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This one’s different. In this special year-end episode, I answer your questions—from the deep stuff about purpose and motivation, to the uncomfortable realities of change, burnout, failure, and dealing with unsupportive family. I also share the behind-the-scenes chaos of building SOLVED this year, what I learned about making massive, meaningful content, and what’s coming in 2026 (spoiler: boundaries, ego, and maybe some live shows). This is part personal, part philosophical, and part therapy session disguised as a podcast. If you’ve been wondering what’s next—or why you feel stuck—this one’s for you. See you in 2026. CHAPTERS (00:00) Introduction (01:13) Recap of 2025 (03:42) What if I don't have a single purpose? (12:34) I'm having issues on getting motivated on one thing (23:15) I'm struggling with the idea that purpose must be bigger than yourself (26:04) How Mark got Purpose AI to work (32:55) Questions from YouTube (01:05:55) Goals for 2026 ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the episode I’ve been waiting to make for a long time. Purpose has been at the core of everything I’ve written and done for over a decade—and in this episode, we go all the way down the rabbit hole. From Viktor Frankl surviving Auschwitz to the myth of “finding your one true purpose,” we break down what purpose really is, why you feel lost without it, and how you can build it into your life. We also get uncomfortable (in the best way) and talk about the dark side of purpose—how it can burn you out, trap you in toxic ambition, or become an excuse to ruin your life. And I have a very special announcement to make: Today, I’m launching a new app called Purpose. It’s an AI-powered mentor for personal growth. You talk to it about whatever you’re facing—stress, decisions, conflicts, goals—and it helps you make sense of things. Purpose listens, reflects back what matters most, and turns big challenges into small, actionable steps. The more you use it, the more personalized and helpful it becomes. CHAPTERS (00:00) Introduction (17:20) What Is Purpose? (45:34) Philosophical & Historical Perspectives on Purpose (01:31:26) The Psychology of Purpose (02:08:13) The Four Stages of Life (02:31:33) The Dark Side of Purpose (03:07:25) Finding and Cultivating Purpose (03:36:56) Finding Purpose in Work (or Not) (04:09:14) Practical Tools and Frameworks (04:24:48) The 80/20 of Living with Purpose ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the first episode of the Solved Podcast. Today, we are solving your values. Over eight years ago, I wrote The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck—a book that, underneath all the swearing and irreverence, was really about one thing: values. What do you care about? What’s actually worth your time, your energy, your life? So in this kickoff episode of SOLVED, Drew and I are going deep into why your values are the foundation of everything—your happiness, your mental health, your relationships, your sense of meaning—and why so many of us today feel so lost. We break down the difference between chasing cheap dopamine hits and building real fulfillment, why not all values are created equal, how to figure out what your true values are, how to change your values, how to start living out your values more fully, and how values silently shape your decisions and relationships every day. If you’ve ever felt stuck, directionless, or like you’re living someone else’s life, this episode is the wake-up call you need. It’s time to stop drifting through life and start giving a fck about the right things. Forget the rest. Welcome to SOLVED. Get your free PDF guide: https://solvedpodcast.com/values CHAPTERS (00:00) Introduction (09:31) What are Values? (01:05:01) Values and Your Relationships (01:37:25) Where Do Values Come From? (02:14:34) Identifying Your Core Values (02:48:53) How to Change Your Values (03:21:56) Lessons and Takeaways ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New podcast launches May 1st! We'll be releasing on this same feed, so all you have to do is stay subscribed to this channel and you'll get all the new episodes as they come out. *** After more than 70 episodes and 30 million downloads, I’ve decided to shut down The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Podcast. Yeah, I know—sounds a little crazy. But the truth is, I wasn’t having fun anymore. The guest treadmill, the pressure to play nice, the temptation to chase clicks instead of meaning—it all started to feel fake. So, I’m pulling the plug. BUT—I’m not going away. I’m launching something new. It’s called Solved—a no-ads, no-guests, deep-dive podcast where each episode tackles one major life topic and breaks it down thoroughly. Think: values, emotions, procrastination—done right, from every angle, with real research and clear implementation. It’s the podcast I wish already existed. So I’m making it. First episode drops May 1 st! Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough Follow me: https://instagram.com/markmanson/ https://twitter.com/IAmMarkManson https://facebook.com/Markmansonnet/ https://linkedin.com/in/markmanson/ https://www.tiktok.com/@iammarkmanson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’ve got a special episode for you today. I sat down in person with my longtime friend and first-ever podcast guest, Derek Sivers. We haven’t recorded live before, and honestly, it shows—in the best way. It’s raw, weird, and filled with the kind of conversations we usually when we’re just hanging out together. We dig into Derek’s new book, Useful, Not True, and the big idea behind it: that our beliefs don’t need to be true to be helpful. That spins off into everything from remixing creative influences (metal + Dixieland jazz, anyone?) to why most podcasts—including mine—have gotten painfully predictable. We talk artistic reinvention, Bob Dylan, Bowie, Miles Davis, why most “thought leaders” are just regurgitating each other’s ideas, and why I'm ending the podcast as you know it—and what’s next! We also dive into the deeper stuff: the emotional power of belief, authenticity vs. performative vulnerability, therapy culture, and why sometimes the most liberating thing you can do is reject what everyone else thinks is necessary—relationships, kids, all of it. This was one of the most honest, meandering, and creatively energizing conversations I’ve had in a while. If you’re into big questions, unconventional ideas, and the occasional musical metaphor, this one’s for you. Derek’s new book- Useful, Not True: https://www.amazon.com/Useful-Not-True-Derek-Sivers-ebook/dp/B0D86K4XF5 CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: A Special Live Recording with Derek Sivers 00:01:03 Finding Ideas: Chinese Dictionaries and Creative Remixing 00:03:52 The Miles Davis Principle: Why Success Means It's Time to Stop 00:05:59 The London Scene vs. The Welsh Countryside 00:07:49 Mark's Podcast Pivot: Breaking Out of the Interview Format 00:06:50 The Bookshelf Problem: Conformity in Podcasting 00:16:20 Introducing Useful, Not True: The Core Concept 00:20:09 Why All That Really Matters Are Your Actions 00:32:31 Religion as Actions, Not Beliefs 00:27:53 The Other Side of the River: Perspective Is Everything 00:30:15 Social Norms as Useful, Not True Beliefs 00:36:28 The Emotional Resistance to Questioning Your Beliefs 00:37:49 Against Authenticity: Why Your First Thought Is an Obstacle 00:38:42 Therapy Culture: When Private Concepts Go Public 00:42:37 The Pilot Analogy: Why We Want Some People to Lie 00:45:59 Optimistic Nihilism: The Joy of Nothing Meaning Anything 00:49:16 Everything Is Feelings: Why Emotions Are the Ultimate Metric 00:50:22 Optimizing for Happiness, Not Money 00:56:03 The Jordan Peterson Paradox: Brilliant Openings, Absolute Endings 01:03:37 Derek's Relationship Revelation: I Don't Want a Life Partner 01:07:25 The Biology Question: Should You Want What You're Supposed to Want? 01:08:07 Middle Age and Dating: Why Single Parents Check Out 01:20:26 The Companionship Paradox: Friends vs. Partners 01:21:23 Drew's Influence and the Coldplay Problem 01:23:15 The Closing: Changing Formats and Creative Courage ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

In this episode, Drew and I dive into some of the biggest beliefs we’ve shifted over the years—and what it actually looks like to change your mind. We talk about Drew’s evolving views on religion, why I’m way less convinced that people are as changeable as we like to believe, and why I think trauma might be getting a little too much airtime in the self-help world. We also get into the loneliness epidemic, the quiet power of community, and why so much of “personal growth” isn’t about becoming someone new—it’s about learning to work with who you already are. Leave a comment below about what you’ve changed your mind about—and enjoy. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: 72 Episodes and the Work Behind It 00:02:00 Why We Need to Change Our Minds More Often 00:03:14 Drew's Shifting View on Religion 00:04:33 The New Atheism Movement and Its Limitations 00:05:44 Religion's Benefits: Community, Service, and Local Focus 00:06:43 The Dogma Dilemma: Can You Have the Good Without the Bad? 00:13:06 The Feature Is the Bug: Why Religion Works So Well 00:17:54 Mark's Big Mind Change: People Are Less Malleable Than We Think 00:18:53 The Twin Studies and What They Revealed 00:21:06 What Actually Changes: Attitude, Not Identity 00:26:45 The Self-Acceptance Paradox 00:24:47 It's a Skill Issue, Not a Personality Issue 00:26:15 The Dangerous Desire to Become a New Person 00:30:41 Mark's Contrarian Take: Trauma Is Overrated 00:33:24 The Trauma Narrative as Cop-Out 00:35:18 Resilience: The Underrated Human Trait 00:37:55 Drew's Contrarian Take: Optimism About the Future 00:39:35 The Data on Human Progress 00:43:17 Climate Change and the Solutions-Create-Problems Cycle 00:46:35 Closing Wisdom: Keep an Open Mind ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Lewis Howes is one of the most successful podcasters of all time—12 years, nearly 1,800 episodes, and countless interviews with world-class performers. But what’s even more interesting is how his definition of success has evolved over the years. In this conversation, Lewis opens up about shifting from a hyper-competitive, “be number one” mentality to a more collaborative, impact-driven approach. We also dive into emotional regulation, the surprising ways our relationship with money affects our lives, and why most people either idolize or demonize wealth. Oh, and Lewis casually mentions he’s training to compete in the Olympics in his 40s. No big deal. This episode is packed with insights on what it really means to live a fulfilling, abundant life—without losing your mind in the process. Lewis's new book, Make Money Easy: https://www.amazon.com/Make-Money-Easy-Financial-Freedom/dp/1401993931 Lewis's podcast, The School of Greatness: https://lewishowes.com/sogpodcast/ CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction and 12 Years of Podcasting 00:01:03 Redefining Greatness: From Competition to Collaboration 00:03:35 The Jealousy Trap and Learning to Celebrate Others 00:04:49 When Being Number One Isn't Enough 00:10:24 The School of Greatness: Creating Your Own Therapy 00:12:07 From Hypercompetitive Athlete to Emotionally Aware Human 00:13:51 Vision and Spatial Awareness: The Athletic Edge That Translates 00:16:07 Treating Life Like Sports: Coaches, Seasons, and Feedback 00:17:40 Greatness 101: The Essential Curriculum 00:18:53 Emotional Regulation: Healing Childhood Wounds 00:22:13 Gratitude and Generosity: The Gateway to Flourishing 00:25:15 The Money Book Nobody Else Wrote 00:26:48 Money Wounds and Money Stories 00:29:22 If Money Walked Through the Door: The Revealing Exercise 00:31:09 Growing Up With Money: Downplaying Success to Fit In 00:36:15 Why We Attach So Much Emotion to Money 00:37:28 Money and Self-Worth: The Dangerous Connection 00:38:52 Mark's Healthy Relationship With Money 00:40:49 Broke and Happy vs Rich and Miserable: The Four Quadrants 00:41:30 Living on a Couch: From Defeated to Empowered 00:44:44 Success Without Peace: Fighting Everyone at 30 00:46:07 Mark's Journey: From Friend's Couch to Subtle Art Success 00:47:11 Broke But Optimistic: Learning Skills and Building Momentum 00:48:57 When Massive Success Breaks Your Brain 00:50:56 The Psychological Adjustment to Sudden Wealth 00:52:25 When Friends and Family Get Weird About Your Money 00:54:08 The Generosity Paradox: When Giving Backfires 00:56:01 Quality of Life Equals Quality of Relationships 00:57:58 Getting Married: Doing Everything Opposite 00:59:06 Courageous Conversations and Early Therapy 01:01:05 The No Upset Agreement: Communicating Without Fighting 01:02:17 Have Serious Conversations Sooner in Relationships 01:03:59 The Olympic Dream: A 40-Year Journey 01:06:53 Showing Up Uninvited: The First Handball Practice 01:08:37 The Dream That Died and Came Back to Life 01:09:54 Paris 2024: Reactivating the Fire 01:10:39 Three and a Half Years to Go: The Marathon Begins 01:12:53 Ambitious Goals That Seem Slightly Unhinged ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Resilience isn’t just about gritting your teeth and enduring pain—it’s about managing the stories you tell yourself. In this episode, I break down why most people get resilience wrong and how mastering the “second arrow” is the real key to bouncing back. We dive into post-traumatic growth, why caring about something bigger than yourself makes you stronger, and how focusing on what you can control changes everything. We also talk about AI—how it’s not here to save or destroy humanity, but it is going to change everything. We look at how AI is already transforming creative and knowledge-based jobs, why you should be using it right now, and what you can do to stay ahead. Plus, we tackle the ultimate question: Can people change? That three-word question is lot more complex than it seems. Check it out. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Have You Felt the AGI? 00:03:31 The Fuck of the Week: What Resilience Really Is 00:07:09 The Problem With Mental Health Apps 00:10:40 Five Ways to Build Real Resilience 00:19:56 The Novelty Addiction and Showing Up for Small Things 00:24:06 Brilliant or Bullshit: Will AI Doom or Save Humanity? 00:29:42 AI as a New Medium: Interactive Novels and Beyond 00:32:38 How to Actually Use AI: The Quality Input Problem 00:38:06 The New Scarcity: Where Humans Still Matter 00:43:50 Reader Question: Can People Change? 00:46:36 The Prerequisites for Change and the Codependency Trap 00:51:18 What Actually Counts as Change? 00:55:50 Personal Changes and the Slow Grind ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

You know that voice in your head that loves to tell you that you suck? Yeah, that one. The one that compares you to everyone on Instagram, tells you you’re a failure for eating cereal at 11 p.m., and insists you’ll never get your life together. Well, today, we’re calling in a professional to deal with that assh*le. Dr. Julie Smith is a clinical psychologist and viral mental health educator who’s built a massive following by actually making psychology make sense. In this episode, she breaks down how to quiet that inner critic, stop getting crushed by comparison, and reframe your self-loathing into something a little more useful—like self-respect. We also dig into what it’s like to become internet famous when you’re an introvert, why emotions are not facts (even though they feel like they are), and how to stop letting social media, your parents, and your own bullsh*t beliefs define your worth. Whether you’re stuck in a shame spiral, wondering why life feels pointless, or just trying to figure out how to not hate yourself so much, this episode is for you. Dr. Julie’s new book, Open When: A Companion for Life's Twists & Turns: https://www.amazon.com/Open-When-Companion-Lifes-Twists-ebook/dp/B0D3CB1XX6 Dr. Julie’s first book, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Nobody-Told-This-Before-ebook/dp/B0983L6T32 Follow Dr. Julie: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJulie https://www.instagram.com/drjulie https://www.tiktok.com/@drjulie https://x.com/drjuliesmith https://www.facebook.com/DrJulieSmith/ CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: That Voice in Your Head 00:01:13 The Social Media Paradox: Spreading Mental Health Advice Online 00:03:21 From Therapy Room to TikTok: An Accidental Journey 00:04:55 Internet Fame and the Introvert's Dilemma 00:07:01 Having Your Own Back: The Inner Coach Technique 00:09:50 The Investment Portfolio Approach to Identity 00:12:40 Social Comparison: A Strength Turned Upside Down 00:17:47 The Values Exercise: Finding What Actually Matters 00:20:48 The Whole Package: Envying Success Without the Sacrifice 00:22:58 Working With Military Trauma: What Humans Are Capable Of 00:25:32 You Have More Capacity to Cope Than You Think 00:27:33 Predator vs Prey: Facing a Cancer Diagnosis 00:30:23 Thriving Under Pressure: The Great Debate 00:31:42 The Loneliness Epidemic and Modern Barriers to Connection 00:35:02 Good Therapy, Bad Therapy: What to Look For 00:39:52 Modeling a Positive Ending: The Therapeutic Breakup 00:41:00 When Everything Feels Pointless: Nihilism and Meaning 00:44:01 Emotions Are Not Facts: The DBT Approach 00:46:05 Emotions as Weather: Clouds Will Pass 00:47:59 What Actually Matters: The People Right Next to You 00:50:02 When Your Parents Got It Wrong: The Adult-to-Adult Shift 00:53:34 The Healed Human Myth: Relationships Are Two Imperfect People 00:54:27 When You Hate Who You've Become: The Impossible Task of Pleasing Everyone 00:57:13 Emotions as Echoes of the Past 00:59:00 Liberation From Parental Approval: A Sign of Maturity 00:59:37 Closing: We're All Healed Now ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Fear of failure isn’t really about failure—it’s about what failure means to us. We’re not scared of messing up; we’re scared of being judged, embarrassed, or proving our worst insecurities right. But the people who actually succeed at anything are the ones willing to suck at it long enough to get good. Today, we break down why failure feels so terrifying, how social comparison messes with our heads, and why the loudest critics are usually the ones who’ve never done a damn thing themselves. Tune in for some practical tips on overcoming all of this. We also dig into the science of why boredom can spark better ideas, why our addiction to content might be making us less creative, and whether we should all do a digital detox before our brains turn into overstimulated mush. Finally, we wrap things up with a simple but profound question: If life is just an endless series of trade-offs, what are the best problems to have? Because problems never go away—you just get to level up to better ones. The Creative Benefits of Boredom: https://hbr.org/2014/09/the-creative-benefits-of-boredom CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Morning Workout Experiment That Failed 00:02:39 The Fuck of the Week: Fear of Failure 00:03:47 What You're Really Afraid Of: It's Not the Failure Itself 00:05:25 The Spotlight Effect: Nobody's Watching You Like You Think 00:09:35 Reframing Failure: You Have to Suck at Something First 00:11:43 Why Fear Is Really About Relationships 00:13:49 The Paradox of Cringe: Growth Requires Embarrassment 00:16:02 Five Tactics to Conquer Fear: Exposure Therapy and Beyond 00:22:43 Building an Identity Around Doing Hard Things 00:25:18 The Key Takeaway: Focus on Process Over Outcome 00:27:27 Brilliant Bullshit: Does Boredom Make You More Creative? 00:35:07 The Creativity Crisis: Why Art Feels Less Innovative 00:39:39 Practical Tips: How to Use Boredom to Boost Creativity 00:42:18 Reader Question: What Are the Best and Worst Problems to Have? 00:48:22 The Red Paperclip Story: Life as a Series of Trade-Offs 00:51:43 Wisdom of the Week: Mark's New Favorite Joke ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Life in a rock band isn’t all sold-out shows and backstage parties—it’s a high-pressure, all-consuming commitment that tests friendships, sanity, and survival. In this episode, I sit down with Randy Blythe, legendary frontman of Lamb of God, to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to last in the music industry. From the brutal realities of band relationships to the myths of the rockstar lifestyle, Randy shares unfiltered insights on creativity, addiction, and personal transformation. We also dig into his journey to sobriety, the impact of punk rock’s DIY ethos, and the surprising ways today’s generation is redefining rebellion. Whether you’re a musician, a fan, or just someone navigating your own challenges, this conversation is a raw and inspiring look at resilience, reinvention, and the power of staying true to yourself. Randy’s books: Just Beyond the Light: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Beyond-Light-Making-Inside-ebook/dp/B0DJHMN7C1 Dark Days: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Days-D-Randall-Blythe/dp/0306825090 CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: From Punk Rock to Prison 00:02:15 The Reality of Band Relationships 00:10:50 Discovering Punk Rock: The Sex Pistols Moment 00:15:19 The Cultural Evolution of Rebellion 00:19:00 Why Artists and Musicians Struggle with Addiction 00:22:30 Kurt Cobain and the Romanticism of Pain 00:30:17 October 17th, 2010: Randy's Last Day Drinking 00:37:04 The Brutal Reality of Getting Sober 00:25:44 Creativity After Sobriety 00:42:16 Balancing Two Extremes: Optimism and Nihilism 00:47:45 Why Metal Heads Are Actually the Nicest People 00:51:44 Arrested in Prague: The Nightmare Begins 00:55:42 37 Days in Pankrac Prison 01:00:26 The Artist's Mind in Crisis 00:58:34 Why Randy Went Back to Face Trial 01:06:27 Lessons from Prison: Perspective and Gratitude 01:10:13 Advice for Young Creatives: Practice and Don't Give a Fuck 01:12:51 The Reality Check: Beer Bottles and Middle Fingers ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Self-help is supposed to, you know, help. But what if, sometimes, it actually makes things worse? In this episode, we take a hard look at the self-improvement industry that promises transformation but often sells little more than feel-good illusions. From outdated advice that preys on your insecurities to the dopamine hit of "life-changing" content that changes nothing, we break down why self-help often fails the people who need it most. Along with unpacking the biggest traps of self-improvement, Drew and I also tackle whether or not minimalism was just an aesthetic rebellion against our parents’ McMansion dreams. We were both once staunch minimalists and we look back on what we learned and what principles still apply to our lives today. We wrap up with a listener question about the ethics of going to church if you’re an atheist. It’s another grab bag episode full of rabbit holes. Check it out. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Chair Situation and What's Coming 00:00:31 Five Problems with the Self-Help Industry 00:03:07 Bad to Okay vs. Okay to Great: Two Different Audiences 00:05:33 The Shame Trap: When Self-Help Makes You Feel Worse 00:07:41 The Codependency Problem and Who We're Really Helping 00:10:08 Self-Help as Avoidance: Learning vs. Doing 00:13:51 The Magic Bullet Myth: Unrealistic Marketing Expectations 00:17:06 The Science Problem: Replication Crisis and What Actually Works 00:18:29 Treating Yourself as an Experiment 00:22:29 The Self-Acceptance Paradox: Revisiting the Fifth Problem 00:25:15 Minimalism: Our Personal Journey 00:26:29 The Cultural Context: Why Minimalism Became a Trend 00:30:37 The Benefits and Downsides of Owning Less 00:34:07 Minimalism as Identity: The Status Symbol Problem 00:34:49 Sentimentality and Objects: When Things Matter 00:33:22 The Real Lesson: Anti-Consumerism, Not Minimalism 00:40:52 Listener Question: Can Atheists Go to Church? 00:44:21 The Church-Sized Hole in Society 00:49:22 Why Strict Beliefs Create Stronger Communities 00:51:30 Wisdom of the Week: Carl Rogers on Self-Acceptance ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

We all compare ourselves to other people—our friends, coworkers, strangers on the internet—and most of the time, it makes us feel like shit. But why do we keep doing it? In this episode of Solved, we dig into the uncomfortable truth behind social comparison, how it quietly ruins our self-worth, and why most of what we envy in others is a projection of our own insecurity. We also get into the brutal paradox of success, the toxic loop of chasing status, and how the constant measurement of our lives against others is one of the dumbest things we do as a species. If you’ve ever felt not good enough, or like you’re falling behind, this one’s for you. Get your free PDF guide: https://solvedpodcast.com/socialcomparison CHAPTERS (00:00) Introduction (05:29) Evolutionary Roots (20:18) Philosophy and Social Comparison (48:37) The Psychology of Social Comparison (01:22:19) Digital Technology and Social Comparison (01:44:20) The 80/20 of Managing Comparison ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Australia, you absolute legends. Back in November, I did a speaking tour across seven cities, talking to thousands of you about life, purpose, relationships, and why giving fewer fucks is the key to actually living a life you don’t hate. We recorded some of the best Q&A moments to share with you here on the podcast. We diving into the big existential stuff—how to stop procrastinating, how to know if a relationship is right for you, and whether Australia’s ban on social media for kids is actually a good thing or not. We’ll also talk about the brutal truth behind imposter syndrome, how to stop caring so much about what other people think, and one thing that actually helps you figure out what the hell you should be doing with your life. Plus, I’ll share some hard-earned wisdom on drinking, quitting, and why people stay in bad relationships way too long. So if you’ve ever felt stuck, lost, or just overwhelmed by the sheer absurdity of life, this one’s for you. Hit play and let’s get into it. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Live from Australia 00:02:00 Finding What Truly Matters in Life 00:03:46 The Real Reason We Procrastinate 00:07:27 Healing From Trauma: Rebuilding Trust in the World 00:09:46 The Experiment Framework: How Long to Try 00:13:19 Stop Caring What Others Think 00:14:43 Killing Old Versions of Yourself 00:16:35 The Secret to a Long-Term Successful Marriage 00:19:44 Relationship Uncertainty: Will They Come Back? 00:22:17 Bad Behavior and the 2024 Election 00:26:12 Trade-Offs With Outsized Returns 00:28:58 Parenting Advice: Raising Kids With Healthy Values 00:32:00 Turning Imposter Syndrome Into Motivation 00:34:03 Relationship Expectations: What You Deserve 00:35:39 The Problem With Too Much Empathy 00:39:00 Australia's Social Media Ban for Kids Under 16 00:40:53 Life Advice for a 16-Year-Old 00:42:47 Escaping Analysis Paralysis 00:44:41 Caring Too Much at 15: Social Pressure at School 00:47:19 Staying Relevant in the Age of AI 00:49:23 The Paradox of Good People Who Don't Feel Good 00:51:35 Stop Searching for Purpose: Make It Instead 00:54:41 When Support Becomes a Prison 00:57:47 Overcoming Failure After Failure 01:00:37 Finding Hope When the World Feels Depressing 01:04:40 Death, Grief, and Memento Mori ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Today, I sit down with Arthur Brooks, a renowned social scientist and happiness expert, for a deep dive into the realms of meaning, faith, and love. Our conversation takes unexpected turns as we explore the intersection of spirituality, psychology, and personal growth. From discussing the evolutionary roots of our search for meaning to examining the role of faith in modern life, this episode challenges conventional wisdom and offers fresh perspectives on age-old questions. We cover a wide range of topics, including the importance of boredom in fostering creativity, the dangers of political activism as a substitute for religion, and the keys to a successful marriage. Arthur shares insights from his work with the Dalai Lama, explains why young men are increasingly turning to religion, and offers advice on finding meaning in a world dominated by technology. Whether you're grappling with questions of faith, seeking to understand the nature of love, or simply looking for ways to live a more fulfilling life, this conversation will leave you with plenty to ponder and explore further. Arthur’s latest book with Oprah Winfrey: Build the Life You Want: https://www.amazon.com/Build-Life-You-Want-Science-ebook/dp/B0C38FCTJC All of Arthur’s books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Arthur-C.-Brooks/author/B001HOU7RE Arthur’s online workshop: https://www.scienceofhappier.com/ Arthur’s newsletter: https://arthurbrooks.com/newsletter Arthur’s column in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/how-build-life/ Follow Arthur: https://www.instagram.com/arthurcbrooks/ https://www.facebook.com/ArthurBrooks/ https://x.com/arthurbrooks https://www.tiktok.com/@arthurcbrooks CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Two Former Musicians Walk Into a Studio 00:00:45 The Super Striver Kid: When Ambition Replaces Meaning 00:03:38 The Identity Trap: When You Become What You Do 00:06:36 The Evolutionary Tension: Acclaim vs. Meaning 00:08:43 The Limbic System vs. The Prefrontal Cortex 00:11:55 The Meaning Crisis: When Your Life Feels Pointless 00:13:08 The Boredom Solution: Why You Need to Be Bored More 00:15:34 Coherence vs. Chaos: The Information Abundance Problem 00:17:19 The Default Mode Network: Where Your Best Ideas Come From 00:18:29 Leisure as Meaning: Joseph Pieper and Structured Downtime 00:21:50 The Rise of Religiosity: Bible Sales and the Hunger for Depth 00:24:45 Young Men and the Meaning Crisis: Why Gender Divergence Is Happening 00:26:28 The Domestication Problem: Men at 30 and Substance Abuse 00:27:38 Church as the New Dating App: Why It's Getting Cool Again 00:28:45 The Genetic Component: Why People Return to Childhood Religion 00:30:26 Mark's Religious Journey: From Resentful Atheist to Intellectually Curious 00:33:57 The Emotional Relationship Fallacy: Why You Don't Need Certainty 00:35:29 Meaning Comes From Understanding, Not Answers 00:37:10 The Tangible vs. The Abstract: Is God Like Your Wife? 00:42:29 Neti Neti and the Via Negativa: Defining God by What It's Not 00:43:23 Transcendence: The Secret to Happiness 00:45:00 The Dalai Lama and the Earthrise Photo: Getting Small 00:47:25 The I Self vs. The Me Self: Where We Spend Our Attention 00:48:45 Childish Spirituality vs. Mature Faith: What Healthy Religion Looks Like 00:49:46 Politics as Substitute Religion: The Dark Side of Activism 00:50:34 Love and Contemplation: The Two Pillars of Healthy Religion 00:52:18 Fitness Cults and Marketing Religiosity: Missing the Point 00:53:35 Toxic Family vs. Political Schism: When to Cut People Off 00:56:33 Dark Triad Political Activists: How to Spot a Cult Leader 00:59:45 Virtual Cults: Why Internet Extremism Is Weaker Than You Think 01:01:39 Startups vs. Mergers: Why Most Successful Marriages Begin Young 01:02:20 The Hive Mind Marriage: Why Separate Bank Accounts Are Problematic 01:04:30 Men Fall Apart Alone: The Gender Divide in Singleness 01:05:44 Companionate Love: Your Spouse as Your Best Friend 01:07:25 The Spiritual Journey Together: Lewis and Clark Looking for the Pacific 01:08:59 Marriage Blindsided Me: The Permanence I Feared Became the Benefit 01:10:34 The Divorce Rate Myth: Your Odds Are Better Than You Think ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Drew comes in hot today as we dig into the nitty gritty of confidence and motivation. We explore the counterintuitive idea that true confidence doesn't come from expecting success, but from being comfortable with failure. If you've ever struggled with self-doubt or felt demotivated despite external achievements, this episode might just change your perspective. We start by dissecting what I call the "Confidence Conundrum" and how it applies to various aspects of life, from business to relationships. Then, we challenge some long-held beliefs about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, discussing research that questions the idea that external rewards always undermine our natural interests. We wrap up with a thought-provoking exploration of Internal Family Systems theory and how understanding the different "parts" of our psyche can lead to greater self-integration. This is a grab bag episode that we had a lot of fun with, so I hope you enjoy it CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Drew Comes In Hot 00:01:29 The Confidence Conundrum Explained 00:04:02 Why External Success Doesn't Create Confidence 00:06:04 The Delusion Question: Startup Founders vs. High Earners 00:08:01 Why Affirmations and External Self-Improvement Fail 00:10:35 Being Comfortable With What You Lack 00:15:47 The Rejection Story: How Mark Met His Wife 00:18:51 The Route to Positivity Runs Through Negativity 00:20:07 Brilliant or Bullshit: The Motivation Puzzle 00:22:21 Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation Defined 00:24:25 Philip Pokes Holes in Motivation Theory 00:28:47 The Laboratory Problem: Are We Measuring What We Think? 00:34:37 Rewards as Distractions, Not Demotivators 00:36:35 Two Different Activities: The Woodworking Example 00:38:32 The Takeaway: When External Rewards Change the Game 00:39:56 Question of the Week: Understanding Your Parts 00:41:01 How Parts Work: The Conservative Family vs. Sex Worker Example 00:43:26 Drew's Personal Experience: Anxious vs. Avoidant Parts 00:45:55 The Professional vs. Personal Self 00:47:05 Why Parts Work Finally Caught On 00:49:40 Wisdom of the Week: Ralph Waldo Emerson ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Today, I'm joined by my old friend Tim Urban, the mastermind behind the wildly popular blog Wait But Why. Known for his ability to break down complex topics with humor and stick-figure drawings, Tim has captured the attention of millions worldwide. From his early days as a blogger to the release of his first book, "What's Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies," Tim has consistently delivered thought-provoking content that challenges our understanding of the world around us. In this episode, we dive into pressing issues like unfettered tribalism, the concept of "idea prisons," and the potential impact of AI on society. Tim also shares personal insights as a new parent and teases his upcoming book. It'll challenge your perspectives and leave you craving more of Tim's signature blend of depth, wit, and accessibility. Don't miss this captivating conversation that tackles the complexities of our modern world head-on. Tim’s blog: Wait, But Why?: https://waitbutwhy.com/ Tim’s book: What’s Our Problem: https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Our-Problem-Self-Help-Societies-ebook/dp/B0BTJCTR58 Follow Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timurban https://x.com/waitbutwhy https://www.facebook.com/waitbutwhy CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Tim Urban and Why Everyone Lost Their Minds 00:02:04 The Idea Prison Test: What Have You Changed Your Mind About? 00:03:00 Democrats, Republicans, and the Noun Prison 00:04:01 Sports Tribalism vs. Political Tribalism 00:05:33 How Tim Escaped His Own Idea Prison 00:07:15 Religion, Atheism, and the Wisdom Tim Missed 00:09:49 The Vertical vs. Horizontal Distinction in Politics 00:11:57 Are We Past Peak Tribalism? 00:12:31 Historical Patterns: The Red Scare and Salem Witch Trials 00:13:24 When the Primitive Mind Takes Over 00:14:59 The Wokeness Wave: A Crazy Thing That Happened 00:16:44 Social Media: The Root Cause That Remains 00:18:50 The Environmental Shift: New Media, New Power Dynamics 00:20:10 Developing Antibodies: Why It Takes a Generation 00:21:49 Mad Men and the Low-Hanging Fruit of New Media 00:23:02 Evolution, Power Vacuums, and the Iron Age Analogy 00:25:15 The Follower Economy and Algorithm Incentives 00:26:47 AI: The Next Cycle Before We've Finished This One 00:28:30 Will AI Solve or Worsen Our Information Problem? 00:30:30 The Alien Attack Solution and Productive Tribalism 00:31:56 When Information Becomes Universal and Free 00:32:57 Democracy, Facts, and the Will of the People 00:34:44 MSNBC, Fox News, and the Misinformation Business Model 00:36:10 The Three Tiers of Tribalism 00:37:20 When National Threats Disappear 00:38:30 Latin America, the Middle East, and Tribalism Geography 00:41:32 Parenthood: The Massive Pile of Pros and Cons 00:42:29 Pure Love and Low IQ Company 00:46:27 The Temporary Loss of Freedom 00:47:59 The History of Everything: Tim's Next Book 00:48:56 The Hell of Book Writing and the Freedom of Not ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Ever feel like culture’s splitting into countless micro-worlds where everyone’s just vibing to their own thing? In this episode, I introduce my theory on the "Jazzification of Everything." Drew and I dive into how our subcultures of music, entertainment, and even personal obsessions have evolved into these aging communities, totally detached from the cultural monocultures of the past. Whether it’s metal fans in their forties or electronic music lovers growing older with their favorite DJs, we explore how the media landscape and algorithms have encouraged us to stick to what we know—and why this shift could be both a gift and a curse. We also dig into why “premium mediocre” is taking over our consumer habits, and whether or not that’s actually a bad thing. We discuss how these tiny, exclusive-seeming trends might be fooling us, offering superficial luxuries instead of anything truly valuable. We cap it off with a big question about whether chasing after anything is worth it, or if we’re just dooming ourselves to disappointment. Give it a listen. Enjoy. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 The Jazzification of Everything: A Cultural Theory 00:00:25 Metal Shows, Electronic Music, and Middle-Aged Audiences 00:01:43 When Jazz Was Cool: The Birth of Subcultures 00:03:40 The Death of Monoculture and Cultural Balkanization 00:10:00 The Phone Problem: Recording vs. Experiencing Concerts 00:17:24 Digital Pacifiers and Avoiding Discomfort 00:21:07 Premium Mediocre: The Concept Explained 00:26:19 Why Everything Feels Like a Lie: Millennial Cynicism 00:28:29 Premium Mediocre Politics, Media, and Modern Life 00:30:25 The Maya Millennial and Aspirational Consumption 00:31:29 WeWork and the Premium Mediocre Business Model 00:33:45 The Innovation Problem: Solving Fake Problems 00:35:56 Choosing Your Suck: Why Chase Anything at All? 00:37:29 The Masochist Question: What Pain Do You Enjoy? 00:39:13 Over-Indexing on Meaning: The New Trap ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

In this special New Year's episode of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck podcast, we dive into the perennial challenge of making meaningful changes in our lives. Rather than falling into the typical "new year, new you" trap that leads most people to abandon their resolutions by February, Drew and I explore a different approach to personal transformation. We share our own struggles with perfectionism, control, and finding purpose. We also dig into some research about how evolution may have shaped our sense of purpose, the science of habit formation, and offer practical strategies for making lasting changes. Whether you're setting goals for the new year or just trying to build better habits, this episode will help you approach personal growth with more wisdom and less pressure in 2025. Enjoy. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: New Year, New You... Again 00:02:18 Last Year's Resolutions: How Did We Do? 00:03:39 The Fuck of the Year: Drew's Battle with Perfectionism 00:06:24 Making Abstract Goals Concrete: The Action Plan 00:11:52 Mark's Fuck of the Year: Letting Go of Control 00:14:58 The Terror of Transformation: Loss Aversion and Career Evolution 00:17:43 Team Safe Words and Delegation Struggles 00:20:17 Brilliant or Bullshit: Evolution Gave Us Purpose 00:26:26 The Status Paradox and Religious Communities 00:33:09 Purpose Isn't Always Pleasant: The Ethics Question 00:34:30 The Verdict: Small Improvements Beat Big Dreams 00:36:46 Listener Question: Why Are Bad Habits So Easy? 00:39:41 The Habit Loop: Modifying Cues and Adding Friction 00:43:42 Treating Symptoms vs. Root Causes: The Emotional Triggers 00:47:57 The Comfort Zone Problem and Meta Emotions 00:51:40 Outro: Wisdom of the Week Fail ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

This week, we dive headfirst into the messy, uncomfortable topic of regret. From the aches and grays that come with hitting a new decade to the deeper realizations about relationships, selfish mistakes, and missed opportunities, we unpack how regret shapes who we are. And there's a twist: what if regret isn’t something to fear or avoid? What if it’s a tool for growth? I share my own stories of taking people for granted, self-destructive habits, and the lessons I’ve learned about self-forgiveness and choosing your regrets wisely. We also tackle some fascinating questions about whether empathy is actually good for society. Is it always a good thing, or can it sometimes lead us astray? To round things off, we share our thoughts on AI and its impact on creativity and human connection. Enjoy. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to 40: Turning Points and Reflection 00:02:10 The Regret Conversation: Looking Back on Life at 40 00:03:15 Identity and Experience: Why Mark Doesn't Do Regret 00:04:48 The Five Regrets of the Dying and What They Reveal 00:07:42 Taking People for Granted: Drew's Biggest Regret 00:09:11 The Disrespect Factor: When Young Mark Was a Dick 00:11:44 Health Regrets and Ignoring Your Own Advice 00:15:45 Self-Forgiveness and Moving Forward from Regret 00:18:20 Brilliant or Bullshit: Is Empathy Overrated? 00:19:23 The Rise of Empathy in Gen Z and What It Means 00:22:14 When Empathy Blinds You: The Spotlight Effect 00:25:50 The George Floyd Effect: When Empathy Backfires 00:27:45 Cognitive vs. Emotional Empathy and Effective Altruism 00:33:02 How Netflix Manipulates Your Empathy for Serial Killers 00:37:15 Empathy's Proper Place: Small, Local, and Personal 00:38:43 AI and Creativity: What's the New Scarcity? 00:41:10 The Two Internets: Machine Internet vs. Human Internet 00:42:58 Why Magnus Carlsen Matters More Than Chess Software 00:44:39 Reddit, Live Events, and the Return to Human Connection 00:48:23 Using AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement 00:49:51 Wisdom of the Week: Regret for Wasted Time ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Today, we dive into the fascinating world of luck, risk, and how they shape our lives. We explore the delicate balance between playing it safe and taking chances, and why understanding this balance is crucial for personal growth. If you've ever wondered whether you're too cautious or not cautious enough, then strap in for this one. We dig into the psychology of luck, examining how our perceptions influence our outcomes, and why taking calculated risks can lead to outsized returns. We also tackle the tough question of how to cope with life's inevitable hardships. Hopefully this gives you a fresh perspective on risk-taking and a new appreciation for the role of chance in your life. Enjoy. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 The Tesla Disaster and the Doghouse 00:02:22 The Fuck of the Week: How Lucky Are You? 00:03:17 Luck Is Just Risk Management 00:05:21 The Four Ways to Create Your Own Luck 00:10:30 Counterfactual Thinking: It Could Always Be Worse 00:13:56 The Natural Fail Rate of Life 00:15:21 Poker and Thinking in Probabilities 00:17:44 Are We All Chicken Shits? The Risk Aversion Crisis 00:21:37 The Equilibrium of Risk: Fewer Risk-Takers, Bigger Rewards 00:24:54 How Mark Analyzes Risk: The Analytical and Qualitative Sides 00:27:25 The Most Important Question: What Do You Gain If You Fail? 00:30:04 Asymmetric Risk: When the Upside Crushes the Downside 00:32:23 Taking At-Bats: Why You Need to Try 100 Times 00:34:13 How Do You Accept That Life Will Always Hurt? 00:35:06 The Fail Rate of Being Human 00:40:10 The Two Arrows of Pain: Event vs. Meaning 00:41:38 Why Do Good Things Happen to Bad People? ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

You ever notice how some people can’t stand being told what to do—even when the advice is good? Yeah, that’s me. In this episode, Drew and I dig into why so many of us rebel against advice, why others chase it like their life depends on it, and whether all that “actionable advice” we’re constantly fed is actually helping anyone. Spoiler: I’m not a fan of cookie-cutter solutions, and I’ve got some opinions about the self-help industry’s obsession with telling people exactly what to do. We also get into the bigger picture—how advice often misses the mark when it’s not tailored to someone’s unique situation, and how therapy culture might be trying to replace something deeper that’s missing in our lives. I’ll share why I don’t give rigid life hacks, the trouble with universal solutions, and the surprising reason why most breakthroughs aren’t about the advice at all. If you’re tired of “do this, don’t do that” advice, this one’s for you. Enjoy. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Compulsive Contrarian 00:02:30 The Problem with Actionable Advice 00:04:09 Why One-Size-Fits-All Advice Fails 00:06:44 Bad to Okay vs. Good to Great 00:09:05 All Advice Is Autobiographical 00:13:16 The Boring Truth About What Actually Works 00:16:50 Self-Help as Entertainment and Hobby 00:20:12 Therapy vs. Therapy Culture 00:24:26 Why Therapy Doesn't Scale 00:29:05 The New Morality of Self-Fulfillment 00:31:55 The Pendulum: Self-Indulgence to Self-Denial 00:35:46 Taking Your Own Medicine 00:39:30 The Materialism Trap 00:41:53 Wisdom of the Week: Advice Like Snow ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Have you ever felt like there’s more to life than the daily grind, like your dreams are buried under all the obligations and expectations life throws at you? In this episode, we sit down with The Buried Life co-founder and New York Times bestselling author, Ben Nemtin, to explore why so many of us feel disconnected from our true purpose—and how to reclaim it. For Ben, it all started as a group of friends chasing wild bucket-list dreams and helping strangers achieve their dreams too. In the process, they discovered what it means to give yourself permission to dream and then make those dreams a reality. We dive deep into the psychology of fear, the power of accountability, and the surprising benefits of doing what you love—not just for yourself, but for everyone around you. We discuss why most people regret not living authentically, how to overcome the social and emotional barriers holding you back, and practical strategies for rediscovering your dreams, even if they’ve been buried for years. If you’re looking for inspiration to take that first small step toward a life that feels truly yours, this episode will get you there. Enjoy. Ben’s Stuff: The Bucket List Journal by Ben Nemtin: https://www.amazon.com/Bucket-List-Journal-Achieve-Fulfilling/dp/B09VX2LMY2 The Buried Life (TV Show): https://www.bennemtin.com/tv-show/ The Buried Life (Poem): https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43585/the-buried-life Ben’s Website: https://www.bennemtin.comBen’s TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6Y7mfxEaco Follow Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennemtin https://www.instagram.com/bennemtin https://twitter.com/BenNemtin https://www.facebook.com/Nemtin/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5l2kfhEEEXLm2HlRXRVzbw CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Buried Life Origin Story 00:03:17 The Two-Week Road Trip That Changed Everything 00:07:40 The Ripple Effect: When Doing What You Love Inspires Others 00:09:18 The Biggest Human Regret: Not Living Authentically 00:12:09 From Crazy MTV Stunts to Playing Basketball with Obama 00:18:53 Purpose Isn't One Thing: Following Feelings Over Logic 00:21:25 The Authentic Self Is a Moving Target 00:23:03 Recycling Careers and Relationships: Learning From Uncle Bill 00:25:40 Why Do We Feel So Buried? The Death Perspective 00:30:01 Depression and Living Out of Alignment 00:31:51 Happiness Is Moving Toward Your Potential 00:33:19 Step One: Write Down Your Dreams in 10 Life Categories 00:36:08 The Power of Accountability: How Ben Survived Depression 00:38:13 Building Accountability: Share, Ask for Help, Find Your Buddy 00:40:54 Getting Unstuck: Action Creates Inspiration, Not the Other Way Around 00:45:38 Fear Is Your Friend: Delineating Fear From Risk 00:47:50 The TEDx Talk That Failed (But Changed Everything) 00:48:26 Leveraging Emotion: Turning Pro and Following Your Internal Compass 00:50:56 When You Don't Know What You Want: Start With Experiments 00:52:57 The Ripple Effect of a Failed Clothing Line 00:55:55 The Homeless Shelter Story: The First Time They Helped Someone 00:57:37 The Bucket List Journal: A Roadmap to Your Authentic Life ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Friendship is the most important thing nobody talks about. From ancient philosophy to game theory, we break down why friendship isn’t just some social nicety—it’s a biological survival strategy. Plus: the modern forces slowly strangling our ability to connect, and exactly what to do about it. You’ll walk away with a clearer sense of what real friendship looks like, how to build it, and how to stop shooting yourself in the foot every time you try. Get your free PDF guide: https://solvedpodcast.com/friendship CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Introduction (00:04:44) Reframing Resilience: Definitions & Misconceptions (00:23:50) Developmental and Biological Foundations of Resilience (00:38:54) Biological & Physiological Foundations (01:17:17) Psychological, Philosophical & Evidence-Based Frameworks (02:27:00) Sociocultural & Community Dimensions (02:57:28)The 80/20 of Becoming More Resilient ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life has a way of just kind of happening to you. And while exactly what happens is unique to each of us, we all seem to go through very similar stages of our lives. Today, we talk about the challenges of these stages. Each stage comes with its own “crisis” that, if navigated well, can propel us to the next stage. It is this never-ending struggle where life happens. And then… Drew gets all new age and Mark just isn’t having it. And we round it out with a very simple, yet very difficult question from a listener: How much is enough? Enjoy. The Four Stages of Life by Mark Manson:https://markmanson.net/four-stages-of-life The Art of the Interesting by Lorraine Besser: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Interesting-What-Pursuit-Cultivate/dp/1538743205 CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Tolerance Paradox 00:02:46 The Four Stages of Life Framework 00:04:21 Stage One: Mimicry and the Crisis of Identity 00:06:53 Stage Two: Exploration and the Novelty Trap 00:09:47 Peter Pan Syndrome and Extended Adolescence 00:10:51 Stage Three: Commitment and Deep Meaning 00:12:59 Stage Four: Legacy and Acceptance 00:15:55 The Pain of Transition Between Stages 00:22:46 Your Relationship With Time Completely Changes 00:25:05 Brilliant or Bullshit: Psychological Richness 00:29:57 The Diversified Happiness Portfolio Theory 00:36:58 How Much Is Enough? 00:41:03 When 'Never Enough' Becomes Your Superpower 00:43:10 Wisdom of the Week: Toni Morrison on Beauty ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Wouldn’t it be great if we dropped all the bullsh*t about modern dating? No more games. No more fake, flaky people. No more texting back and forth for weeks or even months only to find out you have zero chemistry when you meet up in person. No more f*cking bots and AI generated dating profiles… Sabrina Zohar definitely thinks we can skip all of it and get right down to the fun stuff (oh yeah, baby!). All it requires is brutal honesty with yourself and the people you’re interested in. So if you can stomach that, this episode is right up your alley. We ask Sabrina: What does your attachment style really tell you about how you should date? Are dating apps really that terrible, or can we change the way we use them to get better results? And do we have high standards, or are our expectations just too f*cking high And a whole lot more. We had a lot of fun in the studio with Sabrina. I hope you enjoy it too. About Sabrina Zohar Sabrina Zohar is the multi-faceted entrepreneur and media figure responsible for coaching hundreds of thousands of people to start doing the work to improve their dating life, their relationships with others–and more importantly: their relationships with themselves. Sabrina’s online presence shifted from talking about her sustainable clothing line, SoftWear, to sharing about her personal dating life. Sabrina’s message spread like wildfire, and the rest is history. Sabrina’s message has earned her features in NBC California live, The LA times, The Drew Barrymore show, Daily Mail, Newsweek, US Sun, Yahoo, MSN, and more. Sabrina is a multi-faceted force guiding individuals to success in the entrepreneurial space, fashion, podcasting and media, and of course, the intricate world of love and relationships. Sabrina’s website: https://www.sabrinazohar.com/ The Sabrina Zohar Show Podcast: https://www.sabrinazohar.com/podcast Follow Sabrina: https://www.tiktok.com/@sabrina.zohar https://www.instagram.com/sabrina.zohar https://www.youtube.com/@Sabrina_zohar CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Meet Sabrina Zohar 00:00:56 From Fashion to Dating Advice: Sabrina's Origin Story 00:03:27 The Biggest Surprise: People Don't Know Their Own Power 00:04:22 Fuck of the Week: Attachment Styles 00:06:04 Breaking Down the Four Attachment Styles 00:08:39 The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Labels 00:10:45 Two Insecure People Can Heal Together 00:12:20 The Texting Boundary That Changed Everything 00:15:00 Stop Self-Identifying With Your Trauma 00:16:12 Dating Apps: Too Many Exits, Not Enough Effort 00:17:26 The Apps Aren't the Problem, You Are 00:20:38 Brilliant or Bullshit: Are Dating Apps Dying? 00:28:03 The Facsimile of Intimacy: Digital Relationships 00:33:17 Chat GPT Is Ruining Human Connection 00:35:00 The Fragility Epidemic: Ghosting and Emotional Safetyism 00:44:24 Audience Question: When Standards Are Too High 00:48:01 Expectations vs Non-Negotiables 00:50:15 The Fear of Communicating Needs 00:53:25 Rejection Is Redirection 00:54:14 Know What You Want: The Life You're Building 00:55:19 Wrap Up and Where to Find Sabrina ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Today, we’re diving deep into the subtle difference between a healthy routine and a rut. How can you tell if your daily grind is keeping you grounded… or just grinding you down? Next, we tackle the question of boredom: Why does it feel so unbearable, and could we actually be missing out on its hidden perks? Spoiler alert—boredom might just be the key to unlocking your most creative, inspired self. Finally, we confront one of life’s biggest dilemmas: When is it time to walk away, and when should you double down? Whether it’s a project that’s going nowhere or a relationship that feels like it’s on life support, we’ll give you insights on knowing when to quit and when to stick it out. Enjoy. Brilliant or Bullshit Paper: Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4330241/ CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Am I Becoming a Boring Person? 00:01:11 When Does a Routine Become a Rut? 00:02:53 The Alcohol Factor: Craving Novelty vs. Craving Stability 00:03:41 Fear vs. Optimization: Defining the Difference 00:04:22 The Immanuel Kant Paradox: Genius in Repetition 00:07:07 The Four Stages of Life: From Mimicry to Legacy 00:09:53 Marriage Problems and the Say Yes Strategy 00:13:54 The Seasonality of Chaos: Flipping the Card Green 00:16:44 Is It Brilliant or Bullshit: The Electric Shock Study 00:18:11 Why Boredom Is Actually Painful 00:24:18 Raw Dogging Flights: The New Machismo 00:26:25 Boredom as Competitive Advantage 00:27:44 Q and A: The Rules of Quitting—When to Quit and When to Grit 00:28:54 The Momentum Test: Is Your Rock Going Uphill or Downhill? 00:31:03 The Bukowski Exception: When Outliers Break the Rules 00:31:46 Creative Pursuits vs. Professional Pursuits: Different Equations 00:33:04 The Tim Ferriss Question: Where Does Failure Teach You Most? 00:35:01 Relationships and the Rock Going Downhill 00:37:14 Hard Work Redefined: When 12 Hours Feels Easier Than 4 00:39:25 The Grammy Winner Who Never Felt Burnt Out 00:42:04 Grit Only Works in the Right Direction 00:42:34 Wisdom of the Week: Escalators and the Art of Quitting ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

What are you called to do in life? What is your life’s task? And once you figure that out, how do you pursue it? The one and only Robert Greene sat down with us on the pod to talk about all of these questions and a whole more. We discuss finding and pursuing one’s life task, the nature and causes of “Peter Pan Syndrome”, science vs timeless wisdom on life, figuring out what do in midlife after you’ve taken the wrong path, and a much more. Enjoy. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Robert Greene in the Flesh 00:00:43 The Resurgence of The 48 Laws of Power 00:05:57 The Dark Side vs. The Real Robert 00:08:11 The Theatrical Nature of Social Life 00:09:22 Finding Your Life's Task: Robert's Journey 00:12:58 Reading the Signs: Positive and Negative Feedback 00:15:10 Persistence vs. Knowing When to Pivot 00:18:00 The Pain You Enjoy: Finding Your True Work 00:21:43 Reconnecting With Your Life's Task 00:25:25 The Five Forms of Intelligence 00:29:13 Brilliant or Bullshit: Peter Pan Syndrome 00:32:00 The Problem With Positive Masculinity 00:37:33 Too Much Talking, Not Enough Acting 00:38:23 Life as a Game: Get Out and Play 00:42:25 Listener Questions: Science vs. Timeless Wisdom 00:44:06 The Problem With Big Data and Algorithms 00:51:09 Starting Over at 35: Building From What You Have 00:57:00 The Midlife Crisis: Is This It? 01:00:37 Finding the Sublime: Robert's Next Book 01:03:26 Closing Thoughts and What's Next ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

It's hard enough to change, but why it is so hard to maintain that change too? How might psychedelics facilitate big changes in our lives? And how can young men find healthy role models in the modern world? In this week's pod, we cover my current struggles around keeping a healthy diet and lifestyle, how psychedelics might actually scramble your brain (in a good way), and why so many young men are struggling to find a place in the world today. Enjoy. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Men's Groups and the Weight Struggle 00:01:07 The Two Levels of Failure: Emotion vs. Narrative 00:02:33 Mark's Personal Weight Journey: Five Years and 60 Pounds 00:03:43 The Training Wheels Come Off: Old Habits Creeping Back 00:05:29 Food Addiction: The One Area That Won't Quit 00:07:13 Relapses Are Part of Recovery: Brandon Novak and the Process 00:13:20 Brilliance or Bullshit: Psychedelics and Brain Rewiring 00:15:32 Neuroplasticity and the Promise of Psychedelics 00:18:12 Psychedelics as Tools: Set, Setting, and Intention Matter 00:22:04 The Dark Side: When Psychedelics Make You Believe Everything 00:24:33 Audience Question: Growing Up Without a Father Figure 00:26:01 The Male Role: Be Useful and Add Value 00:28:08 Men Are Disposable: Make Yourself Indispensable 00:29:54 The Absent Father Crisis and Its Consequences 00:33:26 Finding Role Models Online: Navigating the Manosphere 00:34:55 The Andrew Tate Test: Turn Off the Sound and Watch Their Face 00:37:26 Wisdom of the Week: The Buddha on Self-Conquest 00:37:39 Closing Thoughts and How to Reach the Show ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Why can’t we just do the things we know we should do? It’s a simple question with a very complex answer. To help us answer it, I sat down with my old friend, Nir Eyal, a behavioral design expert and author of the best-selling book, Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. I love Nir’s approach because he doesn’t linger on the surface of the problem of distraction by hocking the latest app or hack or fancy new time management method. Instead, he dives right into the thorny emotional realities we all face in trying to lead productive, meaningful lives. In this episode, we talk about what it means to be “indistractable” and how it’s probably the most important skill of the 21st century. We also get Nir’s take on the role of social media in our lives (his views on this might surprise you). And finally, he answers that timeless question: Why don’t we just do what we know we should do? Enjoy. About Nir Eyal Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. Nir previously taught as a Lecturer in Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. He is the author of two bestselling books, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. His books have resonated with readers worldwide, selling over 1 million copies in over 30 languages. Nir’s book, Indistractable: http://geni.us/indistractable Nir on time boxing: https://www.nirandfar.com/timeboxing/ Nir on values: https://www.nirandfar.com/common-values/ Nir’s free schedule maker: https://www.nirandfar.com/schedule-maker/ More articles by Nir: https://www.nirandfar.com/best-articles/ CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Writing Partnership That Solved Distraction 00:02:32 What Is Indistractable? The Skill of the Century 00:05:32 Traction vs. Distraction: The Power of Intent 00:08:41 Internal Triggers: The Real Source of 90% of Distractions 00:10:24 Self-Awareness and the Path to Mastering Internal Triggers 00:12:22 Everything You Do Is About Escaping Discomfort 00:14:18 Why We Can't Sit Still: The Evolutionary Purpose of Boredom 00:16:10 The Goldilocks Zone of Pain and the Recipe for Burnout 00:18:27 Make Time for Traction: Why You Can't Call Something a Distraction 00:19:56 Time Boxing vs. To-Do Lists: The Productivity Debate 00:22:00 Brilliant or Bullshit: The Social Dilemma Documentary 00:22:58 The Social Media Debate: It's All Media, Not Just Social Media 00:29:47 The Three Psychological Nutrients Kids Are Missing 00:32:01 The Real Culprits: Standardized Testing, Hyper-Scheduling, and Lost Play 00:34:14 Video Games as Protection and the Myth of Stranger Danger 00:38:19 Legacy Media vs. New Media: Who's Really Causing Division? 00:42:37 Audience Question: How Do I Do What I Know I Should Do? 00:43:43 The Four Strategies in Action: From Internal Triggers to Pacts 00:45:06 The Right Metric of Success: Did I Work Without Distraction? 00:47:05 Mark's Struggle: Time Boxing vs. Word Count Goals 00:49:34 Be a Scientist, Not a Drill Sergeant: Flexibility in Time Boxing 00:52:14 Productivity Is Personal: Finding Your Optimal Tools 00:53:43 The Problem with Habits and Flow: Not Everything Can Be Easy 00:56:37 The 10-Minute Rule: Surfing the Urge to Distraction 00:59:03 Wisdom of the Week: The Cure for Boredom and Repeated Mistakes Follow Nir on social media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal/ https://www.youtube.com/user/nirandfar https://twitter.com/nireyal https://www.facebook.com/nirandfar/ http://instagram.com/neyal99 ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

How many f*cks should we give about politics? What’s driving the widening ideological gap between young men and women? And is the world truly and utterly f*cked beyond all recognition? In this episode, we talk politics without really talking politics. We cover how to stay up-to-date on current events without going insane, what history can teach us about the present, the real downside to TikTok’s invasion of—well, everything—and why there is still reason to hold out hope, even when it seems like the world is going straight to hell. Check it out. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Election Fatigue and the Fuck of the Week 00:02:08 Why the Person Matters Less Than the Party 00:05:39 The Local vs. Global Problem: Where Your Attention Should Go 00:08:17 Bad News Finds You, Good News Requires Effort 00:11:43 The Marketing Machine Behind Political Narratives 00:15:25 Brilliant or Bullshit: The Gender Political Divide 00:17:14 TikTok's For You Feed and the Psychograph Revolution 00:25:41 The Service Economy and the End of Men 00:30:33 Political Polarization as the New Bigotry 00:33:04 Q&A: Are We Numb to Tragedy? 00:35:12 Why News Makes You Less Informed 00:37:19 Read History, Not Headlines: The Pandemic Example 00:41:34 News Recommendations and Finding Apolitical Sources 00:47:04 Wisdom of the Week: Nothing Is New Under the Sun ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Cutting off bad or toxic parents is all the rage in some pockets of the internet these days—but have we lowered the bar a little too much for what makes a parent “toxic”? How can we navigate and own up to the hard conversations we need to have with the people closest to us? And is there a silver lining for putting up with family members who drive us absolutely f*cking insane? Join us on today’s pod as we get a little squirmy in our chairs while we tackle these issues. Drew squashes some beefs, Mark sniffs out some of the bullshit around cutting people off, and we answer one of your questions about dealing with those crazy people you just can’t get away from: your family. Enjoy. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Art of Difficult Conversations 00:01:36 The Sibling Beef: When Shared History Divides 00:03:42 Different Childhoods Under the Same Roof 00:06:17 The Go First Principle: How to Start Hard Conversations 00:09:14 When Speaking Up Makes Things Worse 00:10:46 The Strategic Value of Picking Fights When You're Young 00:13:35 Building Trust Through Confrontation 00:14:29 Family Versus Friends: Why Stakes Change Everything 00:16:19 The Intimacy-Conflict Paradox 00:18:03 The Addiction to Confrontation 00:21:08 Brilliant or Bullshit: Cutting Off Your Parents 00:22:50 The Last Resort Standard: When to Actually Cut Contact 00:23:49 Managing Exposure: The Middle Ground Nobody Talks About 00:26:23 Concept Creep: When Everyone's a Narcissist 00:29:50 The Value of Friction: What We Lost by Living Apart 00:31:13 The Cutting Off Epidemic: Friends, Not Just Family 00:32:27 When Annoying Becomes Friendship 00:34:18 Toxic Versus a Toxic Moment 00:36:42 Reader Question: Breaking Free Without Abandoning Family 00:37:38 You Can't Save Your Family 00:46:43 The Fantasy of Being the Savior 00:40:53 When Success Makes You the Enemy 00:43:27 The Threat to Identity 00:45:03 Dealing with Familial Guilt 00:49:47 The Small Town Mentality: Don't Get Too Big 00:53:14 Wisdom of the Week: Tolstoy on Unhappy Families ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

The quality of your life often comes down to the quality of the relationships you have. That’s why we’re giving a huge f*ck about friendship this week. While the benefits of having good friends are pretty obvious, the cost of maintaining friendships is often overlooked by a lot of people. We dive into that, plus some advice on when you should and shouldn’t cut off people in your life, and how friends and romantic partners really impact our happiness. Check it out. Here’s the paper we discuss:People perceive parasocial relationships to be effective at fulfilling emotional needs CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Mark’s Halloween Costume 00:01:34 The F*ck of the Week: How to Be a Better Friend 00:20:48 Brilliant or Bullsh*t: Cutting Off Parents, Family, or Friends 00:36:01 Q&A: Can You Be Happy Without Close Friends? Romantic Partners? ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.

Are you addicted to self-improvement? Are experts really any better than the rest of us at knowing how to make positive changes in our lives? What are some common pieces of life advice that just don't seem to work? Drew and I tackle all of these questions today in our brand new, updated format for the pod. Find out why self-help can turn into pseudo-religion (and why we should bring back exorcisms), whether or not a huge mega-study by a bunch of fancy experts can tell us anything about behavioral change, and some common self-improvement tropes that just don't do it for us. Here's the study we discuss: Megastudies improve the impact of appliedbehavioural science Let us know what you think of the new show format in the comments below. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 New show format 00:03:15 The F*ck of the Week: When self-improvement turns into addiction (or a cult) 00:17:06 Brilliant or Bullshit? Do experts actually know what they're talking about? 00:31:13 Your Questions Answered: Life advice that doesn't work? ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Theme song is "Icarus Lives" by Periphery.

What does it actually mean to live like a Stoic? In this wide-ranging conversation with bestselling author and modern Stoicism evangelist Ryan Holiday, we unpack the origins of Stoic philosophy, why it exploded during turbulent times in ancient Greece and Rome, and how its principles—like courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom—still apply in a world filled with chaos, anxiety, and uncertainty. From shipwrecked merchants to emperors journaling their fears, this episode explores why some of the most powerful figures in history turned to Stoicism not just for answers—but for survival. We also dig into how Stoicism overlaps with modern psychology, why it’s gaining traction among young men, and whether its rising popularity is being misunderstood or misused. If you’ve ever wondered whether Stoicism means being emotionless, if it’s compatible with ambition, or if it actually makes you a better person, this episode is your one-stop masterclass. Get your free PDF guide: https://solvedpodcast.com/stoicism ⇨ Order Ryan Holiday’s new book, Wisdom Takes Work: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Takes-Work-Repeat-Virtues/dp/0593191730 CHAPTERS (00:00) Introduction (02:49) Setting the Scene: Ancient Greece After Alexander (13:58) The Four Stoic Virtues (01:25:51) Roman Conquest and the Spread of Stoicism (01:39:06) Seneca: The Conflicted Philosopher (01:55:50) Epictetus: The Slave Philosopher (02:07:28) Marcus Aurelius: The Philosopher Emperor (02:20:18) Stoicism Through History (02:32:45): Stoicism and Modern Psychology (02:41:09) The Modern Stoicism Revival ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁨⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG:⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠⁠ Solved IG:⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠ ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠⁠ YouTube:⁠ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steven Pressfield was 52 years old when he published his first hit novel, The Legend of Bagger Vance. Prior to that, he wrote tirelessly for decades in obscurity, supporting himself with odd jobs along the way. After writing several more novels and movie scripts, he distilled all of his wisdom into The War of Art, his now-famous treatise on the grinding process of creativity. Now in his 80s, Steven looks back on his work and life with a clear-eyed view of what it truly means to make it as a creative professional. In this episode, he explains why he persisted writing for decades with little to show for it, how he compensated for his own lack of talent, why creating great art is actually a grueling war fought within the artist’s own mind, and much, much more. Enjoy. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:13 Persisting at writing... for decades 00:06:40 The Resistance 00:14:23 Patience when facing The Resistance 00:22:12 Is The Resistance actually a good thing? 00:26:52 Turning Pro 00:32:22 How much do hard work, skill, and talent matter? 00:40:48 Does great art require suffering? 00:44:57 How Steven's military experience influences his work 00:49:52 Honoring your muse 00:56:04 What writers can learn from advertising 00:58:08 The Daily Pressfield ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson

We often think self-discipline requires massive action and a lot of pain and sacrifice—but the reality is a lot more boring. Today, we tackle some common misconceptions about self-discipline, arguing that real change comes from setting up your environment for success, not grinding through endless struggle. We explore the hidden dangers of romanticizing pain and why true self-discipline is more about boring consistency than epic feats of endurance. Hopefully, this episode challenges you to rethink how you approach your goals and habits. If you're ready to stop punishing yourself and start seeing real, lasting change, you won’t want to miss this. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:11 Self-discipline is not the same as willpower 00:09:45 Self-discipline does not involve shaming yourself 00:15:39 Self-discipline is about self correction, not perfection" 00:22:16 Self-discipline is boring 00:29:18 Self-discipline involves forging new identities" ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson

It’s bonus episode time! Today, I’m doing a Q&A with questions you’ve all submitted. We dive into how I’ve changed my mind, bad habits, regrets, dead dreams, advice to young people, meditation, and a whole lot more. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Tackling 1,200 Unanswered Questions 00:00:29 What I've Changed My Mind About: The Prevalence Inflation Hypothesis 00:02:35 Breaking Bad Habits: The Dark Valley Between Days 5 and 25 00:05:29 Dealing With Fame and Follower Counts 00:05:58 Biggest Regrets: Health, Relationships, and Being a Dick in Your 20s 00:08:08 Positive Thinking vs. Realistic Thinking: Clearing Up the Paradox 00:10:47 Parental Emotional Immaturity and Its Massive Effects 00:12:08 Relationship Advice: Marriage Is Underrated and Dating Culture Is Getting Worse 00:15:19 Would You Change Your Books? Subtle Art and Everything Is F*cked Reflections 00:16:21 Do You Still Want to Be a Rock Star? When Old Dreams Die 00:17:09 Free Will, David Goggins, and Measuring Success After Financial Freedom 00:20:40 Why the Hair? Premature Hair Envy Explained 00:21:36 Handling Grief: Losing a Brother to Depression and Addiction 00:23:40 What Do You Think About the Universe? A Cosmic Rant 00:26:41 Sexual Experience, Relationship Readiness, and Playing the Long Game 00:29:38 Advice for Teenagers: More Face-to-Face Socializing 00:30:57 Dealing With Adversity: When to Persist and When to Give Up 00:34:06 Moving On From a 24-Year Relationship and the BetterHelp Controversy 00:37:53 Meditation, Christianity, and the Best Business Advice: Be the Goose 00:40:09 Hustle Culture: It's a Skill, Not a Lifestyle 00:43:05 Living With ADHD: Caffeine, Meditation, and Doing Two Things at Once 00:46:45 Edgelord Maximus: A Gladiator-Style Sign-Off ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson

How do you find your way in a world where even when you do everything right, the odds keep getting stacked against you? My guest today, Cady Coleman, shares how she navigated the male-dominated fields of science, the Air Force, and NASA, breaking down barriers with tenacity and grace. From her time on the International Space Station to the release of her first book, Sharing Space, Cady’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of mission, adaptability, and the unwavering belief in one’s potential, even when the world around you says otherwise. Check it out. Cady’s Book, Sharing Space: https://www.amazon.com/Sharing-Space-Astronauts-Mission-Wonder/dp/0593494016 CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:46 Becoming an astronaut 00:05:56 Spacewalking 00:11:22 On being underestimated 00:14:28 Life's missions, big and small 00:16:19 Life on the International Space Station 00:22:18 A new way of looking at the world 00:29:41 Do astronauts feel more connected to the world? 00:32:43 How do you live in space with other people? 00:41:28 Coming back down 00:51:51 The state of the space program ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson

We all wish we gave fewer f*cks in our lives, but wanting to and doing it are two different things. If you've read my book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, then you know that not giving a f*ck doesn't mean you don't care about anything—it means deliberately choosing what you give a f*ck about and ignore the rest. In this episode, we dive into the realities of not giving f*ck, the good and the bad. We talk about why there will never be a time when you're completely free from judgement by others. Why being "normal"—whatever that means—is not something to aspire to, nor is wanting to be liked by everyone. How criticism is a part of life you can't escape—but not all criticism is created equal. And a whole lot more. Check it out. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Mark goes to Europe and previews upcoming videos 00:05:10 If you wouldn't ask them for advice, then f*ck their criticism. 00:13:20 People will judge your for whatever you do or don't do. F*ck the people, do the thing. 00:22:55 To be liked by all is to be loved by none. 00:28:44 F*ck being normal. 00:37:30 Your vanity and anxiety are both liars. 00:42:42 You must give a f*ck about something more than the adversity you face. ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson

Brandon Novak showed all the signs of becoming a highly successful, rebellious young man. He was a professional skateboarder in his early teens, rubbing elbows with the likes of Bucky Lasek and Tony Hawk. In his late teens and twenties, he was a regular on world-famous TV shows like Viva La Bam and Jackass. But drugs and alcohol were always lurking in the shadows for Novak, and he soon fell head-first into the dark trap of his addictions. He endured bouts of homelessness, committed every petty crime you could imagine, and even resorted to sex work to feed his addictions. The stats would suggest Brandon Novak shouldn’t be sober right now. He probably shouldn’t even be alive. But not only is he alive with 9 years of sobriety under his belt, he’s found a deep and meaningful purpose in his life, running his own rehab centers and taking care of his elderly mother. This is the hilarious and heartening story of how Brandon Novak turned it all around. And trust me, if he can do it, so can anyone else. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:05:25 What is it like reliving crazy stories? 00:07:46 What's your new definition of fun? 00:22:32 Brandon's early life 00:28:22 When did drugs really become a problem? 00:34:23 Why did rehab #13 work? 00:42:57 How can people help addicts? 00:44:31 Christopher F*cking Columbus of finding rock bottom 00:46:03 The fundamental unhealthy mindsets 00:52:31 Reflection on Jackass 00:56:48 Why Jackass couldn't be made today 01:00:46 Are addicts just trying to get the love they want? 01:06:26 Brandon's treatment centers 01:12:10 What people did for Novak along the way 01:14:13 What do you give too many fucks about? 01:17:26 What do you give too few fucks about? ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson

There are certain areas in life where trying harder only makes things worse. Trying to prove how likable and confident you are only makes you feel more unlikable and less confident. Trying to make someone love you only makes you feel more unlovable. The solution to this conundrum is what’s known as “The Backwards Law”. Simply put, The Backwards law states that desiring a positive experience is itself a negative experience, while accepting a negative experience is a positive experience. In this episode, Drew and I talk about five areas of life where doing less can actually reap massive benefits. Enjoy. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 The Backwards Law: When Trying Makes Things Worse 00:02:00 Three Curves: How Effort and Reward Actually Work 00:06:02 Emotions: The Anxiety About Your Anxiety 00:10:15 Freedom: Why Commitment Sets You Free 00:11:08 Depth vs. Breadth: The Two Types of Freedom 00:19:07 Happiness Requires Struggle: Why Comfort Doesn't Work 00:23:37 Love: When It Becomes Dangerous 00:29:30 Respect: The Foundation of All Healthy Relationships 00:32:43 What Respect Actually Means: Time, Attention, and Equality 00:35:40 Why Internal States Don't Follow External Rules ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson

Is everything going to hell in a handcart because of smartphones and social media? In this episode, I sit down with NYU professor and bestselling author Jonathan Haidt to tackle this burning question. Dr. Haidt makes a compelling case that our addiction to these devices is wreaking havoc on society, from mental health crises to political turmoil. But is it really all the smartphone’s fault? I'm not so sure it's quite that simple, so I wanted to dive deeper into the nuances. We get into the nitty-gritty and I challenge some of Haidt’s claims, exploring questions like, why do these issues seem to hit the English-speaking world the hardest? Is this another moral panic, or is this time really different? We also discuss the differences in how smartphones affect various demographics and cultures, and why understanding these distinctions is crucial. Plus, we explore Jonathan’s practical and highly sensible recommendations for parents, educators, and policymakers. Whether you’re a skeptic or a die-hard believer, this episode will make you rethink your relationship with the technology in our pockets. Let's do this. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Is It All the Smartphone's Fault? 00:04:00 The Great Rewiring of Childhood (2010-2015) 00:08:07 Why This Isn't Just Another Moral Panic 00:20:15 The Psychological Importance of Play 00:22:54 Educational Development vs. Psychological Development 00:25:48 Why Girls and Boys Are Affected Differently 00:27:59 Politics, Religion, and Who Gets Hit Hardest 00:31:31 The Moral Foundations Theory Connection 00:40:52 Why the Anglosphere Is Suffering Most 00:45:14 The Global Destruction of Human Capital 00:59:19 From Social Networks to Attention Slot Machines 01:05:09 TikTok and the Short-Form Video Catastrophe 00:51:47 Cigarettes vs. Alcohol: What Kind of Problem Is This? 00:53:56 The Case for Warning Labels and Age Gating 01:09:45 Prescription 1: No Phones in Schools 01:12:10 Prescription 2: No Social Media Before 16 01:16:20 Prescription 3: No Smartphones Before High School 01:19:03 Prescription 4: More Outdoor Play and Independence 01:22:00 Overcoming Community Judgment and Policy Solutions 01:25:29 The Path Forward: Identity Authentication and Collective Action ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson

Over the past 5 years, I’ve completely changed my relationship to my health. Prior to that, I was overweight, pre-diabetic, and having chest pains in my mid-30s. I thought maybe eating a salad once a week and going for a run every now then would take care of it. I was wrong. Since then, I’ve lost 60 pounds (~30kg). I now enjoy exercising regularly and I eat healthy and nutritious foods. My daily life is much more physically active and I get way better sleep. I’m happy with my health now—but it took a long time to get here. I’m not going to share a bunch of workout routines or complicated diets. What worked for me might not work for you. But I can share what I went through to get here in the hopes that you, too, might change how you think about your health and take it more seriously. Because at the end of the day, your health is definitely something you should give a f*ck about. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The 60-Pound Journey and Why I'm Sharing This 00:02:40 Growing Up on the Standard American Diet 00:04:04 The Metabolism Crash: Gaining 50 Pounds in My Mid-30s 00:05:12 Chest Pains and the Doctor's Warning: You're a Ticking Time Bomb 00:06:55 Phase One: The Classic Approach and the First Plateau 00:08:45 The Delusion Problem: Why I Kept Lying to Myself 00:13:03 Hiring a Coach and the Game-Changing Power of Tracking 00:17:58 The Devastating Rebound: Gaining It All Back 00:20:32 Environment Is Everything: The Move to LA 00:25:53 The Genetic Revelation: You're Metabolically 60 Years Old 00:31:07 Breaking Through Plateaus: The Role of Coaching and Perspective 00:33:40 The Privilege Problem: Let's Talk About Access and Cost 00:34:37 Genetics, Sympathy, and the Addiction Parallel 00:38:47 The Virtuous Cycle: Optimizing for Longevity in My 40s 00:40:40 The Real Takeaway: It's About Habits, Lifestyle, Biology, and Psychology ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson

Drew Binsky is a fearless traveler who's seen it all. From chatting with North Koreans in their homeland to dodging bombings in Somalia and volunteering in Syria in the middle of a civil war, Drew's adventures are nothing short of incredible. He's been to every country in the world, witnessing the most dangerous places and surviving a few close calls. Yet, his experiences have led him to a surprising conclusion: most people, most of the time, are good. Even in the direst circumstances, Drew finds that human resilience can prevail. In our conversation, Drew shares why he's drawn to war zones and failed states, revealing the profound lessons he's learned from them. We discuss why you should never judge a country by the news you hear about it, how the most impactful trips are often the most challenging, and where to find the friendliest people on Earth. Drew also offers his top travel tips on spontaneity, connecting with locals, and what he looks for on his travel adventures. It's a deep dive into the heart of travel and human nature that might just inspire you to see the world a little differently. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Man Who Visited Every Country 00:02:23 What's Actually Universal Across All Cultures 00:06:06 Inside North Korea: Tennis Invitations and Empty Hotels 00:09:06 How to Stay Safe in Dangerous Places 00:13:13 Syria During the War: Volunteering Among the Rubble 00:16:11 The Media Disconnect: Afghanistan, Iran, and Misunderstood Places 00:18:26 El Salvador, Brazil's Favelas, and the Safety Paradox 00:21:27 Living Abroad: The Best Education You Can Get 00:25:13 India: The Most Transformative Trip 00:27:14 The Extremes of India: Beauty and Horror on the Same Street 00:29:44 The Adrenaline Gene: Why Drew Doesn't Feel Fear 00:30:44 Mogadishu: The Most Dangerous City in the World 00:32:43 Mark's Close Call in Cartagena 00:37:21 Overrated or Underrated: Government, Culture, and War 00:43:45 The Best and Worst Thing About Every Country 00:41:18 Family Culture: The American Independence Paradox 00:47:40 The Quality of Information Crisis 00:50:39 What's Next and Finding Your Golf 00:55:56 Final Thoughts: The Value of Underserved Stories ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson

Resilience isn’t about pretending you’re fine or never feeling pain—it’s about learning how to act in your best interest despite the pain. In this episode of Solved, we dive deep into the science, psychology, and real-life examples of resilience—from Ernest Shackleton’s crew surviving two years stranded in Antarctica to my own slightly insane decision to run an endurance race with basically no training. Spoiler: I didn’t die. We cover it all: the biology of resilience, why some people are “dandelions” and thrive anywhere while others are “orchids” who need the right environment, the mindsets that let you push through hardship without losing your mind, and why humor and community might secretly be your best survival tools. And of course, we deliver the real, practical, evidence-based strategies you can actually apply when life inevitably decides to kick you in the teeth. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stuck, or like you can’t take one more setback, this episode is for you. And if you’re one of those psychos who enjoys doing hard sh*t just to see what you’re made of… well, you’ll feel right at home here. Get your free PDF guide: https://solvedpodcast.com/resilience⁠ CHAPTERS (00:00) Introduction (04:44) Reframing Resilience: Definitions & Misconceptions (23:50) Developmental and Biological Foundations of Resilience (38:54) Biological & Physiological Foundations (01:17:17) Psychological, Philosophical & Evidence-Based Frameworks (02:27:00) Sociocultural & Community Dimensions (02:57:28) The 80/20 of Becoming More Resilient (03:22:25) What We Learned ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of people treat goals like some kind of sacred self-improvement law, where the most important thing you can do is set and achieve your goals. But goals are simply tools we use to point us in the right direction. Your goals should serve you—and so you shouldn’t be a slave to some arbitrary goal you set when it’s no longer serving you. So how do you know when a goal is no longer pushing you in the right direction? In this episode, I talk about why I gave up a pretty big goal I set at the beginning of the year. I discuss what I think are the criteria you should use when deciding whether to give up on a goal or stick it out. We also discuss what we learned from the goals survey we did for podcast viewers and listeners. How many stuck with their goals and how many have moved on? What are the most effective tactics people used to stick to their goals? What are the most important lessons they learned about their goals and themselves? Check it out. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:13 Mark's (failed) goal 00:05:11 Is Mark full of sh*t? 00:08:14 Drew's (half sucessful) goal 00:12:08 Extreme measures 00:14:08 Getting more specific with your goals 00:16:40 Survey results 00:18:55 Teachable moment: Selection bias 00:23:06 How did people stick with their goals? 00:24:49 The value of self-discovery in working towards goals 00:32:57 3 good reasons to give up on a goal 00:37:00 Bonus reason to give up a goal 00:39:34 Mark's new health goals 00:41:53 Drew's updated goals ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson

After a catastrophic parachuting accident ended his military career in the British special forces, Dean Stott couldn't just retire to a quiet life. Instead, he decided to shatter boundaries in entirely new fields. These days, when Dean isn't prepping to beat another world record, like a 14,000-mile bike ride in less than 100 days, he's jet-setting around the world rescuing civilians and diplomats alike from war zones. In this episode, Dean shares his unique approach to overcoming adversity, managing risk, and staying mentally tough in the most challenging situations. We explore his fascinating experiences from war-torn countries to royal security and the psychological benefits of meticulous planning and mission-driven thinking. Dean also offers a glimpse into how he balances extreme challenges with a grounded personal life. Enjoy. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Baddest Motherfucker I've Ever Met 00:03:40 Dean's Relationship to Pain and the Parachuting Incident 00:08:04 Breaking the Pan-American Highway World Record 00:12:18 Mortality, Risk, and Making Smart Decisions 00:16:18 The Canadian Embassy Evacuation and Understanding Local Cultures 00:20:01 Building Trust in Dangerous Places 00:22:17 Choosing the Harder Path and Becoming SBS 00:25:47 What the Military Teaches That Civilians Miss 00:30:53 Preparation, Perfectionism, and OCD 00:33:24 Dealing With Extremes and Training Two Up 00:37:57 The Power of Non-Judgment and Making Friends Anywhere 00:39:46 Alana: Partnership, Purpose, and Power Couple Dynamics 00:46:56 The Duty to Give Back and How to Ask for Money 00:48:03 Meeting Prince Harry and Fox Piss One 00:52:31 The Skill of Being Famous and the Burden of Duty 00:59:02 Toughest Forces on Earth and Still Got It 01:02:51 Ocean Rowing the West Coast and Taking Alana Out of Her Comfort Zone ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson

Have you ever wondered why, despite everything seemingly going well, you still feel a nagging sense of dissatisfaction? Well, you’re not alone. This is actually a fascinating psychological phenomenon I call "The Blue Dot Effect". It’s all about how our brains can trick us into seeing problems and negativity even when everything around us is getting better. Join me and Drew as we unpack this curious effect and explore how it impacts our everyday lives. From the way we perceive our personal achievements to our overall happiness, the Blue Dot Effect plays a sneaky role in shaping our mindset. Let's dig right in. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Why This Research Changes Everything 00:02:08 The Blue Dot Effect: The Original Study Explained 00:04:56 Why Your Mind Invents Problems When Life Gets Better 00:07:25 Crime, Safety, and the Paradox of Progress 00:08:46 The Media Negativity Bias and Information Overload 00:09:35 Living in New Zealand: When There's Nothing to Protest 00:11:58 The Psychological Immune System and Problem Homeostasis 00:13:51 Why We Need People Who've Seen Real Hardship 00:16:18 How the Internet Compresses the Blue Dot Effect 00:17:05 The Information Diet: Why Consuming Less News Makes You More Objective 00:19:41 Economic Perception vs Reality: Why Nobody's Happy Despite Growth 00:21:28 Personal Health and Fitness: Moving the Goalposts on Yourself 00:23:59 When Self-Improvement Becomes the Problem 00:28:36 Mental Health Diagnosis: ADHD, Trauma, and Definition Creep 00:32:17 The Value of Journaling: Creating a Reality Check Against Concept Drift 00:34:50 Reading History Instead of News: The Ultimate Perspective Shift 00:35:57 Progress Tends to Mask Itself: Dan Gilbert's Final Word ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson

I’ve often wondered if self-discipline is just a way of turning bad addictions into healthy ones. After all, addictions of all kinds are really just an attempt to numb and distract ourselves from facing uncomfortable feelings. Can’t the same be said for healthy behaviors once they reach a level of compulsion? I brought Rich Roll on the pod to discuss this idea because, well, he’s a recovered alcoholic who turned into an ultra-endurance athlete in his 40s. Rich is no stranger to reinventing himself, repeatedly leveraging his flaws into virtues. We talk about the value of pain as a catalyst for change, the idea that addiction is a spectrum that doesn’t just involve substances, terrible breakups, finding a deeper spirituality, lessons from Rich’s financial struggles, his career running a top podcast, and much, much more. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Is Self-Discipline Just Healthy Addiction? 00:04:23 The Connection Between Addiction and Ultra-Endurance 00:08:49 Pain as Teacher: Confronting Discomfort 00:21:24 What We're Most Addicted To Right Now 00:13:14 When Willingness Finally Arrives: Rich's Rock Bottom 00:29:07 Why the 12-Step Program Works After 100 Years 00:39:38 The Wedding That Nearly Destroyed Him 00:46:36 Spirituality Without Religion: Defining the Mystical Beyond 00:50:55 The Physical as Vehicle for the Spiritual 01:05:53 Seven Years of Financial Hell: Trash Cans, Repo Men, and Faith 01:15:51 Starting a Podcast in a Yurt: The Origin Story 01:22:01 The Power of Vulnerability: Why Sharing Shame Sets You Free 01:26:42 What Rich Gives Too Many, Too Few, and Just the Right Amount of Fucks About ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson