Episodes

  • #1005 - Warren Smith - J.K. Rowling & The Cost of Speaking Freely

    #1005 - Warren Smith - J.K. Rowling & The Cost of Speaking Freely
    Oct 11 2025
    Warren Smith is a filmmaker, educator, and host of the “Secret Scholar Society” YouTube channel. If freedom of speech can be shouted down, does it really exist? When every debate turns into partisan noise, what does honest discourse even look like? If we can’t talk about our problems without resorting to anger or violence, how can we ever solve them? Expect to learn why J.K. Rowling has become such a lightning rod for cultural backlash and why she’s back in the news, why limiting conversation only makes problems worse, whether free speech can truly exist if it can be shouted down, whether young people’s growing support for political violence stems from conviction or desensitization, the fine line between correct and incorrect behavior, what William thinks about today’s rising tribalism, and much more… Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get 10% discount on all Gymshark’s products at https://gym.sh/modernwisdom (use code MODERNWISDOM10) Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D, and more from AG1 at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period from Shopify at https://shopify.com/modernwisdom Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59 #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • #1004 - Sam Corcos - Inside DOGE, The IRS & How to Scam the US Government

    #1004 - Sam Corcos - Inside DOGE, The IRS & How to Scam the US Government
    Oct 9 2025
    Sam Corcos is an entrepreneur, CEO of Levels, and a special advisor to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). What’s really happening inside the U.S. government? For the first time, a DOGE insider exposes the chaos, corruption, and dysfunction plaguing Washington. How did America’s most powerful system lose its way, and can we climb out of this financial and technological free fall? Expect to learn what is currently happening inside DOGE, why Sam decided to step into a political position, Sam’s biggest misconceptions he had about the government before he went inside, how the government actually operates internally, why it’s so hard to make change in the government, how to scam the US government, how to solve the government contract problem, how the IT in the government got so dysfunctional and how we might get out of this, what the IRS actually does and if tax collection is actually viable to help the debt problem, and much more… Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get up to $350 off the Pod 5 at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom Get $100 off the best bloodwork analysis in America at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Timestamps: (0:00) Becoming Chief Information Officer of the Treasury Department (6:22) The Politics of Working in Politics (11:19) What It’s Really Like Working for the US Government (25:05) How Do You Change the System? (37:46) What Has Sam Sacrificed for the Government? (43:51) The Procurement Process is Broken (53:47) How Much Money Does the Government Really Spend? (01:01:28) Why is Finding Engineers Proving Difficult? (01:10:56) Are Young People Favoured for Government Jobs? (01:15:54) US Media is Fuelling Federal Mistrust (01:25:55) DOGE is More Than a Meme (01:30:04) How Does DOGE Save Money? (01:38:05) Why Spending Cuts are So Important (01:43:02) Modernisation Isn’t the Answer (01:48:55) Is Data Security at Risk? (01:55:09) The Reduction in Force Process is Brutal (02:00:58) What Sam Would Go Back and Change About DOGE (02:10:06) What Does the IRS Actually Do? (02:16:32) How are Tax Policies Really Enforced? (02:25:52) People are at the Core of DOGE (02:35:26) How Long Will It Take to Fix IT Systems? (02:42:14) What Have Been the Biggest Changes in Sam’s Work? (02:52:32) How Will Systematic Changes Stick? Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59 #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 hrs and 56 mins
  • #1003 - Konstantin Kisin - The Forces Behind Britain's Downfall

    #1003 - Konstantin Kisin - The Forces Behind Britain's Downfall
    Oct 6 2025
    Konstantin Kisin is a podcaster, a speaker and an author. Is the UK facing its breaking point? Once the world’s greatest empire, the UK now finds itself engulfed in political chaos and cultural upheaval. From leadership crises to deep divisions, what’s really happening on the front lines, and can Britain be saved from itself? Expect to learn why the UK is in a major crisis right now, why the border operates differently in the UK versus other countries, what Konstantin learned from being on the frontlines of the migrant hotel crisis, if multiculturalism is a failed experiment in the UK, what it means to hold traditional British values, why the UK doesn’t have freedom of speech, if the root cause of the UK’s issues are actually economical, and much more... Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get $100 off the best bloodwork analysis in America at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D, and more from AG1 at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Timestamps: (0:00) Will Immigration Be the Death of the UK? (7:31) Immigration in UK vs the US (12:50) We Can’t Let Immigration Become a Moral Issue (16:37) Why are Immigrants Choosing the UK? (25:20) Has Multiculturalism Failed? (32:34) Konstantin’s View on Immigration as an Immigrant (36:30) Cultural Assimilation Needs to Improve (41:52) Are the Left Over-Organising Protests? (50:16) What are the Left Trying to Achieve? (01:00:16) Negativity is Breaking the UK (01:07:41) Why is the UK So Depressed? (01:13:02) Have Racists Hijacked the English Flag? (01:18:06) Did Tony Robinson Predict the Migrant Crisis? (01:21:09) Free Speech is Under Attack (01:39:31) Is the Economy the Problem? (01:44:39) Why We Combine Beliefs (01:48:43) The Super-Rich are Not the Problem (02:01:43) Left-Leaning Content is Rising in the UK (02:06:56) Is the Right Fracturing? (02:15:07) New Media Needs to Head Important Conversations Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59 #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 hrs and 18 mins
  • #1002 - Andrew Doyle - Political Violence & The Lunatics of Your Own Side

    #1002 - Andrew Doyle - Political Violence & The Lunatics of Your Own Side
    Oct 4 2025
    Andrew Doyle is Titania McGrath, host of GB News, a comedian and a writer. The world has shifted dramatically over the past few years, and the pace of change has only accelerated in recent months. Ideas that once lived outside the mainstream have quickly entered the Overton Window, while others have been pushed out. So what does the future hold for “woke”? Is it fading, primed for a resurgence, or simply mutating into the next cultural battleground? And more importantly, what new culture war is waiting just over the horizon? Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get the brand new Whoop 5.0 and your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom Get up to $50 off the RP Hypertrophy App at https://rpstrength.com/modernwisdom Get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.com/modernwisdom Timestamps: (0:00) Are Liberals Becoming More Violent? (9:42) Why Out-of-Context Clips are So Damaging (14:44) Was Charlie Kirk a Future President? (18:50) Wokeness is Dying (35:28) The Dangers of Pushing Too Hard (45:40) Andrew’s Stance on the Wokeness (55:22) Does Environmentalism Fit into the Woke Movement? (01:00:48) The Woke Movement is Homophobic (01:16:09) Why Queers for Palestine is So Juxtaposing (01:22:41) Authoritarianism in the UK (01:36:18) The Attack on Free Speech (01:45:06) Activist Judges Need to Be Removed from Government (01:49:53) Steven’s Views on Unite the Kingdom (01:53:15) Should Jimmy Kimmel Have Been Cancelled? (02:03:50) Cancel Culture is Going Too Far (02:14:25) We Shouldn’t Feel Threatened By Disagreement (02:21:19) What Happens Next? (02:26:26) Where to Find Andrew Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59 #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 hrs and 33 mins
  • #1001 - Ryan Holiday - Stoicism’s Lessons on Becoming Wise

    #1001 - Ryan Holiday - Stoicism’s Lessons on Becoming Wise
    Oct 2 2025
    Ryan Holiday is a podcaster, marketer and an author. If intelligence were enough, the smartest among us would also be the wisest. Yet time and again, they stumble over life’s simplest lessons. Wisdom isn’t about knowing more; it’s about seeing deeper. So how do we shed the illusion of being ‘smart,’ and actually grow into wisdom? Expect to learn what Ryan learned from his near-death experience, what most people get wrong about wisdom, how daily habits compound into wisdom across a lifetime, what Ryan learned from studying the Wright Brothers, why in a culture of shortcuts and “life hacks,” how Ryan convinces people that wisdom is worth the long, uncomfortable path, what a Stoic would say about when you’ve lost yourself in life, why humility is such a crucial ingredient for wisdom, and much more… Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D, and more from AG1 at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Get $100 off the best bloodwork analysis in America at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Timestamps: (0:00) Why We Need to Push Outside Our Comfort Zone (5:13) Banning Books Isn't Ethical (16:41) Does Learning Keeps Us Humble? (27:48) Why We Learn Lessons from Old Tales (33:41) Literally True, Figuratively False (50:33) Do the Work Now to Build Your Wisdom (57:55) Stoic Advice for When You’re Lost in Life (01:03:45) How Stockdale Remained Unbroken Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59 #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 53 mins
  • #1000 - Matthew McConaughey - The Art of Living a Courageous Life

    #1000 - Matthew McConaughey - The Art of Living a Courageous Life
    Sep 29 2025
    Matthew McConaughey is an Academy Award-winning actor, producer and an author. Expect to learn why Matthew says life often “rhymes”, why it’s okay if you do everything right and still not get the result you want, how Matthew views the role courage plays in his life, how to learn to deal with failure, the difference between a nice guy and a good man, the most important principle Matthew refuses to compromise on, the appropriate balance of running toward a life you want vs. away from one that you fear, how to balance self-confidence with humility, the difference between “being” and “acting”, what it means to be more impressed with the wow instead of the how, rumors on Matthew’s return to the True Detective franchise, and much more… Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D, and more from AG1 at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get $100 off the best bloodwork analysis in America at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Timestamps: (0:00) What It Means When Life “Rhymes” (9:34) How Forgiving Betrayal Can Free You (20:32) Hope, Faith, and How To Become Your Own Hero (25:47) This Approach to Success is Everything (31:57) The Mindset That Will Change Your Outlook on Life (41:11) How To Find Significance in the Noise (53:30) The Power of Courage and Conviction (01:00:31) How To Find Balance Between Life and Work (01:10:31) The Difference Between a Nice Guy and a Good Man (01:17:17) Principles Matthew Refuses To Compromise On (01:29:15) Why We Need to Stop Cancelling Men (01:34:31) Why Living Better Outweighs Living Longer (01:40:55) How to Build Confidence (01:47:10) How to Stop Worrying & Trust the Process (01:52:16) On the Road with Matthew Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59 #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 58 mins
  • #999 - 21 Lessons from 999 Episodes - Naval Ravikant, Roger Federer & Vincent van Gogh

    #999 - 21 Lessons from 999 Episodes - Naval Ravikant, Roger Federer & Vincent van Gogh
    Sep 27 2025
    To celebrate 999, almost 1000, episodes of Modern Wisdom, I broke down some of my favourite lessons, insights and quotes from the last hundred episodes. Expect to learn how 999 episodes of Modern Wisdom have reshaped my understanding of happiness, success and relationships, what i've learned on losing points from Naval Ravikant & Roger Federer, the best isnights on self-belief from Vincent van Gogh, what Viktor Frankl’s paradox of meaning versus pleasure means to me, the biggest insights I've gained over 7 years and 1 billion plays, why lowering your threshold for joy makes you stronger, how busyness can act as an emotional gastric band, the paradox men face between ambition and self-acceptance, how our culture rewires romantic attraction around emotional unavailability, and much more... Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get 15% off your first order of Intake’s magnetic nasal strips at https://intakebreathing.com/modernwisdom Get 15% off any Saily data plan at https://saily.com/modernwisdom Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period from Shopify at https://shopify.com/modernwisdom Timestamps: (0:00) Ringing in 999 Videos (4:39) Why We Need to Take Pleasure in the Small Things (11:08) Productivity is the Same as Gastric Band Surgery (20:59) Every Man Needs Love to Thrive (31:16) How Can We Find Balance in Meaning and Pleasure? (39:22) Uncertainty is a Roadblock to Happiness (46:22) Is Modern Romance Culture Pushing Woman to Pick Emotionally Unavailable Men? (01:03:25) Is Declining Birth Rate the Newest Cassandra Complex? (01:18:42) 7 Lessons About Worrying and Overthinking (01:29:07) How Can We Slow Down Time? (01:38:24) We Need to Escape Our Old Self to Embrace Our New One (01:45:27) Errors in Hesitation are Equal to Errors in Action (01:50:41) Onwards and Upwards Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59 #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 55 mins
  • #998 - Zack Telander - Everything You Want Is On The Other Side Of Cringe

    #998 - Zack Telander - Everything You Want Is On The Other Side Of Cringe
    Sep 25 2025
    Zack Telander is a musician, weightlifter, coach & YouTuber. Why are we so afraid of being cringe? If being cringe online is the price of success, why don’t more people pay it? So how do you train yourself past criticism and actually do what needs to be done in your life, whether people are watching you or not? Expect to learn why getting over being cringe is the key to unlocking the things you want in life, what it actually means to be “cool”, why using irony may be an overrated conversational tool, the importance of taking pleasure in the little things in life, Zack’s reflections on what it was like running for 100-days straight, the reason the health community pushes back on GLP-1's so much, why so many grifters drive critique online, and much more… Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D, and more from AG1 at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get $100 off the best bloodwork analysis in America at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Timestamps: (0:00) Why Being Cringe is So Ironic (10:51) We Need to Take More Pleasure in the Little Things (18:17) How Has the Comments Section Changed Us? (23:18) Zack’s Opinion on Getting Out Over Your Skis (37:25) Grifters are Driving Critique Online (42:43) Does Trying to Be Cool Make You Cringe? (55:22) Why Zack Thinks It’s Becoming Harder to Be Your Authentic Self (01:03:51) Performance Massively Enhances GLP-1 Use (01:12:33) What Zack Learnt From Running For 100 Days (01:20:52) Chris’ Thoughts on What Makes Sport Compelling (01:29:15) Why Chris Wishes He Cared Less About Judgement (01:38:49) Human Connections Fill Us With Gratitude (01:45:15) Zack’s Gratitude Towards Chris Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59 #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 48 mins