Podcast Episodes

What Happened to the Idea of Self-Control?

As long as humans have existed, we’ve had to choose between our lower and higher desires — between what we want in the moment, and what we want in th…

3 years, 8 months ago

What People Get Wrong About Walden

The two years, two months, and two days Henry David Thoreau spent at Walden Pond represent one of the most well-known experiences in American literar…

3 years, 8 months ago

When to Quit

“Don’t be a quitter!” “Quitters never win, and winners never quit!”

These maxims encapsulate our usual attitude towards quitting, which is to see it a…

3 years, 8 months ago

The Vagabond Travel Ethos

Travel can often be approached as just another consumer good; travelers quickly dive in and out of a place, check off the things they want to see, ha…

3 years, 9 months ago

Can Virtue Be Taught?

The ancient Greeks and Romans thought a lot about what it means to live a virtuous life. They believed that good character was essential for achievin…

3 years, 9 months ago

The Cues That Make You Charismatic

Charisma can make everything smoother, easier, and more exciting in life. It's a quality that makes people want to listen to you, to adopt your ideas…

3 years, 9 months ago

Jack London's Literary Code [Rebroadcast]

Note: My guest in this episode, Dr. Earle Labor, died on September 15 at the age of 94. Earle was the world's foremost authority on one of the Art of…

3 years, 9 months ago

Data-Backed Answers to Personal Finance Controversies

Dip your toes into the world of personal finance and you can find plenty of questions which are the subject of endless debate. How much of your incom…

3 years, 9 months ago

The Power of Ritual

Our lives are populated by rituals. Baptisms. Funerals. Graduations. Singing happy birthday, chanting cheers at a sports event, saying grace before d…

3 years, 9 months ago

The 7 Types of Work Jerks (And How to Deal With Them)

You're working under a boss who really rubs you the wrong way. So you quit your job and take another. But in your new office, you find yourself stuck…

3 years, 9 months ago