The Best Podcast

Today’s podcast is a brief one. It’s a return to the basics. It’s an exercise which is so simple, yet something for which we are often not conscious of its great value. Tune in to hear what I mean. As always, Much Love ❤️ and please take care.

Over the past week, I’ve been reflecting on what I would tell myself at 17. It was a critical time in my life in which I made a number of decisions that shaped so much of my future. This thought exercise was quite productive for me, as it helped me to take a step back and think through some of the most impactful lessons I’ve learned since then. I hope you enjoy, and perhaps even resonate with, the...

Today’s podcast is a conversation with Mark Petronella, a good friend from my youth. We talk about what it was like for him to grow up with a deaf sibling, his parents and what he has learned from them, and how relationships have shaped him. I really enjoyed the conversation and I think there was a lot to take away from it. I hope you think so, too. Amidst the current circumstances, I also hope th...

Today’s podcast is a return to intensity. The focus of this episode is the seemingly deterministic yet not so deterministic nature of our world. I extensively discuss both side of the coin, and along the way tackle issues like materialism, meaning, opportunities, the need to tear down our own glass houses, and how we can individually make choices to better ourselves and the lives of others. I genu...

Today’s podcast is a letdown. I was not able to deeply synthesize a topic this week to produce into a podcast as I normally do for each episode. Instead, I run through the things that came to mind which I could have discussed but didn’t (which perhaps I will at a later date). There’s so much going on in the world and it can be quite hard to balance, which I hope comes across frankly here. Neverthe...

Today’s podcast is a bit of a personal manifesto on the concept of attachment and romantic relationships. I have what I would deem to be some non-conventional beliefs about this topic, which I wanted to take some time to talk through and develop out loud. I hope you find it to be interesting and meaningful, and I hope that what I discussed resonates with you in some way. As always, Much Love ❤️ an...

Today’s episode is short and sweet, yet something I believe to be so important, especially in our current moment. Simply put, we cannot be pulled into thinking in binary ways, as the consequences are great - it pulls us further away from truth and progress. Tune in to hear more. As always, Much Love ❤️ and please take care.

“Trying your best” was a concept that was thrown around quite frequently throughout my youth. It was frequently used as a justification and as a direct line to the result that was being sought. However, over time, I realized this was a misconception. Today’s podcast focuses on that misconception, and the nuances that come with it. I hope you enjoy it. As always, Much Love ❤️ and please take care.

Today’s podcast is a return to the previous format after my brief series on my thoughts / reflections on the current state of the US and the world. This episode comes out of some recent conversations I’ve had about selfishness and my desire to articulate those thoughts a bit. As always, I deeply appreciate your attention and your time. I hope you enjoyed the episode and the experience of The Best...

Today’s podcast concludes my mini-series on my reactions to the current moment. I bring it back around to the central piece of it all - the self. Ego, pride, emotion, hate, abhorrence, disgust, and anger are common emotions during a trying time, yet they do not provide us with something of greater value, both personally and within society. I break this idea down in today’s episode, which I hope yo...

Today’s podcast is a continuation of a mini-series that follows on the last two episodes, in which I’ve been extensively discussing the current state of the world and our social dynamics. The focus of this episode is on the critical importance of freedom of expression and thought. To break this down, I refer to John Stuart Mill’s book titled “On Liberty”, which has been a revelation for me on the...

Today’s podcast is a follow up on the previous one, which was titled “Sticking Your Neck Out”. In order to stick our necks out justly, we must know how to genuinely think and properly assess our world. The purpose of this episode is to answer what it means to genuinely think and how we can properly assess the world around us. As I hope you can hear, this is a topic which deeply affects and enthuse...

Today’s podcast is one of the most intense of recent memory. It’s a topic which strikes me deep in my core. I will not say more here, as I will leave you to listen to the podcast to find out. Thanks so much for tuning in. It truly means the world to me. As always, Much Love ❤️ and please take care.

Today’s podcast is the result of some reflections I’ve been having about the state of my country and the state of the world as a whole. Particularly, my mind wandered to the state of information and knowledge within such massively complex systems, as I continually realize the critical importance of this. I hope you enjoy these thoughts and find them to be valuable to you in some way. Here are the...

Today's podcast is a few thoughts on diet and nutrition. I discuss my experiences with diet, what I've learned from those experiences, what I've learned from my own research and conversations with others, the value I have uncovered in seeing nutrition in a new way, and the benefits of making the changes I've made. If you have any questions about my thoughts here or want to have a conversation abou...

Today's podcast is a group of segments from a conversation I had about a month ago about various topics. These topics include innovation, university systems, parenting, today's kids, watching versus doing, knowing who you are, happiness versus contentment, and the scoreboard. I hope you enjoy these thoughts and find value in them. The final thought about "the scoreboard" I find to be particularly...

Today’s podcast revisits a topic covered in October of 2018 in an episode called “Get Quiet”, as it’s an extremely relevant discussion in a time of greater isolation than we’ve experienced in recent memory. I hope you enjoy this fresh perspective. As always, Much Love ❤️ and please take care.

Today’s podcast is an absolute fireball of passionate discourse. It is a topic I care so deeply about, which I hope you can sense in my voice. I posed myself the question - “What should we do to make people happier in society?” I took my best shot at answering it, although I do fully realize it is a daunting question to take on. Nevertheless, I hope that you find my answer to be insightful and tho...

In his autobiography, Gandhi discusses the principle of Ahimsa extensively. It is a principle that holds great power of we can apply it correctly. It is also a principle which has a great deal of importance in a time like this. Tune in to hear what Ahimsa is and the ways in which we can apply it. This is an impassioned dialogue, and I hope you can sense it in my voice. I hope that you find this in...

In one of the greatest moments of uncertainty I’ve observed in the world in my lifetime, I took the time to write this piece, which you can find on my blog (mattbest.net/theplatform). It’s been utterly challenging to make sense of it all, but I hope that the questions I posed here and the subsequent reflection provide some guidance. If you liked the podcast, feel free to give it a comment and a ra...

This podcast is a changeup. It is short in quantity of time, yet profound in its potential meaning if its message is taken seriously. Tune in to hear what it’s all about. Happy Sunday. As always, Much Love ❤️ and please take care.

Today's podcast is an amalgamation of thoughts and reflections that came out of a conversation I had about the concept of euthanasia / assisted suicide. It is a super touchy topic, as it possesses a great deal of moral / ethical implications and is deeply emotional. However, it's a topic that has been running through my head now and again for some time now. As you will hear, I find a lot of value...

The term “validation” is thrown around quite frequently, especially in the realms of psychology and emotion. But what do the words “valid” and “validation” really mean? Are they precise enough to be used properly as a tool for the improvement of the self? These are questions I contend with in today’s episode, which I hope you find to be thoughtful, intriguing, meaningful, and “valid.” Thanks so mu...

This episode is DENSE... but it is a ride of thoughtfulness and intrigue. The topic of wealth and happiness is a fascinating one to me, and I wanted invest time into discussing it here on the podcast. I start with talking about a fundamental paper by Kahneman and Deaton (2010) on the topic, and then proceed to dive into its many implications. I hope that you enjoy this dialogue and that it provide...

We live in a world with no shortage of stimulation and opportunities to engage in endless activities. This means that we also live in a world with no shortage of distraction from the self. Is this societal structure beneficial for us? Or should we be attempting to return to a world of more boredom for better answers? I discuss this in today’s podcast, which I sincerely hope you enjoy! If you liked...