Are participation trophies ruining kids? Jason Feifer debunks myths and reveals the surprising century-long history behind the debate on Skeptical Sunday!

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we're joined by Jason Feifer, the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine, host of the Build for Tomorrow podcast, and author of Build for Tomorrow: An Action Plan for Embracing Change, Adapting Fast, and Future-Proofing Your Career.

• As it turns out, participation trophies aren't some newfangled millennial invention. These shiny symbols of showing up have been collecting dust on shelves since your great-grandpappy was in short pants. We're talking 1922, folks — when the biggest participation trophy was surviving the Spanish Flu!
• All of these folks bellyaching about participation trophies probably have a few lurking in their own attics. It's like complaining about kids these days and their gimmicky rock music while air-guitaring to Led Zeppelin. Pot, meet kettle — you're both made of participation trophy material.
• Despite what the armchair psychologists down at the local watering hole might tell you, there's no scientific evidence that participation trophies turn kids into snowflakes. As they grow, kids naturally get more interested in winning than just showing up — like trading in their tricycle for a Harley.
• The whole participation trophy hullabaloo is less about plastic awards and more about our collective freak-out over parenting, work ethic, and why these darn kids won't get off our lawns. It's just generational anxiety dressed up in a well-worn, borrowed suit.
• Want to level up your success game? Ditch the black-and-white thinking. Winning's got more flavors than Baskin-Robbins, so keep an open mind for what's possible. Embrace the past, eye the future, and you'll be batting home runs with life's curveballs like a pro.
• Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know!
• Connect with Jason Feifer at his website, Twitter, Instagram, and

Your houseguest sister-in-law is messy, irresponsible, and in debt. Can you motivate her to change or is it time for tough love? Welcome to Feedback Friday!

And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in!

• Your sister-in-law's been mooching off your hospitality as if she's got a get-out-of-rent-free card, turning your home into her personal playground while you're busting your hump to keep the lights on. How can you get through this domestic minefield without blowing up your wife's relationship with her spendthrift sibling — and your sanity?
• You're a woman who's always played for Team Dude, but lately you've been crushing hard on your sapphic bestie. The long-term forecast is cloudy with a chance of identity crisis, but you can't get her out of your head. How will you solve this romantic Rubik's Cube without peeling off the stickers?
• Halfway through your Master of Legal Studies program, an ad for AI legal services popped up. Suddenly, your degree looks about as future-proof as a Blockbuster membership card. How can you safeguard your Atticus Finch aspirations without being ground down by the mocking march of the machines? [Thanks — again — to attorney Corbin Payne for helping us answer this one!]
• You've got front-row seats to a family's horror show, complete with questionable parenting and kids who look like they could use a hug (or therapy). As a concerned friend whose perspective is admittedly biased by your own abusive upbringing, how can you swoop in for the save without nuking your relationship or crossing lines that can't be uncrossed?
• You're the company's sales superstar who just got kneecapped by the corporate fun police. After pouring your heart and soul into a presentation that was deader on arrival than disco, how will you dust yourself off and keep your mojo intact when the higher-ups have made it clear your ideas are about as well-received as a Christmas morning telemarketer?
• Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com!
• Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger.
• Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi.

Full show notes and resources can be found here:

Unexpected moments can change the world. Brian Klaas, author of Fluke, reveals how embracing life's randomness can empower us to make a difference.

• Tiny actions or events can have massive downstream effects and consequences, as illustrated by historical examples like how a decades-old vacation spared Kyoto from nuclear bombing in WWII.
• Our lives and human history are shaped by chaos theory and random flukes, such as the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs or chance evolutionary events that led to complex life.
• Humans have cognitive biases that make us seek patterns and explanations, even when events are random. This can lead to superstitions, conspiracy theories, and a false sense of control.
• Wealth and success are often more influenced by luck and arbitrary factors than we like to admit, challenging the idea of pure meritocracy.
• While we can't control everything, we can influence the world around us through our actions. By embracing this mindset, we can feel more empowered and find meaning in our daily choices, recognizing that even small moments can have a significant impact on the future.
• And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1008

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