This episode is a review of Eric Hoffer's book The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements. Hoffer argued that all political and religious activists share the same motivations: Those who dedicate their lives to a cause are running from themselves. There are some interesting ideas in the book about the dark consequences that follow when you evade the responsibility for improving yourself and choose to act out your frustration on the world instead. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TV...
Oct 13, 2018•21 min•Ep. 354
What do you need in order to start a business? This episode is a chapter from the audiobook Becoming An Entrepreneur by Jake Desyllas. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus epodes and rewards! Becoming An Entrepreneur Audiobook on Audible Becoming an Entrepreneur on Amazon TVL 184 Becoming An Entrepreneur: Introduction...
Oct 05, 2018•19 min•Ep. 353
I've talked a lot about my strategy for investing in previous episodes, but in this interview you will hear from an investor who takes a different approach. Rob Marstrand is the founder of the investment newsletter and blog Ofwealth . He uses an approach called value investing, in contrast to the passive investing approach that I use. In this episode, Rob explains value investing from his perspective. He also provides an outsider's take on the permanent portfolio strategy that I follow. Show Not...
Sep 27, 2018•41 min•Ep. 352
In this Touring Families podcast interview, Jake Desyllas talks about pursuing the travel lifestyle with kids, finding principles in parenting, and the challenges of choosing your own lifestyle. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL for bonus episodes and many other rewards! Touring Families Podcast
Sep 20, 2018•57 min•Ep. 351
This episode presents some interesting research demonstrating that following the news and current events can make you more stupid. Understanding the psychology behind this effect helps improve your rational thinking. It also explains why predicting doom is so popular and always sounds clever. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus epodes and rewards! The Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley Good News is Gradual, Bad New Sudden by Matt Ridley...
Sep 12, 2018•13 min•Ep. 350
This episode provides my perspective, as a former free-range kid, on the concept of free-range childhood. It is a review of the book Free-Range Kids: How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children by Lenore Skenazy. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus epodes and rewards! Free-Range Kids: How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children by Lenore Skenazy Episode 341: Peaceful Parenting, Unschooling, and Self-Directed Education...
Sep 04, 2018•28 min•Ep. 349
Chapter One from the audiobook of Becoming an Entrepreneur by Jake Desyllas. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus epodes and rewards! Becoming An Entrepreneur Audiobook on Audible Becoming an Entrepreneur on Amazon TVL 184 Becoming An Entrepreneur: Introduction...
Aug 23, 2018•19 min•Ep. 348
Ten reasons why I am passionate about productivity systems and getting things done. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus episodes and rewards! Previous TVL episodes on productivity Bonus episodes and resources on productivity Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen...
Aug 09, 2018•17 min•Ep. 347
If you enjoy a travel lifestyle, is it better to go fully nomadic or have a base to come back to between trips? Here's an update about our experience of both nomadic travel and having a base, and how our approach has changed since starting a family. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus episodes and reward 241 Selling Our Home To Travel The World 252 Adapting To Big Changes 255 The Path to Permanent Travel And Minimalism...
Jul 29, 2018•16 min•Ep. 346
Investing brings emotional and psychological challenges. These challenges can lead to poor investment decisions, but they can also make you unhappy even if you do end up making a good return. This episode is about strategies for dealing with the emotional challenges of investing. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus episodes and rewards! Job Free by Jake Desyllas Portfoliocharts.com Fail-Safe Investing by Harry Browne TVL 167 The Permanent Portfolio...
Jul 20, 2018•17 min•Ep. 345
One of the most radical ideas I've come across is this: People are not free ultimately because they voluntarily consent to their servitude. Etienne de La Boetie wrote "A Discourse on Voluntary Servitude" during the Renaissance period. His book had a huge influence on many philosophers and inspired the civil disobedience movement. But, is it relevant to your personal life as well? Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus episodes and rewards! "Discourse on Voluntary Servitude" by Etienne d...
Jul 08, 2018•12 min•Ep. 344
I've had some interesting listener feedback from the recent episodes about questioning education. In this episode I respond to some of the points raised by listeners. Show Notes: 339 Questioning Education 340 Review of The Case Against Education
Jun 28, 2018•18 min•Ep. 343
The Paradox of Choice , by psychologist Barry Schwarz, is a book that has influenced many people interested in minimalism. Schwarz argues that the extensive freedom of choice in affluent societies has become detrimental to psychological and emotional well-being. This episode provides a critical review of Barry Schwarz's arguments. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus episodes and rewards! The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz The Paradox of Choice TED Talk 227 Revi...
Jun 21, 2018•31 min•Ep. 342
A interview with James and Taylor Davis from the One Free Family podcast . James and Taylor explain their approach to peaceful parenting and unschooling. We had a great discussion about questioning the concept of self-directed learning, and many other interesting topics. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus episodes and rewards! One Free Family Podcast 338: Leadership and Parenting 17 Unschooling Part 1: Instead of Education...
Jun 14, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 341
Most of what you learn in school and college is practically useless, yet education is (often) a very good investment. How can this be? This episode is a review of Bryan Caplan's book, The Case Against Education . Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus episodes and rewards! The Case Against Education b y Bryan Caplan 339 Questioning Education 261 Thinking Rationally Part 7: The Irrationality Of Politics...
Jun 08, 2018•21 min•Ep. 340
This episode is the first in a series questioning key life choices around the topic of education. How valuable is education? How much education does it make a sense to get? Does education lead to greater freedom and fulfillment in life? I introduce different views on education that I will be exploring: the traditional view, the rebel view, and the realist view. I talk about why I think it is valuable to question education, even though getting a good education worked very well for me. Show Notes:...
Jun 03, 2018•18 min•Ep. 339
What kind of leadership role do you have as a parent? What are the most important responsibilities of parents? This episode explores different answers to these questions. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus episodes and rewards! One Free Family Podcast - A new take on peaceful parenting Unruffled Podcast by Janet Lansbury 336: A Review of Jordan Peterson's Parenting Principles 312: The Unjobbing Way...
May 25, 2018•15 min•Ep. 338
This episode is about managing and tracking investments, as part of your journey towards financial independence. I explain the calculations that I find useful to track my portfolio. I'm not a financial advisor and I've had to teach myself about money, so I'm explaining what I've learned as food for thought for other independent investors working towards FI. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus episodes and rewards! Episode 181 Financial Independence Part 1: What You Need To Know About...
May 17, 2018•18 min•Ep. 337
This episode is a review of Jordan Peterson's suggested principles for parenting, which he put forward in a chapter of his book "12 Rules For Life". In the episode, I explain why I disagree with Peterson's ideas and recommendations regarding parenting. Listen to the episode to find out more. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus episodes and rewards! 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote for Chaos by Jordan Peterson TVL 328: Punished By Rewards Part 1 Parent Effectiveness Training By Thomas G...
May 09, 2018•33 min•Ep. 336
Harry Browne's book, " How I Found Freedom in an Unfree world" had a huge influence on me. This episode examines the subject of one chapter in that book: freedom from pretence. I explore Harry's suggestions about finding freedom from pretence, and then provide my own thoughts on the topic. Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus episodes and rewards! How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World by Harry Browne Self-Deception - Episode 202 of The Voluntary Life Getting Real: 10 Truths Skills Yo...
May 03, 2018•21 min•Ep. 335
How free are you? This episode is about a thought-provoking story by the philosopher Robert Nozick called "The Tale of the Slave". It is taken from his book "Anarchy, State, and Utopia." Show Notes: Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus episodes and rewards! Anarchy, State, and Utopia: Second Edition by Robert Nozick...
Apr 26, 2018•13 min•Ep. 334
This episode is about some interesting opportunities that I am currently exploring for living in Portugal and Spain as an expat. I outline some of the potential benefits of Portugal's Non-Habitual Resident Scheme and Spain's Non-Lucrative Visa scheme. These residency options are particularly relevant for digital nomads. Depending on where you are from, one of these two countries could be a good option for you. I'm still learning about this and I may not know all the relevant issues yet, so if yo...
Apr 16, 2018•14 min•Ep. 333
This episode is about the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, and whether or not there is anything useful in his work for those interested in finding individual freedom. I've read some great Nietzsche quotes about finding freedom in life. At the same time, he has a reputation for being very authoritarian and anti-individualistic, and he is known to have been a major philosophical influence on Nazism. So what did he really think about individual freedom? Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus episodes ...
Apr 13, 2018•18 min•Ep. 332
"Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill is a well-known and influential book about wealth and personal development. The topics covered by this book are very relevant to The Voluntary Life, so I wanted to read this book to see why it is so famous. I share my thoughts about the book in this review. Show Notes: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill TVL Patreon Page...
Apr 05, 2018•17 min•Ep. 331
Stephanie Murphy and I discuss a thought-provoking video by Daniel Mackler about the question: Are You Ready to Have Children? Show Notes: "Are You Ready to Have Children? - Challenging Questionnaire For Prospective Parents" by Daniel Mackler TVL Patreon Page
Mar 29, 2018•38 min•Ep. 330
Support The Voluntary Life on Patreon for bonus episodes and rewards! This is the second part of a review of Alfie Kohn's book, Punished by Rewards . This episode addresses the idea of incentive schemes in business and evaluates Kohn's claims in his book. Show Notes: Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn TVL Patreon Page TVL 328 Punished By Rewards Part 1 Drive by Dan Pink...
Mar 15, 2018•23 min•Ep. 329
Become a Patron of TVL to get bonus episodes and rewards! I found Alfie Kohn's book, Punished by Rewards , both interesting and frustrating to read. Some ideas in the book are great, and I also have some significant criticisms. Part 1 of the review, in this episode, discusses the topic of rewards and punishment in parenting and schooling. Part 2 will tackle incentives in business in the next episode. Show Notes: Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn TVL Patreon Page TVL 244 Thinking Rationally Part ...
Mar 12, 2018•26 min•Ep. 328
This episode is an interview with someone who's been involved in financing many famous Silicon Valley startups. Warren Hogarth was a partner at Sequoia Capital and now runs his own finance business, Empower. In this interview he gives an insider take on the pros and cons of venture capital for entrepreneurs. Become a Patron of The Voluntary Life to get bonus episodes every week and many other rewards! Show Notes: Sequoia Capital Empower Finance Term Sheet Templates and Examples for entrepreneurs...
Mar 08, 2018•34 min•Ep. 327
Jim Rohn was an influential figure in the fields of personal development and financial independence. This episode is a discussion of his ideas including his book, My Philosophy For Successful Living. Support The Voluntary Life on Patreon for bonus episodes and other rewards!
Feb 23, 2018•16 min•Ep. 326
Part 2 of a discussion about useful ideas in the book " In Sheep's Clothing: Understanding and Dealing with Manipulative People " by Dr. George K. Simon. Become A Patron of TVL to get bonus episodes and rewards!
Feb 21, 2018•15 min•Ep. 325
