3 Minute Monday
Hi friend,
I just released the 400th Modern Wisdom episode. Which is a crazy sentence to type.
Your support is amazing.
You are the best, most radically sensible, beautifully curious audience on the internet and you make my life immeasurably better. Thank you.
This week in Texas has been hectic.
I’ve met Tim Ferriss, Andrew Huberman, David Perell, Aubrey Marcus, Daniel Sloss, Zack Bush, Charles Eisenstein, Aaron Alexander, Tim Pool, Malice, Zack and a ton of other interesting people.
Spending so much time around people is a huge pattern-interrupt from my usual, more solitary UK-routine.
It’s stopped me thinking so much about growth and goals and accomplishments and direction, and forced me more into just enjoying the moment.
It got me thinking about a quote from Shane Parrish…
“While we tell ourselves that the next level is enough, it never is.
The next zero in your bank account won’t satisfy you any more than you are now.
The next promotion won’t change who you are.
The fancy car won’t make you happier.
The bigger house doesn’t solve your problems.
Pay attention to what you are chasing because, in the end, you just might get it.
And the cost of “success” might be the things that really matter.
‘Never risk what you have and need,’ wrote Warren Buffett, ‘for what we don’t have and don’t need.’
In pursuit of our goals, we inevitably give up things that matter.
We sleep less.
We spend less time with our friends.
We eat unhealthily.
We skip workouts.
We cancel dates.
We miss dinner with the family.
When it comes to living a meaningful life, the only scoreboard that matters is yours.
Don’t let your ego get in the way of the person you really want to be or the life you really want to live.”
Many of us think success will make us happy, and in the pursuit of success in the future, we sacrifice things in the present which would have made us happy anyway.
I’m all for doing hard work and working toward a meaningful goal, that’s literally my THING.
But if you make yourself miserable during the journey, the destination becomes almost irrelevant.
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MODERN WISDOM
I do a podcast which has had 25 million+ downloads. You should subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
This week’s upcoming episodes:
Monday.
Rory Sutherland – absolutely sublime. This man is a force of nature. Delving into the psychology of transport, consumer behaviour, tradition and bear attacks amongst a million other things.
Thursday.
Paul Bloom – the psychology of how pain and suffering are important as a part of a good life. Why do we derive pleasure from discomfort? How do we find meaning in struggle? Very very good.
Saturday.
Not sure yet. Maybe Richard Betts on the messy state of climate science.
THINGS I’VE LEARNED
1.
Why Men Have Nipples.
Mammalian embryos begin life in a gender-neutral state, as little blobs of protoplasm with the potential to develop into either males or females.
At around six weeks, they begin diverging from this initial state and develop the standard male or female forms, depending on their genetic sex.
Because mammalian embryos can go either way, they need all the relevant equipment to build a baby of either sex.
And that’s the reason – the only reason – that males have nipples.
Female nipples are an adaptation, male nipples are a by-product of that adaptation.
— Steve Stewart-Williams
2.
The Hendersonian News Cycle.
All news stories follow the same process:
Step 1: It’s not really happening.
“Inflation Isn’t Happening, And It Likely Won’t. Here Are 7 Charts Showing This.”
Step 2: Yeah, it’s happening, but it’s not a big deal.
“At Times Like These, Inflation Isn’t All Bad.”
Step 3: It’s a good thing, actually.
“Why The Inflation We’re Seeing Is Now A Good Thing.”
Step 4: People freaking out about it are the real problem.
“Americans Need To Learn To Live More Like Europeans.”
— Rob Henderson
3.
“If you are not living up to your potential, it is because you are not in the habit of living up to your potential.” — Steven Kotler
LIFE HACK
Online Therapy.
Most people would benefit from speaking to someone about their mindset.
Whether it’s concerns at work, problems in a relationship, dealing with past traumas or negative thought patterns – working with a therapist is an amazing solution.
If you are having troubles with a part of your body, you should go see a physio.
If you’re having troubles with a part of your mind, you should go see a counsellor.
It’s not a big deal, it’s just you speaking to someone who is trained in making your mind a better place to be.
BetterHelp is the quickest, cheapest and most convenient solution for working with a therapist, entirely online.
Plus, over 1 million people have used them.
They have a short quiz which identifies how they can help you.
Take BetterHelp’s free quiz now and get 10% off your first month if you want to try it out.
Big love,
Chris x
Join the Modern Wisdom Community.
PS
If you love the Rory Sutherland episode today, give it a share for me. I’m pretty sure Rory is my spirit animal.
