Making People Less Easily Offended | Rogue Psychology | Comedy Documentary Series Full Episode

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:08]Get off my lawn, you. You guys have been doing this forever. I'm [ __ ] sick of it. Enough already. Enough. My stepdad Adam has always been a bit of a curmudgeon.

[00:00:19]But lately, he is becoming even more easily offended. I loved COVID. I didn't have to see anybody. Nobody pissed me off. It was great. Me, cheap? You're the cheap prick, you jerk. Sometimes people call me a prick.

[00:00:32]I'm not a prick.

[00:00:34]But if you offend me, I can turn really nasty and be a real prick. No, no, no, don't give me that. Just quiet down, all of you. Quiet down. And I've noticed that he is at his worst when he's overstimulated. A lot of things bug me, and we've talked about this before, John, but you know [music] I hate loud restaurants with loud music. It's so annoying. You can't hear what your your friends are saying. You can't hear I can't hear what your [music] mother is saying. And then and then you have the table of 12 beside you with 10 or 12 young women partying like crazy, screaming [music] and screeching and laughing and laughing, annoying as [ __ ] This got me thinking, is overstimulation playing a role in all of us being more easily offended?

[00:01:16]I decided to test this hypothesis [music] on my stepdad.

[00:01:22]This is Rogue Psychology, a show about personal problems [music] and universal solutions.

[00:01:29]>> [music] >> To test this overstimulation hypothesis, we wanted to find a place where people could be cut off from the stimulation of everyday life. Would being in such an environment make people less irritable and less easily offended? John, we're looking um we're looking for a room that blocks stimulation to run an experiment.

[00:01:47]Um do you think this could be that room?

[00:01:51]This is actually the [clears throat] ideal room. This is the ideal chamber.

[00:01:54]We're in a hemi-anechoic sound chamber, basically a sound proof room.

[00:01:59]It'd be like you're taking your test subject, putting them in a boat in the middle of an ocean with no wind and no waves.

[00:02:06]It's so quiet in here, I kind of want to scream. If you scream, no one will hear you outside. Okay. But you can scream as loud as you want.

[00:02:16]You scream with me? I'll scream.

[00:02:18]Can I try something when you scream?

[00:02:19]Okay. One, TWO, THREE. AH!

[00:02:22]>> [screaming] >> SO YOU CAN SEE YOU CAN GET THAT ENERGY when you're facing, but when I'm facing away you're not getting as much of that sound back to you.

[00:02:34]>> Yeah. Do you think if someone spent 45 minutes here or an hour in here, >> [music] >> they would leave this room like being less irritable and less easily offended?

[00:02:42]I think probably, overall. We have discovery mode and defense mode.

[00:02:48]And when you're not over stimulated, you're discovering. You're learning.

[00:02:52]You're looking at new things. You know, like a one-year-old like just, you know, studying every little flower, everything on the sidewalk. You're discovering the world. But when [music] the world is bombarding you, you have to defend yourself. You have to block it out. In the city, things are coming at you all the time. And you have to make instant assessments as to what's a threat and what's not a threat. And you make mistakes. And then finally you just get irritable. And sometimes things aren't as threatening as they seem. My stepfather Adam, he's a lawyer. Mhm.

[00:03:22]We're going to bring him in here for about 45 minutes to an hour, get him nice and calm. Mhm.

[00:03:27]And we're going to put him in a meet-up group with a bunch of people who hate lawyers.

[00:03:32]Do you think this will get him like better primed for that meeting with those people who essentially hate him?

[00:03:38]Well, I assume he will be less irritable from having been here for 45 minutes.

[00:03:44]Um but I imagine he will still get irritable. I mean because somebody's attacking your profession left, right, and center, one that you spent your life, you know, doing. Yeah, I think it's a great idea.

[00:03:55]I mean, I think and I think he probably will be less irritable.

[00:03:59]To Kathy's point, Adam's identity is strongly tied to being a lawyer. Do you love the law?

[00:04:05]Yeah, I do. It's been a fascinating career, challenging work, interesting people. Yeah, I love it.

[00:04:11]And he had absolutely no idea that I arranged for a group of people from the internet to come vent about their hatred of lawyers.

[00:04:19]When I say the word lawyer, what word comes to mind?

[00:04:23]Hate.

[00:04:24]When I say the word lawyer, how do you feel in your in your stomach?

[00:04:27]>> Sick to my stomach, actually. Deep down in my gut, rage and anger and just venom. I've had very bad experience with them uh on multiple accounts.

[00:04:38]Uh yeah, I've lost appetite whenever I think about them.

[00:04:42]Uh I had sleepless nights thinking about all of my dealings with them.

[00:04:47]I'm excited at the opportunity to bash some lawyers. I actually took the day off from work so I could participate.

[00:04:53]Well, you must really hate lawyers.

[00:04:56]Yes, I do.

[00:05:01]How's it going? Oh, it's great.

[00:05:04]I could stay like this forever.

[00:05:06]You feel You feel more calm? You feel more relaxed?

[00:05:09]>> Yeah, it's really relaxing.

[00:05:11]It was very calming, not what I expected at all.

[00:05:16]I was very curious to see what was about to go down.

[00:05:25]Thank you all for coming here today. And let's start out going one by one on why we hate lawyers.

[00:05:32]>> [laughter] >> Well, I'm a lawyer, you know that.

[00:05:38]The group wasn't too pleased to discover there was a lawyer among them. I think all lawyers overbuild. I know it's a generalization, let's just say maybe 98%. They're just money-hungry SOBS. They all need to go to hell. They're predators.

[00:05:56]They like to prey on people and their emotions and their wallets.

[00:06:00]Lawyers just love that. They're like, "Oh boy, we got we got a live one here."

[00:06:04]Seems that they get everybody adversarial, fighting. They must love fighting, so they want to see a good fight.

[00:06:11]I thought Adam was going to lose his cool.

[00:06:13]But then the most surprising thing happened.

[00:06:16]He started lawyering. So I've got a couple of comments. [music] First of all, I think people who go to lawyers are angry to start with. Lawyers don't facilitate the anger. It comes [music] out from the clients themselves.

[00:06:27]If you really don't like lawyers, next time you have a fight [music] with your wife or your neighbor or whoever, go hire a plumber. See how it works out for you.

[00:06:36]He's good at what lawyers do.

[00:06:38]Lawyers talk.

[00:06:40]And talk back and talk back. And you're trained at that and you're very good at it.

[00:06:44]>> What do you want me to say? That lawyers [music] are [ __ ] I'm not going to say it.

[00:06:46]>> I see your point of view. That makes kind of sense. I see I don't see your point of view. So let me tell you something else.

[00:06:53]Does everybody want to hear this something else? Are you happy >> he's NOT CHARGING US.

[00:06:57]>> [laughter] >> THE GROUP WAS REALLY BEATING up on Adam.

[00:07:03]But surprisingly, he was able to keep his composure.

[00:07:06][ __ ] you all.

[00:07:08]>> [laughter] >> You lawyers do [ __ ] us all.

[00:07:12]I feel if I hadn't gone into the chamber, I might have gotten much angrier.

[00:07:16]So it was good.

[00:07:18]Wow.

[00:07:19]After seeing how the anechoic chamber worked, I wanted to push things further.

[00:07:23]Could anything actually offend my stepdad when he's in a calm state? Maybe shifting away from his career and poking at his cultural identity would get under his skin.

[00:07:33]So I got in touch with Christian Odder, a guy who makes controversial art shows and YouTube videos about World War II with toy soldiers.

[00:07:41]I wanted to see if Christian could make an art piece that would offend the [ __ ] out of my stepdad.

[00:07:48]Christian, like, where where are we right now? We are sitting in the Super Wonder Gallery.

[00:07:54]It's an art gallery that I created so that I could put on really wild and and edgy art exhibitions. We want to commission a piece of art that would sincerely, truly offend my stepfather.

[00:08:06]Can you tell me something about him?

[00:08:07]Yeah, so Adam's in his 70s. He's he's a pretty conservative guy.

[00:08:12]He's a retired lawyer.

[00:08:14]Uh he's Jewish and and he's married to my mom.

[00:08:18]Okay.

[00:08:21]I am very confident that I could make a work of art that not only will offend him, but it will probably offend you, and he might even want to come out of retirement to sue me.

[00:08:36]Does that sound good to you?

[00:08:39]Yeah, it sounds like what we're after.

[00:08:42]Okay, we're on.

[00:08:44]Once Christian was ready, he wanted me to check out the piece and to bring a friend as it was a two-part installation.

[00:08:52]So, me and my friend Zarya spent time in the chamber before checking it out.

[00:08:59]Okay, guys, watch your step on this way.

[00:09:06]Okay.

[00:09:07]I want you to know that I do not stand by ideologically with anything that's on the other side of that board.

[00:09:15]And um you know, I I boy, it's it's a toughy, but it's what you asked for.

[00:09:23]So, that being said, >> [music] >> I want you to step this way and put your faces deep in those holes Mhm. and I'm going to go on the other side and see what you look like.

[00:09:34]Yeah. But get your chin You got to get your chin into it. That makes look good.

[00:09:37]It's funny when you have your chin in it. It looks and you look normal. Um You know what this is? It's an exercise in vicious a juxtaposition.

[00:09:46]That's what it is.

[00:09:48]Uh I put you guys in a position that is the furthest from what you'd want to be part of. And And then you can look at it and it's a freak show.

[00:09:58]You might be hurt. You might be offended or you might laugh and say, "Holy [ __ ] that's auto control." Let's have some fun with the range of expressions. Like I want you to look really stern.

[00:10:07]>> [groaning] >> All right. And then you uh stern. Now happy. Be happy.

[00:10:13]Am I a dick or am I a vagina? The face of a vagina.

[00:10:17]I think you would have preferred that to what I have you doing right now. Like I can see?

[00:10:23]Well, um if you guys want to see it.

[00:10:25]>> Yes. Okay, let me get my ba- let me get my hockey equipment on. Come on out.

[00:10:35]Oh, this is nice.

[00:10:37]You really like you really went with it.

[00:10:40]I definitely totally get this. It's just definitely really harsh.

[00:10:45]>> [laughter] >> You You put me as a Ku Klux Klan member and you did him as a Nazi.

[00:10:53]That's right. This makes me a little bit uncomfortable.

[00:10:57]This is good. This is good.

[00:10:59]This is good. It It kind of speaks to like how you can partake in something and not really understand the ramifications. Chrissy, you you nailed it. This is This is uh This is This is offen- offensive and I know I know it wasn't mean spirited. You don't seem like you're hurt. I This won't be my LinkedIn profile picture. I'll put it that way.

[00:11:18]I was very curious to see how Adam would react to the art piece after being in the chamber for a second time.

[00:11:24]Proud of his Jewish heritage, this very well could make him snap.

[00:11:29]>> [music] >> For the first part of the piece, can come up here and just put your head right through there. Put your chin all the way through.

[00:11:38]God knows what's around me. And now here, why don't you go to to your left?

[00:11:42]You can do the um the other hole as well over here.

[00:11:46]Yeah, put your chin all the way through.

[00:11:48]>> That one's easier, yeah. Look around, smile, do whatever feels natural.

[00:11:56]Maybe look off in the distance.

[00:11:57]>> Oh yeah, sure.

[00:11:59]And take a look at at the piece.

[00:12:03]God only knows.

[00:12:06]>> [laughter] >> That's funny.

[00:12:11]>> [laughter] >> So what do you think? Is it offensive?

[00:12:16]Not to me.

[00:12:17]It's funny. It's why I'm laughing at it.

[00:12:19]What what >> It's a cute idea. It's a great idea cuz you don't know what you're going to be What what's there? I thought it might be like [ __ ] [snorts] stuff, dirty stuff, not Ku Klux and Nazis. Inspired by the results with Adam, we decided to extend the experiment to the general public. So we convinced Christian to throw an offensive art show so we could continue to analyze the effects of overstimulation.

[00:12:42]>> [music] >> This next exhibit is the Texas Abortion Clinic where you can proudly perform your own abortion. It's kind of like the It's kind of like the the kids game uh Operation. You go inside and you and you finagle out the fetus.

[00:12:59]But if you touch the sides uh the the abortion was a failure. The first group invited to see the art would be overstimulated with Christian's toy soldier World War II videos. We were curious if this would make them more reactive than reflective when seeing the rest of the work. So this is our first piece.

[00:13:18]Enjoy.

[00:13:56]>> I feel very wrong standing here.

[00:13:57]>> [laughter] >> When it comes to an inappropriate joke or cultural insensitivity, it matters if you've had some past trauma or if you're a member of a specific cultural group.

[00:14:09]Yes, the bald rule is in effect. You pay 10% more.

[00:14:14]Why is that?

[00:14:16]I just don't like bald people.

[00:14:20]Confidence plays the biggest role in how offended you'll be when someone insults you.

[00:14:25]Okay guys, you can just put your >> [music] >> heads through the holes here.

[00:14:29]Just put your chin all the way through.

[00:14:31]Okay?

[00:14:33]You guys can smile here.

[00:14:38]And do you guys mind switching sides?

[00:14:39]Like you go into this one and you go into this one.

[00:14:43]Yeah, maybe stick your tongues out on this one. Like ah.

[00:14:47]So okay, now you now you can come around this way and maybe take a look at what what you were taking part in.

[00:14:54]Woah.

[00:14:56]I didn't feel offensive at all with all the stuff up stairs, but right now like I felt like very shocked.

[00:15:05]I was that that's part of the design, right? You know, sometimes we take part in things in society and we don't really know what we're doing and then you come around the other side and you see them.

[00:15:14]Maybe we we are in that position sometimes and we don't know and we don't care. Actually, like we don't investigate or we don't search about what are we following, where are we liking on social media whatever and then you find out.

[00:15:29]>> On a scale of 0 to 10, you know, how offended are you right now?

[00:15:34]10. Yeah, 10. Yeah. 10. I wanted to cry actually, if I am honest. Like Uh, I don't know.

[00:15:44]The next group seeing the art would first be put in a calm state. We were curious if this would make them a little more reflective about the artwork and maybe a little less offended by it.

[00:15:55]This first exhibit is really just like you know, being in a relaxed state, right? So, just get comfortable and just is really just about getting into a relaxed state of mind.

[00:16:08]Please look around. There's a lot of interactive exhibits.

[00:16:12]>> Oh, god. How close do I have to get to the >> closer. Butthole. A little bit closer.

[00:16:17]Maybe just wave.

[00:16:20]Does it smell?

[00:16:22]Just awful.

[00:16:24]What do you think of the sign, Cabbie? I love the sign. I think that's really funny. Ugly lives matter. It's a take off on Black Lives Matter, which we all know. You look at the picture and you go, "Oh, that is so repulsive." But then you say, "Hey, ugly lives matter." Like so what? You know, that's repulsive to you, big deal. So, it's a big butt, you know, live with it. Yeah, somebody you know might have a really ugly butthole, right?

[00:16:45]>> Yeah, exactly. You know, could be you.

[00:16:47]Could be me. I don't I don't >> not you particularly, but you know what I mean. Who here would like to do the honors? And whoever you bash, we will give a reward.

[00:17:01]Who Who would you like First of all, who would you like to beat up on? Joe Biden or Donald Trump?

[00:17:07]Um, Trump. Okay.

[00:17:14]Look.

[00:17:15]Here is the reward because of you.

[00:17:19]Congratulations. We are donating $100 to the Donald Trump campaign on your behalf. LET'S PUT A HAND TOGETHER FOR THIS THIS GALLANT WARRIOR. [applause] HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT $100 WAS JUST DONATED TO Donald Trump's campaign on your behalf?

[00:17:35]I'm just glad more wasn't donated.

[00:17:38]Yeah. Yeah. You guys can step right up and put your faces through the holes there, right?

[00:17:44]>> mine as well? Yep. Yep.

[00:17:46]Excellent.

[00:17:51]All right, come around the side and take a look.

[00:18:01]Oh.

[00:18:02]What do you think?

[00:18:05]Are you offended?

[00:18:06]No.

[00:18:07]I'm not too offended. Not really.

[00:18:09]Without knowing what in front, I like I didn't even feel guilty or something.

[00:18:15]You can show this picture to everyone, I believe, because it wasn't my choice.

[00:18:19]Okay. Right. So like on a scale of 0 to 10, you had to give a number of how offended you are, like what would you give it? I would say um Well, I don't I'm not really offended.

[00:18:28]So maybe five, four or five. Okay. Yeah.

[00:18:31]Yeah. I believe maybe two or three. Two or three, yeah.

[00:18:36]Social contagion theory suggests that you will react how other people around you have reacted.

[00:18:43]To complete the experiment, we included a control group that viewed the art without being exposed to either the overstimulated or calming intervention.

[00:18:53]There we go, Ku Klux Klan member.

[00:18:55]Awesome.

[00:18:57]>> [laughter] >> Sick.

[00:18:59]I mean, I could just stand here >> uniform to another. There you go. Uh do you find this offensive? It's art, man.

[00:19:05]What Whatever. Yeah.

[00:19:07]>> [laughter] >> I think this is a cool conversation to be having. We're so afraid to be labeled as these things, you know?

[00:19:20]Just when it seemed like there'd be no drama at all in the control group, it happened. Someone got very offended.

[00:19:29]>> [music] >> Yeah. Yeah, this is not don't do this.

[00:19:33]Yeah. Yeah.

[00:19:34]Yeah, well, that's why yeah, you guys stuck our heads in there and we thought we were going to be in these fun caricatures.

[00:19:40]They weren't that fun when you realize what it is. You guys you guys were doing like a a tasteless event and we hoped to be offended and I'm offended, so you did your job.

[00:19:52]Yeah, good good for you. Yeah.

[00:19:54]>> What's your name?

[00:19:55]Yeah, my name is offended.

[00:19:57]>> Offended? Yeah.

[00:19:58]In an attempt to be scientific, we had participants from each group fill out a scorecard where they ranked how offensive they found the art. And we left a space for them to leave comments.

[00:20:08]While there were people in each group who didn't love the art, the calm group left the most reflective comments and had the least offended aggregate score.

[00:20:16]I then went to Christian's apartment to discuss the results of the experiment, but he was more interested in showing me his toy collection.

[00:20:24]John, I want to welcome you to the war room.

[00:20:27]This is a 36-year collection that started off as something small and then just grew and grew and grew and grew and the the more it grew, the deeper I dug, the more I dug, the deeper it grew. It's What do you do with the you just leave them in here hanging or what do what do you do with all these toys? I I collect them and I and I play with them and I build them and like here's the latest thing I've worked on.

[00:20:52]And I've always wanted to do it. This is a small uh it's a small U-boat, but I decided to cut it open and create my own interior.

[00:21:03]I even have a little toilet in there, look.

[00:21:06]Look, a toilet. Yeah. I will kill you, you you fascist pig.

[00:21:22]Hobbies help to ground a person, give them an identity. So, when someone offends you, the more identity you have and the more grounded you are, the better off you are.

[00:21:33]After showing me his toys, there was one more thing we had to do.

[00:21:37]Any last words?

[00:21:40]Die, Nazi scum.

[00:21:58]Let's see if he's dead.

[00:22:06]He look dead to me.

[00:22:09]Our work is done here.

[00:22:14]Trying to drill down on what offends people is complicated. We all have different dispositions [music] and upbringings that will affect our interpretation of most things.

[00:22:24]Also, some days we're in a good mood and some days we're in a bad one.

[00:22:28]What is clear though, is that in [music] overstimulated world, we all might be a little more reactive than we'd like to be.

[00:22:34]So, once in a [music] while, put your phone away and take a walk in the park.

[00:22:38]Or try to find that anechoic chamber close to you.

[00:22:41]Because when you're in a calmer state, you may think deeper about the intention behind things before deciding if you should be offended.