Rob Henderson is a psychologist, US Air Force veteran, and author of Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class. Humans are an odd species. We know truths on our own but choose to lie in groups. Our thinking gets hijacked by social norms, paths of least resistance, lies and half truths. It's a mess out there, but thankfully there's ideas we can discover to help us navigate. Expect to learn what the friendship paradox is, how we can fix the mate deprivation problem, what green fl...
Nov 30, 2023•2 hr 52 min•Ep. 713
Dr Jordan B. Peterson is a clinical psychologist, podcaster, speaker and an author. Finding meaning in the modern world can be a difficult task. When life is convenient and comfortable, discovering our purpose and facing hard things can be increasingly tough. But there are some reliable routes toward the greatest adventure of your life. Expect to learn why you are morally obligated to do remarkable things, where the most important adventure is to be found in life, my war on cynicism, the delusio...
Nov 27, 2023•3 hr 23 min•Ep. 712
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. Intrasexual competition is present in all animals, however the sophistication of this rivalry amongst human females is unbelievably impressive. The "fairer sex" wield their competition in some very weird, wonderful and ruthless ways. Expect to learn why women use indirect aggression as a competition strategy, how resource scarcity influences co...
Nov 25, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 711
Jim Kwik is a world renowned memory expert, a podcaster and an author. Mastering a new skill, language, or instrument can be an intimidating task. However, Jim has found hacks which can dramatically elevate your learning process. This has the potential to transform an arduous learning approach into a simple journey toward peak brain performance. Expect to learn if modern people's brains are actually broken, the biggest lies we are told about how to learn, how memory actually works, where people ...
Nov 23, 2023•2 hr 38 min•Ep. 712
Max Lugavere is a health and science journalist, filmmaker, podcaster and New York Times bestselling author. To maintain peak health, nurturing an healthy mind and body is key. Simple daily habits and foods can make a massive difference to limiting and even reversing cognitive decline as you age,. Expect to learn why California is banning Skittles, how worried you should be about artificial sweeteners, tactics for how to kill your sweet tooth, why raising your baby vegan might be child abuse, th...
Nov 20, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 709
Bryan Caplan is an economist at George Mason University and author. Bryan wrote a letter to his young daughter encouraging her to not become a feminist. Which begs the question, why would a father not want this? In what ways are women being taken advantage of by an ideology, and how might Bryan be wrong? Expect to learn what trade offs feminism is making at the moment and why they're dangerous, why feminism does not like traditionally feminine roles, why there is so much of a lack of individual ...
Nov 18, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 708
Morgan Housel is a partner at The Collaborative Fund, an investor and an author. The world continues to change, but the hairless apes that inhabit it stay the same. So there must be some laws of human psychology which remain true, no matter what time and place you're in, and today we get to go through some of the most fascinating ones. Expect to learn the problem with the way most people make predictions, who exactly are the reasonable optimists, whether anyone was able to predict the great depr...
Nov 16, 2023•2 hr 48 min•Ep. 707
Douglas Murray is a journalist, author and associate editor of The Spectator. As the turmoil of global events dominates the media, it can feel as though the world is spiralling into chaos. If we can't agree on what's happening, how can we make sense of the world? What's the solution in a post-truth world? Expect to learn how Victoria’s Secret betrayed the body positivity movement, why people are struggling to agree on what's true anymore, how the “Gays for Gaza” movement will get on, whether we ...
Nov 13, 2023•2 hr 2 min•Ep. 709
Spencer Greenberg is a mathematician, a writer and the founder of ClearerThinking.org First we make our habits, and then our habits make us. But what is the best way to step into this recursive loop and take charge of the most powerful force in our lives? Thankfully Spencer just completed a huge new study testing tons of different techniques. Expect to learn how useful personality tests are, Spencer’s biggest insights from 450 people trying every habit strategy ever invented, how you can better ...
Nov 11, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 705
Mads Larsen is a Norwegian author and journalist whose research focuses on the history of human mating ideologies. The narrative of human romance is an ancient story. But that story has not always remained the same, the last 10,000 years has been a crazy journey through different beliefs on why we should find and stay with a partner and today we get to hear about all the fascinating details. Expect to learn why it's so illuminating to study the story of mating ideologies across time, how our mod...
Nov 09, 2023•2 hr 46 min•Ep. 704
Patrick Bet-David is an entrepreneur, founder of Valuetainment, podcaster and author. Given that the world is in chaos, we would usually turn to our institutions and news organisations to make sense of what's happening. But trust in these institutions is at an all time low, so what can we do about it? Expect to learn why it’s actually important to have enemies, Patrick's thoughts on Ben Shapiro's new Snow White movie, what he thinks about Dana White's life philosophy, what it takes to actually i...
Nov 06, 2023•2 hr 22 min•Ep. 703
To celebrate 700 episodes of Modern Wisdom, I broke down some of my favourite lessons, insights and quotes from the last hundred episodes. Expect to learn how your expectations define your happiness more than your circumstances, what monothinking is, why the Abilene Paradox is my favourite new idea, the problem of taking advice from super successful people, how to actually achieve enlightenment, my favourite mindset hack for doing the right thing and much more... Sponsors: Get 10% discount on al...
Nov 04, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 702
Alexander DatePsych is a Neuroscience and Behavioural Science researcher whose work focuses on attractiveness and dating. The modern dating world is a difficult universe to navigate, which has led a lot of people to check out of it completely. But does this make people happier to elect loneliness rather than risk heartbreak? Expect to learn why 50% of men have not approached a woman in the last year, the biggest struggles everyone faces when dating, what misconceptions the world has when it come...
Nov 02, 2023•2 hr 40 min•Ep. 699
Dr Andrew Huberman is a neuroscientist, Associate Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine and a podcaster. It has never been so easy and also so difficult to remain healthy and perform at your best. The right tools and insights we all need to avoid pitfalls and maximise our outcomes are thankfully at our finger tips, and today we get to go through some of Dr Huberman's favourites. Expect to learn how breathing can change the shape of your face, what Andrew thinks of the “Huberman...
Oct 30, 2023•3 hr 4 min•Ep. 700
Justin Mogilski is an an evolutionary psychologist at the University of South Carolina whose research focuses on consensual non-monogamous relationships. It’s often said that choosing the right life partner is the most important decision you can make. So if you're not sure, why not just choose two? Or more? And how do the people in these relationships make it work? Expect to learn whether non-monogamy is more likely to end in failure than typical relationships, what sorts of people are most like...
Oct 28, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 699
Mary Eberstadt is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and an author. We're told that more freedom is a good thing. That the more options and choices a person has, the better their life will be. With this in mind, the sexual revolution should have been one of the biggest improvements ever for women and their quality of life, but all might not be quite as rosy as it seems. Expect to learn who really benefitted from the sexual revolution, how the introduction of the pill increase...
Oct 26, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 698
Konstantin Kisin is a podcaster, a speaker and an author. Despite living in objectively the best time ever, there is a common trend of people believing that the world is getting worse. Is this an accurate assessment of the existentially unfulfilling modern world, or is it fragile victims whining about nothing? Expect to learn the danger of pedestalising victimhood, Konstantin's thoughts on Theo Von being screwed out of thousands of dollars, his reaction to Sam Harris' viral clip on Triggernometr...
Oct 23, 2023•2 hr 23 min•Ep. 697
Dr Gabrielle Lyon is a functional medicine physician and Founder of the Institute of Muscle-Centric Medicine. Most health advice focuses on shedding excess weight. But what if your longevity, healthspan, resilience and quality of life was more determined by gaining muscle than losing fat? This isn't a bodybuilder's coping strategy, it's new science backed by mountains of data. Expect to learn why the quality of your life is a direct correlation to your muscle health, whether it's more dangerous ...
Oct 21, 2023•2 hr 33 min•Ep. 696
Codie Sanchez is an investor, venture capitalist and a CEO. Being a contrarian is an alluring idea. Having a unique insight into the world, a different viewpoint that helps you grow and make money and become successful. But how do you actually come up with original ideas and avoid always following the crowd? Expect to learn Codie’s framework for non-conformity, how anger can be a useful tool, what we can learn from Warren Buffet about not optimising too much, why pushing through boredom is a sup...
Oct 19, 2023•2 hr 11 min•Ep. 695
Sadia Khan is a relationship coach and a speaker. Dating in the modern world is more fraught than ever. Men and women are finding themselves confused and lost as they try to make sense of a mating landscape which becomes ever more difficult to navigate. Expect to learn why Sadia’s Instagram has been banned 3 times, why nice guys have such a hard time in relationships, whether men and women can actually be friends, whether hot women tend to be crazier, how to stop being a jealous partner, whether...
Oct 16, 2023•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 694
Dr Robert Sapolsky is a Professor at Stanford University, a world-leading researcher, and an author. Stress is an inevitable part of human life. But what is stress actually doing to the human body when it happens for such a prolonged period of time? And what does science say are the best interventions to defeat it? Expect to learn the crucial difference between short term and long term stress, how stress actually impacts the human system, the neurodevelopmental consequences of stress and poverty...
Oct 14, 2023•2 hr 41 min•Ep. 693
Connor Beaton is a men’s life coach, founder of ManTalks and an author focusing on men’s wellness and personal growth. Men are often told that their problems would be fixed if they stopped being so stoic. If only they ceased hiding their emotions and started being more vulnerable, their mental health would improve. But is this actually the case? Does the world actually want vulnerable men? Expect to learn whether men actually can show their vulnerability to the world, why a man’s pain is so impo...
Oct 12, 2023•2 hr 33 min•Ep. 692
Jimmy Carr is a comedian, television host and an author. Jimmy is known as one of the best one-line comics in history, but this episode goes way deeper than you’re probably expecting. It's far less about jokes and far more about Jimmy’s obsession with human psychology, frameworks and thinking tools. Expect to learn what the most important question to ask yourself is, why you have probably been thinking about luck incorrectly, what the two great myths in life are, the most common misconceptions a...
Oct 09, 2023•3 hr 44 min•Ep. 691
Michael Easter is a University of Nevada, Las Vegas professor, a journalist and an author who focuses on health and human performance. Even though we might often feel in control of our impulses, there are regular moments that remind us of our uncontrolled tendencies. From overspending to overeating, there is a secret loop happening inside of our minds that causes our actions and intentions to move further apart Expect to learn why moderation is so impossible to achieve, what humans actually want...
Oct 07, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 690
Melissa Kearney is a Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland, and an author known for her research in the field of economic demography. Declining marriage and birthrates frequently dominate discussions about the future of society, but what is the impact of separated parents on the kids who grow up in these homes? Melissa has spent years assessing the data, and her findings are absolutely terrifying. Expect to learn how single-parent households are massively worsening class divides, ...
Oct 05, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 689
Steven Bartlett is the Founder of Social Chain, an entrepreneur, a podcaster and an author. How to become a functioning human is a difficult skill to work out. Should I focus on achieving goals or inner peace? Can I become confident without being arrogant? Thankfully Steven has spent the last 2 years distilling a ton of lessons into his new book, and today we get to go through my favourites. Expect to learn Steven’s equation for unbreakable discipline, the biggest lesson from dealing with mainst...
Oct 02, 2023•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 688
Steven Bridges is a professional gambler and mostly-legal card counter. If you've seen the movie 21, you'll know that it's possible to count cards while playing Blackjack in a casino to beat the house. But this isn't just limited to the movies, Steven is part of a team who takes on the biggest casinos in the world using hardcore maths, disguises and secret signals to win big. Expect to learn the details of how a team of players is needed to take on a casino, how Steven chooses which casinos to c...
Sep 30, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 687
Dr Gad Saad is an Evolutionary Psychologist, Professor of Marketing at Concordia University, a podcaster and an author. In today’s fast-paced world, happiness and contentment often seem elusive. By taking an evolutionary lens on happiness, we can gain deeper insight into why we are the way we are and decode the contributing elements to living a good life. Expect to learn where happiness comes from, why evolution cursed humans with the ability to feel existential discontent, what people get wrong...
Sep 28, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 686
Rich Roll is an ultra-endurance athlete, podcaster and an author. In today’s modern world, relentless pursuit of goals often leads to being overworked and burnout. Finding the balance between working hard enough to achieve your dreams without destroying your sanity along the way is a difficult balance, but Rich seems to have found a solution. Expect to learn what it means to have “lower companions” who hold you back, why we all are so addicted to progress, why you might be more dependent than yo...
Sep 25, 2023•2 hr 54 min•Ep. 685
Vincent Harinam is a data scientist, law enforcement consultant and a writer. Vincent came on Modern Wisdom 2 years ago. Shortly after that, he was pulled into a meeting at a prestigious British University where he was teaching to be reprimanded for his comments. Today we get to break down what happened, and continue our dating discussion that got him in so much hot water. Expect to learn why academia has such a problem with independent media, what has changed in the dating market over the last ...
Sep 23, 2023•2 hr 30 min•Ep. 684
