PODCAST · society
Self-Defined Human Podcast
by Self-Defined Human
Transmissions from the edge of thought, ritual, and reality. Piano, philosophy, the internet, gods and glitches. Not every voice echoes beyond the walls—but those that do carry weight. But...what is happening to the old episodes??? nomichaelhere.substack.com
Episodes
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The Ritual of Dunkin’ Donuts
Late night temple rant from the priest (October 28, 2025). (this drop has been released) Enter the temple:https://temple.michaelkorman.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nomichaelhere.substack.com
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Why The Cheesecake Factory Works
Late night temple rant from the priest (October 27, 2025). (this drop has been released) Enter the temple: https://temple.michaelkorman.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nomichaelhere.substack.com
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It’s Not the Algorithm. It’s YOU.
Late night temple rant from the priest (October 26, 2025). (this drop has been released) Enter the temple: https://temple.michaelkorman.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nomichaelhere.substack.com
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Stop Creating 'Original' Videos—Do This Instead
Late night temple rant from the priest (October 24, 2025). Enter the temple: https://temple.michaelkorman.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nomichaelhere.substack.com
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Why You Still Have Tension at the Piano (Even After Years of Practice)
Tension isn’t something that happens TO you. Rather, it’s something you are doing to yourself (whether or not you are even aware of it). I know it can seem like this stuff comes out of nowhere. Habits that are so familiar and comfortable can easily escape notice. But, they are still habits, and…
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#1 - The Drama Triangle (reconsecrated)
The temple speaks, but only when fed. This is Episode 1—the real one. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nomichaelhere.substack.com
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F*** That S***
How to stay on track even though the Internet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nomichaelhere.substack.com
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Workshop with Michael & Fabienne
Join us for the workshop on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Sign up here This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nomichaelhere.substack.com
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Mental Health is a GAME
Mental health is a game. Anxiety disorders are made up. You should obey teachers blindly. It took me a few minutes to get into this one, but I said some good stuff if you’re patient enough to listen to the whole thing. Watch the video: * Instagram * YouTube (Free class from August 16, 2024 on...
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No more friend zone
I learned a new term yesterday: projective identification. The APA Dictionary of Psychology defines it as follows: “in psychoanalysis, a defense mechanism in which the individual projects qualities that are unacceptable to the self onto another individual and that person [that’s YOU] internalizes...
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Your next clients are ALREADY here
I don’t know how you’ll get more clients, but let’s look at the truth: you are attracting, right now, the people you should be attracting. You’re creating relationships, on the fly, as you go through life. Those relationships have natural momentum. You put energy out into the universe and this is...
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Be more like Taylor Swift and less like you
As we all know, Taylor Swift is a great performer who makes lots of money. Everybody loves her and she’s on the cover of every magazine. Why? Is it because of her looks? Her singing technique? Her guitar playing? Her piano playing? All the people she’s connected to? No. But, if you want to be…
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Your brain is broken
If you don’t fix your piano playing, it will continue to sound and look the way it does. No one will ever admire it, it will inspire no one, and you’ll look and sound like an amateur forever. Those are the stakes. Here’s how you fix it: * Admit there’s a problem. * Admit you want the problem…
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Ignore everyone who doesn’t CARE
You don’t have to believe, but you must at least pretend. Otherwise, the placebo effect won’t work and you’re wasting your time and my time. You only get out what you put in. Right now, you’re putting in zero. If you put in 10, you’d get out 10. So, explain. What’s the deal? You don’t want 10?…
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How to cure trauma
You think you need an environment that’s 100% nurturing. No, that’s not true. You’re more resilient than that. Sure, it can’t be 0%, but it doesn’t have to be 100%. That’s an idealistic fantasy. You can’t have 100% nurturing. What you need is exposure. You need to face your fears. You need to do...
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Real generosity vs. Fake generosity
Claim: I’m generous and you’re not. Proof: I’m taking a risk by calling out your behavior. I could alienate everyone else. You, on the other hand, aren’t taking any risks. You’re playing it safe by giving generic advice anyone could find with a 10-second Google search. See the difference? I’m...
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call to arms
I know this doesn’t feel like a good time to start a war, but we have to do this. If we don’t do it now, when are we going to do it? This is the time. There’s no “better” time. We’re not going to wait and find a better time. We are slaves to the Classical Music Culture. The time to break free is...
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Don’t let your audience ruin the magic
I hate having to send emails like this, but here it is. Let’s get clear on a couple of things: you don’t have to pay money to be a member of the Cult of Kormanism, but you must take it seriously. This is serious work. We’re changing the world. You must take it seriously. In your life, we come...
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Why I asked for money
Last week, I asked for money. It was a hard decision and I want to tell you why. My first thought was to try getting the money by selling you something. But, that would have been manipulative, so I decided to ask for the money directly. It wasn’t easy, since I tend to be hyper-independent, even...
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We need your POV, not the “normal” POV
Yes, it’s cool to hate OJ. But you’re better than that. Fine, sure, condemn what he did. But don’t condemn him. You’ve done bad things, too, right? They might be minor things, but we all know the mob would go after you too if they could get away with it. That’s what mobs do. They go after anybody...
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New piano lesson program
I want to tell you about a new 1-1 piano program called Removing the Mask. It’s 2 months long and costs $1000. In the program, you’ll learn to: * stop hesitating * add emotion to your playing * ensure you’ve accomplished something before quitting a piece, and * understand which notes are OK to...
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Mom should be a role model
Habit trackers are b******t. I know people who have been sober for months and months and then suddenly died from an overdose. So, streaks don’t impress me. And, by the way, God isn’t impressed by streaks either. He only cares about your actions one at a time. So, when your kids see you use a…
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I need help tonight
Here’s the deal: I need money tonight. I don’t need a lot, and I’m embarrassed to tell you what it’s for, but I need it right now. So, if you can give me money, that would be awesome. I’m not trying to sell you anything. No product or service. Right now, I just need money. Even a total of $100...
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A dissertation about your psyche
Yesterday, on Instagram, I was chatting with a former client and she expressed some doubts about my ability to relate to beginners: “You have a masters in music. You’re an expert. Somewhere along your road, someone drilled into you ‘do not hesitate’. All the things you say to your students. But...
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Musicians do, not talk
I’ve been diagnosing a lot of disorders lately, and I’ve got another one to add to the list. It’s called ADV (action-deficient verbosity). Here’s an example of ADV I received in response to an offer I made to a former client: “Hey, thank you I enjoyed working with you as well and hope things are...
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Piano's a stupid game, anyway
I got this email from a former piano player: “I’ve given up on piano. I’m just not good enough to play the pieces I love. I took lessons from a teacher once, but he had a short temper and made me feel stupid for not knowing exactly what he wanted me to do. I’m 70 years old. I told him I just wish...
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The world doesn't revolve around you
Let these words sink in: fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck shitshitshitshitshitshit fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck Now, let this sink in: Your piano playing sounds like f*****g s**t because you can’t even read these words without obsessing over the moral decay of society. Stop being so entitled. Do some f*****g...
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How to be a marketer with BPD
A fellow trendsetter posed the following problem to me: “I’ve got all these great creative ideas, but when I go to do them, I get bored and quit and do something else. As a result, I never make any money because I’m not sticking around long enough to build whatever I’m trying to build.” Here’s…
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The real way to avoid being a loser
I got this Instagram DM from a future superstar: “I’m not moving my body freely when I play piano, because I’d rather play well first. I’ve always struggled with hand positioning, you brought up a weird way I put my hand that I hadn’t noticed, accepted and now try not to.” That’s not good enough....
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To make piano easy, sell your soul
In this video, you can see a familiar riff from the song “Bohemian Rhapsody”. The video shows the wrong way to play it and the right way. I’m emphasizing the word “see” rather than “hear” because this is obvious when you’re looking but not so obvious when you’re listening. I can see, just by...
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Actually, it's not about clarity
Let me give a quick recap about why you suck at piano, because I don't think this is a matter of lacking clarity. I think there's something else going on, so I want to throw it out here as a way of starting a conversation. Here’s how you look at the problem From your perspective, you have no time...
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My free offer for clarity
Here's the thing: maybe we're not ready for clarity. Maybe we should sit with the confusion for a bit longer. Why rush through this? Why rush to a point where you know what to do next? Would that be based on anything, on what’s happening NOW? No, it would be based on idealizations about the…
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You're too busy for piano
Lately, I’ve been asking a bunch of people, “how’s it going with piano?”, and by far, the most common answer is “It’s not, sadly! Been insanely busy lately but it’s all good!” Since I’m a piano teacher, you may think I’ve some particular reaction to that answer. I don’t know, but I’m not judging...
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The truth about your piano playing
You suck at piano. It sounds like s**t when you play. I hate listening to it. You mess up even the most basic things. But, you care more about not messing up than what it sounds like. You don't care what it sounds like. You don't care about keeping a steady beat. You care so much about doing it...
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To all lazy procrastinators who love starting projects
You get that piano's hard, right? You're not going to master it overnight. I know you've got other stuff going on, but I don't see how that's relevant. You're always going to have other stuff going on. It's been that way your whole life and it'll always be that. One project after the next. Hold…
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Is piano a "lifetime journey"?
The other day, I was chatting on Instagram with someone who didn't seem all that enthusiastic about piano (this is someone who’s been a client of mine). I remarked that this lack of enthusiasm was why I didn't want to waste my time chatting about piano. In response, they sent the following…
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I heard you quit piano
I got this reply to one of my emails a few weeks ago: "As I indicated in one email, I have given up on playing piano for over 2 years except for playing it on CDs. It is far more enjoyable." Let me give my reaction to that. On the one hand, this sounds like a perfectly reasonable position, and...
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I'm waiting for YOU
I haven't written for a couple of weeks because I've felt like I have "nothing to say". Now, however, I'm forcing myself to write, and that’s risky. I mean, what if you don’t care what I have to say? But, here's the thing: I'm interested in what you’re doing. Now, admittedly, you’re not on my…
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#51 – Mindful Donkey Kong Country 3#51 – Mindful Donkey Kong Country 3
This is a strange episode but I kinda like it, so I’m putting it up here. It’s audio that was recorded on February 6, 2021. It was a livestream I did on Instagram where I was playing Donkey Kong Country 3 and talking about some stuff that had happened to me in the first year of the pandemic…
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#50 – Start Setting Boundaries
Lately, I’ve been a cheerleader for boundaries. That’s funny because the second episode of this podcast was called “Stop Setting Boundaries”. In this episode, I explain how my thinking has changed by reacting to Episode 2. Timeline: 0:00:00 – Introduction 0:03:09 – Reacting to Episode 2: “Stop...
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#49 – Spiral Dynamics#49 – Spiral Dynamics
Spiral Dynamics is a framework for making sense of the forces that drive culture. It helps you understand why YouTube commenters are such jerks. Also, why the Godfather cares so much about respect. And why Osho started his cult. And why air traffic controllers aren’t to blame for mid-air...
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#48 – How to Read Music#48 – How to Read Music
Only you can teach yourself how to read music. I have no power over you. The Universe will do its thing, and no, it’s not fair. But here’s a placebo to keep you company. It might even work. (Instagram live, April 24, 2023) 0:00 – Introduction 1:30 – How to read music 10:44 – Major and minor keys...
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#47 – Awake People Use Language Differently#47 – Awake People Use Language Differently
All about meditation, language, non-duality and waking up to b******t. This is graduate-level piano material. Actually, it’s a bit beyond that. (Instagram Live from April 22, 2023) 0:00 Introduction 0:48 Meditation 10:10 Is classical music better than contemporary music? 11:30 Enlightenment 21:52...
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#46 – Piano in the 4th Dimension#46 – Piano in the 4th Dimension
Welcome to 4-dimensional space. Glad you could join me on this higher plane of existence. Now, let me set the record straight about some of y’all’s problems with me. (Piano Time Live on Instagram, April 21, 2023) Timeline: 0:00 – Introduction 1:39 – Golden Hour 5:48 – 3-step exercise to play with...
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#45 – Piano NERDS, Bach & Wrong Notes (with guest Dr. David Servias)
I invited Dr. David Servias to have a conversation with me about the Bach Toccata & Fugue fiasco. We discuss the history of the piece, why the NERDS can’t process one out-of-place note, and how I’m dealing with hate on my YouTube channel. For the backstory, watch the original video (and read the...
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#44 – How to Learn to Play the Piano#44 – How to Learn to Play the Piano
Let’s talk about how to learn to play the piano. It’s a big subject, but we’ve gotta start somewhere. Timeline: 0:00 – Should I change the name of the podcast? 0:47 – Pandemic regrets. Being taunted by the piano in your living room. 2:31 – Why I get irritated when people want to learn piano. My...
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#43 – Piano Lessons Are Bad for People with ADHD#43 – Piano Lessons Are Bad for People with ADHD
People with ADHD have to do these things differently: Finding out if a teacher is qualified Learning a new song Buying a piano or keyboard Writing music…getting ideas out of your head Dealing with criticism Getting excited and then losing interest Following advice Practicing regularly The…
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#42 – Why I Got Obsessed With Piano Scales#42 – Why I Got Obsessed With Piano Scales
How I got obsessed with piano scales. Why audiences liked to watch Pavarotti struggle. Pianists are clueless about body intelligence. Why you learned in school to hyper-fixate on outcomes and suck at physical education. 0:00 Why I’ve been reluctant to go into anything technical on this podcast....
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#41 – Your Ex Was NOT Abusive#41 – Your Ex Was NOT Abusive
My post read: “Your ex wasn’t abusive. You made a decision to get into that relationship and you made a decision to get out. Take some responsibility for your decisions.” Some people got triggered. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to...
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#40 – Karmic Trash Collection#40 – Karmic Trash Collection
A conversation with Fabienne Egger (@this_is_fabienne on Instagram) about yoga, the metaverse, speaking on camera, the Drama Triangle, and the true purpose of meditation and yoga. If you teach yoga or meditation, or are a serious practitioner of either, you should be aware of your…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Transmissions from the edge of thought, ritual, and reality. Piano, philosophy, the internet, gods and glitches. Not every voice echoes beyond the walls—but those that do carry weight. But...what is happening to the old episodes???
nomichaelhere.substack.com
HOSTED BY
Self-Defined Human
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How many episodes does Self-Defined Human Podcast have?
Self-Defined Human Podcast currently has 89 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Self-Defined Human Podcast about?
Transmissions from the edge of thought, ritual, and reality. Piano, philosophy, the internet, gods and glitches. Not every voice echoes beyond the walls—but those that do carry weight. But...what is happening to the old episodes??? nomichaelhere.substack.com
How often does Self-Defined Human Podcast release new episodes?
Self-Defined Human Podcast has 89 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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Self-Defined Human Podcast is created and hosted by Self-Defined Human.
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