Episode Details

🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE

Episode 168 – Make friends

In this episode, Andy and Roger wrestle with the timeless advice of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, asking the important question: does any of this still work in 2026?

Roger recounts a conversation with a new migrant seeking advice on making friends in Australia, prompting a deep (and often reluctant) dive into Carnegie’s greatest hits. Andy questions whether trying to be liked is inherently inauthentic, while Roger attempts to rehabilitate the usefulness of smiling, remembering names, and basic human warmth.

They also touch on workplace culture, social awkwardness, Friday drinks, and the delicate art of not being a jerk. Along the way, they explore masculinity, authenticity, and the tension between self-improvement and selling out. Andy reflects on the joy of disassembling Lego, while Roger admits to hoarding four bins’ worth of Christmas rubbish. No one comes out looking good.

Also covered: packing fatigue, moving-house misery, and why everything ends up in a box labelled “misc.”

Hashtags:

#DaleCarnegie #HowToWinFriends #MakingFriends #SocialSkills #AndyAndRoger #AuthenticityCrisis #AustralianCulture #WorkplaceDynamics #FridayDrinks #Minimalism #MovingHouse #MaleFriendship #SelfHelpBooks #PodcastChat #PackingProblems #CulturalAdvice #SmilingIsWeird #NameMemoryFail #SocialNorms2026 #StatusAnxiety

Engage with us on social media:

Website:

http://themiddle.site/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_middle_podcast/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@themiddlepodcastandyroger

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Middle-Podcast/100089236832534/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/TheMiddlePC

Email:

the.middle.podcast.au@gmail.com

Sign up to our subscriber email list:

Visit our website: http://themiddle.site/

Or click: https://forms.gle/4qATmU2yiHgjZrej8