Life is hard. This podcast will help. Lessons from the greatest thinkers on the planet with Chris Williamson. Including guests like David Goggins, Dr Jordan Peterson, Sam Harris, Jocko Willink, Dr Andrew Huberman, Dr Julie Smith, Steven Bartlett, Ryan Holiday, James Clear, Robert Greene, Matthew McConaughey, Steven Pinker, Alex Hormozi, Douglas Murray, Chris Bumstead, Mark Manson and more.
Matt Ridley is a science writer, journalist, and author. Evolution is a strange theory. If survival is all that matters, why do we find things beautiful? Why does beauty exist at all? And if aesthetics are so important, how do some species thrive without it? Expect to learn what Darwin’s strangest ideas were, the fundamental mystery of sexual selection, why females choose certain males based on beauty and performance rather than obvious survival traits, if females actually have as much agency in...
Naval Ravikant discusses harsh truths about human nature, exploring happiness, success, fame, and the importance of authenticity. He delves into status games, the value of wealth creation, and ways to build self-esteem and live a more fulfilling life, emphasizing freedom and aligning actions with personal values. He touches on cultural wars, AI, healthcare, child-rearing, and the fleeting nature of time and attention.
Catherine Price is a journalist, author, and science writer. How much are our phones affecting our brains? Our attention spans seem to be getting shorter, and many of us feel more forgetful. So how much of this can we blame on our phones and what can we do to fix it? Expect to learn how many hours a day people spend on their phone, what phones do to our attention span, if Tik tok memory brain is real, the real impact this kind of cellphone usage is doing to our brains and how it changes your foc...
Dr. John Delony is a mental health expert, author, YouTuber and speaker. What does it mean to be a good partner? We all want fulfilling relationships, but building one involves a careful balance of give and take. How do you show up as a supportive partner and not just for your significant other, but also for yourself? Expect to learn why we date people we feel we need to fix, why it’s so hard to leave relationships even if we don’t have our needs met, advice for how to move on from breakups easi...
George Mack is a writer, marketer and an entrepreneur. If you found yourself trapped in a South American prison, who's the first person you'd call? The person you named is likely the highest-agency individual in your life. So, what exactly makes high-agency people so valuable, and what essential skills can you learn from them to apply to your own life? Expect to learn what high agency is and what makes people with high agency so special, who the apex example of a high agency person is, the one q...
Critical Drinker is a movie critic, an analyst of modern entertainment media and a YouTuber. What happened to Hollywood? Despite bigger budgets than ever, shows and films are struggling to thrive. Thankfully, Critical Drinker points to some pretty obvious and some not-so-obvious key reasons for why there is such a disconnect. Expect to learn all about what is happening with the new James Bond shows, if the woke message is really dead in Hollywood, Critical Drinker’s thoughts on the Oscars, if St...
Vanessa Van Edwards is a behavioral researcher, speaker, and author. How do you make a great first impression? How can I become more charismatic? How can I stop feeling awkward in social situations? We've all wondered about these things at some point. Luckily, Vanessa is an expert on human interaction and has the answers you're looking for. Expect to learn what we should do without hands in social situations, the 4 key things you should do when prepping for a speech, the do’s and don’ts when you...
Freya India is a writer and journalist focussed on female mental health and modern culture. Are modern women okay? With rising statistics on declining happiness, life satisfaction, and marriage rates, it’s clear that the younger generation is facing serious challenges. What are the biggest issues modern women are dealing with, and how can they start to overcome them? Expect to learn why so many girls are drawn to therapy culture, if girls raised in religious families seem to be doing better than...
Yung Pueblo is a writer, poet, author and speaker. What does it mean to achieve true inner peace? In a world that feels more chaotic than ever, finding stability within ourselves and navigating the unpredictability around us has become increasingly difficult. So how do we create lasting balance and discover genuine peace in our lives? Expect to learn why we have such a big problem of connecting with people, why we cause ourselves so many unneeded stress, and why we are the ones actually at the r...
Ethan Kross is a psychologist, professor, and author. Emotions are complex. We all feel them, but how often are they genuine? When should we express them, and when should we hold them back? And ultimately how do we gain mastery over them? Expect to learn what exactly emotions are and why we struggle to control them, why anxiety is the boogie man of modern times, how to actually get in control of your emotional state, the best ways to stop ruminating thoughts, the most powerful daily practices to...
In this episode, Andrew Schulz discusses the challenges of modern America, including fertility struggles, societal expectations, political polarization, and wealth inequality. He shares personal experiences with IVF, insights on storytelling, and reflections on the importance of family and time. The conversation explores societal pressures on women, the role of fathers, and the need for a more nuanced approach to political discourse, as well as Schulz's recent comedy special.
Brigham Buhler is a healthcare entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Ways2Well, and co-founder of ReviveRx Pharmacy. American healthcare stands apart from any other system in the world. While some argue it has the potential to be the best, for many, it feels like the worst. Sky-high costs, an overreliance on prescriptions, and systemic inefficiencies suggest something is deeply broken. Why is this the case, and what can be done to fix it? Expect to learn what the number one reason for bankruptcy in A...
Louise Perry is a writer, Press Officer for the campaign group We Can’t Consent To This and an author. For generations, traditional gender roles have shaped society. Today, however, quality of life, mood, relationships, marriage, and even careers feel increasingly out of sync. How much of this can be attributed to shifting gender roles? And could embracing more traditional roles lead to a happier, more fulfilling, and sexually vibrant society? Expect to learn what the myth of female agency is, w...
Dr. Julie Smith is a clinical psychologist, author, and content creator. Discovering who you are is a lifelong journey. Understanding your past, unpacking emotions, and gaining self-awareness are all part of the process. So how do we move beyond our past and emotions that hold us back, to create a fulfilling and happy life? Expect to learn why emotions are so hard to understand, how to better understand your childhood, how to forgive your parents, why people keep saying yes when they want to say...
Charles Duhigg is a journalist, speaker, and author. Effective communication is the foundation of any strong relationship. While some excel at it naturally, others struggle to express themselves and often get misunderstood. So, what are the best tips to become a master communicator and elevate your communication skills? Expect to learn what most people get wrong when it comes to understanding communication, the biggest differences between communicators and supercommunicators, how introverts and ...
Dr. Shannon Curry is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and speaker. Modern adult relationships are complicated. With endless talk of red flags, green flags, icks etc., it can be tough to know who’s truly worth your time. So how do you build a lasting, healthy relationship when you're ready for one? Expect to learn what the biggest red flags are to look out for in a partner, the green flags you should look for, the most common reasons why relationships fail, how to see the beauty instead of th...
Dr Rhonda Patrick is a biomedical scientist, researcher and a fitness podcaster. Every day, your body fends off harmful pathogens with ease. But what happens when environmental toxins like microplastics start to build up? What are they, and how can you protect yourself from their effects? Expect to learn why microplastics are so prevalent in our everyday lives, how to detoxify yourself from microplastics, which everyday items expose us most to microplastics, where microplastics are stored in you...
Erwin McManus is a pastor, author, and speaker. Fear is so ingrained in our minds that we forget it’s not our natural state. So how do we break free from it, understand ourselves better, and push past fear to become our best selves? Expect to learn why people find it so hard to know and show themselves, why so many people are negative at a default, how to not get paralysed by overthinking, how do you live a courageous life, how to overcome fear and how to stop being so afraid, the biggest differ...
William von Hippel is a psychologist, professor, and author. Modern life feels so complex that even basic emotions like happiness seem distant. Were we happier as hunter-gatherers, with more connection and autonomy? If so, how do these prehistoric needs shape our well-being today? Expect to learn if it would be helpful to return back to a simpler hunter & gather time of human evolution, why so many people struggle to be happy, why having autonomy is so important, what happiness research says abo...
Rory Sutherland is one of the world’s leading consumer behaviour experts, the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy Advertising and an author. Every moment of the day, you're being marketed to. From the instant you check your phone in the morning to the subtle strategies behind political campaigns. So how can you decode the world around you and master the art of marketing? Expect to learn how effective companies will be at getting their employees back in office, Rory’s thoughts on Jaguars rebrand, what Rory t...
Dr. Rick Hanson is a psychologist, author, and speaker. Our brains are more adaptable than we realise. With a bit of understanding, patience, and the right techniques, you can rewire your brain for greater happiness and well-being. So what are the best ways to make this happen? Expect to learn what positive and negative mental states are from a neurological perspective, if human brains are predisposed to being happy or peaceful, how to convince someone that they actually can change their mind, w...
Dr Tracy Vaillancourt is a professor at the University of Ottawa, a researcher and an author with a focus on the link between violence and mental health. A common feature of every generation’s schooling experience is the presence of bullying. Top psychologists over the years have wrestled with the issue and developed intervention after intervention, and yet it still persists. How can society eradicate bullying once and for all? Expect to learn why people bully and the different types of bullies,...
Tom Segura is a comedian, podcaster, and actor. These days, making sense of the world is harder than ever. From billionaires reshaping governments to debates over whether modern car chassis can support the average obese person. There’s no shortage of absurdities. Luckily, Tom has plenty to say about them. Expect to learn why Gen Z is more likely to skip the gym and use Ozempic instead, if Tom can and will reset his Instagram algorithm, why Gen Z is more likely to drink less and smoke more, why t...
To celebrate 900 episodes of Modern Wisdom, I broke down some of my favourite lessons, insights and quotes from the last hundred episodes. Expect to learn what unteachable lessons are, why we decide to learn lessons the hard way over and over again, why money won’t make you happy and fame won’t fix your self worth, why you might regret working too much, what it takes to choose a good partner, 5 questions to ask yourself if you’re unsure about any relationship you have, why men can be frustrating...
Sahil Bloom is an investor, writer, and author. Focusing relentlessly on your goals can change your life. And if you work hard enough, one day your friends might call you ‘lucky’. But the truth is, luck is often just a byproduct of relentless effort. So, how do you create more opportunities for yourself and increase your chances of luck? Expect to learn why you’re one year of focus might change your life, the problem with constantly looking at the scoreboard of your life, the relationship betwee...
Alain de Botton is a philosopher, author, and founder of The School of Life Healing yourself is one of the most transformative journeys you can undertake. From nurturing your inner voice to improving relationships, how can we embrace healing to not only grow personally but also show up better for those around us? Expect to learn where bad inner voices come from and how to hear a negative voice, why we struggle to connect with our emotions, if there is a danger of intellectualising challenges of ...
Steve Magness is a performance coach, author, and sports scientist. Performing under pressure isn’t easy. Whether it’s a big test, a game, or a presentation, nerves often get in the way. So how do you stay calm and do your best? How can you turn pressure into an advantage? Expect to learn how pressure impacts performance, how to deal better with stress and anxiety, how to stop focusing on negative outcomes, why identity and self-clarity are so important, the biggest differences between surviving...
I hit 3.25 million Subscribers on YouTube!! To celebrate, I asked for questions from YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, so here’s another 90ish minutes of me trying to answer as many as possible. Expect to learn my thoughts on the Fin vs The Internet episode, what my favorite band I’m listening to at the moment is, what my plans for marriage will look like, best lessons I’ve learned from Chris Bumstead, how I’m dealing with my current health issues, if anyone has farted on the podcast before, if th...
Piers Morgan is a journalist, host, and author. With all eyes on America, many promises have been made for change. But how confident can we be that this new America will deliver on those promises? And what are the consequences if meaningful change fails to materialise? Expect to learn Piers’ thoughts on Biden pardoning his son, why Elon says cancel culture is cancelled, if wokeism is dead or not, why trigger warnings make life much worse, if the distinction between left and right is breaking dow...
Dan Koe is a writer, entrepreneur, and creator. Finding your creative spark is one of life’s greatest journeys. So, what are the tips and tricks to help you design a life that maximises your full creative and productive potential? Expect to learn if there is a delusion of hard work and why more hard work doesn’t make you rich, what the tension between creativity and productivity is, how to design your life for peak creative output, how to figure out what you want in life, how to get over imposte...
