Derek Sivers podcast

My cousin took a course on a complete system for physical fitness and health, and followed every bit of its advice. She had great results at first. But then she saw the coach’s social media posts, and hated his political beliefs, so now she doesn’t follow that course at all. A best-selling book on psychology is filled with wisdom that would improve your life, if applied. But a few sentences were f...

Two carpenters were fixing some stairs. The older one liked to work. The younger one liked to question. The older one grabbed a measuring tape from the toolbox and started measuring. The younger one said, “What would be the perfect tool?” The older one grabbed a saw and started cutting. The younger one said, “It would probably be a thick heavy level with a blade, ruler, chisel and saw, all built-i...

One man believed God was on his side. He often lost his temper, hurt people, and did more harm than good. But he believed that what matters is what’s in his heart, since God will forgive his actions and see his good intentions. Another man was full of doubt but followed the rules of his religion. He stopped to pray five times a day, and donated to charity. He was calm and kind to everyone, no matt...

Let’s define “useful” as whatever ultimately helps you do what you need to do, be who you want to be, or feel at peace . The word “ultimately” is there as a reminder of long-term consequences. Is it more useful to make others see your point of view, or make yourself see theirs? Is it more useful to think you’re right, or to consider other perspectives? Is it more useful to make your life easier, o...

Let’s look again at that example of the daily run. If you believe there’s danger right behind you, you’ll feel scared and focus entirely on avoiding it. If you believe there’s a big reward at the end, you’ll feel determined and push through your current pain — a small sacrifice for the eventual gain. If you believe this is meant to be fun, you’ll feel playful and find creative new ways to entertai...

Every day you go for a run. Sometimes you feel yourself lagging, so you imagine there’s a tiger on your tail, and that adrenaline gives you a turbo boost. Sometimes you feel like quitting, so you picture a pot of gold at the end, and that helps you finish. A running expert says you should act like you’re running on hot coals, to keep you on the front of your feet. You try it, and it improves your...

I’m pretty bad at bowling and frisbee. I roll the ball or throw the disc straight at the target, but away it curves. After this happens a few times, I adjust. I stop aiming straight since that’s not working. If it always curves to the left, I aim to the right. It feels wrong to aim away from the target. But it curves back to the center. It works. Same with thoughts. I try to think straight, but so...

When I’m feeling troubled, it helps to look around at reality. Am I in physical danger? No. I’m in a room. I’m safe. It’s a reminder that the trouble is in my head. So I get away from all people and media, to avoid all viewpoints, opinions, and drama. I shut off my devices. I go to a place where the natural world is untouched by humans. Ideally deep into nature and stay a few days, but a beach or...

Here’s a common optical illusion: Two horizontal lines, the same length. The top one has diagonal lines going out from its edges. The bottom one has diagonal lines going in from its edges. Your instincts insist that the top line is obviously longer. But if you measure them to confirm, you’ll prove to yourself they’re actually the same. So your wisdom has to go against your instincts , and remind y...

Some beliefs are basically facts, but without absolute proof. Tomatoes are a vegetable. Tonight’s movie starts at 7:00. Then my friend shows me proof that tomatoes are a fruit and the movie starts at 8:00. Cool! I’m glad to be corrected. Some beliefs make people really emotional. Think of one of your particularly strong beliefs. If someone showed you absolute proof that your belief is wrong, would...

Whenever someone says, “I believe …”, then whatever they say next is not true. If it was a fact, there would be no need to declare a belief. You don’t say, “I believe in squirrels.” You don’t say, “I believe squares have four sides.” It’s just a fact, so there’s no need to take a stance. You say “I believe” when it’s not a fact that everyone can see. Since people view it differently, you share you...

Kids scream, “Monster in the hallway!”, and hide behind the couch. They stack up cushions for protection, and plan their defense. They know there’s not really a monster in the hallway, but it’s exciting to feel the adrenaline of panic, to make a shelter and feel safe. One kid yells, “The floor is hot lava!” Leaping between furniture is a fun challenge. One slips and wails, “Help! I’m falling! Save...

My mom inherited an ugly painting from her mom. It hung in the living room, and visitors would comment on how it felt wrong. But she kept it there for sentimental reasons. One day, when she took it out to be reframed, they found the artist’s signature and date written underneath the old frame. Turns out the painting had been hanging upside-down this whole time. Turned right-side-up, it looked much...

The movie “500 Days of Summer” is a beautiful example of doubting your past. We see many scenes of a boy and a girl happily in love, but always from his point of view. Then suddenly, the girl says, “I think we should stop seeing each other.” The boy is shocked and confused, and sinks into depression because he’s convinced that she’s his true love, and he doesn’t understand why she would break up,...

There was a crime out on Park Avenue today, so the police are gathering information. A helpful witness said, “He had a red mustache, green eyes, and a scar by his right ear. He was 6-foot-1 and had a tattoo of a dragon on his right shoulder.” The police said, “This is great information. How sure are you of this?” The witness said, “I’m completely sure. 100% positive. I mean, I didn’t see it first-...

A traveler comes to a river and sees a local woman on the opposite bank. He yells across, “How do I get to the other side of the river?” She yells back, “You are on the other side of the river!” An American woman went on a vacation to Scotland. Talking with a group of people there, she said, “I just love your accent!” They said, “We don’t have an accent. You do.” For hundreds of years, people wors...

All of the chapters until now have been about other people. It’s so easy to see their faults. So full of nonsense, thinking they’re so right, with their weird beliefs. It’s much harder to find fault in yourself. Only after I see mistakes in others do I realize that I make those same mistakes. That’s why I put the chapters in this order. First I pointed at other people, so you could clearly see the...

I want to make sure the point of the “Bridge guard” story came across. The king said, “It’s too salty.” Did he actually think it’s too salty? Who knows? Maybe he doesn’t want to admit that he’s tired or sick. Maybe he’s testing the chef’s confidence. Just because someone says something doesn’t mean it’s true. The woman in the box is pushing and pounding. But we shouldn’t jump to the conclusion tha...

People have always made up nonsense, and made others believe it. That’s nothing new. But now computers create text that sounds human and video that looks real. Cultures of the world have always had conflicting values, but they used to be isolated. Everyone around you agreed on what’s right and wrong, and how to live. But now everyone is connected, so these clashing values are confusing or enraging...

When I started writing this book, my friend asked me for an example of what I consider to be true. I said science. He’s a scientist, so he got a good long laugh and said, “No no no! Science is useful, but not true!” Then he explained. In the scientific process, nothing is final or complete. No model is “true”. Each one just aims to be less and less wrong. Every conclusion is an invitation to impro...

By definition, “the future” doesn’t exist. It’s what we call predictions in our imagination. People think that the more vivid the image is in their mind, the more likely it’s real. They say, “I’m sure it’s going to happen. I can feel it. I can picture it now.” People are so certain about their predictions. “This meeting is going to be so boring.” “More funding will help.” “If that guy gets elected...

When I was 17, I was driving recklessly and crashed into an oncoming car. I found out that I broke the other driver’s spine, and she’ll never walk again. I carried that burden with me everywhere, and felt so horrible about it for so many years that at age 35 I decided to find this woman to apologize. I found her name and address, went to her house, knocked on the door, and a middle-aged woman answ...

January 28, 1986, at 11:39am, the Space Shuttle exploded during liftoff, killing all seven crew members. It was a big deal. As soon as it happened, everyone stopped what they were doing to watch the TV updates. Because it was a school day in America, a psychology professor handed out a questionnaire to his freshman students, asking what they had been doing moments earlier when they had first heard...

Some people have damaged fibers connecting the left and right hemispheres of their brain, and need to have that connection surgically severed. They live pretty normal lives even though the two sides of their brain are disconnected. Psychologists work with these people to better understand the brain. They showed a patient a message to her right eye, saying, “Please close the window.” She got up and...

Middle of the night. You’re fast asleep. You hear a loud “BANG!” downstairs. Your body kicks into emergency danger mode. Eventually you find out that your cat knocked over the broom. Mystery solved. Back to sleep. You’re trying to enjoy a quiet day at the park, but this annoying little girl won’t stop screaming. You leave the park, angry at a stranger. On your way out, you see the girl has been sc...