Before Gary Collins left a bureaucratic government job to pursue a more independent existence off the grid, he had to work on downsizing and decluttering his life. The lessons he learned in ultimately achieving that aim apply to everyone — even those with no plans to leave civilization — who would like to lead a simpler life.

Gary shares those lessons in his book The Simple Life Guide to Decluttering Your Life, and with us today on the show. We begin with why it's so easy to get caught up in the consumerism-driven "cult of clutter," how the clutter it generates extends far past a person's tangible stuff, and the cost it exacts from our lives in both financial and psychological terms. Gary then explains how to simplify and declutter every aspect of your life — the material, of course, but also the technological, informational, and even social. Along the way, this self-described "redneck hippie" offers no-nonsense advice that refreshingly departs from the kind of soft glow, artfully arranged, white background pictures of minimalism you might find on Instagram. Because Gary's not on Instagram. That would be clutter.

Get the show notes at aom.is/simplelife.

#699: The No-Nonsense Guide to Simplifying Every Aspect of Your Life

Most everyone has experienced restlessness from time to time. A feeling of wanting more, but being unsure of how to find it; of struggling with distraction, but being unsure of what to focus on; of striking out in various directions, but not feeling any more fulfilled.

While we tend to think of restlessness as a very modern phenomenon, a French diplomat and philosopher, Alexis de Tocqueville, observed the very same problems in America two centuries ago. And the roots of our restlessness go back even further still.

My guests today will trace some of these genealogical branches for us. Their names are Benjamin and Jenna Storey, they're a married couple, professors of political philosophy, and the authors of the book Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment.

We begin our conversation with how the Storeys' inquiry into restlessness began from observing existential meltdowns in their students and a constant but unfulfilling busyness in their friends. The Storeys then explain how Tocqueville observed a similar phenomenon at the start of the 19th century, before digging into two of the philosophers Tocqueville's observations were shaped by: Michel de Montaigne and Blaise Pascal. They first unpack Montaigne's ideal of living a life of cool, nonchalant, existential indifference, which sought contentment in the here and now, and then discuss Pascal's critique of that philosophy, in which he argued that seeking diversion and distraction for its own sake only makes us miserable, and that humans must engage in an anguished search for something beyond ourselves. We then explore what happened in the West when Montaigne's approach to life was adopted by the masses, and how it's led to feelings of existential failure, an impossible search for constant happiness, envy, loneliness, and acrimonious political debates. At the end of our conversation, the Storeys argue that while restlessness can never be entirely extinguished, it can be tamed, and suggest a few ways on how.

Get the show notes at aom.is/restlessness.

#701: Why Are We Restless?

We tend to throw the word "genius" around pretty casually, saying so-and-so has a genius for a particular skill, or sarcastically pointing out someone's failure by saying, "Nice work, genius!"

But what makes an actual genius, a genius?

My guest today has spent over two decades exploring that question by studying the world's most iconic and original thinkers and creators, both past and present. His name is Craig Wright, he's a professor emeritus of music at Yale who continues to teach a course there called "Exploring the Nature of Genius," and he's the author of The Hidden Habits of Genius: Beyond Talent, IQ, and Grit—Unlocking the Secrets of Greatness. Today on the show Craig reveals the characteristics and patterns of behavior of true geniuses, and begins by answering the questions of whether there's a connection between genius and intelligence, and whether genius is hereditary. We talk about several drivers of genius, including situational advantages, a childlike ability to play with possibilities, a keen curiosity, a strong memory, broad interests and vision, the ability to toggle between intense concentration and loose relaxation, and keeping a daily routine. We then discuss whether there's a connection between genius and mental health issues, and what effect being a genius tends to have on someone's personal life. Along the way, Craig illustrates his points with examples from the lives of Mozart, da Vinci, Steve Jobs, and more.

Get the show notes at aom.is/genius.

#703: The Hidden Qualities of Genius

A little bit of fun , a nod in the direction of the track that started my synthesiser obsession . Martyn Ware a true synth pioneer .

Boiled Beings

Synthwave cover of John Carpenter's "Christine"

Christine

While most people have a strong opinion about their preference between Teen Titans or Teen Titans Go!, one thing we can ALL agree on is that "The Night Begins To Shine" is a masterfully written song originally by Carl Burnett, Frank Enea, and William J. Regan (later termed B.E.R.).

Liquid Modern offers their take on this powerful track with their unique brand of synthwave-adjacent retro feels made whole by Kojette's beautiful soaring voice. This song will definitely make you move!

So, let's head out on the open roads as The Night Begins To Shine!

Mastered by: Von Hertzog of The Social Club (thesocialclub.studio)

The Night Begins to Shine (Single)

Buy on Bandcamp

The Night Begins To Shine

This song is about being in quarantine but having someone there stuck with you, who makes everything seem less gloomy, your quarantine-Valentine or Quarentine. 
I actually wrote this song already two years ago, but I sincerely hope that somewhere soon in the future this topic will finally become less relevant.

Quarentine

Coming Back To You

Don’t care what you do, nor where you go
Don’t wanna worry so don’t let me know
I don’t ever wanna make it so you’re haunting me

I don’t wanna be an accomplice
Don’t wanna be a witness
I don’t wanna know the difference 
Just go on ‘bout your business
I don’t wanna be your suspect 
Don’t wanna be your victim 
I’m so tired of your neglect 
Just get out of my system 

I don’t wanna know the forecast 
Don’t wanna know prediction 
I don’t wanna live in the past
I don’t want the addiction
I don’t wanna be held captive
Don’t wanna be a trophy
I’m so tired of being trapped
You do not fucking own me

Don’t get me wrong I hope that you are well
But I need to get out of your hell
Don’t wanna have to worry if you’re mine
Just wanna get the fuck out of the line of fire 

You never had control
But you always tried to take it
Keep getting physical
Go ahead and try to break me 
You can’t win ‘em all
This is not a game we’re playing
Take your chemicals
Go ahead, try to erase me

#699: The No-Nonsense Guide to Simplifying Every Aspect of Your Life

The Art of Manliness

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