:30.000
<v Speaker 5>Times called fun and funny. It features an original puzzle

0:12:30.080 --> 0:12:33.160
<v Speaker 5>hunt by yours truly, and is available wherever you get

0:12:33.200 --> 0:12:38.280
<v Speaker 5>your books and puzzlers. For all your puzzling needs, go

0:12:38.400 --> 0:12:41.880
<v Speaker 5>visit the Puzzler dot com. See you there,