# What Is “Now”? & How to Deal with Poisonous People

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/something-you-should-know-52651/what-is-now-how-to-deal-with-poisonous-people
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/something-you-should-know-52651/what-is-now-how-to-deal-with-poisonous-people.md
Podcast: [Something You Should Know](https://stenobird.com/podcast/something-you-should-know-52651)
Published: 2026-04-27T07:03:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/mgln.ai/e/495/pdrl.fm/60a606/pscrb.fm/rss/p/tracking.swap.fm/track/bwUd3PHC9DH3VTlBXDTt/traffic.megaphone.fm/SBP8780068128.mp3?updated=1776638914
Audio file: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/mgln.ai/e/495/pdrl.fm/60a606/pscrb.fm/rss/p/tracking.swap.fm/track/bwUd3PHC9DH3VTlBXDTt/traffic.megaphone.fm/SBP8780068128.mp3?updated=1776638914
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Duration seconds: 2891

## Resource

Explore the scientific ambiguity of the present moment and the psychological impact of manipulative personalities. Learn how to navigate 'time famine' and protect your well-being from toxic social patterns.

## Highlights
- Main idea: The 'present moment' is a subjective experience rather than a fixed scientific constant
- Failure mode: Attempting to maximize every second of clock time leads to 'time famine' and decreased quality of life
- Practical takeaway: Use rewards and positive reinforcement to shape behaviors in both children and adults
- Warning sign: The 'Dark Tetrad' of personality traits—psychopathy, Machiavellianism, narcissism, and sadism—is characterized by callousness and deception
- Biological insight: Sleep deprivation triggers specific cravings for high-fat, high-calorie foods by activating similar neural pathways to cannabis use

## Topics

Neuroscience, Psychology, Time Perception, Personality Disorders, Social Intelligence, Sleep Science, Human Relationships, Mental Well-being

## Chapters
- 5:10 — The Science of Now: An exploration of why the present moment is difficult for physicists to define and how our perception of time is subjective.
- 15:00 — The Malleability of Time: How mental states and neurological conditions can cause time to feel stretched, compressed, or distorted.
- 22:00 — The Trap of Time Famine: Why the drive for extreme efficiency and precise scheduling leads to a chronic feeling of being rushed and stressed.
- 25:40 — Identifying Poisonous People: Understanding the Dark Tetrad traits and the manipulative patterns used by toxic individuals.
- 32:10 — Detecting Deception: How to spot inconsistencies between a person's claims and reality, especially in professional environments.
- 38:40 — The Power of First Impressions: Evaluating when to trust your initial intuition versus when to update your view based on new evidence.
- 42:20 — Behavioral Reinforcement: The role of rewards in shaping social behaviors and the impact of sleep on dietary choices.

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## Transcript

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