Modern Wisdom

Matthew Syed is a journalist, author and former champion table tennis player. To master anything, you have to put in the time. But what are the key mindset principles that all resilient, high performers have? Expect to learn how people can learn more effectively from failure, the skill you need to develop to overcome the fear of risk, whether the 10,000 hours rule is the actual key to mastery, Mat...

Donald Robertson is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, an author and an expert on ancient philosophy. If you were to divide philosophy into two eras, it would be pre-Socratic and post-Socratic. Socrates is history's greatest philosopher, and today we get to discover new lessons about his life and his teachings. Expect to learn the benefits of thinking like Socrates, why he was so influential,...

Matthew McConaughey is an Academy Award winning actor, a producer and an author. Expect to learn what “Don’t half-ass it” means, the story of how Matthew got his iconic starting role in Dazed & Confused, how to see the upside during any crisis, why having a sense of humour should be your default emotion, McConaughey’s own version of his Lonely Chapter, when you should listen to your gut versus you...

Visakan Veerasamy is a writer and an entrepreneur. It's perhaps the biggest competitive advantage no one ever talks about because it's so obvious. But just what does it mean to be a serious person? And if it's such a help, why is it so hard to find? Expect to learn why being serious is so important, how to deal with being too harsh on yourself and holding high expectations of others, how to get be...

Dr Marissa Harrison is a psychologist, professor, researcher and an author. All the most infamous serial killers are men? But 1 in 6 serial killers are women - a group who have totally slipped under the radar. So who are these women? What are their motives and why haven’t we heard of them? Expect to learn why female serial killers are neglected in research, what the average demographic of a female...

Sam Morril is a stand-up comedian, writer, and podcaster. America is a strange place, full of quirky customs and bizarre rituals, from tipping practices to unconventional dating trends. So I figured I'd ask one of my favourite comedians how to navigate this odd land. Expect to learn how long it really takes to adjust to NYC, why Sam felt like a medieval country bumpkin for a while, the surprising...

Ana Kasparian is a political commentator, journalist, and co-host of The Young Turks. When we talk with normal people about politics, we usually have more common ground than disagreement. So how have public politics become so polarised? Why does it feel so tribal? And is it really that unreasonable to hold beliefs from both sides? Expect to learn why Ana went independent and unaligned herself from...

George from TheTinMen is a content creator, pro-men’s advocate and a researcher. Why is it so hard to advocate for the problems of boys and men? If truly we care about half of the population flourishing and living lives they enjoy, why is it so unpopular to talk about the challenges they're facing? Expect to learn what George thinks the current wold of advocacy for men looks like, why the press st...

Ryan Long is a comedian, writer, and filmmaker. The world feels like a comedy goldmine right now. From the upcoming election and DEI backlash to bizarre trends like Japanese and Indian fetish porn, P Diddy conspiracy theories, Hawk Tuah memes and Florida men doing Florida man things, obviously we need an expert like Ryan to help make sense of everything. Expect to learn why companies that embraced...

Krystal Ball is the co host of Breaking Points, a political commentator and a podcaster. Politics has changed a lot over the last 4 years, and even more compared to a decade ago. And yet everything feels unreal, kind of like a pantomime. So, do elections even matter any more? Expect to learn if breaking stories have any real impact, whether Elon Musk is even influential in this election cycle, if...

Richard Reeves is a writer, researcher and the Founder of the American Institute for Boys & Men. Men have been struggling for a long time. What exactly is going on? What resources can genuinely help modern men, and how can we better understand the dynamics that are driving this decline in male wellbeing. Expect to learn why Obama endorsed Richard’s book, the scary trends about male suicide, why it...

Graham Hancock is a journalist and an author known for his work on ancient civilisations. The Americas hold a profound secret. While human history is often traced back to other parts of the globe, Graham believes that evidence points to the Americas being inhabited far earlier than previously believed. So what is the true history of the Americas and how does it reshape our understanding of human c...

Dr Andrew Thomas is a senior lecturer of psychology at Swansea University and a writer. The topic of involuntarily celibates is a spicy one. Half of the internet fears them and the other half pities them, very few have researched about why these communities come together and who constitutes them. Andrew's new work looks at this in fascinating detail. Expect to learn whether incels should be looked...

Dan Jones is a historian, author and a podcaster. Though many English kings throughout history have left a lasting impact, Henry V is considered potentially the greatest ever, even though he only ruled for 9 years. So, what made him such an important figure and why has his legacy endured for over 600 years? Expect to learn why King Henry V made such an impact on history, how he rose to power and w...

Chris Bumstead is a professional bodybuilder, 5x Mr. Olympia Classic Physique title holder, and a business owner. Ask any of the greats what it takes to win, and they’ll tell you the same thing: greatness comes at a cost. So, what is the price to becoming the best? What lessons are there to discover from a world champion who is prioritising his mental health above his sport? Expect to learn Chris’...

I hit 2.75 million Subscribers on YouTube!! To celebrate, I asked for questions from YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, so here’s another 90 minutes of me trying to answer as many as possible. Expect to learn whether I'll bring Bernie Sanders on the podcast, what I think about women's value to the world, why my forearms are this size, how to deal with loneliness, whether I'll release merch, why I'm a...

Calley Means is an entrepreneur, health & wellness advocate and an author. Why is America struggling with all time highs of obesity and illness? Healthcare has never been more advanced and yet levels of healthiness have never been worse. What's going on? And is there a way to make America healthy again? Expect to learn why modern health is so broken, the healthcare system's biggest issues, which h...

Will Tennyson is a YouTuber and an athlete. Taking a journey from fat to fit is a massive achievement in itself. Will then went on to become one of the best creators of positive fitness and mindset content on the internet and today we get to discover some of his best lessons from a decade of self-improvement. Expect to learn why Will decided to become morbidly obese for a day and what he learned,...

Derek Sivers is an entrepreneur, author, and speaker. Things are not what they are, things are what we think they are. The power of reframing and changing your perspective is a kind of alchemy, and today we get to hear some of Derek's best principles for altering the way you see everything. Expect to learn how you can reframe your perspective for the better, what the term ‘Useful Not True’ means,...

Nate Silver is a statistician, writer of Silver Bulletin, and Founder of FiveThirtyEight. No one truly knows who will win an election, but if anyone does, it's Nate. He is the man behind the most accurate, sophisticated polling data assessments in America and has an insight into modern culture like no one else. Expect to learn why this election cycle differs from other ones, just how complex elect...

Ben Shapiro is a political commentator, Co-Founder of the Daily Wire, an author and a podcaster. Election years are always chaotic, but this one feels particularly spicy. Why is the world at fever pitch and how much is actually going to stop after November? Expect to learn if the 2024 election is going to be a typical one, why Ben hasn't had Donald Trump on his show, Ben's experience with childhoo...

Dr Laith Al-Shawaf is an emotions researcher and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at UCCS. Humans have a wide range of emotions. But why do we feel anything at all? Why do we have a felt sense of emotions and how did they evolve? Expect to learn the evolutionary story of why humans feel stuff, whether some emotions are more basic than others, evolutionary explanations for joy, a...

Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist, author, and emeritus fellow at the University of Oxford. I spoke to Richard on stage in Austin Texas as a part of his final ever live tour. The next day we got to sit down and discuss all the things we didn't have time to talk about the night before. Expect to learn what Richard thinks about the recent rise of cultural Christianity, whether religion wa...

Dr Mike Israetel is a Professor of Exercise and Sport Science at Lehman College and the Co-Founder of Renaissance Periodization. Muscle building and fat loss are often the main focuses of bodybuilding. But what about recovery? What are the most effective ways to recover quicker, reduce stress and get more jacked? Expect to learn what it means to actually recover from fatigue, how recovery is measu...

Dr Jamil Zaki is a psychologist, professor at Stanford University, and an author. In a world filled with fake news, bad news and doom, it’s easy to become cynical. But what does science say about whether cynicism helps or harm us? Why is it so seductive, and how can we all learn to become more hopeful? Expect to learn why people are so tempted by cynicism, how skepticism is different, if cynical p...