This podcast explores the powerful truth that not everyone will like you—and why that’s not a flaw, but a sign of authentic living. Dr. Fred Clary breaks it down through the lenses of neurology, chiropractic care, and life coaching, explaining how the brain interprets rejection as pain, how the body physically contracts under the pressure of approval-seeking, and how true purpose requires clarity over popularity. By understanding and rewiring these responses, listeners are encouraged to stand confidently in their identity, shift from survival-based thinking to intentional living, and embrace the freedom that comes from being aligned rather than universally accepted.

Dr. Fred Clary, founder of Functional Analysis Chiropractic Technique and lifting/life coach/ gym-chalk covered philosopher talks about being disliked.

Modern neuroscience confirms something our bodies already know: the brain was designed to move. Physical activity stimulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), improves neuroplasticity, protects the hippocampus, and reduces the risk of cognitive decline. As a neurologist and chiropractor, I see the consequences of inactivity every day—degeneration of joints, loss of balance, neurological slowing, and early dependence on others for basic life functions. The truth is simple: movement is medicine for both the brain and the body.

That is why I say, “I’d rather be the oldest person in the gym than the youngest person in the nursing home.” Exercise is not about vanity or appearance—it is about independence. Strength preserves dignity, balance prevents falls, and physical challenge keeps the nervous system alive and adaptable. The gym is not a punishment; it is a commitment to your future self. Train today so that decades from now you can still walk, move, think clearly, and live life on your own terms.

Dr. Fred Clary, founder of Functional Analysis Chiropractic Technique and lifting/life coach/ gym-chalk covered philosopher talks about aging well.

Unconscious bias often arises not from malice but from the normal functioning of the human brain. The brain is designed to conserve energy and process information quickly, so it relies on shortcuts such as pattern recognition, familiarity, and past experience. Structures like the hippocampus help the brain complete patterns from limited experiences, the amygdala rapidly evaluates familiarity and potential threat, and the reward system reinforces beliefs that feel correct. As a result, people may develop biases from small datasets of experience, limited exposure to different perspectives, incomplete information, or simple cognitive efficiency, leading them to assume that what they have seen represents the whole of reality.

Because humans evolved in small cooperative groups, the brain also developed tribal and social identity circuits that instinctively distinguish between in-groups and out-groups. These automatic responses occur before conscious reasoning, but they can be moderated by the prefrontal cortex, which supports reflection, curiosity, and analytical thinking. Fortunately, the brain’s neuroplasticity allows these biases to be reduced through deliberate effort: slowing down judgments, seeking broader experiences, questioning assumptions, examining evidence carefully, and cultivating intellectual humility. By expanding our mental datasets and engaging thoughtful reflection, individuals can move beyond automatic assumptions and develop more accurate and compassionate perceptions of others.

Dr. Fred Clary, founder of Functional Analysis Chiropractic Technique and lifting/life coach/ gym-chalk covered philosopher talks about seeing beyond the nose on your own face.