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. About Robert Greene Robert Greene is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, The 50th Law, Mastery, The Laws of Human Nature, and most recently of The Daily Laws. In addition to having a strong following within the business world and a deep following in Washington, DC, Greene’s books are hailed by everyone from war historians to the biggest musicians in the industry (including Jay-Z, Drake, and 50 Cent). Greene attended U.C. Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he received a degree in classical studies. He currently lives in Los Angeles. Robert’s Website: https://powerseductionandwar.com/ Robert’s Books: https://powerseductionandwar.com/books/ Robert’s social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RobertGreeneOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertgreeneofficial X: https://x.com/RobertGreene Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Robert-Greene-100085341047380/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@robertgreene Chapters: 00:40 The F*ck of the Week: Finding Your Life’s Task 29:37 Brilliant or Bullsh*t: Peter Pan Syndrome 43:15 Q&A: Science vs Timeless Philosophy, How to Start Over in Midlife Theme music: “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. Get 10% off health services at Marek Health: https://marekhealth.com/idgaf Use code MARK to get 15% off your first order of health tech gear at BonCharge: https://boncharge.com Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough 00:15 The F*ck of the Week: Struggling with food and healthy eating 14:23 Brilliant of Bullsh*t: Psychedelics rewire your brain? 26:37 Q&A: How do I be man in today's world? https://instagram.com/markmanson/ https://twitter.com/IAmMarkManson https://facebook.com/Markmansonnet/ https://linkedin.com/in/markmanson/ https://www.tiktok.com/@iammarkmanson

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. Get one month of Shopify for $1 at https://shopify.com/idgaf Get 10% off your first month of therapy at BetterHelp at https://betterhelp.com/idgaf 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/ 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 2:02 The F*ck of the Week: Becoming Indistractable 23:04 Brilliant or Bullsh*t: The Social Dilemma 44:20 Q&A: How do I get myself to do the things I know I should do? Theme music: “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. Use code IDGAF to get 10% off health services at MarekHealth.com/IDGAF Use code MARK to get 15% off health tech gear at BonCharge.com Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person. Chapters 01:17 The F*ck of the Week: Politics 16:24 Brilliant or Bullsh*t: Is TikTok Ruining Politics AND Dating? 32:24 Q&A: Is Everything Just F*cked? 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. Track expenses, find deductions, and get a bigger tax refund. Get 10% off @Keeper.tax at keepertax.com/idgaf #keepertaxpod Use code MARK to get 15% off your order of health tech gear at https://BonCharge.com Get your first bag of coffee for free when you sign up for a subscription at DrinkTrade.com/idgaf Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough 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 Use the code IDGAF to get $5 off your first starter pack of full body deodorizers at Mando: https://mando.com Use the code IDGAF to get 15% off your first purchase of skin care products at OneSkin: https://oneskin.com Get 10% off your first month of therapy at BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/idgaf Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough If you’d like to submit a question for us to consider, you can leave it in the comments below or email it to [email protected] Theme Music: "Icarus Lives" by 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 applied behavioural science Let us know what you think of the new show format in the comments below. Use code MARK to get 15% off your order of health tech gear at https://BonCharge.com Get one month of Shopify for just $1 at https://shopify.com/idgaf Get 10% off health services at https://marekhealth.com/idgaf And sign up for Your Next Breakthrough, my weekly newsletter that will help you be a slightly less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough Got a question for us? Leave it in the comments below or send it to [email protected] Theme song is "Icarus Lives" by Periphery.

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. Steven’s new book, The Daily Pressfield All of Steven Pressfield's Books Get up to 43% off your order of MUD/WTR at mudwtr.com/idgaf Use code IDGAF to get 10% Marek Health services at marekhealth.com/idgaf Get 10% off your first month of therapy at betterhelp.com/idgaf Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: markmanson.net/breakthrough

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. Use code IDGAF to Get 20% off your one-time purchase of supplements at https://livemomentous.com Get your first bag of Trade coffee for free when you sign up for a subscription at https://tradecoffee.com/idgaf Use code IDGAF to get 15% off your first purchase of skincare products at https://OneSkin.co Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help you be a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough

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. Submit your questions for future podcasts in the comments or email them to [email protected]. Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help you be a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough

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. Control body odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get $5 off off your Starter Pack (that’s over 40% off) with promo code IDGAF at shopmando.com! #mandopod Start selling online and get your first month of Shopify for just $1 at shopify.com/idgaf Cady’s Book, Sharing Space: https://www.amazon.com/Sharing-Space-Astronauts-Mission-Wonder/dp/0593494016 Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will make you a slightly less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough

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. Get 10% off your first month of therapy at Better Help: https://betterhelp.com/idgaf Use the promo code IDGAF to get 20% off your first order of supplements at Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough, to be a slightly less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough

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. Use promo code IDGAF to get 20% your Cuts clothing order at https://cutsclothing.com Use promo code IDGAF to get 15% off your order at OneSkin at https://oneskin.co Get 10% off your supplements order at Market Health at https://marekhealth.com/idgaf Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough, to be a slightly less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough

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. Get your first month of Shopify for only $1 at https://shopify.com/idgaf Use the code IDGAF to get 20% off your one-time purchase of supplements at https://LiveMomentous.com Sign up for Your Next Breakthrough, a weekly newsletter that will make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough

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. Start your new morning ritual & get up to 43% off your @MUDWTR by going to ⁠mudwtr.com/IDGAF⁠! #mudwtrpod Get 10% off your first month of therapy at BetterHelp.com/IDGAF

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. Use the code IDGAF to get 20% off your first one-time purchase of supplements at livemomentous.com

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. Get 10% your first month of therapy at betterhelp.com/idgaf Let Rocket Money cancel your unwanted subscriptions at RocketMoney.com/idgaf

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. Get your first month of Shopify for $1 at shopify.com/idgaf Get 10% off your first order of Mitopure from Timeline at timeline.com/idgaf

Get up to 84% off and 4 extra months free when you sign up for a VPN with SurfShark at https://surfshark.deals/subtleart Get 10% off your first month of therapy at BetterHelp by visiting https://betterhelp.com/idgaf Use code IDGAF to Get 20% off your first one-time purchase of supplements at https://livemomentous.com 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.

Get one month of Shopify for $1: https://shopify.com/idgaf Use code IDGAF to get 10% off your first order at Timeline: https://timeline.com/IDGAF Tell me what you think of the pod: https://markmanson.net/tellme 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.

Use the code IDGAF to get 20% off your one-time order at https://livemomentous.com/ Get rid of unwanted subscriptions by signing up for Rocket Money at https://rocketmoney.com/idgaf Take my podcast survey https://markmanson.net/tellme 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.

Get one month for $1 at https://shopify.com/idgaf Use code IDGAF for 10% off your health services at https://MarekHealth.com/idgaf The way you think about the world and your place in it can have a huge impact on your life. And yet, when it comes to evaluating the way we think, we’re rarely able to smell our own bullshit. So today, Drew and I break down five different mindsets you can adopt to live a more examined, successful life. This requires you to reject many of the mindless beliefs you’ve been force fed your entire life. Let’s do it.

Get 10% off your first order of Mitopure at timeline.com/idgaf Get 3 extra months on your SurfShark VPN subscription at surfshark.deals/SubtleArt Get 10% off your first month of therapy at betterhelp.com/idgaf Let's be honest: the modern dating landscape is a shit show. From declining marriage rates and rising infidelity to the nightmare of using dating apps—it's brutal out there. With all these supposedly "easy" ways to meet new people, why are the people who want long-term, stable relationships so fed up with the dating world? I invited dating and relationships coach Sadia Khan on the pod to discuss how the skills we use to excel in modern dating often sabotage long-term happiness. Sadia brings a refreshing, thought-provoking perspective to the conversation that will help you navigate the complexities of today's dating world. We dive into the role of self-esteem in successful relationships, the pitfalls of modern dating advice, and the skewed expectations shaped by social media, dating apps, and pornography. Enjoy.

Get a free one-year supply of Vitamin D3K2 and 5 AG1 Travel Packs: drinkag1.com/idgaf Get one month free at listening.com/idgaf Get 10% off at Marek Health at marekhealth.com/idgaf So many people seem to be obsessed with feeling good all the time. They’re always looking for “hacks” to an easier, happier life. But what if the easy way actually makes it harder to have a life full of meaning and purpose? Today, Drew and I take on the ugly truths that give life its beauty. Some of these might be a little hard to stomach at first. But if you see them through, you might be surprised at what’s on the other side.

Get 20% off + free shipping at manscaped.com using the promo code IDGAF Get a one-month trial of Shopify for just $1 at shopify.com/idgaf In an era where “quiet quitting” and “self-care” obsessions seem to be all the rage, there’s a huge opportunity to set yourself apart from everyone else—and it’s not as hard as you might think. Codie Sanchez set herself apart by buying “boring businesses” and turning her venture into a multi-million dollar enterprise. But for Codie, it’s about so much more than the money. Her simple mantra is, “question everything”, and it has given her a unique perspective on life, relationships, and happiness, which we explore here in this week’s pod. This was a fun interview, check it out.

A week ago, we hit 2M subs on YouTube and 10M podcast downloads, and I promised a special Q&A episode of the pod—which turned out to be more fun than I expected. Jump in on this celebratory episode, where I rapid fire through some of the most interesting questions sent in by you guys.

Get 10% off BetterHelp by signing up via my link: https://www.betterhelp.com/markmanson And get your nutritional goodness with AG1 using my link: https://drinkag1.com/idgaf And of course, check out The Tim Ferris Show here, available on all podcasting platforms: https://tim.blog/podcast/ There’s an ancient philosophy that could actually help you give fewer f*cks, and unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of it. Stoicism has been helping people manage their stress and anxiety for thousands of years and today, it’s more relevant than ever. @ryanholiday is the New York Times Bestselling author of multiple books on Stoicism. He believes that Stoicism is the framework that can help you be a normal person in an increasingly crazy world. Today’s episode dives into the life-altering benefits of following a philosophy that encourages you to focus on what you can control, and fuck the rest.

Try out Shopify for just $1 for the month by signing up via my link: https://shopify.com/idgaf Get 15% when you shop at oneskin.co using my code: IDGAF Get one month free at Listening.com using my link listening.com/IDGAF I just heard about the “bed rotting” trend on social media and I think I need a minute. Because if the kids think staying in bed all day eating pizza and doom scrolling is a form of rejuvenation then I’m calling bullshit on self-care. Today’s episode is a fun one. Drew and I have a long list of common self-improvement practices and I’m scoring them as overrated or underrated or, “it depends.”

Get 50% off your first Factor Meals box and 20% off the next box using my link https://factormeals.com/idgaf50 And use my code “IDGAF” for 20% off + free shipping when you purchase online from https://manscaped.com If the story of humanity is about loss, privation, suffering, and resilience, why are kids having nervous breakdowns about bad grades? In today’s episode, I talked to Abigail Shrier about what parents and mental health experts are inadvertently doing to rob young people of the resilience and grit that past generations had. It’s a spicy one. Enjoy.

Making friends is hard, and unfortunately, as you get older, it gets harder. In this episode, we look at research behind friendships, plus the complicating factors people experience in making new friends as they get older. And for anyone struggling with their social lives, we share practical tips on how to meet and keep new friends. Enjoy and, good luck out there.

Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at: https://shopify.com/idgaf Get 15% off your first order of OneSkin by using checkout code IDGAF at oneskin.co Social media messes with our expectations because it convinces us that we should be doing everything, everywhere, all at once. But the reality is that we should focus on doing one or two things extremely well, in one place, consistently over a long period of time. Today on the pod, I talk to Noah Kagan, multi-millionaire and multi-business owner, about the type of consistency and habits that lead to wealth. Noah created his own wealth out of self-belief, learning from failing and being careful with what he gives a fuck about. Noah’s story is compelling as he shares how he found success over decades, by never ceasing to try. If you’re looking for some raw talk to get you motivated to go out and do cool shit, this is the episode to sink your energy into. Enjoy.

I came across some mildly terrifying statistics on loneliness and wanted to figure out what was going on. In this episode Drew and I break down three paradoxes we're calling “The Three Paradoxes of Modern Loneliness” and they are as follows: We are more connected than ever, yet loneliness is at an all-time high The more urbanized our lifestyles become, the lonelier we become Despite being more social, young people are becoming lonelier than older people Join us as we dig into the data and discuss why this all might be happening and what we can do about it. Check it out.

Get a one-month Shopify trial for $1: shopify.com/idgaf What if there was a way accomplish meaningful work—without the associated relationship breakdowns or stress? What if “making an impact” didn’t require massive amounts of energy or sacrifice? What if you could get more done by doing less? In this episode, I talk to Cal Newport about how knowledge work has got it all wrong. We discuss the subtle dangers of remote/digital work and the key to avoiding burnout, all while still being able to grind on the things you love. If you’re a stressed out, overworked remote worker, this one is for you.

Get 10% your first month of therapy at betterhelp.com/idgaf What if the answer isn’t to do more? What if the answer is to want less? I’ve always believed that subtracting from your life can produce better results than trying to add something. Generally, quitting a bad habit, or a bad mindset, or anything distracting, will have a bigger impact on your life than learning more. This episode covers a few things I think we should stop doing to live a better life. Enjoy.

Successful people talk a lot about what made them successful. But they're rarely asked about all the things that went wrong. What about all of the things that failed? Or all the times they got fired? Embarrassed themselves? Spent time in jobs that were just plain weird or awful? No one asks this stuff. Until now of course. In this episode, I talk to my friend Derek Sivers about the weird and awful jobs that eventually led him to become a millionaire. From circus ringleader to founder of one the most successful music start-ups of our time, this guy has a story to tell. Derek Sivers is the author of four books, founder of CD Baby which he sold for $22 million (then gave most of it away), and just an all-around badass.

Get your nutritional goodness with AG1 using my link: https://drinkag1.com/idgaf And get a whopping 50% off with Factor Meals using my link: https://factormeals.com/idgaf50 The most important truths in life are the ones we don’t like to hear. In fact, I managed to make an entire career out of sharing these types of truths because the stuff we don’t like hearing is often what we need to hear the most. In this episode I have a lot of fun going through—one-by-one—six nuggets of wisdom, designed to make us all less awful humans. So saddle up bitches, I’m here to break hearts today.

Signup with Rocket Money and start for free: https://rocketmoney.com/idgaf Could it be that today’s increased awareness about emotions, and our obsession with mental health issues, are actually causing more mental health issues? More people are doing therapy, but are those people potentially doing it wrong? Therapist, counselor, and author Lori Gottlieb says that a lot of our culture’s approach to mental health is wrong. In today’s podcast, we discuss what it takes to do therapy effectively. We discuss the prevalence of mental health content online and why that may be a bad thing. We talk about how people’s misunderstandings of vulnerability and boundaries can backfire. And we get into the effect social media might be having on this. Enjoy.

Get 10% off your first month with BetterHelp at: https://betterhelp.com/idgaf We all overestimate how much you have to do to actually be happy. But what if I told you that achieving happiness is much simpler than you think? That’s right, the smallest lifestyle changes can have the most unexpected knock-on effects towards positive change. It’s actually quite incredible once you experience it. In today’s episode of the pod, we delve into the 3 of the most important questions that you can ask yourself in determining your own levels of happiness. These are questions worth asking. Make me happy by liking and reviewing the episode. Make someone else happy by sharing it with them.

What do you do when trying to improve your life makes you feel worse? What if trying to be better comes across as ‘try-hard’? What if setting more goals is just your way of avoiding your own bullshit? This is the topic of discussion in today’s episode, “The Self-Improvement Paradox”—or in other words, why sometimes trying to be better makes you feel worse. It turns out improving yourself is nuanced and complicated. Who would have thought? Check it out.

Imagine if you could sit down with one of the world’s leading happiness researchers and ask her, one by one, what actually makes people happier and what doesn’t? Well, that’s basically what I did. In this episode, Sonja and I get deep into the subject of happiness. One by one, we conclude which of life’s simple and not-so-simple pleasures are underrated or overrated. Some of the answers will definitely surprise you. Do yourself a favor—watch, like, and share the happiness.

Get started with BetterHelp today and receive 10% off your first month when you use my link https://betterhelp.com/idgaf If you’ve ever been stuck working some BS desk job thinking there’s got to be more to life, then you were right. There’s travel. High-quality, intentional travel is one of the most transformational experiences a person can have. Without a doubt, my 10 years living abroad made me more confident, more self-assured, and ultimately more educated about the world and the people in it. It also informed a lot of the philosophy that I've written about over the past 10 years—the counterintuitive approach that so many people have come to love. This episode dives into the key takeaways I got from my years of traveling. I can’t be sure, but I think they might inspire you as much as they have me. Enjoy.

People are becoming increasingly lonely and are unable to relate to one another. Yet we have more access to more people than ever before. What's going on? Is it technology? Is social media replacing our sense of community with the empty calories of the sweet, sweet For You feed? Or maybe it’s the deterioration of the nuclear family — fewer kids are being born and being raised by fewer parents. Or is it the lack of religion in public life? Or the geographic exodus from small towns and communities towards big anonymous cities? Or the economic inequality and complete loss of work/life balance? These are questions that I, and renowned journalist and author David Brooks, unpack together as we nose dive into the social and emotional disconnect of millions of people. Need lessons on how to talk to the barista making your coffee? Looking to build a better relationship with Gary from across the fence? This episode won’t make you a master of communication overnight, but it’s a fascinating conversation packed with useful insight from beginning to end. Listen to it. 0:00 Introduction 2:46 Why we’re in a social crisis 5:55 The harsh judgment of social media 8:06 The growth of distrust 10:57 The decline of the traditional family 15:14 On communitarian cultures 16:24 Making America more “relationalist” 18:19 The Scandinavian and Israeli success 20:33 Is this success replicable in a diverse society? 23:32 The vice of today’s generation 29:19 David’s take on politics 32:11 Mark on the evolution of self-help 33:57 The recession of religion 38:33 Friction is the point 39:46 The “second mountain” 46:42 What we’re really motivated by 49:55 Can we go straight to the “second mountain”? David Brooks is a journalist and bestselling author of seven books, including his newest, “How to Know a Person.” David has had a popular column at the *New York Times* for over 20 years and teaches courses on philosophy at Yale. David Brooks on Twitter @nytdavidbrooks: https://twitter.com/nytdavidbrooks David Brooks’ column: https://www.nytimes.com/column/david-brooks David's new book “How to Know a Person:” https://www.amazon.com/How-Know-Person-Seeing-Others/dp/059323006X

It’s 2024 and hopefully you haven’t already given up on your goals for the year. Today, we’re going to talk about the best and worst ways to set goals. We’ll talk about the factors that make you more likely to achieve your goals, why you lose motivation by week three, and the most common error everyone makes when deciding to change themselves for the better. We’ll also be sharing some of our personal goal disasters along the way to learn what not to do. We’d also like you to share your goals with us! Details on how to do that are here. Happy New Year.

It’s easy to assume that the hustle culture or “the grind” is all about pain and suffering. But as you’ll learn today, this simply isn’t true. In today’s episode, I’m talking to Ali Abdaal, a former medical doctor turned YouTuber and author of the new book, Feel-Good Productivity. Ali has attracted millions of global followers to his ideas on productivity and working because he’s managed to do what others have not: actually make it fun. It turns out that finding ways to make your work fun doesn’t just make you hate your life less, it actually makes you more productive.

Do you worry that you might be wasting your life? That you’re doing things that don’t feel important? Are you constantly anxious about your to-do list? Is your mind blown that it’s 2024 already?!? This week, I’ve enlisted the help of my friend Oliver Burkeman, author of the bestseller Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, to help us get a handle on using time wisely. In this episode, we’re going to look at how our perception of time shapes our self-image, how it’s often advantageous to choose to be bad at something, why people-pleasing doesn’t actually please people, and a whole lot more. Oliver Burkeman is a renowned journalist and author, known for his unique ability to seamlessly blend philosophy and psychology to bring a fresh and counterintuitive take to classic self-help subjects.

Some of the most important truths in life are found in paradoxes. Paradoxes seem like opposites on the surface, but once you look deeper beneath what are seeming contradictions, there are real grains of wisdom that emerge. In this episode, I cover some of the most life-changing paradoxes I’ve ever come across, and discuss how they can improve how you approach your life.

In 2021, Matt from Yes Theory, one of YouTube's biggest channels, revealed he was quitting the platform. Despite being an internet celebrity, Matt's story is a common one—about someone who gave away too much of themselves to be liked by others, and now desperately trying to get themselves back. In this episode, Matt and I unpack this familiar dilemma, as well as covering topics like codependence, managing success, dealing with parasocial relationships, determining when vulnerability goes too far, and much more.

A comprehensive list of lessons you shouldn’t wait too long to learn. In this episode, I’m sharing 7 important lessons I learned far too late in life. I’m doing this so that you don’t have to live through as many clusterfucks as I did to find a bit of peace in life. Some of these lessons you may already know, some may surprise you. But they’re all guaranteed to help you live a better life. This is your one and only change to not repeat my godawful mistakes. So get into it.

Do I exist if I’m not on social media? Can I fake it till I make it? What’s the secret to a good life? In this week’s episode, I enlist my old friend and host of the wildly popular The Psychology Podcast, Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD. to dissect our psyche in the social media age. Reflecting on his personal experience and drawing on a wealth of psychological research, Scott asks—and answers—questions that might reveal aspects of yourself you never knew were there, and set you on the path to a better life. We’re going to dive deep and get existential. We’re going to talk neurodiversity, vulnerability, and Batman. What more can you ask for? Exactly. Go get it.

Make up or break up? Knowing when to call it quits. If you’ve ever been through a rough patch, you know this is a painful question to answer. Do you stick it out? Do you cut the cord and run? Do you sacrifice more to make it work? Do you demand your partner give up everything and run away to Fiji and live happily ever after? These are the hard questions we answer in this episode. To help us figure this out, I’m going to be roasting viewers’ relationships with their partners. I’m going to go over five real-world examples sent in from you, fans struggling with relationships, and in the process I’m going to share the three questions we must all ask ourselves to figure out if it’s time to break up. So get your hot sauce ready, because shit’s about to get spicy. Maybe even have your partner join you for this one. It could be fun… or it could ruin your marriage.

Everybody wants to get rich. But is the pursuit of wealth really about the money, or are we actually chasing something much deeper? These are just a couple of the fun ideas I toss around in this episode with Morgan Housel, New York Times Bestselling author of the smash hit, The Psychology of Money, which has sold more than four million copies worldwide. We’ll dig deep to uncover our relationship with money, answer the timeless question “Will getting rich make me happy?” and share some of Morgan’s best investing tips. So put away your spreadsheets, step away from the credit card, and for god’s sake stop trading crypto for five seconds, and settle in for this one. We might just make you filthy fucking rich.

Why is it that the most important truths in life are also the most painful to hear? In this episode, I discuss five of the most uncomfortable truths that have changed my life and will likely change yours—from human suckage to the cheeriest truth of all… death. So put your safety harness on, the ride’s about to get bumpy…

Are you your own worst enemy? Ever think that your life would be so much easier if you could just change your mind about a couple things? Yeah, me too. In this inaugural episode, I am joined by my old friend Derek Sivers, the one person I know who is better at questioning beliefs and changing his mind than just about anyone… and a bona fide grandmaster at not giving a fuck. We dig into the most fundamental aspects of our psychology and happiness—our beliefs. We talk about how to change them, which ones should be changed and which ones should not, and the wide-ranging effects these beliefs have throughout our lives. I believe you will get a lot out of this podcast… see what I did there? I did the believe—eh, never mind.

Mark talks about the new pod.

Nearly every culture around the world encourages sacrifice today for a better tomorrow. So why is delayed gratification so hard?

There's a lot to like about stoicism, but it falls short in some key areas for me. Here's my take on it and the other influences on my personal philosophy.

Setting goals points us in the right direction and helps us clarify our values. But hanging on to goals when they no longer serve us is a recipe for misery.

Social media is the latest scapegoat to be blamed for all our social ills. Not only are these claims overblown, they're just wrong.

Even if 2020 was one long dumpster fire of a year, we sure learned a lot about ourselves. Here's what nearly 1300 people had to say about it.

Most people can't just sit with uncertainty, with not knowing what will happen. And this fear of the unknown makes us do some strange things.

The Dunning-Kruger effect stems from the ignorance of our own ignorance. But how do you fix something if you don't even know it's broken?

Creative people are anything but boring, but the creative process itself involves a lot of mundane work and boring consistency.

Therapy, journaling, and meditation have all been shown to improve mental health. When you look a little closer, they all share one thing in common.

Our beliefs can put healthy boundaries on questionable behavior. But limiting beliefs hold us back from what we want in life.

Some of the beliefs we hold seem so self-evident that they couldn't possibly be wrong. But if you dig a little deeper, you'll find that the beliefs that serve us in some ways can hurt us in others.

Sometimes the solution to a problem is worse than the problem itself. It's the Law of Unintended Consequences—and it's more common than you think.

Logical fallacies are incredibly common in our everyday lives. Here are some of the worst ones we all fall prey to.

We're all victims of our own biases. Some of them just make us more awful human beings than others.

Philosophy can help us live more meaningful live sand build better societies. We just need a framework of philosophy that fits our modern-day problems.

Achieving success in life has a lot more to do with how you define being successful than it does with doing what others tell you to do.

Decisions in life come down to trade-offs. And it just so happens we're really bad at evaluating trade-offs.

Resilience is the ability to positively adapt to negative events in your life. It doesn't mean feeling good all the time—it means you're okay with feeling bad sometimes.

Social isolation, lack of exercise, and financial uncertainty will almost certainly lead to deteriorating mental health around the world. But you can take steps today to soften the blow.

Like a muscle, forgiveness needs to be exercised consistently over a period of time. And just as our physical muscles keep our bodies healthy and strong, learning how to forgive can keep our emotional lives healthy and strong.

Most people think regret is a universally bad thing. But if you look a little closer, regret actually serves a very useful purpose in our lives.

The news is often heralded as a vital component of a thriving democracy. But here I argue that, in its current form, the news is doing more harm than good.

The 2010s were a decade of tumultuous change, growing pains, and incredible advancement for the world. Here are 10 lessons we learned.

Life is contradictory in many ways. Here are three paradoxes we all must face.

We all have demons, but overcoming them isn't really the goal you should be looking to accomplish.

Self-esteem isn't the silver bullet some people think it is, but it's still important. It just depends on how and where you're getting your self-esteem.

There’s a dark side to our constant stimulation. All of these low-value distractions in our lives have conditioned us to think that patience is for suckers; that we must “move fast and break things;” that if we’re not up-to-date on everything, all the time, we’re going to get left in the dust. This couldn't be further from the truth.

"Negative Self-Help" — an approach to personal growth based not on what feels good, but rather on what feels bad. Because getting good at feeling bad is what allows us to feel good.

No, You Can't Make a Person Change by Mark Manson

Distractions have become so pervasive in the digital age that we've come to accept them as normal. Here's how we can escape their grip and free our minds a little.

Emotional intelligence is a set of skills you can get better at with practice. Here are five skills you can cultivate to make you more a emotionally intelligent person.

What are your most important personal values? Do you actually value what you say you do, or are you lying to yourself? And just who the hell are you anyway?

Many equate self-discipline with living a good, moral life, which ends up creating a lot of shame when we fail. There's a better way to build lasting, solid self-discipline in your life.

Most of us are pretty terrible at making decisions that affect our lives. We have to learn how to deal with the emotional realities of these decisions and see things a little differently. Here are 5 principles I use to evaluate big decisions in my life.

We typically don't think of being an asshole as a good thing, but there's a difference between "good" assholes and "bad" assholes.

Kant was one of the most influential thinkers in modern history. His philosophy of morality doesn't just have lofty, theoretical implications; we can apply it to our everyday lives as well.

Trying to change yourself—that is, who you are—will inevitably lead you to fail and feel hopeless. But if you instead focus on changing your actions without worrying about how it changes you as a person, real change becomes much simpler.

Trying too hard to get what you want in life—like love, respect, and happiness—often has the opposite effect: you end up lonely, dejected, and miserable. Here's why.

It's possible to be self-aware to some degree and still be unhappy and unfulfilled. And while self-awareness has many benefits, it is, by itself, not the point. This is how you can cultivate and develop healthy self-awareness in your own life.

There are many, many things you should stop giving so many fucks about. Here are 6 of them.

Learning how to grow up and be more mature starts with knowing what you truly value. Being an adult means sticking to your values, even when it's not popular or doesn't benefit you.

A difficult lesson in life is learning how to let go of broken relationships, our pasts, and even parts of ourselves. This is how I've learned to deal with loss in my life.

My recommendations for books that actually help with depression and anxiety

Life isn't about feeling awesome all the time.

Here's how I overcame crippling FOMO.

Painful and traumatic experiences suck. But it's possible to come out of trauma a stronger, more resilient person—and it's actually a lot more common than you think.

Many of us allow ourselves to be defined by how much money we have or don't have. But the real value of money is something else entirely.

Constantly striving for happiness in the face of life's challenges can be just as bad as being miserable all the time.

How romantic love came to be a cultural centerpiece in western societies and why it kind of screws us all up.

The ultimate goal of self-improvement can be paradoxically self-defeating. This is what healthy self-improvement looks like.

Feminism as a movement gets a lot right: equality for all shouldn't be up for debate. But feminism as an institution has become regressive in many cases.

Traditional definitions of masculinity have become more and more outdated—and men are paying a hefty price for it.

Doing "more work" doesn't necessarily mean you'll be more productive, and sometimes, it actually makes you less productive.

Paradoxically, the downside of a mental illness can sometimes be its biggest advantage.

Our ability to focus and hone our attention on what we need is a core component of living a happy, healthy life. But smartphones are polluting our attention.

Welcome, Player One, to a strategy guide for the game known as Life.

It's the ultimate question. The question that you and I and everyone has laid awake at night thinking about: What is the meaning of life?

Some people are still holding out that technology will save humanity from itself. But we keep forgetting that the world doesn't run on information—it runs on emotion.

Success is often the first step toward disaster. The idea of progress is often the enemy of actual progress.

That's right, I'm on to you. You do the shitty things we all do and you don't admit it either. Don't believe me? Here's eleven of them.

A few good reads to make you a slightly less awful human being.

Crowdsourced relationship advice from over 1,500 people who have been living "happily ever after." Learn how they make it work.

The values and beliefs that once defined the American Dream are not only no longer relevant, but they may be hurting us.

Some life skills are more valuable than others. Here are three you probably never learned.

The rise of artificial intelligence worries some and excites others. Here's why I don't really care what happens — and neither should you.

By nearly every objective measure, the world is a better place than it has ever been in modern history. So why doesn't it feel that way?

If we’re really honest with ourselves, we all have a little self-loathing going on from time to time. Here are some ways to stop hating yourself so much.

How we interact with technology affects our identities. Here's what we might we expect the 'self' to look like in the future.

In the age of trigger warnings and safe spaces, we've become addicted to our own self-righteous outrage. This is how we got here.

Find out how doubt can lead to more experimentation, more self-discovery, and more tolerance.

Eight reasons you can’t trust yourself, as demonstrated by psychology.

How modern marketing exploits your insecurities for their own profit.

The problem with conditional relationships is that they inherently prioritize something else above the relationship. Find out why this is a recipe for disaster.

What needs to change if Brazil really wants to change.

Goals are not all they're cracked up to be. Find out how lasting change is really achieved.

We all have this great inner psychological inertia in us, and real change takes time.

Why swear words and vulgarity have a place in our society and culture.

If you have to look for what you’re passionate about, then you’re probably not passionate about it at all.

Why romance and booze have a lot in common.

What if I told you that you could solve all of your life’s problems and live a life full of abundance and freedom while surrounded by adoring friends and loved ones?

Long distance relationships come with their own unique challenges, and I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Here's what I learned surviving it all.

We’re still pushing kids through the same curriculum their grandparents went through. Here's what we should be teaching them instead.

Learn how to beat procrastination once and for all... as soon as you get around to it.

Here I argue for the merits of mediocrity, of being blasé boring and average. But there's a catch.

While staring at my navel the other day, I decided that that life happens in four stages. Here they are.

Cheating sucks. But here’s the reason why people cheat anyway.

My favorite moments reading non-fiction are when a book bitchslaps my brain and reconfigures my entire understanding of reality and my place within it.

How are you supposed to be confident about something when you have nothing to feel confident about?

The Secret teaches self-absorption and blind acceptance of your emotions, and I call bullshit on all of it.

Modern technology isn’t changing us. It’s changing society. The difference is important to understand.

Step 1: Slap yourself in the face. Hard, preferably.

The hard questions in life appear difficult to anyone who has them and they appear easy to anyone who does not. Here's why.

Why the idea that we can get everything we want out of life is flawed, and how we should deal with it...

Find your life purpose with these seven funny and thought-provoking questions.

Traveling the world, like any life path you choose, has its ups and downs, its highs and lows, its pros and cons. Here are 5 things I learned along the way.

By the time the 21st century rolled around, it was entirely normal and acceptable to discuss your parents’ shortcomings as some sort of explanation for your own. Maybe we took it too far.

Love is great. Love is necessary. Love is beautiful. But love is not enough.

The real problem with school shootings is right in front of us, yet we choose to ignore it.

Learn how traits that don’t fit our traditional narrative of what love should be are actually necessary ingredients for a healthy relationship.

Over 600 people, age 40 and older, weigh in on what they wish they knew when they were 30. A few of them might surprise you.

My 20s certainly were dramatic. Here are some of the things I learned.

As with anything else, happiness has costs. It is not free. And despite what Cover Girl or Tony Robbins or the Dalai Lama once told you, it’s not always easy breezy either.

Why people who are perpetually single and don’t want to be… are perpetually single and don’t want to be.

We all judge and measure each other by our own standards. Accepting this goes a long ways in understanding others.

When you look at school not as a place where we learned information, but as a place where we learned about ourselves, you discover there are some lessons we pick up without realizing it.

The only way to make real progress in your life is to admit that you're always wrong. Find out why this is a good thing.

If you're not sure what you want out of life, there is one question you must ask yourself. And the answer may surprise you.

We’re often poor arbiters of our own emotions and desires. We lie to ourselves. And we do it for one obvious reason: to feel better.

If you have to try to be cool, you will never be cool. If you have to try to be happy, then you will never be happy.

Two things are abundantly clear: 1) sex education matters and 2) cultures that believe sex is shameful screw everything up. Here's why.

Death is a work-in-progress. The better question isn’t when you’re going to die — it’s what are you choosing as your vehicle to get there?

Comparing yourself to others is an innate part of our nature and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. What we can change is the basis of that comparison.

Fix your weight by fixing your mind first. Most weight loss advice focuses on the unimportant details. Discover how this has been sabotaging you.

Trying to prove that you're special only feeds insecurity.

The internet has a way of bringing out the worst in people but it also changes them. Here's how.

Many toxic relationship habits are baked into our culture and we end up accepting them as normal. Here are a few ways we do this.

We often hold onto the people and things that make us feel important and worthy and don’t let go which only makes us slaves to those people and those objects.

Sometimes our dreams aren't really what we think they are. And sometimes we're better off not following them.

Life is too short to care about some things. Here are 12 of them.

Traveling the world while making a living is an experience like no other, but there's another side of it you don't often hear about.

Think about this for a moment: Why would you ever choose to be with someone who is not excited to be with you?

For those of your who are single and frustrated, a few simple words of wisdom to change your mind about dating.

Disney movies are responsible for your terrible dating life. Here's why.

A final and comprehensive look at vulnerability, why it's effective, and how to avoid the usual pitfalls with it.

A few thoughts about the Boston explosions yesterday. And why we should take a deep breath and make sure we're not indulging the wrong emotions.

How sex is related to our psychological needs and why our emotions determine our sexual behavior and not the other way around.

The one trait to look for in a partner. There were some comments yesterday saying that I was too harsh.

Finding an emotionally stable partner starts with you first. Here are 3 areas to work on that will help you find a healthy relationship.

There's a short and simple answer to your dating problems, and you might not like the sound of it at first. But trust me: this is for your own good.

What I learned from 15 years of playing guitar and my adolescent dreams of making it as a rock star.

What every entrepreneur should know before they start their first business.

How to break up with some one gracefully and respectfully. Learn the 10 fundamental principles to ending and recovering from your past relationship.

Support and advice for people who may consider suicide. A personal story and retelling of one man's experience with attempted suicide.

A lot of truths in life seem paradoxical on the surface. Here are 20 paradoxes that happen to be true.

Relax, you're OK. An article on self-acceptance and how accepting your flaws is the best and only way to improve upon them.

Strong boundaries form the foundation in any healthy relationship. Learn how to develop them here.

Finding yourself in one manipulative relationship after another is often due to an inability to be vulnerable. Here's how to break the cycle.

How and why you should be grateful for more things in your life.

5 ways the self-help industry isn't all that helpful.

It only takes a few seconds to realize that your mind is split in two almost all the time. Here's how to rein in all the clutter.

There's an interesting theme across many aspects of life that also applies to being productive. Find out what it is.

A sarcastic look at what makes one miserable and how to be better at it.

You won't really understand sexual harassment until it happens to you. Here's what I learned when it happened to me.

There is one belief from which all other self-development flows. Learn what it is.

Meta-awesomeness is a term I invented for when someone recognizes that something about themselves is uncool, which then ironically makes them cool.

Learn the most common reasons why you fail to achieve your goals and dreams.

Learn how to get lucky. Ever wonder why some people are luckier than others? Well, you can be one of the lucky ones too.

It's not as hard as it sounds to drop everything and travel the world. Here are a few ideas to consider.

Despite living in one of the wealthiest and most advanced societies in history, Americans know very little about themselves and the rest of the world.

Minimalism isn't just 'owning less stuff.' It's a state of mind that's to be inhabited. Here's what it means to me.

An in-depth look into why dating is so difficult in this day and age.

Ken Wilber was set to change the world. Here's why I think he never did.

Trying to learning a new language can be daunting at first. Here are some tips to get you started.

Just like with financial diversification, you should also invest in several different areas of your identity. Here's how.

What therapy is, what it can do for you, and how you should go about finding a good therapist.

Why anyone and everyone can benefit from meditation. What meditation is and how to do it.

How to tell if you or someone else is an emotional vampire and what to do about it if so.

Porn is messing up your relationships in more ways than you think. Here's a few of them.

It might sound cliché, but it's true: enjoying life isn't as complicated as it seems.

Getting motivated and taking action doesn't always work the way most people think it does. Here's my simple method for getting things done.

Learn how your attachment style affects your relationships.

My time spent in India left me with more questions than it answered. Here's why.

There's an art to nailing that interview, and it's a process that starts long before you sit down in front of a potential employer.

You probably don't believe this right now, but it's going to be okay.

Calm down. Take a deep breath. It's going to be okay. Your chances of getting an STD depend on a few different things, but you're likely overreacting.

Making eye contact can mean anything from "You don't exist to me" to "I'd like to see you naked." Here's how to tell which is which.

All advice is not created equal. Here's how to give advice without looking like such a jerk.

Men are often raised to withhold their emotions and to ignore any hint of introspection. But here's a way to draw strength from being vulnerable.

The three types of love are not all experienced equally. Find out how each can make or break a relationship.

"Having chemistry in relationships and being compatible with someone are not always the same thing."

The zen philosophy of unattachment presents a dilemma in modern life. Learn how to unfuse your identity from your goals and aspirations.