The MetaLearn Podcast gives you the knowledge and skills needed to understand yourself and the world around you so you can thrive in the 21st century. Host Nasos Papadopoulos interviews the world's top experts in every field, extracting the principles needed learn faster, think smarter and live better.
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Kevin Kelly is the co-founder of Wired magazine and author of sveral books including his latest, Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier. In this episode we discuss: The nature of good advice and who is really worth listening to Why your goal should be to become the "only" not the best in what you do What it means to live in perpetual disequilibrium and why that fuels growth…
Steven Pressfield is the bestselling author of The War of Art , Gates of Fire , and The Legend of Bagger Vance . In this episode we discuss: How shame, honour, and resistance shape the creative life The ancient idea of the "daimon" and its role in artistic destiny Lessons from decades of rejection, hard work, and his eventual breakthrough We also talk about Steve's unconventional path to success…
In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss: closing the gap between knowing & doing, the challenge of living your values and the path to human progress.
In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss: how to ask great questions, the role of curiosity in progress and the impact of modern media and technology on expertise, sensemaking and democracy.
In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss: the importance of creativity for individuals and society, the process of discovering your genius and the difference between the gift and market economies.
In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss: how to understand your emotions, the patterns driving human behaviour and why mental health culture isn't improving mental health.
In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss: how to focus in a world full of distractions, the challenges of ADHD and how to deal with it and why myths about attention are harming you.
Andrea Domenichini is a media producer and podcaster who runs his own show Voices in the Dark, and has been helping me with the latest episodes of the MetaLearn podcast. In this episode we discuss: - How to apply Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power in practice - Avoiding manipulation and how to defend against people using power plays - The true nature of power and how we misunderstand it in modern…
Raoul Pal is the CEO of Real Vision, a cutting edge financial media company and also runs his own macro research business, Global Macro Investor. In this episode we discuss: - Raoul's 3 scenarios for how the war between Russia & Ukraine plays out - The outlook for different asset classes including stock & bonds, commodities & crypto - Why the tokenisation of culture through communities like Bored…
Visakan 'Visa' Veerasamy is a creator, marketer and the author of two books, Friendly Ambitious Nerd and Introspect. In this episode we discuss: - How to navigate the hero's journey of developing self awareness - Confronting your inner tyrant so you can do the work you were built for - Becoming friends with yourself and earning your own self-respect and admiration This was a special conversation…
Iain McGilchrist is a psychiatrist and author of The Master and His Emissary and The Matter with Things. In the episode we discuss: - The differences between the left and right brain hemispheres and how they shape your perspective - The 4 pathways to understanding - science, reason, intuition & imagination - How the big problems we face including the assault on Nature, destruction of Culture are…
Andrew Warner is an entrepreneur, author and the founder of Mixergy, a platform for interviewing the world's top founders. In this episode we discuss: - Andrew's techniques for learning anything from anyone, based on 2000+ interviews - How to interrupt someone, ask tough questions and rescue bad conversations - Strategies for building a thriving content business around interviews We also discuss…
Demetri Kofinas is a media entrepreneur, financial analyst and the host of the Hidden Forces Podcast. In this episode we discuss: - The key events that shaped the modern world including 9/11 and the 2008 Financial Crisis - The rise of 'financial nihilism' and how it's playing out in asset markets including crypto - How to build a profitable media business with integrity in a post truth world We…
Oliver Burkeman is a journalist and author of the book 4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. In this episode we discuss: - The time management myths that are holding you back - Practical strategies that help you focus on what matters most - The true cost of convenience culture and what you lose We also talk about how writing the book changed Oliver's relationship to time, the path to producing…
Armand D'Angour is a professor of classics at the University of Oxford and the author of several books including Socrates in Love and his latest, How To Innovate. In this episode we discuss: - The 3 different types of innovation and how to use them to your advantage - How the Greeks thought about change and what we can learn from them - The relationship between innovation and ethics We also cover…
Larry Grobel is a writer and interviewer who has interviewed every big name in Hollywood from Robert de Niro to Nicole Kidman, Al Pacino to Angelina Jolie. In this episode we discuss: - The art of a great interview informed by Larry' work with the world's biggest stars - Techniques for building rapport fast to make people feel comfortable and open up - Larry's principles for great storytelling…
Gary Lachman is a writer and philosopher, whose work focuses on human imagination and the history of occult ideas. In this episode we discuss: - Moving between the rational and the imaginative modes of consciousness - The rise of meme magic in politics and how Trump, Putin others have used it - How to make sense of a world dominated by philosophies of nihilism We also discuss Gary's experience in…
Andrea Domenichini is a media producer and podcaster who runs his own show Voices in the Dark, and has been helping me with the latest episodes of the MetaLearn podcast. In this episode we discuss: - The role curiosity plays in learning and how to cultivate it in yourself and others - The nature of knowledge and the thread running between science and the arts - What Dungeons & Dragons has taught…
James Hollis is Jungian analyst and author of 16 books, including his latest work Prisms and Living Between Worlds. In this episode we cover: - How to deal with competing desires and create the life you want to live - The meaning of Jung's big ideas like the shadow and what they mean for you - How James has written a book every two years for the last 3 decades This was a wide ranging, deep…
Sergey Young is the Founder of the Longevity Vision Fund and author of the book The Science and Technology of Growing Young. In this episode we discuss: - How using health data will eventually enable us to reverse aging - The current state of aging research and progress made in recent years - The simple things you can do to extend your lifes and stay healthy This episode will give you a broad…
Tom Chatfield is a philosopher and author of the books Critical Thinking and How To Think. In this episode we discuss: - How to avoid common thinking mistakes and deal with your biases to be less wrong - The three characteristics of valuable information sources - How to understand statistics and form an accurate picture of reality in a data driven world We also discuss Tom's experience writing a…
Visakan 'Visa' Veerasamy is a creator, marketer and the author of two books, Friendly Ambitious Nerd and Introspect. In this episode we discuss: - How to reframe your ambition so you can succeed your way - How to create content that helps people, makes money and connects you to your tribe - How to market yourself and your work without selling out We also discuss Visa's experience growing up as a…
Michael Meade is a mythologist, storyteller and author best known for books like The Water of Life, Fate and Destiny and The Genius Myth. In this episode we discuss: - How to find and tap into your inner genius - How to tell transformative stories that move people - The most valuable life lessons from world mythology We also cover Michael's near fatal run-in with a gang aged 13 and his experience…
Luke Burgis is an entrepreneur and author of the book Wanting, The Power of Mimetic Desire and How to Want What You Need. In this episode, we cover: - How to turn blind wanting that leaves you unfulfilled to intentional wanting that supports your values - The different kinds of role models and how they affect your desires and behaviour - How conflict often comes from similarities, not differences…
Rob Fitzpatrick is an author and entrepreneur, best known for his book The Mom Test. His latest offering is Write Useful Books. In this episode, we discuss: - Rob's 4-part system for writing useful books based on product testing principles - Common mistakes to avoid in getting feedback from readers - Business lessons Rob has learned from a decade and a half of entrepreneurial projects We also…
Thomas Moore is an author and psychotherapist, best known for the NYT bestseller Care of the Soul. His latest book, Soul Therapy is focused on therapy that actually makes a difference. In this episode we discuss: - What therapy or "soul care" is and how it works - The myths that to help you through dark times in life - The modern obsession with childhood trauma This conversation will give you a…
David Heinemeier Hansson is the creator of Ruby on Rails, Co-Founder and CTO at Basecamp and the best-selling co-author of Rework and Remote. In this episode we discuss: - David's learning process and how he's applied it to everything from photography to race car driving - Basecamp's recent battle against Apple and the implications of Big Tech monopolies for business and society - David's take on…
Raoul Pal is the Co-Founder & CEO of Real Vision Group, a disruptive financial media brand . He also runs his own macro research business the Global Macro Investor and was himself previously a highly successful portfolio manager at one of the world's largest hedge funds GLG. The global economy is in a state of transition and with the march of technology accelerating and a new financial system and…
Barbara Oakley is an educator and writer who's empowering people all over the world to learn more effectively. She's best known for her role as the lead instructor on Coursera's Learning How To Learn and her bestselling book A Mind for Numbers but in the last few years she's created an incredible body of work including multiple books and online courses. In this episode we discuss: - How and why…
Dean Nelson is the director of the journalism program at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego and author of the book Talk To Me. He has over 40 years of experience in journalism and has written stories from all over the world, which have been published the likes of the New York Times & Boston Globe. In this episode, we discuss: - How to navigate career crisis and the two questions that…
Eric Jorgenson is the author of the Navalmanack, a distillation of the best insights from Angel List Founder Naval Ravikant and the Founder of Course Correctly, a site that curates the best online courses for knowledge workers. Eric is in the process of creating a course about leverage and has learned from one of the best thinkers on the subject, Naval Ravikant, founder of Angel List and one of…
Dhrupad Karwa is the Founder and CEO of Inspo, an AI Inspiration Partner designed to enrich creative thinking at brands and agencies. He is also the co-founder and CEO of HaikuJAM, a social writing game that helps people write collaboratively online. In this episode we discuss: - The importance of inspiration and how AI can bring more of it to our lives- The challenges of building startups and…
Billy Broas is an entrepreneur, marketing coach and consultant and instructor of the Keystone online course. In this episode we discuss: - Limiting beliefs holding you back from marketing yourself and your business - Billy's Bridge of Transformation Method - What Billy learned from some of history's greatest copywriters This episode will give you the mindsets and skillsets you need to thrive in…
Anton Howes is a historian in residence at the RSA and a visiting lecturer at King's College London. He is also the author of the book Arts and Minds: How The RSA Changed a Nation. In this episode we discuss: - The innovator's mindset and why it's much rarer than you think- A vision for reviving the great exhibitions of the 19th century as a vehicle for progress - How to research and write a book,…
Kevin Kelly is the co-founder and editor at Wired magazine, and one of the world's leading technologists. He's the author of What Technology Wants and The Inevitable and has recently launched Vanishing Asia, a photo-book documenting 40 years of Kevin's travels in Asia. In this episode we discuss: - Kevin's lessons about photography, the world and himself from 40 years of travel in Asia - What the…
Neer Sharma is the founder of Patent Drop, a newsletter that gives you a peek into the future by summarising new patents from big tech companies. He previously co-founded HaikuJAM - a mobile game that helps people feel better through collaborative writing, helping grow the community to over 1 million users. In this episode we discuss: - How to navigate a career change without having the next thing…
Armand D'Angour is a Professor of Classics at Oxford University, a musician and the author of several books, including his latest Socrates in Love. In this episode we discuss: - Armand's revisionist biography of Socrates including an account of the woman who helped him shape his ideas on love - The value of reviving ancient music and the methods for doing so - What the Greeks' attitude to the new…
Annie Duke is a bestselling author, speaker, and decision-making consultant. Her latest book, How to Decide is already earning rave reviews and her previous one, Thinking in Bets , became a national bestseller. As a former professional poker player, Annie won more than $4 million in tournament poker before retiring from the game in 2012. If you're anything like most people, you probably don't have…
Joel Christensen is a Professor of Classics at Brandeis University and author of the book The Many Minded Man. He also posts regularly on the popular Classics-oriented website Sententiae Antiquae. The Many Minded Man explores Homer's Odyssey through a modern psychological lens, focusing on how it reflects the workings of the human mind and provides a model for coping with the challenges of chance…
Minter Dial is an international speaker and award-winning author, who focuses on the topics of leadership, branding and transformation. He has written three books including his latest You Lead: How Being Yourself Makes You a Better Leader. In this episode we discuss: - How Minter's experience observing 9/11 in New York changed his values - The 4 paradoxes we all have to navigate in a modern…
Christian Busch is a Professor at NYU and LSE and the author of the bestselling book, The Serendipity Mindset. He is also the co-founder of two thriving communities - Sandbox, a global community of young innovators, as well as of Leaders on Purpose, an organisation convening leading CEOs. In this episode we discuss: - The mindset needed to integrate serendipity into your career and life - How to…
Michelle Weise is the author of Long-Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs that Don't Even Exist Yet. She is an entrepreneur-in-residence and senior advisor at Imaginable Futures and her work over the last decade has concentrated on preparing working-age adults for the jobs of today and tomorrow. In this episode we discuss: - The current state of the landscape in workplace training and higher…
Tom Vanderbilt is a journalist and author of the book Beginners: The Curious Power of Lifelong Learning. In this conversation we discuss: - The pain and joy of being an amateur and why it's so important - Tom's criteria for learning new skills and picking teachers - The unexpected benefits of picking up new skills The limiting beliefs that stop us from learning new things are often so difficult to…
Oli Barrett is a super connector named "the most connected man in Britain" by Wired magazine, who has received an MBE for services to business. In this episode we discuss: - The 5 strategies for staying in touch with people - The components of a good cold email or long-shot as Oli calls them - How to create space for meaningful conversations online I've learned a lot from Oli in the last few years…
Anne Laure Le Cunff, founder of Ness Labs, an online school and community on mindful productivity. She's an ex-Googler, and holds a masters in Applied Neuroscience from King's College London, while her work has been featured in WIRED, Forbes, the FT and Rolling Stone. In this episode we discuss: - How Anne-Laure's personal values have changed over the course of her career - Anne-Laure's system for…
Thomas Moore is a best selling author, international speaker and esteemed psychotherapist. This is Part 2 of my conversation with Thomas and in it we discuss: - The movement of archetypal psychology and the art of creative collaboration - The thinkers who have advanced our understanding of the human psyche - How the pandemic has affected the soul aspects of our work experience We also touch on the…
Thomas Moore is a best selling author, international speaker and esteemed psychotherapist. He has written 25 books about the soul, finding meaningful work and doing religion in a fresh way. In this episode we discuss: - The idea of having a calling, when this is naive and when it isn't - How Thomas has written 25 books in his career without retiring to a cabin in the woods - The distinction…
Evan Carmichael runs a successful YouTube channel which distills the mindsets and skillsets from the world's top performers in sports, business and entertainment. In this episode we discuss: - The relationship between belief and action that every creator has to navigate - The systems and processes needed to create a thriving YouTube channel - What Evan has learned from studying some of the world's…
Margaret Heffernan is a former CEO of 5 companies, acclaimed TED speaker and author of six books including her latest, Uncharted. In this episode we discuss: - How to pursue a career as a series of experiments - The problems with modern forecasting in an uncertain environment - The dangers of prioritising efficiency in an uncertain world and the human qualities needed to thrive in it This episode…
Josh Kaufman is an entrepreneur, researcher, and author of three bestselling books – The Personal MBA, The First 20 Hours, and How to Fight a Hydra. This is Part 2 of my conversation with Josh, so if you haven't already, I recommend you go back and listen to Part 1 where we discussed: The concept of exploration/exploitation and how it helps you decide what to work on The system Josh uses for…
