Modern Wisdom
Read bullet-point summaries of Modern Wisdom on self-improvement, psychology, health, relationships, culture, philosophy, and high performance.
Episodes
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“We’re At The Beginning Of A Revolution” - Jimmy Carr
This episode of Modern Wisdom features comedian Jimmy Carr discussing his high-volume touring model (250–300 shows per year, often two per night), the
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Q&A: Becoming A Dad, Favourite Peptides & Red Rising
Chris Williamson hosts a wide-ranging Q&A episode drawn from audience submissions, covering self-improvement fatigue, relationship boundaries, injury recovery
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The New Science Of Female Attraction - Psychology Roundtable
This episode features a roundtable discussion on the new science of female attraction psychology, with evolutionary psychologists Rob Henderson, Steve
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Skid Row To Appalachia: The Forgotten People Of Rural America - Peter Santenello
Peter Santenello is a travel YouTuber who explores overlooked American communities — from Amish country and Native reservations to Appalachia, inner cities, and
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Ex-Military Hacker: The Secret World Of Government Surveillance - Bill Thompson
Bill Thompson, a former military intelligence operator and hacker who built offensive cyber tools for special operations, explains how government surveillance
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Why Almost Nobody Gets The Life They Want - Jett Franzen
This episode features Chris Williamson in conversation with content creator Jett Franzen, exploring why most people never get the life they want through deep
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"Women Are Furious About This Research." Why New Dads Suffer In Silence - Darby Saxbe
This episode explores "Dad Brain" — the neurological, hormonal, and psychological changes men undergo when becoming fathers — with USC psychology professor
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Polyvagal Theory: Why You Feel So Anxious All The Time - Dr Stephen Porges
Dr. Stephen Porges, creator of Polyvagal Theory, explains how our physiological state — not just our thoughts — shapes perception, social engagement, and
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Something Scary Is Happening In Biolabs - Annie Jacobsen
This episode explores the existential threat of engineered biological weapons through Annie Jacobsen's research for her book on biological warfare, revealing
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14 Patterns Behind the World’s Greatest Minds - David Senra
David Senra, host of the Founders podcast, joins Chris Williamson to distill patterns from hundreds of biographies of history’s greatest entrepreneurs and
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The True Story Of The Odyssey (and why it matters) - Alex Petkas
This episode explores Homer's Odyssey — its narrative, historical origins, enduring themes, and why it remains culturally vital today — through a detailed
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Why Everyone Is Drowning In Debt (and how to get out) - Caleb Hammer
This episode features Caleb Hammer, host of the YouTube show "Financial Audit," discussing the mechanics of personal debt, the behavioral roots of financial
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Why The AI Doomers Might Be Right - Robert Wright
Robert Wright, evolutionary psychologist and author of The Moral Animal, discusses his new book on AI, arguing that AI is not just another technology but a
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Why You Feel Overwhelmed All The Time (and how to fix it) - David Epstein
This episode explores how constraints — not unlimited freedom — drive creativity, learning, and better decisions, drawing on psychology, history, and case
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The Uncomfortable Science Of Sex Differences - Steve Stewart-Williams
This episode features evolutionary psychologist Steve Stewart-Williams discussing his book on sex differences, exploring why the topic is controversial, what
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“My Autism Keeps Upsetting People” - Vittorio Angelone
Vittorio Angelone, a Northern Irish stand-up comedian, joins Chris Williamson to discuss his autism diagnosis at 29, a near-death spiking incident in Nashville
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Black Holes, Denny’s Fist Fights, Japanese Handjob Culture & Microplastics - Rabbit Hole #4
This episode of the Modern Wisdom podcast features host Chris Williamson, co-host George Mack, and guest Tim Urban (author of Wait But Why and the upcoming book
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33 Brutal Truths To Stop Wasting Your Potential - Alex Hormozi
This episode is a wide-ranging, idea-dense conversation between Chris Williamson and Alex Hormozi about the real "hard things" that unlock potential, why most
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Raw Truths From The Brink Of Death – Ben Askren
Ben Askren's double lung transplant and year-long recovery — In May 2025, Ben Askren (former MMA fighter, NCAA wrestling champion, and co-founder of the Askren
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Why Nobody Feels Loved Anymore - Sonja Lyubomirsky
The key to happiness is feeling connected and loved — Sonja Lyubomirsky, after 36 years of studying happiness interventions, realized that the strategies that
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The Collapse of American Politics - Ezra Klein
Ezra Klein discusses the collapse of American political discourse, the attention economy's corrosive effects on both parties, and his vision for a liberalism
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The Career Trap That Makes Women Miserable - Suzanne Venker
Suzanne Venker, a Gen X author and relationship coach, argues that an entire generation of women—primarily millennials and younger Gen X—have been set up for
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Navy SEAL: “Not Killing People Is Hard” - DJ Shipley
DJ Shipley's story is about identity, loss, and rebuilding after leaving Navy SEAL special operations. He spent 17 years in the Navy (2002–2019), including nine
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How The Partner You Choose Reveals Your Self-Worth - Quinlan Walther
The episode explores how the romantic partners people choose reflect their level of self-worth and self-love, and how understanding this can reveal deep
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Harvard Professor: Why Nothing Feels Real Anymore - Arthur Brooks
Arthur Brooks argues that modern life feels like a simulation because algorithms and technology have created a pleasant but artificial version of reality that
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The Art of Unstoppable Self-Belief - Joe Santagato
Joe Santagato is the host of The Basement Yard, one of the world's biggest podcasts, who recently sold out Madison Square Garden—a milestone that still feels
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The Brutal Side of Making It In Show Business - Zach Braff
Zach Braff — actor, director, and star of Scrubs — returns to the show decades later in a new leadership role, and the episode explores what that homecoming
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Something Strange Is Happening To Gen Z - Isabel Brown
Isabel Brown, a conservative commentator and author, discusses what she sees as a deepening crisis of femininity in Western culture, arguing it is more severe
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Rabbit Hole: Does Tim Ferriss Dream In Japanese?
The conversation begins with a debate about why Americans don't use WhatsApp, with the theory that free SMS in the US removed the incentive to adopt a superior
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4.2M Q&A - Sleeping With An Ex, Harambe & Settling Down
This is a solo Q&A episode of the Modern Wisdom podcast, where host Chris Williamson answers listener questions on topics ranging from relationships and
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Psyop Expert: Secret Techniques For Psychological Power - Chase Hughes
Chase Hughes is a behavioral psychologist and former military interrogator who teaches everything from brainwashing and interrogation techniques to sales
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Mostly Wise #1 - Matt McCusker, Andrew Huberman & Tom Segura
This episode features a wide-ranging, freewheeling conversation between comedian Tom Segura, neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, and guest Matt McCusker, covering
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The New Way Of The Superior Man - David Deida
David Deida, author of The Way of the Superior Man and now The Man of Zero, discusses his latest work — a guide for men who have lost their sense of motivation
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19 Lessons From 1100 Episodes
Obsession as a nonrenewable fuel source
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Birth Rate Debate: “40% Of Girls Will Never Be Mothers”
The episode brings together three voices from different corners of the fertility debate — demographer Simone, data scientist Malcolm (who runs the Pronatalism
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The Health Crisis Of Office Jobs - Bob King
This episode features Bob King, founder of Humanscale, arguing that the health crisis caused by office jobs—back pain, cardiovascular risk, poor sleep—is not a
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“They Wanted A Bad Guy, So I Became One” - Ryan Garcia
Ryan Garcia's Experience in the Ring:
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21 Harsh Truths About Why You’re Still Lost - Mark Manson
Mark Manson and Chris Williamson discuss why modern life leaves people feeling lost despite unprecedented access to information, and how the real skill for the
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How TikTok Hijacked the Future of Music - Nik Nocturnal
TikTok has fundamentally reshaped how modern metal music is written, discovered, and consumed, pushing bands to prioritize short, explosive "clip moments"
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DEBATE: Why Do Gen Z Women Hate Men So Much?
This episode features a roundtable discussion between evolutionary psychologists and commentators (including Tanya, Freya, and William Costello) analyzing a
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A Blueprint For Mastering Every Conversation - Jefferson Fisher
Jefferson Fisher, a trial lawyer turned communication coach, breaks down why most people struggle with difficult conversations and offers practical tools to
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The Endless Pain Of Emotionally Mature Partners - Mercedes Coffman
Mercedes Coffman on how modern dating culture is systematically disadvantaging emotionally available people — Mercedes is a therapist who works primarily with
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The Uber Eats To OnlyFans Pipeline
Peanuts in Coke and the science of taste
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The Extreme Crisis of Young Women - Freya India
Freya India is a young British writer whose book on the crisis facing liberal young women in the Anglosphere has provoked intense backlash, particularly from
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No One is Ready for This Coming War - Navy SEAL Andy Stumpf
Andy Stumpf, a former Navy SEAL with 20 years of service, joins the show to discuss modern warfare, the psychology of special operations, and the hidden costs
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Mentalist Secrets Revealed: How To Read Anyone - Oz Pearlman
Oz Pearlman is a mentalist who builds his career on the illusion of mind reading. He cannot actually read minds, but he crafts experiences that feel impossible
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A Shocking Turn in the War on Men - Richard Reeves
Richard Reeves discusses how the conversation around boys and men has shifted dramatically since his 2022 book, moving from political neglect to genuine policy
