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Why You Don’t Feel Loved (even when you are) - Sonja Lyubomirsky - #1115
In this episode, host Chris Williamson sits down with Sonja Lyubomirsky, a distinguished experimental social psychologist and pioneering happiness researcher. With 28 years of empirical research since…
Inside The Democratic Party Civil War - Ezra Klein - #1114
This episode features Ezra Klein, journalist, podcast host, and co-author of Abundance, in conversation with Chris Williamson. Klein is known for founding Vox, hosting The Ezra Klein Show at The New Y…
The Career Trap That Makes Women Miserable - Suzanne Venker - #1113
This episode features Suzanne Venker, Gen X author, coach, and self-described countercultural writer who has spent 25 years writing about marriage, motherhood, and feminism. She is the author of sever…
Navy SEAL: “Not Killing People Is Hard” - DJ Shipley - #1112
The Hidden Cost Of Overthinking Everything - George Mack - #1111
This wide-ranging conversation between two British friends covers everything from speed-listening to Nickelback at 1.8x to acquired savant syndrome, traffic disasters, and the fall of empires. The dis…
How The Partner You Choose Reveals Your Self-Worth - Quinlan Walther - #1110
Quinlan Walther, a relationship therapist and content creator, joins Chris Williamson to explore the psychology of modern relationships and self-trust. Walther specializes in helping people build auth…
Harvard Professor: Why Nothing Feels Real Anymore - Arthur Brooks - #1109
Arthur Brooks, Harvard Business School professor and behavioral scientist, explores why modern life feels simulated rather than real. Drawing from neuroscientist Iain McGilchrist's work on brain hemis…
19 Lessons From 1100 Episodes -
Chris Williamson reflects on lessons learned over six months in this milestone 1100th episode, covering psychology, relationships, and personal development insights. The discussion spans obsession ver…
Birth Rate Debate: Why Is No One Having Kids? -
This roundtable features Chris Williamson hosting three leading voices on demographic decline: Stephen Shaw, a demographer and filmmaker behind The Birth Gap documentary who has spent over a decade re…
The Health Crisis Of Office Jobs - Bob King -
Bob King, founder and CEO of Humanscale, joins the conversation to discuss how modern work environments are fundamentally misaligned with human biology. King's company pioneered ergonomic office furni…
"They Wanted A Bad Guy, So I Became One" - Ryan Garcia -
Ryan Garcia, world champion boxer, discusses the mental aspects of elite performance, from flow states in the ring to the sacrifices required for championship-level success. Garcia started boxing at s…
21 Harsh Truths About Why You’re Still Lost - Mark Manson -
Chris Williamson hosts Mark Manson, bestselling author of ***The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ckand founder of the AI coaching app Purpose. Manson pioneered the concept of non-neediness in dating thro…
Nik Nocturnal - How TikTok Hijacked the Future of Music -
This conversation features Chris Williamson, host of Modern Wisdom, and Nick Nocturnal, a prominent metal content creator and musician who recently returned from a hiatus. Nick has been creating YouTu…
DEBATE: Why Do Gen Z Women Hate Men So Much? -
This evolutionary psychology roundtable features Chris Williamson hosting researchers Tanya Reynolds, William Costello, and author Freya India discussing modern dating dynamics and gender relations. T…
How To Have The Hardest Conversations of Your Life - Jefferson Fisher -
Jefferson Fisher is a trial lawyer and communication expert who has conducted thousands of depositions and cross-examinations. Chris Williamson hosts this conversation exploring the psychology and pra…
Why You’re Obsessed, Anxious, & Still Single - Mercedes Coffman -
Mercedes Kaufman is a therapist specializing in emotional availability and modern dating dynamics. The conversation explores how contemporary culture has created an epidemic of avoidance that particul…
Kratom Addiction, Naked Justice & The Uber Eats To OF Pipeline -
This wide-ranging conversation features George (a UK content creator), Gary (an investigative journalist), and Sean (a business analyst) discussing everything from ancient Roman athletes to modern AI …
The Extreme Crisis of Young Women - Freya India -
Freya India, author and Substack writer, discusses her controversial book examining the mental health crisis among young women in the Anglosphere. Despite facing significant backlash and one-star revi…
No One is Ready for This Coming War - Navy SEAL Andy Stumpf -
Andy Stumpf is a former Navy SEAL who served for over two decades, including extensive combat deployments during the Global War on Terror. He later became a SEAL instructor for 18 months and now hosts…
How to Steal Thoughts Out of Anyone’s Head - Oz Pearlman -
Oz Pearlman is a professional mentalist who has performed for Fortune 500 companies, NFL teams, and will host the 2024 White House Correspondents' Dinner. He's also an ultra-marathon runner who comple…
The Rise of History’s Greatest Emperor: An Untold Story - Alex Petkas -
Alex Petkas, host of the Cost of Glory podcast and scholar of ancient history, explores why Roman history remains instructive for modern life. Drawing from On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History…
David Friedberg - Everything You Know is About to Collapse
David Friedberg, founder and CEO of Ohalo and former Google executive, joins the conversation to discuss his optimistic vision for humanity's future. Despite widespread pessimism about AI, climate cha…
Michael Smoak - 16 Brutal Life Lessons for Ambitious People
Michael Smolensky is a content creator and host of the Higher Up Podcast who has built a significant following across social media platforms. Chris Williamson is the host of Modern Wisdom, currently r…
Eric Jorgenson - The Wild Psychology of Elon Musk
Eric Jorgensen, author of The Almanack of Naval Ravikant and founder of Scribe Media, discusses his new book Elon Musk A Guide to Purpose and Success with podcast host Chris Williamson. Jorgensen has …
Erica Komisar - The Permanent Impact of Divorce on Children
Erica Komisar is a psychoanalyst, social worker, and author who has spent decades treating families and children affected by divorce, attachment disorders, and early childhood trauma. Her clinical wor…
Pursuit of Wonder - The Terrible Paradox of Self-Awareness
Robert Pantano, creator of the YouTube channel Pursuit of Wonder and author of the upcoming A Terrible Paradox of Self-Awareness, joins Chris Williamson to explore the fundamental tensions of human co…
Tristan Harris - AI Expert Warns: “This Is The Last Mistake We’ll Ever Make”
Tristan Harris, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology and former Google design ethicist, joins Chris Williamson to discuss the existential risks posed by artificial intelligence development. …
Studio Launch Party - Indian Fetishes, Betting on Wars & Tom Cruise
Chris Williamson hosts an unstructured conversation with George Mack and Sean in his new Austin studio, featuring surprise appearances from a Tom Cruise impersonator and a McDonald's-uniformed guest. …
Chris Bailey - Why Some Goals Feel Effortless (and others hurt)
Chris Bailey, productivity researcher and author of Intentional How to Finish What You Start, explores why some goals feel effortless while others become abandoned projects in our personal 'graveyard …
Will Guidara - The Hotdog Effect: Secrets of the World’s #1 Restaurants
Will Guidara is a hospitality entrepreneur and author who transformed Eleven Madison Park from the lowest-ranked restaurant on the World's 50 Best list to the #1 restaurant globally. He worked under l…
Roy Baumeister - Why Men Are At The Top Of Society (and the bottom)
Roy Baumeister, social psychologist and author of Is There Anything Good About Men?, discusses his research on gender differences, male expendability, and cultural evolution. The conversation explores…
Nir Eyal - A Masterclass in Changing Your Limiting Beliefs
Nir Eyal, author of Indistractible and the new Beyond Belief, joins Chris Williamson to explore six years of research into how beliefs fundamentally shape our reality. Eyal has transitioned from produ…
Gurwinder Bhogal - 19 Uncomfortable Truths About Human Nature
This conversation features a deep exploration of human psychology, technology, and social dynamics between the host and Gwern, a prolific internet writer known for insightful aphorisms and cultural an…
Dr Debra Soh - Why Nobody is Having Sex Anymore (& why it matters)
Dr. Debra Soh, former sex researcher and author of Sextinction The Decline of Sex and the Future of Intimacy, joins Chris Williamson to examine the unprecedented decline in sexual activity among young…
Bill Gurley - If You Hate Your Job, This is How to Start Over
Bill Gurley, a veteran venture capitalist with 25 years of experience and four years as a Wall Street analyst, discusses his transition from investing to writing about career regret and passion-driven…
Louis Theroux - Is The Manosphere Really That Dangerous?
Louis Theroux, veteran BBC and Netflix documentary maker with 30 years of experience, discusses his latest film examining the extreme end of the manosphere. His investigation was sparked by his own th…
Dr Max Butterfield - How Love Turns You Insane
Dr. Max Butterfield joins the show as an experimental psychologist with a PhD in experimental psychology, master's degrees in clinical and experimental psychology, and a bachelor's in psychology, plus…
Dr Peter Salerno - How Narcissists Hijack Your Brain
Dr. Peter Salerno is a licensed psychotherapist with a doctorate in psychology who specializes in researching the etiology of personality disorders. Rather than treating these disorders directly, he h…
Cal Newport - The collapse of modern attention (and how to get it back)
Cal Newport, computer science professor at Georgetown University and author of Deep Work, A World Without Email, and Slow Productivity, reflects on his decade-long campaign against distraction culture…
Dr Kathryn Paige Harden - The Genetics of Evil: Are People Born Bad?
Kathryn Paige Harden is a behavioral geneticist at the University of Texas at Austin and author of The Genetic Lottery and the upcoming Original Sin The Genetics of Vice, The Problem of Blame, and the…
Scott Solomon - The Insane Biological Cost of Living on Mars
Scott Solomon is an evolutionary biologist and author of Becoming Martian, examining how humans would evolve on Mars. The conversation explores NASA's current CHAPEA experiment, where crews live in 3D…
Dr Dani Sulikowski - The Brutal Tactics of Female Sexual Competition
Dr. Danny Solikowski is an evolutionary psychology researcher specializing in female intrasexual competition - the mechanisms by which women compete for reproductive success. Her research examines how…
Charlie Houpert - How to Survive the Death of Your Old Self
Charlie Houpert, founder of Charisma on Command with nearly 7 million subscribers, sits down with Chris Williamson to explore his evolution from pickup artistry and optimization to emotional and spiri…
Dave Evans - It’s time to rethink your entire life plan
Dave Evans is co-founder of Stanford's Life Design Lab and co-author of the new book How to Live a Meaningful Life. As a former Apple engineer and serial entrepreneur, Evans applies design thinking pr…
Oliver Burkeman - Why You Can’t Stop Your Productivity Addiction
Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks and Meditations for Mortals, joins Chris Williamson to explore the paradox of high achievement and relaxation. Burkeman, a writer focused on productivity…
Rick Glassman - The Case Against Condoms & Fake Friendship
Rick Glassman is a stand-up comedian and host of the podcast 'Take Your Shoes Off,' known for his candid discussions about OCD, social dynamics, and authentic communication. Chris Williamson hosts the…
James Sexton - Divorce Lawyer: “Give her a prenup on the 3rd date”
James Sexton is a divorce attorney with 25 years of experience representing high-net-worth individuals in New York City. He's the author of How to Stay in Love and has facilitated thousands of divorce…
4.1M Q&A - Health Update, Sobriety & Finding The One
Chris Williamson hosts a solo Q&A episode after hitting 4.1 million subscribers, covering personal health struggles, lifestyle design, habit formation, and audience questions. He opens by promoting hi…
Matthew Hussey - How to Know When to Leave a Relationship
Matthew Hussey, relationship coach and author, explores the complex psychology of knowing when to leave relationships and embracing emotional vulnerability. The conversation examines how people often …
Dr Paul Eastwick - Did Evolutionary Psychology Get Dating All Wrong?
This conversation features Matt, a relationship researcher and author of the upcoming book Bonded by Evolution, discussing evolutionary perspectives on relationships with the host. Matt also co-hosts …
The 2026 Immortality Protocol - Bryan Johnson (4K)
Bryan Johnson, founder of Blueprint and former Braintree CEO, discusses his systematic approach to longevity optimization and the development of his "Don't Die" moral philosophy. Johnson has become th…
Morgan Housel - Mastering the Art of Spending Money
Morgan Housel, author of the global bestseller The Psychology of Money, returns to discuss his latest work The Art of Spending Money and insights from Same as Ever. As a former Motley Fool writer turn…
Bryan Johnson - The 2026 Immortality Protocol
Brian Johnson, founder of Blueprint and longevity optimization pioneer, joins Chris Williamson to discuss his latest health experiments and philosophical framework. Johnson has spent five years revers…
Richard Shotton - 11 Psychology Tricks From the World’s Best Brands
Richard Shotton, behavioral science expert and author, explores how major brands leverage psychological principles to drive consumer behavior. The conversation examines case studies from Five Guys, Re…
Paul Rosolie - Uncontacted Tribes, Jungle Warfare & Being Eaten Alive
Paul Rosolie is an American conservationist, author of Jungle Keepers What It Takes to Change the World, and founder of Jungle Keepers, an organization protecting Amazon rainforest in Peru. Chris Will…
HARDY - The Personal Pain of Country Music
Hardy is a Nashville-based songwriter and country artist who has established himself as one of the top three songwriters in Nashville's competitive scene. He balances dual careers as both a behind-the…
Donald Robertson - Practical Tools for a Less Anxious Life
Donald Robertson, CBT therapist, author, and Stoic philosophy expert, discusses the cognitive nature of emotions and evidence-based anxiety treatment with Chris Williamson. The conversation explores h…
Dr Jay Wiles - A Masterclass in Improving Your HRV
This conversation features Chris Williamson, host of Modern Wisdom, speaking with a clinical psychologist and HRV researcher who has worked extensively with professional athletes, special operators, a…
Trevor Wallace - Why Autism is the New Stolen Valor
Trevor Wallace, touring comedian and viral content creator, joins Chris Williamson to discuss the intersection of stand-up comedy, social media success, and creative obsession. Wallace has built a mas…
Joe Hudson - How to Take Control of Your Emotions
Joe Hudson, emotional intelligence coach and founder of Art of Accomplishment, joins Chris Williamson fresh from Chris's week-long intensive retreat experience. Hudson's work focuses on helping people…
Nick Shirley - Inside Minnesota's $10B Childcare Fraud Scandal
Nick Shirley is a 23-year-old independent journalist and YouTuber who gained national attention for his exposé on welfare fraud in Minnesota. His investigation led to Tim Walz dropping out of the gube…
Arthur Brooks - 14 Habits for an Optimised Morning & Evening Routine
Arthur Brooks, professor at Harvard Business School and happiness researcher, joins Chris Williamson to explore the science of well-being. Brooks teaches behavioral science and has co-authored work wi…
Dr Andrew Huberman - How to Reclaim Your Brain in 2026
Andrew Huberman, Professor of Neurobiology at Stanford and host of the Huberman Lab podcast, joins Chris Williamson to explore the neuroscience behind sleep, stress, and human optimization. The conver…
Dr Debra Lieberman - Why Don’t You Have Sex With Your Sister?
The episode features Debra Lieberman, evolutionary psychologist and editor of Evolution and human behavior, discussing her research on kinship detection, inbreeding avoidance, and emotional signaling.…
4M Subscriber Q&A
This 4 million subscriber Q&A episode features Chris Williamson, host of Modern Wisdom podcast, now ranked eighth biggest podcast globally according to Spotify Wrapped, answering questions from YouTub…
Connor Beaton - Why Successful Men Always Self-Destruct
The episode features Connor Beaton, founder of ManTalks and author of Men's Work, discussing why high-functioning men often self-destruct in private despite public success. Beaton explains how perfect…
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon - The Environmental Toxins Killing Your Health
The episode features Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, a fellowship-trained physician specializing in muscle-centric medicine and environmental health, discussing the emerging field of complex environmental illness…
Life Hacks: A Christmas Special (2025)
The episode features Johnny, George, and Chris recording from Chris's living room in Newcastle, with Youssef joining remotely from Malaysia, continuing their annual Christmas tradition of sharing life…
The Best Moments of Modern Wisdom (2025)
This year-end compilation features highlights from Modern Wisdom's 2025 episodes, celebrating the show's ranking as the eighth biggest podcast in the world according to Spotify Wrapped. The collection…
Mark Rober - How to Engineer a Life You Love
The episode features Mark Rober, mechanical engineer, former NASA Mars rover engineer, Apple special projects designer, and YouTube creator with 72 million subscribers, discussing his career journey f…
23 Lessons from 2025
This end-of-year episode features Chris Williamson, host of Modern Wisdom (ranked 8th biggest podcast globally by Spotify), reflecting on lessons learned throughout 2025 from his newsletter, podcast i…
Judd Apatow - Why Comedies Suck Now
The episode features Judd Apatow, director, producer, and writer behind films including The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, This is 40, and Bridesmaids, as well as the author of Comedy Nerd, a 570-pag…
Joshua Citarella - The Dark Subcultures of Online Politics
The episode features Joshua Citarella, artist, internet culture writer, and host of the Doom Scroll podcast, which reaches 100,000 weekly viewers after launching just over a year ago. Citarella discus…
Brett Cooper - Inside the Conservative Civil War
The episode features Brett Cooper, conservative commentator and host of The Comments Section, discussing the current state of the conservative movement, Gen Z politics, and her recent experience with …
Malcolm Gladwell - How to Convince the World of Bulls**t & Evil
The episode features Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point and Revenge of the Tipping Point, discussing the evolution of contagion theory, criminal justice, and social dynamics over 25 years. …
Peter Zeihan - The New World Order Is Here
The episode features Peter Zeihan, geopolitical strategist and author, discussing America's structural advantages in a deglobalizing world and the demographic collapse facing China and other nations. …
Mel Robbins - The Secret to Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
The episode features Mel Robbins, author and podcast host, in conversation with Chris Williamson about anxiety, stress, relationships, and personal transformation. Robbins shares her personal journey …
Alison Armstrong - How to Treat Men Better
The episode features Alison Armstrong, relationship expert and author of The Queen's Code, who has spent over 30 years studying men and male-female dynamics since February 1991. Armstrong discusses he…
Dr Paul Hewitt - Understanding the Psychology of Perfectionism
The episode features Dr. Paul Hewitt, a clinical psychologist and leading researcher on perfectionism, discussing the psychological mechanisms and consequences of perfectionist personality styles. Hew…
Motivation Is Not Always There | Bugzy Malone
This conversation features two speakers discussing the nature of discipline and motivation, drawing heavily on lessons from Jocko Willink, a Navy SEAL and leadership author. The discussion centers on …
What Risk Builds Men? | Scott Galloway
The episode features a discussion on risk-taking, character development, and social dynamics, exploring what builds strong men and creates genuine success in relationships and career advancement. The …
Stop Outworking Your Happiness
This episode features Chris Williamson, host of Modern Wisdom, delivering a solo reflection on the psychological trap of perpetual striving and delayed gratification. Williamson explores what he calls…
44 Harsh Truths About The Game Of Life - Naval Ravikant (4K)
The episode features Naval Ravikant, entrepreneur, investor, and philosopher, known for his insights on wealth creation, happiness, and living with intentionality. Naval is co-founder of AngelList, ea…
Naval Ravikant - 44 Harsh Truths About Human Nature
The episode features Naval Ravikant, entrepreneur, investor, and philosopher, known for co-founding AngelList and his influential writings on wealth creation and happiness. Naval discusses the tension…
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