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SOLVED with Mark Manson

SOLVED with Mark Manson

By: Mark Manson
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About this listen

 Mark Manson is a three-time #1 New York Times bestselling author and 20-year personal development industry veteran. Solved is the most comprehensive, evidence-based, overly-researched podcast on the planet to help you get an issue in your life, err... solved.Copyright 2025 Infinity Squared Media Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • Solved, Answers: Finding Purpose, Failing Better, and the AI Future

    Solved, Answers: Finding Purpose, Failing Better, and the AI Future
    Dec 15 2025
    This one’s different. In this special year-end episode, I answer your questions—from the deep stuff about purpose and motivation, to the uncomfortable realities of change, burnout, failure, and dealing with unsupportive family. I also share the behind-the-scenes chaos of building SOLVED this year, what I learned about making massive, meaningful content, and what’s coming in 2026 (spoiler: boundaries, ego, and maybe some live shows). This is part personal, part philosophical, and part therapy session disguised as a podcast. If you’ve been wondering what’s next—or why you feel stuck—this one’s for you. See you in 2026. Ready to stop listening to podcasts and actually start taking action? Join the Solved Community, a group of like-minded people who are taking small steps every day to make big changes in their lives: https://solvedpodcast.com/qa Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:13) Recap of 2025 (03:42) What if I don't have a single purpose? (06:07) Why don't I feel a strong need for purpose? (08:32) How do I find purpose when doing things I don't find important? (12:34) I'm having issues on getting motivated on one thing (19:35) What if my family doesn't support my purpose? (23:15) I'm struggling with the idea that purpose must be bigger than yourself (26:04) How Mark got Purpose AI to work (32:55) Questions from YouTube (33:13) How do you change yourself? (36:43) Finding meaning after AI takeover (44:01) What would a Models rewrite look like today? (48:19) Mark's first heartbreak (54:31) What would Mark put on Voyager 1? (57:35) Self-doubt on something you make (1:02:12) Mark's next book? (1:03:38) Tours around the world (1:05:55) Goals for 2026 (1:08:14) Podcast changes for 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 30 mins
  • Finding Your Purpose, Solved

    Finding Your Purpose, Solved
    Dec 4 2025
    This is the episode I’ve been waiting to make. Purpose has been at the core of everything I’ve written and done for over a decade—and in this episode, we go all the way down the rabbit hole. From Viktor Frankl surviving Auschwitz to the myth of “finding your one true purpose,” we break down what purpose really is, why you feel lost without it, and how you can build it into your life—no inspirational fluff, just psychological, philosophical, and practical depth. We also get uncomfortable (in the best way) and talk about the dark side of purpose—how it can burn you out, trap you in toxic ambition, or become an excuse to ruin your life. I even open up about launching a second company this year, what it cost me, and why it still mattered. If you’ve ever felt aimless, stuck, or like something important is missing… this one’s for you. We also put together a free companion guide for this episode with all the takeaways, references, and tools to help you get your sh*t together once and for all. Download it here: https://solvedpodcast.com/purpose If you are not already a member of my premium community, get access to monthly challenges and daily action steps that add up to real change here: https://mrk.mn/ZcFwvxv FREE: For practical advice each week that might change your life, sign up for my newsletter here: http://bit.ly/3JRg3NX Chapters: 00:17:19 Chapter 1: Foundations: What Is Purpose? 00:25:44 Myths 00:32:50 Definition 00:34:55 Health 00:39:22 Resilience and Purpose 00:45:34 Chapter 2: Philosophical & Historical Perspectives on Purpose 00:52:47 Religion and Purpose 00:58:31 Descartes 01:00:11 Hume 01:04:51 Nietzsche 01:17:43 Kierkegaard 01:22:50 Ernest Becker 01:30:16 Picasso 01:30:40 Recap 01:31:26 Chapter 3: The Psychology of Purpose 01:36:38 Relationships 01:45:45 Ego Identity 01:49:19 Social Aspect of Purpose 01:52:32 Religiocity 02:05:14 Going back to Religion 02:08:13 Chapter 4: The Four Stages of Life 02:19:41 Trade off to Purpose 02:23:48 Transitioning in Purpose 02:31:33 Chapter 5: The Dark Side of Purpose 02:40:38 Purpose App 02:51:36 Burnout 02:54:29 Toxic Purpose 03:07:25 Chapter 6: Finding and Cultivating Purpose 03:27:04 Breakdown on finding Purpose 03:36:56 Chapter 7: Finding Purpose in Work (or Not) 03:52:55 Parenting 04:01:00 Contributing to your community 04:04:05 Hobbies 04:09:14 Chapter 8: Practical Tools and Frameworks 04:20:18 Purpose Setting 04:22:17 Finding the right tool 04:24:48 Chapter 9: The 80/20 of Living with Purpose 04:34:24 Takeaways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    4 hrs and 50 mins
  • Comparing Yourself to Others, Solved

    Comparing Yourself to Others, Solved
    Nov 15 2025
    We all compare ourselves to other people—our friends, coworkers, strangers on the internet—and most of the time, it makes us feel like shit. But why do we keep doing it? In this episode of Solved, we dig into the uncomfortable truth behind social comparison, how it quietly ruins our self-worth, and why most of what we envy in others is a projection of our own insecurity. We also get into the brutal paradox of success, the toxic loop of chasing status, and how the constant measurement of our lives against others is one of the dumbest things we do as a species. If you’ve ever felt not good enough, or like you’re falling behind, this one’s for you. We also put together a free companion guide for this episode with all the takeaways, references, and tools to help you get your sh*t together once and for all. Download it here: https://solvedpodcast.com/socialcomparison Ready to stop listening to podcasts and actually start taking action? Join Momentum, a community of like-minded people who are taking small steps every day to make big changes in their lives: https://findmomentum.com/socialcomparison Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 5:29 Chapter 1: Evolutionary Roots 16:20 The Emotional Toolkit 20:18 Chapter 2: Philosophy and Social Comparison 23:31 The Buddhist Path 24:58 Aristotle 34:34 Stoicism 36:24 Existentialism 40:06 Myths 48:37 Chapter 3: The Psychology of Social Comparison 58:54 Downward Comparison 1:22:19 Chapter 4: Digital Technology and Social Comparison 1:44:20 Chapter 5: The 80/20 of Managing Comparison 1:57:40 Hidden Costs 1:58:48 Takeaways Follow me: https://instagram.com/markmanson/ https://twitter.com/IAmMarkManson https://facebook.com/Markmansonnet/ https://linkedin.com/in/markmanson/ https://www.tiktok.com/@iammarkmanson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 hrs and 9 mins
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