Modern Wisdom &#8211; Chris Williamson

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠

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The Art Of Growing Up (just enough) - James Smith - #1170 Oct 31, 2026

Show notes

James Smith is a podcaster, author, personal trainer, and co-founder of the world's greatest clean energy drink, Neutonic.

Expect to learn why solving your problems never leaves you with fewer of them, why more money buys less happiness than you’d expect, how James got arrested at 13 for shooting a stranger, why it's important to gamify your life, and much more…

Sponsors:

Get 35% off your first subscription to the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom

Get up to 20% off Timeline’s leading longevity and cellular health supplement at https://timeline.com/modernwisdom

Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom

Get 15% off your first order of my favourite Non-Alcoholic Brew at https://athleticbrewing.com/modernwisdom

See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠

Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠https://chatgpt.com

Timestamps:

(0:00) Why You’ll Never Have Fewer Problems (5:34) You Can’t Speed-Run Hedonism (8:00) The Danger Of Waiting To Have Kids (12:41) Why You Still Feel Like A Teenager (14:12) Crazy Experiences In Asia (24:25) Manipulative But Loving Dating Advice (30:21) Getting Kicked Out Of School (34:31) When James Shot Someone In The Face (44:36) Mumps, Parties & Dropping Out Of Uni (51:16) Early Outcomes Don’t Predict Your Future (58:28) Why You Can’t Speed-Run Success (1:07:52) Your Worth Is Not About Performance (1:12:37) The 3 Paths For People Who Still Aren’t Happy (1:14:10) Why Life Needs To Be Gamified

Extra Stuff:

Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠

Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠

#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠

#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠

Get In Touch:

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

35 Emotions Explained By Evolutionary Psychology - Rob Kurzban - #1169 Oct 29, 2026

Show notes

Rob Kurzban is a psychologist and an author.

Expect to learn why we should view emotions through the lens of evolution, the hidden reason why humans aren’t filled with existential anxiety at all times, what happens to your brain when you don’t express gratitude often, the secret message depression might be trying to communicate to your subconscious, what the most difficult emotions to explain are, and much more…

Sponsors:

Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom

Get 35% off your first subscription to the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom

Get the brand new Whoop 5.0 and your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom

Get 160+ lab tests for just $365 and save an extra $25 at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom

See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠

Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠https://chatgpt.com

Timestamps:

(00:00) How Evolution Explains Our Emotions

(01:21) Why Do Humans Need Emotions at All?

(03:44) How Emotions Measure and Motivate

(08:09) The Hidden Intelligence of Body Maintenance

(11:17) Why Humans Are So Good at Pooping

(13:24) How the Body Uses Nausea as a Tactical Response

(17:31) The Evolutionary Reason We Fear Small Spaces

(21:21) Why You’re Not Attracted to Your Siblings

(30:59) The Most Surprising Thing About Anxiety

(35:46) How Much Anxiety Is Actually Normal?

(39:37) Why Everyone Feels Overstimulated

(40:44) Can Panic Actually Be Useful?

(42:53) Are Aesthetic Pleasures Different From Sensory Pleasures?

(45:10) Why Humans Love Grooming Each Other

(51:57) Where Does Our Spice Tolerance End?

(55:40) What Is Fun and Excitement?

(58:01) Is Music Just Sexual Signalling?

(01:03:35) How Hunger Can Work Against Us

(01:09:44) Which Emotions Are Uniquely Human?

(01:18:01) Nature vs Culture: Where Do Emotions Come From?

(01:20:22) Why Jealousy Is So Unflattering

(01:26:58) Is Evolutionary Psychology Accurate?

(01:33:54) Is Empathy Really Investment Advice?

(01:37:19) Why Gratitude Is More Powerful Than You Think

(01:49:22) Does Clinical Psychology Actually Work?

(01:50:55) What Depression Does to Your Behaviour

(01:57:06) Contempt vs Resentment: What’s the Difference?

(02:00:13) What Embarrassment Does to Your Body

(02:05:22) Why Do We Feel Shame and Guilt?

(02:09:28) The Personal Relationship to the Mind and Attention

(02:11:45) The Emotions Robert Has Changed His Mind About

(02:14:04) The Hardest Human Emotion to Explain

(02:15:21) Which Emotion Causes the Most Damage Today?

(02:20:57) How to Use Your Emotions to Improve Your Life

(02:27:20) Where to Find Robert

Extra Stuff:

Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠

Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠

#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠

#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠

Get In Touch:

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crypto Scams, Dopamine Websites, Tasteful Slop & Vape Shop Energy - Rabbit Hole #6 - #1168 Oct 26, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we explore:

The strange crypto honey traps that people are falling for.
The rise of South Korea's fake shopping dopamine websites
How to develop good taste in a world of slop.
and much more…

Guests

Jack Butcher is an entrepreneur, designer, and digital artist.
Shaan Puri is an entrepreneur, former CEO, podcaster and an angel investor.
George Mack is a writer, marketer and entrepreneur.

Sponsors:

Get 160+ lab tests for just $365 and save an extra $25 at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom

Get up to $350 off the Eight Sleep Pod 6 at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom

Get 10% discount on all Gymshark products at https://gym.sh/modernwisdom (use code MODERNWISDOM10)

Get up to $50 off the RP Hypertrophy App at https://rpstrength.com/modernwisdom

See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠

Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠https://chatgpt.com

Timestamps:

(00:00) Why Britain Is Android and America Is iOS

(02:11) Is Jean Phil an AI Crypto Scam?

(12:32) Can You Really Trust Prediction Markets?

(18:50) What Power Laws Make All Other Laws Irrelevant?

(28:52) Why Competition Only Exists When You Believe You Can Win

(36:46) Are Dopamine Websites Just Shopping Porn?

(39:54) Why TV Shows Have to Keep Repeating the Plot

(41:13) Why Detailed Movie Commentary Is So Popular

(45:34) Could You Win Scrabble in a Language You Don’t Speak?

(48:03) Do All Chickens Come From Just Two Types?

(50:18) Is the Story Behind Art Better Than the Art Itself?

(56:50) The Marketing Genius of Grey Goose

(01:00:35) Can We Define ‘Taste’ and ‘Slop’?

(01:06:36) Can AI Ever Be High Effort?

(01:14:20) Is Everything Porn or a Casino?

(01:20:02) Should Kids Be Allowed to Use Devices?

(01:31:28) Are Brain Gyms on the Horizon?

(01:34:03) Will Stupidity Become a Status Symbol?

(01:36:13) Is the Moderate Left Becoming Less Cringe?

(01:41:44) Are Heaven and Hell Like We Imagine?

(01:47:59) Why Leaving Big Tips Is Worth It

(01:54:09) How AI Can Be More Helpful Than We Think

(02:00:07) The Secret to a Great Product-Market Fit

(02:07:31) Where to Find the Guys

Extra Stuff:

Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠

Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠

#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠

#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠

Get In Touch:

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Positive Psychology Founder: How To Stop Your Negative Thoughts - Martin Seligman - #1167 Oct 24, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Martin Seligman is a psychologist, professor at the University of Pennsylvania, pioneer of positive psychology, and author.

Expect to learn why some people experience exactly the same adversity and come out more resilient; which traits matter the most in life: efficacy, optimism, or imagination; what people 2,000 years from now possess psychologically that we don’t possess today; if you can be highly competent but still have very little agency, what actually makes life worth living and much more…

Sponsors:

Get up to $50 off the RP Hypertrophy App at https://rpstrength.com/modernwisdom

Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom

Get 35% off your first subscription to the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom

See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠

Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠https://chatgpt.com

Timestamps:

(00:00) Has Martin Always Been a Scientific Rebel?

(03:07) Why Martin Chose Mastery and Agency

(09:24) The Epiphany That Changed Martin’s Career

(17:50) Can You Train Your Brain to Be Optimistic?

(27:50) Optimism vs Agency: What’s the Difference?

(29:16) Is Agency the Biggest Predictor of Success?

(32:04) How Our Understanding of Agency Has Evolved

(38:55) How to Inject Agency Into Your Life

(42:22) Is AI the Key to Unlocking Human Creativity?

(54:41) Does Our Environment Shape Our Understanding of Agency?

(57:08) Were Humans Conscious 3000 Years Ago?

(01:02:04) Why Agency Is Double-Edged

(01:04:39) Are Optimists More Successful?

(01:13:48) What Actually Makes a Good Life?

(01:15:04) Martin’s Most Underrated Work

(01:18:48) Why Being Boring Is a Choice

(01:19:34) Where to Find Martin

Extra Stuff:

Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠

Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠

#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠

#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠

Get In Touch:

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Men & Women Are Giving Up On Each Other - Daniel Cox - #1166 Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

Daniel Cox is a researcher, pollster and Director of the Survey Center on American Life.

Expect to learn why men and women understand each other less than they used to, why young women feel less safe despite so much progress, what parents should do differently if they want their children to eventually have successful relationships, what young men incorrectly believe about women because of the internet, why political compatibility became romantic compatibility and much more…

Sponsors:

Get 35% off your first subscription to the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom

Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom

Get up to 20% off Timeline’s leading longevity and cellular health supplement at https://timeline.com/modernwisdom

Get 160+ lab tests for just $365 and save an extra $25 at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom

See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠

Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠https://chatgpt.com

Timestamps:

(00:00) Do Men and Women Understand Each Other?

(05:53) What the Man vs Bear Debate Really Revealed

(08:48) Why Do Women Feel So Unsafe?

(14:23) Does the Internet Bring Out the Worst in Us?

(17:45) What Men Get Wrong About Women

(27:07) How Financial Independence Changed Relationships

(30:38) Are Smaller Families Making Us Less Community-Minded?

(42:07) Is AI Making Us More Antisocial?

(46:35) Why Are More People Staying Single?

(56:30) Why Men and Women See Cheating Differently

(01:05:03) Is Modern Education Failing Boys?

(01:12:26) What Are Young Men Supposed to Aspire To?

(01:15:54) Is Monk Mode Helping or Hurting Men?

(01:22:12) How Loneliness Differs Between Men and Women

(01:26:34) Are Women Better at Emotional Support?

(01:32:35) How Politics Is Driving Men and Women Apart

(01:46:37) Can We Reverse the Rise of Uncoupling?

(01:53:51) Where to Find Daniel

Extra Stuff:

Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠

Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠

#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠

#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠

Get In Touch:

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Most Hardcore Military Stories In History - The Fat Electrician - #1165 Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

The Fat Electrician (aka Nic Palmer) is a military veteran, comedian and YouTuber.

Expect to learn why we don’t promote war heroes anymore and what most heroes have in common, behind the stories of Logan Westin, Pappy Gun, and other not well-known heroes of past wars, what the most hardcore animals in military history were, whether it is possible to have war heroes anymore, and much more…

Sponsors:

Get 160+ lab tests for just $365 and save an extra $25 at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom

Get up to $350 off the Eight Sleep Pod 6 at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom

Get 10% discount on all Gymshark products at https://gym.sh/modernwisdom (use code MODERNWISDOM10)

Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom

See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠

Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠https://chatgpt.com

Timestamps:

(00:00) What Does the Fat Electrician Actually Do?

(01:50) Where Have America’s War Heroes Gone?

(09:46) What Do History’s Greatest Heroes Have in Common?

(13:57) The Forgotten Heroism of Logan Weston

(33:49) How Logan Weston Became a Green Beret

(37:07) Does Modern Warfare Have Room for Heroes?

(41:39) Why Did WWII Veterans Stay Silent?

(53:12) The Rebellious Pappy Gunn

(01:07:52) Why WWII Heroes Were Built Different

(01:10:48) Why Britain Refuses to Embrace Air Conditioning

(01:18:20) Britain’s Craziest Military Inventions

(01:22:48) Did the Allies Try to Feminise Hitler?

(01:28:06) The Most Hardcore Animals Ever Used in Warfare

(01:39:12) Why the Battle of Trenton Changed America

(01:44:25) What Everyone Gets Wrong About Bravery

(01:47:42) Why America Really Wants Greenland

(01:51:32) The Forgotten Jobs That Win Wars

(01:55:55) The Incredible Story of Sniper Ed Eaton

(02:11:32) Is It Intimidating to Cover Someone Who’s Still Alive?

(02:18:42) Why the Fat Electrician Is Writing Kids’ Books

(02:26:38) The Journey Behind Neutonic

(02:34:49) The Genius of Lunchables

(02:46:43) Where to Find the Fat Electrician

Extra Stuff:

Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠

Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠

#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠

#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠

Get In Touch:

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Pessimism Makes Dumb Ideas Sound Smart - David Deutsch - #1164 Oct 17, 2026

Show notes

David Deutsch is a British physicist, a pioneering researcher in quantum computation, and author.

Expect to learn how David has changed his views on the limits of human potential in recent years, why people should have an optimistic view of the world, which current problem most people are unnecessarily pessimistic about right now, what the largest issues are in modern education, why AGI will not pose a great threat to humans, what makes for a good life and much more…

Sponsors:

Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom

Get 160+ lab tests for just $365 and save an extra $25 at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom

Get 15% off your first order of my favourite Non-Alcoholic Brew at https://athleticbrewing.com/modernwisdom

Get a free bottle of D3K2, an AG1 Welcome Kit, and more when you first subscribe at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom

See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠

Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠https://chatgpt.com

Timestamps:

(00:00) How Is Knowledge Created?

(04:19) Do We Misunderstand Being Wrong?

(10:01) Why We Should Never Aspire to Be Certain

(21:29) Will We Ever Solve the Fermi Paradox?

(23:53) Is Optimism the Most Rational Worldview?

(28:41) Why Does Pessimism Masquerade as Sophistication?

(31:42) Should We Be Afraid of AI?

(37:27) Why LLMs Can’t Take Over the World

(44:08) What Is Creativity?

(48:05) Is Our Education System Built on a Mistake?

(53:35) How Should We Reinvent Education?

(55:27) Can Too Much Discipline Hold You Back?

(01:03:24) The Philosophy Behind a Good Life

(01:09:16) What Is David Working On?

Extra Stuff:

Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠

Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠

#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠

#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠

Get In Touch:

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9 Harsh Truths No One Wants To Admit - Shaan Puri - #1163 Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

Shaan Puri is an entrepreneur, former CEO, podcaster, and angel investor.

Expect to learn why the economy is basically run on insecure people, why it's better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission, what’s holding most young people back from achieving more, why you should follow your obsessions, the importance of leaving your hometown at some point in your life, why greatness is the most overrated trait we tend to admire, and much more…

Sponsors:

Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom

Get up to $350 off the Eight Sleep Pod 6 at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom

Get up to $50 off the RP Hypertrophy App at https://rpstrength.com/modernwisdom

See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠

Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠https://chatgpt.com

Timestamps:
(00:00) How the Economy Targets Vulnerability

(05:42) Why You Should Adopt the ABZ Method

(12:06) Is Asking for Advice Just Asking for Permission?

(20:26) The Battle Between Courage and Fear

(24:17) Is Your Environment Holding You Back?

(33:15) Why You Should Listen to Your Obsessions

(42:21) Don’t Keep Your “Iron John” in the Cage

(55:51) How to Go From Good Boy to Great King

(59:21) Why Finding Success Creates More Work

(01:12:26) The Hidden Cost of Greatness

(01:24:25) The Ultimate Test of a Successful Relationship

(01:36:49) What’s Next for Shaan?

Extra Stuff:

Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠

Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠

#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠

#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠

Get In Touch:

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠