Man of the Year - Champions of Friendship

Matt and Karo discuss a very thorny friendship topic. Should you ever refriend? Should you open space for someone who you were friends with but something happened or didn't happen and now you're pondering whether to give it a second chance. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram , You...

Happy 250th birthday America! Karo and Matt celebrate Independence Day by talking about independence in friendship – the line between autonomy and neglect, why some people are too self-sufficient to ask for help, and the bittersweet reality of what happens when a friend stops needing you the way they once did. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get M...

What is the "friendship danger zone" and how do we manage to avoid it. Most friendship advice is for people in crisis. But the real danger zone is when someone isn't in crisis at all. They're not depressed. They're not getting divorced. They're not calling you at 2 a.m. They're just... a little quieter canceling more initiating less less excited a little lost not quite themselves The pro...

It’s the third installment of our Friendship Myths franchise! In Friendship Myths III, Karo and Matt tackle some of the most common misconceptions about friendship, including whether good friendships should be effortless, whether you should feel 100% like yourself around your friends at all times, whether time spent equals closeness, whether friends should celebrate you exactly the way you celebra...

Matt and Karo debate whether it's a good idea to date one of your friends. To cross that line between friend and lover, and if you can ever go back if it doesn't work out. It's a high risk, high reward maneuver! Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram , YouTube , and TikTok Matt Ritter...

What do you do when a friend starts copying your style, your slang, your hobbies, or even your entire personality? Karo and Matt discuss copycats, the fine line between admiration and identity theft, and whether imitation really is the highest form of flattery. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Ye...

Matt and Karo have talked about the benefits of being a host many times before, but we decided this week to talk about the other side. The guests who seem to never host. Is it ok to be a permaguest, and if so, what are your obligations? Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram , YouTube...

Karo and Matt the discuss the rules for optimizing the group chat with your friends – but more importantly, fad king Matt spends ten minutes on his effort to eat as many sardines as possible. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram , YouTube , and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram , TikT...

Matt and Karo discuss a strategy most people don't talk about when it comes to friendship - what if you stopped waiting for invites and started inviting yourself over? Yes, maybe that sounds aggressive, but the truth is most of the time invites don't come for any particular reason, you could be in the right time or right place, or at top of someone's mind, or you can be forgotten or neglected for...

Karo and Matt break down the rise of the “buddymoon” – the trend of friends tagging along on (or replacing) the traditional honeymoon – and whether it’s a genius evolution or a relationship red flag. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram , YouTube , and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagra...

Matt and Karo debate where the line is. You want friends who will tell it like it is but at some point does it cross from support to unhealthy friending? Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram , YouTube , and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram , TikTok , and X Aaron Karo on Instagram , T...

There’s no friendship more intimate than a roommate. You see everything: habits, quirks, and the stuff no one else can ever know. Karo and Matt break down the upsides, the downsides, and why living together can either cement a friendship or quietly destroy it. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Yea...

Matt and Karo came up with a great rubric because lets face it if we don't have any structure our friendships fall by the wayside. We find TCS - text once a week, call once a month, see IRL once a quarter, to be an ideal baseline. Obviously more is better but this is a healthy way to stay connected. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch a...

Alcohol can act as a powerful social lubricant, lowering inhibitions and making it easier for friendships to form. But it can also mask real issues and create a version of connection that doesn’t always hold up in the sober light of day. This week, Karo and Matt examine where drinking genuinely enhances friendship, where it quietly undermines it, and how to tell the difference. Check out our new A...

Matt and Karo get back to a topic they discussed slash invented a few years back. We all know about "cuffing season" for relationships, but there's also a friendship cuffing season and it is upon us. So we give you the best practices to get out and friend! Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of t...

Steady Eddy vs. Rich but out of touch. Stick to the plan guy vs. Up for anything guy. Hype man vs. Guy who disappears for months at a time. Connector vs. Screwed up his life guy. Karo and Matt put the many types of friends into a bracket to determine who is the worthiest of them all. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpo...

Sometimes things are hard and people need their friends to show up. When someone away, that's what separates the real ones. Matt and Karo discuss the best ways to show up in the hard times. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram , YouTube , and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram , TikTok...

Everyone’s talking about Stoicism these days. But is it a guide for taking control of your life, or a bunch of BS? Karo and Matt discuss applying Stoicism to friendship! Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram , YouTube , and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram , TikTok , and X Aaron Karo...

There's a growing trend of people gathering with their friends to take care of the mundane tasks: taxes, cancelling subscriptions, clearing inboxes. Matt and Karo get into the pros and cons of all of this. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram , YouTube , and TikTok Matt Ritter on In...

Karo and Matt discuss the “friend group fallacy” – the belief that a tight knit crew is preferable to and more common than strong one-on-one bonds. They unpack how sitcoms, social media, and comparison culture distort our expectations, and why a constellation of close individual friendships can be just as meaningful as any group text thread. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watc...

Matt and Karo discuss what happens when you evolve. Does your crew need to evolve along with you? If you outgrow them, does the friendship need to end? Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram , YouTube , and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram , TikTok , and X Aaron Karo on Instagram , Tik...

When your buddies reach out for plans, are you an immediate Yes (Matt) or a knee-jerk No (Karo)? This week the guys discuss best practices for when to accept an invitation from a friend, and when to politely decline. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram , YouTube , and TikTok Matt R...

It's Superbowl weekend and Matt and Karo share the best tips for making the most of it from a Friendship perspective. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram , YouTube , and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram , TikTok , and X Aaron Karo on Instagram , TikTok , and X Hosted by Simplecast,...

Some friends are elite in a group chat, unstoppable at a party, and absolutely lethal at a 12-person dinner. But put them in a one-on-one situation and suddenly you’re both checking the exits. This week Karo and Matt break down why certain friendships only thrive in a herd and how to keep those friendships strong without forcing awkward solo hangs. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYST...

Matt and Karo discuss what the line is between being playful and an a-hole, and how relating in a friendship, especially between men, often comes with some good old smack talk. As long as it's to your face and not behind your back, there can be a lot to be said for it. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man o...