EP55 - How the world secretly manipulates you into being unhappy (and you might not know it)
Tue Dec 09 2025
In this episode, I explore a truth most people never slow down long enough to see:
You are being subtly manipulated into feeling unhappy — not by one person, but by the culture, the noise, the constant comparison, and the chasing of dopamine hits that keep your nervous system wired and your mind distracted.
This episode is a grounding reminder of what’s actually going on underneath all that:
• Why your mind feels “busy” when your nervous system is overloaded
• How dopamine-driven habits pull you away from presence
• Why your thoughts per minute (TPM) dictate how reactive you feel
• How to recognise the difference between genuine intuition and mental noise
• A simple weekly reflection practice to reconnect you with clarity
• The surprising reason you often hit goals without remembering you set them
• And how to break free from the subtle conditioning that keeps you unsatisfied
This is part practical, part philosophical… but more than anything, it brings you back to yourself.
Because insight never comes from me — it always comes from you slowing down enough to hear it.
⸻
Links
Subscribe to Substack for free here (and get the clarity journal) – https://jamestheclaritycoach.substack.com
Insta – https://www.instagram.com/theclaritycoach_james
Book a clarity call here – https://forms.gle/fkigpxa11r86DhZx6.
More
In this episode, I explore a truth most people never slow down long enough to see: You are being subtly manipulated into feeling unhappy — not by one person, but by the culture, the noise, the constant comparison, and the chasing of dopamine hits that keep your nervous system wired and your mind distracted. This episode is a grounding reminder of what’s actually going on underneath all that: • Why your mind feels “busy” when your nervous system is overloaded • How dopamine-driven habits pull you away from presence • Why your thoughts per minute (TPM) dictate how reactive you feel • How to recognise the difference between genuine intuition and mental noise • A simple weekly reflection practice to reconnect you with clarity • The surprising reason you often hit goals without remembering you set them • And how to break free from the subtle conditioning that keeps you unsatisfied This is part practical, part philosophical… but more than anything, it brings you back to yourself. Because insight never comes from me — it always comes from you slowing down enough to hear it. ⸻ Links Subscribe to Substack for free here (and get the clarity journal) – https://jamestheclaritycoach.substack.com Insta – https://www.instagram.com/theclaritycoach_james Book a clarity call here – https://forms.gle/fkigpxa11r86DhZx6.