Wiser World

Today's guest, Diego Vicentini, is a Venezuelan film writer, director & editor. His debut feature film “Simón”—which exposes human rights violations committed by the Venezuelan regime—was able to overcome censorship in Venezuela and was nominated for the 38th Goya Awards (Spain’s Academy Awards) in the Best Ibero-American film category in representation of Venezuela and reached the #6 spot on Netf...

Five macro-level lessons I learned from studying Venezuela's history that I hope to remember. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code WISERWORLD at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/wiserworld  Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and support the podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

This is Part 3 of 3 of the Venezuela 101 series: a foundational history of Venezuela. This episode is a concise history of Venezuela from 2013 - early 2026, designed for those who know little to nothing about Venezuela. This episode covers: Chávez’s death and Maduro’s fragile rise to power Oil collapse, hyperinflation, and economic freefall Daily life under shortages, black markets, and repression...

This is Part 2 of 3 of the Venezuela 101 series: a foundational history of Venezuela. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Venezuela from 1989 to 2013, designed for those who know little to nothing about Venezuela. This episode covers: Venezuela before Chávez and the shock of the Caracazo (1989) The rise of Hugo Chávez (1992–1998) How Chávez rewrote the political system. Oil, media,...

This is Part 1 of 3 of the Venezuela 101 series: a foundational history of Venezuela. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Venezuela from 1498 to 1988, designed for those who know little to nothing about Venezuela. This episode covers: - Venezuela pre-1498 (Columbus) - Spanish colonization - How Venezuela gained independence - The long road to democracy: caudillos, dictatorships, and...

This is a Cultural Preface to the Venezuela 101 history series. It is not designed to be entirely comprehensive, as no culture or people are all the same. But, it is designed to help listeners meet the people before they study their history, and in it, we cover: 1. Population, Identity & Diversity 2. Social Personality & National Character 3. Family & Social Structure 4. Gender Roles & Expectation...

In this episode of the Common Ground series, we're diving into unique rituals from around the world that honor both birth and death, which is something we all share. We cover:     •    Navajo First Laugh Ceremony – United States (American Southwest, Navajo Nation)     •    Baek-il (100-day celebration) – South Korea     •    Selapan Ceremony (35th day) – Indonesia (Javanese culture)     •    Jatak...

Today we’re stepping into a story that blends together the last few month’s topics (Syria, Food, Hospitality) with my guest, Yassin Terou. Yassin Terou is a Syrian-born entrepreneur and American dream enthusiast, best known as the founder of Yassin’s Falafel House, a Knoxville-based restaurant celebrated for its welcoming spirit and message of inclusion. After arriving in the United States, Yassin...

Food may be the universal need, but hospitality is the universale virtue. In the second episode of the Common Ground series, we're diving into how different cultures practice hospitality, and how there's much more in common than you might think. Sign up for my free weekly newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wiserworld.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you'd like ad-free episodes and additional resources, head to to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠P...

No matter where you go in the world, everyone needs to eat, and preferably eat together. Eating together is one of our oldest human instincts. In this first episode of the Common Ground series, we're diving into concepts of food and drink that are cultural universals—things we all share. We talk about grains, fermentation, earth cooking, hot drinks, and more! Sign up for my free weekly newsletter...

This is a personal analysis of takeaways I gained from studying Syria. It is meant to be listened to after completing the Syria 101 series (which is 5 parts). Nonprofits mentioned in this episode: SAMS Karam Foundation Sign up for my free weekly newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wiserworld.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you'd like ad-free episodes and additional resources, head to to ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠....

This is Part 5 of 5 of the Syria 101 series: a foundational history of Syria. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Syria from 2012 to 2025, designed for those who know little to nothing about Syria's history, to set the stage for modern Syria. This episode covers: How civilian protests for reform turned into a civil war What groups got involved and why (it was not a clear two-sided w...

This is Part 4 of 5 of the Syria 101 series: a foundational history of Syria. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Syria from 2000 to 2012, designed for those who know little to nothing about Syria's history, to set the stage for modern Syria. This episode covers: How Bashar al-Assad gained power How corruption, crony capitalism, drought, and inequality led to unrest The Arab Spring...

This is Part 3 of 5 of the Syria 101 series: a foundational history of Syria. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Syria from 1946 to 2000, designed for those who know little to nothing about Syria's history, to set the stage for modern Syria. This episode covers: How Syria’s new democracy after independence quickly fell into instability Why the 1948 war with Israel shook Syria and t...

This is Part 2 of 5 of the Syria 101 series: a foundational history of Syria. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Syria from 1900 to 1946, designed for those who know little to nothing about Syria's history, to set the stage for modern Syria. This episode covers: Why WWI cracked the Ottoman order in Greater Syria The Arab Revolt & the Hussein–McMahon letters (this includes "Lawrence...

This is Part 1 of 5 of the Syria 101 series. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Syria from ancient days to 1900, designed for those who know little to nothing about Syria's history, to set the stage for modern Syria. This episode covers: The difference between Ancient Syria, Greater Syria, and modern borders How geography (rivers, cities, trade routes) made Syria a crossroads of ci...

In this Know Before You Go episode, we cover a basic history of the Netherlands, talking about history, culture, economics, politics, geography, and so on. This episode is sponsored by Quince. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/wiserworld⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. For extra resources to further your study, head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠. Sign up for my email newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wis...

This episode covers eleven common cognitive biases, giving real-life examples and ideas for how to combat them. We talk about anchoring bias, effort bias, egocentric bias, hindsight bias, optimism and pessimism biases, recency bias, confirmation bias, present bias, scarcity bias, and urgency bias. For extra resources (like a printable PDF) to further your study, head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.com/wiser...

In this Know Before You Go episode, we cover a basic history of Switzerland for those who want to travel there. We answer these questions and many more: What makes Switzerland so unique? Where is it located and what is the weather like? How is the government structure so one-of-a-kind? What foods are famous in Switzerland? What festivals and traditions do they have? What is a brief history of Swit...

In this Know Before You Go episode, we cover a basic history of Portugal for those who want to travel there. We answer these questions and many more: Before you travel to Portugal, what do you need to know? What makes Portugal so unique? Where is it located, what is the weather like? What is the government structure? What is the food culture? What is a brief history of Portugal so you have a basic...

In this episode I explain nine common logical fallacies, and give examples so we can thinking more intelligently in this ever-polarized political climate. This is companion to episode 35, "Recognizing Logical Fallacies for Better Critical Thinking" which aired on December 27th, 2023. This episode is sponsored by Quince. Go to ⁠quince.com/wiserworld⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day retu...

This episode explains the basic concepts of the Passover tradition and Seder meal for those who know little to knowing about it and want a foundation of knowledge to build on. Special thanks for my friends Merav and Debbi for their contributions to this episode! This episode is sponsored by Quince. Go to quince.com/wiserworld for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. For extra resources...

Three philosophical lessons I've learned from Cuban history and am integrating into my personal life. This episode is sponsored by Quince. Go to quince.com/wiserworld for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. For extra resources to further your study, head to Patreon. The transcript for this episode is found here. Sources used in making this episode found here. ---- This podcast is part...

In this episode we take Cuba's history from 1959 to 2025, giving a high-level look at Cuba for those who know little to nothing about it and would like foundational understanding. Questions we answer: How did Fidel Castro become the most powerful man in Cuba? What happened to private land and business after the Cuban Revolution? How did the U.S. respond to all the changes? What was the Bay of Pigs...

In this episode we take Cuba's history from 1902 to 1959, giving a high-level look at Cuba for those who know little to nothing about it and would like foundational understanding. Questions we answer: How did the US influence Cuba while it was a US Protectorate? What role did the Platt Amendment play? What role did race play in Cuban society during the early 1900s? Who was Gerardo Machado and how...