two be honest: Recent Episodes
Amy and Grace Zhang
Welcome to two be honest! Listen in, as Amy and Grace navigate life through candid conversation and weekly revelations. Updated every Sunday!
Follow us at Instagram: @twobehonestpod
This week, we’re super excited to share a spoken-word inspired speech we prepared and performed for The Ripple Effect’s Music of the Mind event! In this episode, we share our fears, how they affect us, and how we shifted our mindsets in our journey for self-improvement.
In this episode, we delve into the fascinating world of metaphysics with insights from Grace's philosophy class! We'll examine the debate between determinism and free will and its relation to the internal and external locus of control and the fundamental attribution error. Later on, we’ll uncover inconsistencies in our behaviours and beliefs and the paradoxical nature of it all. Lastly, we discuss the role of humanism, nature versus nurture, and evolutionary and cognitive psychology in the perennial debate.
Welcome to a caffeine-filled episode packed with our thoughts on accomplishments, motivation, and adversity! In this episode, we talk about why sleep is important, what motivates us to try hard in life, and why results-oriented mentalities are roundabout and inefficient. Tune in now to hear about optimistic vs realistic worldviews, immigrant parents and ivy league schools, whether having "issues" is necessary for character building, and how we often miss the point behind grades and accomplishments.
In this episode, Amy and Grace share their experiences with being in a rut (or potentially the brink of burnout). They discuss their personal burnout warning signs and whether burnout is beneficial. They also return to the philosophy of "life is suffering" and go over their thoughts on Arthur Schopenhauer's three methods of escaping suffering.
Arthur Schopenhauer's Philosophy Article: https://www.thecollector.com/arthur-schopenhauer-philosophy-art/
Welcome to the final episode in the good person-ness series! In this one, we discuss whether good people are just naive, what makes someone a pushover, and the role of power dynamics in relationships.
Welcome to the second installment of Amy and Grace talking about good person-ness! In this episode, we discuss the connection between Grace's existential crises and her personal character, whether and why people may perceive themselves as "bad people," and how we tend to villainize major corporations. We also touch on positions of power and the human tendency to want our perceived self and internalized standards to reflect our "actual self." Stay tuned for the last episode in this mini-series coming out next week!
What does it take to be a good person? In this episode, we'll be performing a case study on our resident, good-person poster girl–Grace–to learn about what goes on behind the scenes. We discuss different motivations behind being a good person, how personality types contribute to good person-ness, and how it might be affected by your viewpoint of the world.
Tune in to this week's episode to hear us open up about our experiences with imposter syndrome, discuss the benefits and drawbacks of long-term friends versus short-term friends, and share some different perspectives on how suffering may be the meaning of life. We also talk about why happiness seemingly cannot coexist with deep, meaningful art and the role responsibilities may play regarding our reason to live.
Rec of the week: Finch
In this episode, we embark on a discussion about social media–the role it plays in our lives, how it's changed, and how to use it responsibly. We also talk about the pros and cons of using social media, how social media has evolved over the years, and why humans feel the need to share everything they do.
In this episode, we ponder what it really means to be true to ourselves, the extent this is influenced by our nature as opposed to nurture, and the role of morals in our lives. We also discuss the importance of having the confidence to ask questions, improvements to the school system to encourage students to deepen their learning, and the role grades and academic validation play in our lives.
This week we're bringing back chatimes for a comfy conversation about gifted programs, imposter syndrome and our goals for the next year! In this episode, you'll hear about our individual experiences with gifted programs and why we think they should or shouldn't exist. We also talk about how imposter syndrome can inhibit people from getting the most out of new experiences and how they make compliments feel like a burden sometimes.
In this episode, we share our experiences with being the therapist friend, discuss some pros and cons of the matter, and shed light on how potentially damaging one of these therapist-friendships can be. We also offer some advice to both parties involved in this situation. Although we always support being vulnerable and discussing mental health with your friends, we also want to remind all of our listeners not to do so at the expense of your own mental health, to communicate clearly, and to set boundaries when needed!
Sources mentioned:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/19/smarter-living/how-to-get-your-friends-to-stop-treating-you-like-a-therapist.html#:~:text=Be kind with yourself&text=“It's not up to you to fix or be someone's,friends when they need you.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/being-therapist-friend-setting-boundaries-counseling-and-wellbeing/
Welcome back to two be honest! In this long-awaited episode, we explain why we stopped recording podcasts and why we chose to come back. You'll also hear about what it's been like moving away from home, work-life balance, and the pros and cons of social media.
Here's an episode from the archives, recorded in August 2022! Here, we discuss romanticizing life in contrast to having a realistic outlook and the benefits and detriments of each. We also talk about the law of attraction, manifestation, the romanticization of aesthetics, embracing being a main character, and how we are incorporating healthy forms of romanticization into our lives. Stay tuned for future episodes coming soon!
In this episode, we reflect on how we've changed this summer! This includes new realizations about productivity, a shift in mentality towards rejection, and the role that significant struggles play in our identity.
In celebration of the end of the school year, we reflect on our adventures this year and share all the lessons we have learned along the way! Thank you to everyone for all your support and congratulations again to the graduating class of 2022!
In this episode, we discuss the aesthetic—what it is, its pros and cons, and the impact of social media. Tune in to hear about our thoughts on the trending aesthetics, how they impact our identities, and how they can help motivate us.
In this episode, we discuss the process of developing your own values, our personal relationships with productivity, and the importance of taking care of yourself! Listen in as Amy gives an update on post-exam life and Grace shares her experiences with brain fog.
Recommendation of the week: Haikyu!!
In this episode, we discuss our thoughts about growing older and the need for new experiences. We also touch on psychology, worldviews, morality, and post-pandemic stress.
We're super excited to introduce you to the first episode of our careers series! This week, we invite a recently graduated nursing student onto the podcast to share some of her experiences in university and preceptorships (shadowing a registered nurse!). Our special guest brings a lot of insight, including the misconception behind common nursing stereotypes, the team-based nature of healthcare, and the importance of maintaining professionalism and personal boundaries. She also shares some of her most rewarding and difficult moments in nursing so far, and gives some advice to anyone considering this career path!
Since exam season is (almost) over, we wanted to talk about some things we've noticed about the experience. In this episode, we talk about exam mode, feelings of apathy, and post-exam existential crises. We'll also be discussing feelings of detachment, feeling stressed for no reason, and the need to be productive at all times.
In this week's regularly scheduled dose of diy philosophy, we explore the age-old question of nature vs nurture. As always, we also delve back into the enneagram to share our hypotheses about core motivations and personality types! So tune in to hear our thoughts on whether humans are inherently good, whether children really have personalities, and whether we would still be the same people if our memories were erased.
What would you do if you caught your friend cheating? Or what if you had to make a decision between your daughter and your niece's life? In this episode, we go through some moral dilemma questions and share our thoughts on what we'd do in these hypothetical situations.
Welcome to two be honest! We'll be your hosts for this podcast, and we're super excited to share our personal growth journeys with you! Thank you so much for tuning in and we hope you'll stick around :)
In celebration of our one-year anniversary, we've decided to revisit the first topic we ever tried to record on the podcast: failure! Tune in to this week's episode to hear us discuss our different experiences with validation and self-worth, our experiences with unhealthy mindsets, and our views on what makes a good role model. We also discuss what it means to "try your best," ideal work environments, and the importance of mutual understanding in any relationship. Once again, we'd like to thank you so much for sticking around, and here's to another amazing year with our incredible community!
Enneagram Song Lyrics: https://genius.com/albums/Sleeping-at-last/Atlas-enneagram
Welcome to the second part of amy-and-grace-try-to-talk-philosophy-but-not-really! In this episode, we talk about the issue with being too nice, howidentity change occurs, and how grades affect our perception of people. We continue with a discussion about good and bad legacies, the beauty of introspection and what it means to truly be alive, and the importance of our 'mental midwinters.'
school of life articles:
https://www.theschooloflife.com/articles/
Join us for a candid conversation on some deep questions! This week, Amy pulls out some incredible questions from her random thoughts folder, and we discuss the legacy we want to leave behind, pursuing our passions, and what emotions really are. Tune in next week for part two!
Welcome to the third(?) identity crisis of the year! In this episode, Grace and Amy will attempt to answer the question, "Who do you want to be in the future?," and discuss the problems we run into while trying to envision future versions of ourselves. Today, we talk about the conception of the perfect version of yourself and why that might not necessarily be the person you really want to be. Lastly, we go over the enneagram types' basic human wants and discuss how those might affect our idea of who we want to be.
This week, we invite the amazing Christine Tian onto the podcast! Join us for a casual conversation between three friends as we discuss Asian parent stereotypes, our experiences growing up as the model minority, and our own high expectations for ourselves. We also relive some core memories and share some funny stories, and wrap it all up with your regularly programmed existential crisis about approaching the end of an era, losing touch with friends, and moving away from parents.
In this episode, we'll be exploring how our perspective towards friendship has shifted and the different types of friendships we've built over the years. Listen in to hear us talk about the qualities we look for in a friend, whether we value quality over quantity, and how Amy feels about the maintenance of friendships after graduation.
In this episode, we share and discuss our answers to some of the common university essay questions, including topics around identity, personal values, and life lessons. Listen in to hear our takes on what we feel like should be important to us compared to what is actually important to us, different peoples' growth journeys, and some of Amy's university application tips!
It's been a good week! In this episode, we talk about new eras of our lives and the revelations we've had. This includes our new thoughts on evolutionary psychology, our musings on why everyone is depressed and fate versus free will. We discuss changes in our lives and how changes in our environments have impacted our perspectives on school and learning, our confidence, and the amount of effort we put into life.
Kids these days... am I right? In this episode, we review some common gen z stereotypes and explore their origins, how they manifest in our own lives, and whether or not we think they are true! Some of the stereotypes we discuss include the belief this generation is indecisive, has a short attention span, good at multitasking, addicted to technology, introverted, insecure, struggles with mental health, involved in activism, and is growing up too quickly.
https://dailyfreepress.com/2021/03/15/generation-names-explained/
Welcome back to the chatimes! In this episode, we'll be talking about filling up your extroversion bar, optimizing your life, the "that girl trend" and whether a "together" life means a boring life. We also talk about whether we should be doing extracurriculars and volunteering for the "right reasons," dealing with not being good at your hobbies, followed by a discussion about psychological theories around motivation (Theory Y and X) and east Asian culture becoming a trend.
This week, we have the amazing Indah del Bianco joining us to discuss everything creative! In this episode, Indah shares how she found her passion for the arts, her songwriting process, and her favourite musicals. We also delve into the stereotype of the starving artist and what it might be like to have an artistic career. Lastly, we explore the reason people create art, to what extent art needs to be shared, and whether art needs to be based on personal experiences!
Indah's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYzifviRUaD1tX-88A9FBLg/videos
"oppy" (original song) by Indah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrn_QwswXpY&t=11s
Indah's Music Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/songsbyindah/
Anja's (Indah's mentor) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2rbxwvhelnLmOhNE7jbsTN?si=jHxKQml0SCqYUQtIQRKJ6A&nd=1
Leith Ross on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@leithross?lang=en
In this episode, we wanted to share some psychological tips and tricks that'll help you out with life! Listen in to hear tips that range from studying to productivity to getting people to like you.
https://www.studyinternational.com/news/5-best-ways-to-study-according-to-psychologists/
https://www.sciencealert.com/here-are-16-psychological-tricks-to-immediately-make-people-like-you-more
https://www.workamajig.com/blog/psychology-of-productivity
https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/15-psychological-hacks-that-will-help-you-win-at-l.html
Hey, it's the first existential crisis of the year! We discuss that feeling of listlessness we experience after reaching a goal, we reflect on our relationship with toxic productivity, and Amy shares her process of coming to terms with the Enneagram type 3 (The Achiever) within her. We also explore ulterior motives in self-care, whether it is possible to truly cultivate a love for learning, and whether complete transparency is really a good thing. To all the 2022 grads out there: here's to hoping senioritis doesn't hit, and YOU'VE GOT THIS!!
This week, we had the honour of having Jerry Zhang–Amy's dad–on the show! In this episode, we talk about his career, why Chinese families are obsessed with elite universities, the difference between Chinese and North American values, and lastly, his interpretation of the meaning of life.
We're super excited to announce our new series: the emotion series! In this episode, we explore the emotion sadness, whether or not it has a purpose, and the causes for this seemingly negative feeling. We also discuss the different relationships people have with sadness, what sadness personally means to us, and the idea of mixing emotions. Listen in to hear some of our theories and conclusions on sadness, as well as some tips we've learned on dealing with sadness and comforting loved ones!
What is Sadness?: https://www.paulekman.com/universal-emotions/what-is-sadness/
How Sadness May Be Good for You (evolutionary psychology study): https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_sadness_may_be_good_for_you
Stoicism 101: https://www.holstee.com/blogs/mindful-matter/stoicism-101-everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-stoicism-stoic-philosophy-and-the-stoics#:~:text=Stoicism is a school of,hone their virtues of character
The 6 Types of Basic Emotions (mixing emotions): https://www.verywellmind.com/an-overview-of-the-types-of-emotions-4163976#:~:text=4-,Sadness,experience from time to time
How to be with Sadness:https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/September-2020/How-to-Be-with-Sadness
This week, we’re so excited to welcome our old friend, Aileen, onto the show! On this episode, she tells us about how her first year of university has been going and what it’s been like attending school in the states during the pandemic. Listen in to hear the lessons she’s learnt through her experiences including standing up for yourself and others in difficult environments, dealing with pressure, and taking control of your life.
Since the post-secondary application season is coming to a close, Amy finally educates Grace on the Canadian post-grad application process. Here, she recounts how she chose her programs and gives her opinions on some of the most popular Canadian universities. We talk about what is important to us in a career and share some tips when it comes to planning your future.
Recommendation of the week:
https://www.youtube.com/c/amandamaryanna/featured
What a year 2021 has been! Welcome back to the long-lost letters to myself series as Amy and Grace reflect on the past year.
Join us for another chatime episode to celebrate the start of winter break! Listen in to hear us fangirl over minecraft, rant about the downsides of hyper focusing on achievements, and discuss how we can use the time off to rejuvenate ourselves for the new year.
Florian Burr's music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5oMNNPoFGc4QzaQehA2WHA
What do you do when you feel yourself getting burnt out? In this episode, we'll be talking about the differences between stress and burnout, some common signs of burnout, and what strategies you can take to overcome it. uopeople burnout graduate coach academic burnout help guide burnout vs stress psychology today burnout mind tools burnout TED talk (recommendation of the week): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxGWGohIXiw
Join us for another casual chatime episode! This week, we discuss cycles of negative study habits, the importance of confidence, and our extrovert journeys. We open up about our struggles with mindlessly scrolling through social media and raising our hands to speak up in class. Most importantly, we would like to remind you to take care of yourself and pursue what makes you happy! As promised, here's a bomb brownie recipe to try out the next time you feel the urge to get sucked into the vortex of the internet ;)
https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/supernatural-brownies.html#tabrecipe
Does happiness cause complacency? This week, we'll be answering questions like whether we should be actively pursuing growth or letting it occur organically, or if the desire for change needs to stem from a place of discontentment. To hear our answers and more, listen now!
Join us for a casual catch-up talk this week, where we share how school has been going and what has been on our minds. We discuss speech and texting habits, our relationship with grades, amazing teachers, and this podcast's journey.
In this episode, we'll be discussing our takes on the notion of "hard work" and whether or not it's the best way to achieve success. Hard work is often glamourized and oversimplified so we thought we'd share our previous ideas on the topic and how our thoughts have changed since then. Remember to prioritize your mental health because it's hard to be productive when you are not in a good headspace!
While Amy's motivational quote app's free trial is still active, we thought we'd go through some quotes with you and share our thoughts. Tune in to this episode to hear some great quotes and healthy reminders. Remember to try your best, prioritize your mental health, and be proud of how far you've come!
Happy spoopy season! In celebration of Halloween, we will be discussing some of our greatest fears this week! Tune in to hear ridiculous irrational fears we had in the past, suppressed childhood memories, and what still haunts us to this day!
Because we've been feeling a bit lonely recently, this episode will be a bit of a "friendships part. 2"! We talk about our relationships with idols, our place in the social scene, and how that's evolved since we've grown older. We also share our experiences with different types of friendships and some advice on how to cross the line from friendly school acquaintances to close friends. To hear our thoughts on the high school social structure and its mini-societies, accepting who are, and some (only mildly dubious) older sisterly advice, listen in!
Whenever life is looking bleak, write a bucket list! In this week's episode, we wanted to share an activity we like to do whenever we're looking to restore our enthusiasm in life. Here, we'll share how bucket lists can improve your mental space as well as some of our favourite bucket list items.
We're stressed, AND THATS'S OKAY! This week's episode is all about feeling stressed, dealing with failure, and strategies for stress management. Here, we discuss some of our experiences with bad grades, different learning environments, and some of the lesser-known cons of special programs. At the end of the day, although a little bit of stress is good for productivity, it's important to prioritize your mental health!
In this episode, we'll be talking about what "getting your life together" means to us, the signs of our lives falling apart, the actions we take to get back on track. Although it may be easy to get caught up on how far you have left to go, remember to look back and see how far you've come!
This week really was an emotional rollercoaster for Amy and Grace! Tune in to hear them discuss the idea of simplifying your life, share some tips to process negative emotions, and talk about the importance of emotional vulnerability.
In celebration of surviving our first two weeks of school, we wanted to share how school has been going so far, our expectations for the coming school year, and the goals that we've set for ourselves.
This week, Amy and Grace have invited the amazing Paxton Lin @paxton_l_i_n onto the podcast to share his experiences as a member of the lgbtq+ community! Listen in to hear them discuss the problem with toxic masculinity, rant about society’s double standards, and reminisce about track and field in elementary school.
Making the fellow Vancouverites proud with this one! In this week's episode, Amy and Grace will be telling you about how they discovered the world of self-development and how it became a part of their lives. Tune in now to hear their thoughts on the rise of wellness culture, philosophy, religion, spirituality, and...a liberal arts education?
In this week's episode, Amy and Grace describe what it's like to be a people pleaser, share the flaws of always conforming to others, and discuss the causes of people pleaseryness. Tune in for some important reminders we all need to hear, including: share your ideas, save your sorrys, and, most importantly, take care of yourself before helping others.
Oof. This week, Amy and Grace talk about toxic friendships, or rather, toxic situationships. In the episode, you'll hear about their experiences with toxic friends, some common red flags, and their advice to anyone in a similar situation.
In this week's episode, Amy and Grace talk about their longest-held activity–piano! Here, they share their thoughts about the instrument, whether or not they really enjoy the piano and the difference between doing an activity seriously versus doing one for fun. Listen now to hear about their journey with the piano, from how they got into piano and the impact it has made on their lives since then.
What's YOUR definition of success? This week, Amy and Grace discuss the idea of the American dream and whether that version of success is the same in the "happiest countries in the world." Tune in to hear about high school superstars, toxic prestigious university culture, and whether your career really dictates your fulfillment in life. As they reflect on the struggle to be exceptional in life, and discuss whether success is really necessary in order to be happy, they redefine their own definitions of success.
Mentioned article: https://positivepsychology.com/success-versus-happiness/
This week we've invited our good friend Zoe Guan to join us in a discussion about mental health, growing up in an age of social media, and the struggle with body image. Listen in to hear her journey of almost quitting the IB program, body confidence and gymnastics.
Since Amy and Grace have recently been living on the summertime high, this episode will be all about optimism! Listen in as they discuss the pros and cons of being optimistic, what makes an optimistic person, and how to become one yourself.
Our favourite kind of test– personality tests! In this episode, Amy and Grace (two very qualified individuals) share their results on the Myers-Briggs and Enneagram personality tests, evaluating where they agree and where it falls short
Take the free MBTI test: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
Take the free enneagram test: https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-test
Enneagram type descriptions: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptions
Romance? Error. Not found. In this episode, we discuss our views towards romantic relationships, and explore what makes a romantic relationship different than a friendship. To hear the wisdom from two hopelessly single friends as they talk about their ideal types, dealbreakers, and unrealistic expectations towards love, come and listen in!
In celebration of our 10th episode, Amy and Grace introduce the first episode of "letters to myself." Here, they read out their reflections on the past school year, talking about the challenges they've overcome and things they've learnt along the way.
This week's episode is all about Amy and Grace's inner and outer glow-up journeys. Tune in to hear about how they put themselves out there and overcame awkwardness and self-consciousness to become the pseudo-confident individuals they are today.
Welcome to the feel-good episode of the year! Just kidding. This week's episode is full of existential crises, panic about the future, and burnt out vibes, although if you look hard, you'll find a glimmer of hope that everything will get better. Tune in as Amy and Grace discuss their visions for the future, their opinions about ambition and passion, and what success means to them.
Join Amy and Grace as they take a trip down memory lane to tell the story of how they met and how their friendship has evolved over the course of 9 years. Get a glimpse of the controlled chaos that was little Amy and Grace's friendship through stories of stuffed animals, summer camps, and how they unwillingly got each other involved in life-changing experiences.
Better late than never, right? In this week's episode, Amy and Grace explore the beauty of New Year's resolutions, reflect on past resolutions, and share the ones they've made for 2021 – even if they weren't written on New Year's Day.
In this week's episode, Amy and Grace share how they healed from burnout and bad work habits, the importance of having the right mentality, and some study tips.
In this week's episode, Amy and Grace reflect on their experiences with burnout, emotional breaking points, and descent into terrible work habits.
In this week's episode, Amy and Grace have a candid conversation about the loss of innocence, growing up, and strange childhood beliefs.
In this week's episode, Amy and Grace share their experiences with childhood friends and friend groups, and discuss what makes a good friend.
In this week's episode, Amy and Grace have an open discussion about competitive school environments, egos, and comparing yourself to others.
For the first episode of two be honest, Amy and Grace introduce themselves and their new podcast.