Mere Mortals Conversations

Maybe it is better to use duct tape for shoes instead of running barefoot? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: why a witches hat is the optimal shade protection, virtual reality so good that you wouldn't want to leave, people who are so optimistic that you can't stand being around them, the human characteristic of wanting to break something just to see what hap...

Three-peat guest Brendan Jayo is back for another conversation. The bulk of this conversation revolves around the Wim Hof Method and how both of us have fared with it. Our ultimate conclusion seems to be that it is potentially useful for those with health problems but both of us being young and healthy, we didn't see any big changes to our life. We also talk about: strange experiences while e...

Why does a loss of meaning lead to despair and destructiveness? In this themed episode Juan and I discuss the topic of 'Nihilism'. As usual we start off with our MMM's and a definition before talking a little bit about the history of the word. The Russians of course have the market cornered on all things despair related so it's no surprise that they made the word popular with I...

Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first Thursday of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous month's goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series,...

Have you ever noticed yourself telling stories or taking unusual actions to try and impress someone? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: how to know when you are telling a story because it is interesting for the convo versus stoking your own ego, the paradox of conflicting truths and how to psychologically handle that, the insane work schedule of basketball players, getting...

Naikan is a structured method of self-reflection and on today's Mere Mortal Monday Movement Juan talks about how he hopes to bring this practice into everyday. You can check out the blog mentioned in this video here: https://www.meremortalsmedia.com/post/naikan-reflection-how-can-this-help-you As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out! About Mere Mortals: Striving for excellence through...

Have you heard of the Congolese Dandies and their expensive fashionable attire (suits) whilst living in ghettos/slums? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: the difference between being highly focused vs getting into a flow state of non-thinking, gym etiquette and if it is permissible to use two machines for supersetting, wasting precious resources on random crap in Sapeur...

Jacques Massie is the host of the 'Couple A Lattes' Podcast, photographer and aspiring author. I first met Jacques when he reached out to Juan and I to be guests on his podcast to talk about meditation (and finance). I really enjoyed the convo I had with him and resolved to question him on the Mere Mortals channel after I heard him speak about his self-organised 7 day silent retreat. Thi...

Is 10,000 hours actually enough time to become a master of your craft? In this themed episode Juan and I discuss the topic of 'Mastery'. As usual we start off with our MMM's and a definition before asking how to tell if somebody is a master? This led us onto the 10,000 hour rule popularised by Malcolm Gladwell and why you might need to broaden your skillset. Robert Greene has a fant...

Is volunteering worth it or is it better to directly donate? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: using binary decision making to take away the stress from certain options, effective altruism and why volunteering may not be the best use of time, becoming overly rational and missing out on the human connection, intangibles that make a difference but can't be quantified, w...

During the festive season, don't be tricked into going too hard at ny one thing that will negatively impact other priority areas of your life. As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out! About Mere Mortals: Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Meanderings, Interviews & Themed Podcast. Connect with Mere...

What would be your strategy to try and kill as many people as possible within a strict time limit? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: quality assurance/quality control for the mind, only listening to those with skin in the game, is it better to be a great singer or dancer, Daniel Schmachtenberger and the meaning of life, driving big mining vehicles/4WD's and the sh...

Miguel Sant'ana is a professional hand balancing teacher operating out from Melbourne. Miguel is originally from Brazil and worked all sorts of odd professions until finding his passion in the art of balancing upside down. If you want to see some of the amazing shapes that the human body is capable of creating then come no further. This strength and balance of course is not a natural talent a...

Do we have any lawyers in the building? If so, maybe don't watch as in this themed episode Juan and I are giving the layman's, highly uneducated dive into the topic of 'Law'. As usual we start off with some MMM's and the definition to clarify our thoughts. Juan kicks off with some examples of when he worked with interpreting Australian Law for his consulting company before...

Do you agree with Juan that perhaps it is better to follow meaning rather than chase your passion? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: mentally and physically preparing oneself for the bad situations life can create, the difference between passion and meaning, how chunking practice is good for some things (it depends) and why spreading it out can also be beneficial, knowing...

2021 is just around the corner folks, what are YOU going to do about it? Here at the Mere Mortals we are locked and loaded to look back, learn and move forward. As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out! About Mere Mortals: Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Meanderings, Interviews & Themed Podcast. Conne...

Is being greedy and earning quick money negative for everybody? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: developing a curiosity mindset when meeting new people, the difference between being curious and social, starting interesting conversations quickly without any preamble, boring people produce boring conversations, annoying magicians who won't leave you alone, why gree...

James Penny is a Brisbane based personal trainer who regularly competes in triathlons, marathons and ultras. I was initially intrigued by James's ability to race in these competitions as he is a big guy, 6'4" and 110 kg to be exact!! In this conversation we begin with his personal story of running, particularly the mindset and tactics that he has found useful in his fitness journey....

Have you been down the psychedelic YouTube rabbit hole of kaleidoscopic videos? In this themed episode Juan and I discuss the topic of the 'Kaleidoscopes'. We start off with our usual MMM's and definition before explaining the story of Sir David Brewster and his misfortune on not making any money from one of the biggest fads/crazes to ever exist! We also touch upon: how to build a k...

Have you ever stared into a strangers eyes for a long period of time? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: our recent spreading of false info in Ep #122, the default mode network, my recent experience going to an eye gazing event, the different types of people you can encounter in life, my recent experience going to a Buddhist meditation session, the different types of medita...

Relentless - the act of being unceasingly intense, become relentless when it comes to the things that have meaning in your life. As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out! About Mere Mortals: Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Meanderings, Interviews & Themed Podcast. Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: h...

What would happen if Australia introduced a Universal Basic Income (UBI)? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: would people quit their work and become lazy with a UBI, have we all been tricked into working for others, what would happen if we all received $1000 a month, the difference between a large UBI and small one, why incentives matter, why we need to be careful about...

Tom Libelt loves to bounce around careers and is a man of many skills. He began his work life haggling with Russians/Poles outside of soccer stadiums before being faced with the ultimatum; to be an astronaut, circus performer, businessman or musician. He ended up choosing the two latter options (for now!!), releasing two albums before becoming a master salesman. Nowadays he runs Smart Brand Market...

What is the worst type of humour out there? In this themed episode Juan and I discuss the topic of 'Joking'. We start off with our usual MMM's (big overlap this time) and a definition before diving into the serious side of humour. But we don't stay there long before getting into some humour of our own. We chat about crappy styles of humour (pranks/sarcasm/dad jokes), my crash c...

With the rise of instant translation technology is it a waste of time to learn a new language? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: why consultants always are flexible depending on the context, the miracle morning and the SAVERS acronym (silence/affirmations/visualisation/exercise/reading/scripting), what our morning routines look like, whether we are losing skills due to an...