Modern Wisdom

Robert Wright is a journalist and author. Is AI the next stage of human development? Some see it as another tool, while others view human-machine integration as a major shift in how we develop. What do recent advances in AI tell us, and is evolution the right framework for understanding them? Expect to learn why Robert is interested in AI through an evolutionary lens, why most people still don’t g...

David Epstein is a science journalist and author. Is discipline really freedom? When we feel overwhelmed, it can seem like the problem is that we have no freedom. But maybe the opposite is true: maybe we have too much freedom, too many options, and too little structure. So why can setting constraints become a superpower? And when you’re overwhelmed, why might choosing limits actually make you feel...

Steve Stewart-Williams is an evolutionary psychologist, a professor, and an author. Why is it so difficult to talk about the differences between men and women today? It's important to recognize that men and women deserve equal respect and opportunity, but that does not mean they are exactly the same. There are differences between the sexes that can be meaningful, valuable, and even beautiful. So w...

Vittorio Angelone is an Irish comedian, writer, and podcaster. Is it autism, or something else? Humor can come from a lot of places: being Irish, being an only child, a little neurodivergence, or all of the above. And if you happen to be all three, you might have the perfect recipe for a comedian. Expect to learn what happened to Vittorio when he visited Nashville, the biggest difference between b...

In the fourth installment of this new experimental format, we explore: - South Korea's government-funded looksmaxxing initiative. - Why everything you learned in school was probably false. - How to unlock an infinite handjob glitch in real life. - and much more… Guests: - Tim Ferriss is an entrepreneur, author, and podcaster. - Tim Urban is a writer, blogger, illustrator, and author. - George Mack...

Alex Hormozi is a founder, investor and an author. Alex’s X Account has been one of my favourite sources of insights over the last few years. Today we get to go through some of his best lessons about life, human behaviour, psychology, business and resilience again. And as always this is so, so good. Expect to learn how to stop doing the wrong “hard things”, the 3-step process for winning, how to b...

Ben Askren is a former Olympic wrestler and former MMA champion. What is it like to come face-to-face with death and make it back? Ben went from being on top of the world to needing a double lung transplant just to survive. What actually happened to him, what did he endure during his recovery, and how did the experience reshape his perspective on life? Expect to learn what actually happened to Ben...

Sonja Lyubomirsky is a psychologist, professor, and author. What does it really mean to feel loved? People say "I love you" all the time, but why doesn't it always register? Why can someone love you deeply, yet you still don't feel it? What does real love actually feel like? Expect to learn if there is a commonality between all of the happiness interventions out there, why feeling loved is importa...

Ezra Klein is a journalist & political commentator. What’s actually happening in politics? The right says it’s winning. The left says democracy is at risk. Yet the country feels more divided than ever. So what’s really going on, and is it still possible for a leader on either side of the aisle to unite America? Expect to learn we’re being fracked by the politics of attention, if the left’s version...

Suzanne Venker is a relationship expert and author. Why are so many women choosing career over family? Women have more opportunities than ever before, yet many still feel something is missing. Can a career provide the same meaning as raising children? Or is the idea that women must choose between ambition and family a false choice? Expect to learn why women are choosing their career over motherhoo...

DJ Shipley is a retired Navy SEAL and former DEVGRU operator. What's life like after the Navy SEALs? After years of operating at the highest level, many veterans face a challenge they never expected: returning to normal life. When the adrenaline, purpose, and brotherhood disappear overnight, how do you find your footing again? Expect to learn what the hardest part about leaving military life behin...

George Mack is a writer, marketer and an entrepreneur. Why does overthinking create more problems than it solves? If thinking helps us solve so much, why isn’t more thinking always the answer? So how can we build a calmer mind without falling into smart-person traps? Expect to learn the price of overthinking and inaction, how music changes your personality, the largest gaps in British versus Ameri...

Quinlan Walther is a writer and a relationship coach. Why do we keep choosing the wrong partners? We meet someone new and think, “Maybe this is finally the one.” But then the pattern starts to feel familiar. Different face, same pain. Different relationship, same lesson. So why do we keep dating our trauma, and what does it actually take to break the cycle? Expect to learn how to build self-worth...

Arthur Brooks is a social scientist, professor at Harvard University, and an author. Why do some people feel lost while others seem deeply fulfilled? When life feels empty, it's often not because you're missing success, money, or comfort; it's because you're missing meaning. So how do you find purpose? How do you create a life that feels worth living? And what does meaning look like in a world whe...

Joe Santagato is a comedian and podcaster. What’s on the other side of self-belief? For Joe Santagato, it was raw authenticity. By betting on himself, he turned The Basement Yard into a podcast powerhouse and recently sold out Madison Square Garden. How did he do it, and what can we learn from his journey? Expect to learn which state has the most sexually satisfied women, why Joe’s audience is mos...

Zach Braff is an actor and director. How do you make it in Hollywood? Zach Braff might have the answer. From leading one of the biggest TV shows of the 2000s to directing iconic episodes and acclaimed films, he's spent decades mastering the industry. So how did he build a career that lasted decades in one of the toughest industries on earth, and what has he been up to since? Expect to learn what i...

Isabel Brown is a conservative media personality and author. Is Gen Z embracing tradition again? Gen Z continues to reject many of the values their parents grew up with and vowed to return toward a more traditional way of life. Is this the start of a lasting cultural shift, or just another passing trend? Expect to learn why Gen Z Is becoming more conservative than ever, the reasons behind the rise...

In the third edition of this new experimental episode format, we explore: - Mickey Mantle's most legendary story in Yankee Stadium. - If Tim Ferriss dreams in Japanese. - How the UK would rank as America's 51st state. - and much more… Guests: - Tim Ferriss is an entrepreneur, author, and podcaster. - Nirav Sanjani is an entrepreneur and tech founder. - George Mack is a writer, marketer, and entrep...

I hit 4.2 million YouTube subscribers! As usual, I celebrated by collecting questions from across social media and answering them directly. You’re about to learn my thoughts on settling down, sleeping with an ex, Harambe, the smallest hill I’d willingly die on, and much, much more… Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠⁠ Get the brand new...

Chase Hughes is a former U.S. Navy Chief, behavior and influence expert, speaker, and author. Are you being brainwashed right now? What if the ideas you think are yours were carefully planted to make you believe you came up with them yourself? Maybe this pod is a psyop, maybe it isn’t, but listen, and maybe you’ll learn how to spot one. Expect to learn if we happen to live in the most psychologica...

I spent a really long time putting this together, I really hope you enjoy it! In this inaugural episode of Mostly Wise, we explore: The non-sexual benefits of tadalafil (Cialis). Why Retardmaxxing might be the most underrated life hack. The strange reasons why people are making AI clones of their exes. Why America is addicted to lawsuits. If Love Island is harder than Navy SEAL selection training....

David Deida is a spiritual teacher, researcher, speaker, and author. What happens when desire and ambition fade? As we age, the urgency and purpose that once defined us can begin to shift. But when that shift leaves us feeling empty, how do we understand it, and how do we build meaning again when the old sources no longer drive us? Expect to learn what a Man of Zero is, if the man of zero is the n...

To celebrate 1100 episodes of Modern Wisdom, I broke down some of my favourite lessons, insights and quotes from the last hundred episodes. Expect to learn why everyone misunderstands what obsession actually means, what the great paradox of self-awareness is, the six lessons you should learn to choose a life direction, the dark side of monk mode, why the internet will never help you 'find yourself...

In this birth rate debate, we explore: - The cataclysmic impacts of the current birth rates for future generations. - Why so many young women are opting out of motherhood. - What can be done to fix declining birth rates globally. - and much more... Guests: - Lyman Stone is a demographer, researcher, and a writer. - Simone Collins is an author and pronatalist advocate focused on fertility and demog...

Bob King is the founder and CEO of Humanscale. Is your desk job aging your body faster than you realize? Sitting may be part of getting work done, but the way most of us do it can wreck our posture, stiffen our joints, and create problems that show up years later. So what can you do at work every day to protect your future self? Expect to learn why bad design might be the cause of your back proble...