Who Wrote the Rules? cover art

Who Wrote the Rules?

Who Wrote the Rules?

Written by: vickishaw
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About this listen

This limited-series narrative podcast follows a personal and philosophical journey that peels back layers of the societal rules and norms we inherit. Our host, Vicki Shaw re-examines the values that underlie those norms after quitting a "successful" career in tech. The story arc includes conversations and reflections with a posture guru, an epidemiologist, Russian historian, ecologists, among other guests.

Follow along as her worldview evolves away from western ideas of success, tech jobs, and cynicism to arrive at a larger identity, with values rooted in the natural world.

Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Philosophy Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Back Pain and the Thread of Kinesthetic Wisdom

    Back Pain and the Thread of Kinesthetic Wisdom
    Jan 28 2026

    A horrible bout of back pain creates curiosity about the underlying societal influences on our bodies, and causes me to take a leave of absence from my tech job.

    For this story, I interview a posture guru, Esther Gokhale, about how pain may arise from influences beyond our physical bodies, including speculation of a break in the thread of what she calls kinesthetic wisdom.

    We glimpse examples from indigenous cultures, antique art, and vintage clothing stores to see how postural averages change, and what that might mean for our own bodies.

    In uncovering these hidden layers, questions arise about what else by might be more improvised than previously thought.

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    32 mins
  • Introduction

    Introduction
    Oct 20 2025

    This intro is told through Vicki's (clumsy) experience playing a video game: Civilization 6. Through this story, we'll encounter the seminal themes of the series: Why are we obsessed with dominance and is there another way to thrive? Where did we get our ideas about what's good or valuable? What does it mean to embrace more sensible values?
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    14 mins
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