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Art of Manliness

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Transcript, context, and more here: http://www.brainpickings.org/2015/01/13/paul-goodman-silence/

Excerpted from WBUR's https://soundcloud.com/stylusradio/s1e1

TRANSCRIPT/MORE

Christopher Ricks reads Paul Goodman on silence

Eric Greitens is a Rhodes Scholar that started out his career as a humanitarian but then became a Navy SEAL. His book The Heart and the Fist makes that case that in order to be a good man, you have to be strong enough to fight for those you’re trying to do good for. His book Resilience is based around a series of letters between him and a SEAL buddy that was going through a rough time in his life with alcoholism, job loss, and PTSD. Greitens calls upon his background in philosophy to provide insights and advice for his struggling friend on how to develop resilience in the face of adversity. Eric and discuss what resilience is and how one develops it. We also talk about "uneven courage" the "morality of intentions" and how action proceeds feeling. An illuminating conversation. One of my favorites. 

#105: Lessons from a Navy SEAL on Resilience With Eric Greitens

Advisor to Billionaire's, Athletes, Celebrities and some of the top leaders in the world! Tony Robbins is the go to guy for Success strategies and Joel Brown had the fortunate opportunity to chat with Tony about achieving success in this half an hour exclusive interview on the Addicted2Success Podcast!

Tony Robbins - 5 Ways To Master Your Money And Impact Millions Of Lives

Every guy at one point or another in his life dreams about being Jason Bourne or James Bond. Lock picking, escaping restraints, evading bad guys, killing bad dudes with an improvised weapon. That's stuff guys like to know even if they'll never have to use it. Well, now you can learn how to do all that cool spy stuff. Navy SEAL Clint Emerson has just published a book called 100 Deadly Skills: The SEAL Operative's Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous Situation. In it, you'll find every cool Jason Bourne skill you'd ever want to know. Today on the podcast, Clint and I discuss the EDC you should have to be prepared, the workout you should do to be a tactical athlete, and skill sets you should acquire to keep you and your loved ones safe. You don't want to miss this one!

#146: Deadly Navy SEAL Skills Every Man Should Know

During World War II the Greek island of Crete was occupied by the Nazis and was a strategic stronghold. To take back the island, Great Britain created a small band of misfit resistance fighters consisting of poets, historians, and Cretan shepherds. Their job was to muck things up for the Nazis, but one day they decided to do something completely audacious: kidnap a German general and get him off the island.

Against all the odds, they accomplished their mission.

How’d they do it?

My guest today on the podcast went to Crete to follow in the footsteps of these WWII resistance fighters and along the way discovered that they had tapped into the ancient Greek art of the hero. His name is Christopher McDougall and in his book Natural Born Heroes, he takes readers on a whirlwind tour through history, psychology, and fitness to show how these clever, courageous Englishmen emulated Odysseys and other Greek heroes and what regular Joes can do to live more heroically. In today’s episode, Chris and I discuss the mindset, the virtues, and the skills needed to become an ancient Greek hero.

#195: How to Live Like an Ancient Greek Hero

Last year I put a garage gym in my house. It's been fantastic, but it's not without its problems. For starters, there's the issue of space. How do you cram in a gym when you have to fit a car in your garage as well? The start up costs for a garage gym are hardly anything to flinch at. How can you save money on equipment without skimping on quality? Which equipment do you actually need? The other issue is just motivating yourself when working out by yourself. How do you motivate yourself to workout when it's just you in your garage and it's dark and 30 degrees outside? 

My guest today, he has spent his career doing garage gyms and helping people transition to garage gyms. His name is Jared Moon. He's written a lot of content for our site on how to make DIY fitness equipment, like the ever popular DIY prowler. He's got a new book out called Garage Gym Athlete. Today on the podcast, we're going to talk about how to become a garage gym athlete: the pros and cons of garage gyms, the math of garage gyms, the economics of garage gyms, why it might be more affordable than a regular gym, and how to motivate yourself when you're working out by yourself. If you've been thinking about switching over to a garage gym, this podcast might finally push you over the edge.

#199: Garage Gym Athelete

Last year I had a fella by the name of Clint Emerson on the podcast. He’s a retired Navy SEAL and he came on the show to talk about his first book, "100 Deadly Skills: The SEAL Operative’s Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous Situation." It was one of my favorite episodes from last year and a favorite of listeners as well. 

Well, Clint’s back with another book filled with deadly skills. This time around it's "100 Deadly Skills Survival Edition: The SEAL Operative’s Guide to Surviving in the Wild and Being Prepared for Any Disaster." In it, he, along with AoM's illustrator Ted Slampyak, show readers how to survive in any environment they might find themselves in, from the desert to the mountains to the sea. The book also covers how to manage disasters at home. 

In this action-focused show, Clint and I talk about the mindset you need to handle any deadly scenario, as well as specific tips for surviving a variety of threats and emergencies.

#252: Deadly Survival Skills From a Navy SEAL

Earlier this year we published an in-depth series about masculinity and the Christian religion — in particular, why it is that in nearly all Christian churches the world over, women outnumber men. One of our sources for that series was a book called "Why Men Hate Going to Church," and on today's show I talk with the author of that book, David Murrow.

David and I talk about the significant disparity in the sex ratio of Christian churches, the factors that led to that gender gap, why fewer men in the pews typically leads to an overall decline in congregation attendance, what some churches are doing to make church more “man-friendly," why newer megachurches have been more successful at attracting men than older, smaller churches, and why one branch of Christianity -- Eastern Orthodoxy -- hasn’t suffered the same decline in male attendance that's plagued other traditional denominations. Whether you enjoyed our series on Christianity and manhood, have wondered why you find going to church so unbearable, or simply enjoy discussions on the intersection of faith, culture, and masculinity you’ll love this podcast.

#253: Why Men Hate Going to Church

What is it about making and warming ourselves with woodburning flame that's so satisfying? And how can we better master the art of firemaking?

Well my guest today has published a book that’s become a cult classic in Scandinavia and it’s all about wood and fire. His name is Lars Mytting and his book is "Norwegian Wood: Chopping, Stacking, and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way." Today on the show, Lars and I discuss the pleasures of preparing wood for a fire and why firewood is an important part of man’s identity in Scandinavian countries. We go on to talk about the best kind of wood for fires, how to fell trees for firewood, how to season your wood for optimal fire building, and the best time to split wood. 

This is a show both philosophical and practical, and it will leave you wanting to build the best fireplace fire of your life when you’re done listening.

#263: The Philosophy and Practice of Building a Fire the Scandinavian Way

Emotional Intelligence expert and self development speaker Ashley Zahabian shares with us why Emotional Intelligence is more important than IQ and how to increase your EQ.

Ashley Zahabian - How To Increase Your Emotional Intelligence

Joel Brown interviews Fam Mirza, the Serial Entrepreneur who owns a number of successful businesses and is the Founder of 1face watches that have changed more than 3 million lives. Fam was a Self Made Millionaire at 21 years old and continues to build successful companies to this day.

Watch the full video interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOUTgZXGaIQ

Fam Mirza - The Mindset Of A Self-Made Millionaire

Today on the podcast I talk to Brad Wilcox, a professor of sociology at the University of Virginia, as well as the Director of the National Marriage Project, who's spent his career researching the impact marriage has on people's lives. Brad I discuss the effect marriage has on men, and why officially tying the knot actually makes a significant difference compared to being in a committed, non-married relationship. We also discuss what men can do to create a lasting marriage and the best age to get hitched.

We then shift gears to talk about his research on fatherhood, particularly the importance of fathers in a child’s life and the benefits men get themselves from being a dad. 

Whether you’re already married and a dad, or thinking about popping the question, you’re going to find a lot of insights and surprising information in this podcast.

#278: The Surprising Benefits of Marriage for Men

If you work out regularly, you probably take some sort of supplement, be it whey protein or creatine or a pre-workout energy drink. But do the supplements you’re taking actually work?

My guest today on the show has spent his career studying the effects of what we put into our body and is the director of the online encyclopedia of supplements and nutrition called Examine.com. His name is Kamal Patel. He’s a researcher with an MPH and MBA from John Hopkins University and is working on his PhD in nutrition. Today on the show, Kamal and I discuss why there’s so much confusion when it comes to supplements and nutrition. For example, he explains why one study can say cholesterol is bad for you, while another one says it’s vital for health. Kamal then breaks down how to read scientific studies on nutrition so you can make informed decisions about your diet instead of relying on clickbait headlines published by pseudo-journalists. We then get into which supplements actually work and which ones are a waste of money. Kamal also shares his insights on the growing field of nootropics and if there really are supplements that will make you smarter.

#285: The Real Science of Nutrition and Supplements

Today on the show, Steven Kotler shares what ecstasis is and why it improves performance in sports, business, and even military combat. He then goes on to describe the four accelerating forces in science that allow individuals to hack into ecstasis more easily, including things like mind-altering drugs and zapping your brain with electricity. Pretty crazy stuff. We end the show discussing how average Joes can get into ecstasis as well as the ethical implications of these new technologies. Are we bringing in a brave new world here, literally?

If you want a glimpse of what's coming into the world of performance enhancement in the next 20 years, you're not going to want to miss this show.

#287: The New Frontier of Flow

My guest today is Antony Cummins, and we talk about his book "True Path of the Ninja."

Today on the show, Antony uncovers the biggest myths we have in the West about ninjas -- like the fact that there isn’t really a ninjutsu fighting system, nor were samurai the ninjas' sworn enemy -- and then gives the real history of these ancient warriors. Antony then shares what lessons actual ninjas can teach us folks living in the modern West about psychology and interacting with others in business and life. 

The bad news is that we're going to ruin your childhood conceptions about ninjas in this podcast, but the good news is that the real story of ninjas is even more fascinating.

#290: Everything You Know About Ninjas is Wrong

My guest today is Beth Kobliner, and we discuss her latest book, "Make Your Kid a Money Genius."

Beth shares the research on the age at which most kids develop the money habits they’ll have for the rest of their life (it’s surprisingly young) and provides some basic guidelines on what you should and should not talk about with your children when it comes to money. We then dig into specific tactics on teaching your kids -- whether they’re in preschool or college -- about saving, work, insurance, and debt.

Even if you don’t have kids, you’re going to find some useful reminders in this podcast about getting your financial life in order. For those of you thinking about getting married soon, Beth shares some fascinating research on how the amount you spend on the engagement ring and wedding ceremony correlates with marital success and happiness. It will definitely provide some conversation fodder to discuss with your significant other.

#297: Make Your Kid a Money Genius

My guest today is Lenore Skenazy, author of "Free Range Kids." 

Today on the show, Lenore and I discuss how being labeled “America’s Worst Mom” led her to become a leader of a movement to give kids more unsupervised time, the cultural shifts that have happened in the past 30 years that have resulted in overprotective parenting, and why, contrary to popular belief, the chance of your kid getting abducted by a stranger is actually incredibly small. Along the way, Lenore shares some crazy stories of parents getting in trouble with the law simply for letting their children play outside by themselves.

We end our conversation with some actionable steps you can take as a parent to raise independent, self-reliant kids and why it’s important for kids to have as much unsupervised play as possible. 

If you’re a parent or a parent-to-be, you don’t want to miss this hilarious, but informative episode.

#300: How to Raise Free Range Kids

Are you tired of starting fitness programs with the best of intentions only to find yourself falling off the workout wagon two weeks later?

If so, today’s episode is for you.

I’ve brought back bodyweight strength training coach Anthony Arvanitakis to talk about his new book, How to Never Skip Your Workout Again. Anthony and I begin our conversation discussing what causes people to stop working out and how making exercise a ritual is the cure to this problem. Anthony then digs into specifics on how exactly to make exercise a ritual, including creating a pre-workout checklist (that you actually write out on an index card), wearing a workout "uniform," and picking the best time to set your ritual in motion.

We then discuss why rituals are much more powerful than motivation in helping you stick with a fitness program, and how to keep with it even when your life gets really busy. We end our conversation discussing how to make your diet a ritual as well, so you can lose weight or pack on muscle.

#319: Making Exercise a Habit

During the past 10 years or so there’s been a lot of chatter about the health benefits of intermittent fasting — that is, going without food for a short window of time on a regular basis. Some of the touted benefits of intermittent fasting include shredding body fat while maintaining muscle, improving blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, increasing longevity, and improving focus. But how many of those purported benefits are real and how many of them are just hype? 

Well, my guest today is a nutrition scientist who has spent the past several years researching and experimenting with intermittent fasting to find out the answers to those questions. His name is John Berardi and he’s the co-owner of Precision Nutrition, an online nutrition coaching company. John has written a free ebook that highlights all the latest research on intermittent fasting as well as his personal experiments with several different IF protocols. Today on the show John cuts through the hype of intermittent fasting and gives us a nuanced look at the benefits and downsides of this diet method. If you’ve been thinking about trying intermittent fasting, you don’t want to miss this show. John breaks down exactly who should use IF and who shouldn’t, and what kinds of results to expect when you fast.

#328: The Pros and Cons of Intermittent Fasting

If you’re like me, you have a love-hate relationship with your digital devices. On the one hand, they give us access to unlimited amounts of information, connect us with friends and family, and allow us to work from pretty much anywhere. On the other hand, they can captivate our attention so much that we feel distracted and angsty. And try as we might, we often find it hard to ignore the itch to stop scrolling through Instagram and really listen to what a loved one is saying. Why do these devices feel so dang addictive?

My guest today is a neuroscientist who’s studied that question in depth. His name is Adam Gazzaley and he’s the founder of Gazzaley Labs at the University of California at San Francisco. There, he and his team have researched what goes on in our brains when we use our digital devices, why they distract us, and what we can do about it.

Today on the show, Adam and I discuss the science of distraction and focus. Adam walks us through the cognitive functions we use to focus our attention and to avoid distraction. He then explains why these evolved cognitive functions are mismatched to today’s constantly buzzing digital devices, using a theory of optimal food foraging borrowed from biology. We then discuss action steps grounded in science on how you can beat distraction and stay more focused throughout the day. We end our conversation talking about Adam’s work creating prescription video games (yes, prescription) that can be used to help elderly patients and individuals with ADHD.

#338: How to Beat Distraction and Stay Focused

Physical training has a lot of carry over to other domains of your life. It can help you become a better husband and father, a more productive worker, and a more disciplined student. My guest today is a living manifestation of the multiplier effect that physical training produces. His name is Dan John. He holds several records in discus and the highland games, and coaches and consults top athletes in the throwing sports and Olympic lifting. Dan also holds master's degrees in history and religious studies and was a Fulbright Scholar in religious education. He teaches religious studies for Columbia College of Missouri. 

Today on the show, Dan and I discuss how physical training can make you a better man in all domains of your life. We begin our discussion on how his training has made him a better scholar and how his scholarship has improved his training. Dan then explains what “shark habits” are, how they contribute to your long-term goals, and how to develop your own shark habits.

We end our conversation getting into specifics of strength training. Dan shares the top 3 mistakes he sees people make with their training, why you need to start carrying heavy instead of just lifting heavy, and why you need to put a premium on recovery. 

This episode combines both brains and brawn for a compelling conversation on being a well-rounded man.

#354: Brains & Brawn — Tips and Inspiration on Being a Well-Rounded Man

When you think about diet and nutrition, you probably think about carbs, proteins, and fats. These macronutrients play a huge role in athletic performance and whether you gain or lose weight. But food is also full of micronutrients that are vital for your health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, most people overlook micronutrients, and consequently are deficient in them. My guest today has spent her career researching the ill effects of micronutrient deficiencies and what you can do to optimize them. Her name is Dr. Rhonda Patrick and she’s a biomedical scientist. Today on the show, Rhonda and I discuss micronutrients: what they are, what they do, and why we’re not getting enough of them. 

We then dig into her research into nutritional genomics, or how genes affect how your body processes nutrients. We end our conversation discussing how stressing yourself with cold exposure, heat exposure, and fasting can boost your health.

#354: Brains & Brawn — Tips and Inspiration on Being a Well-Rounded Man

The Art of Manliness