You ever notice how some people can’t stand being told what to do—even when the advice is good? Yeah, that’s me. In this episode, Drew and I dig into why so many of us rebel against advice, why others chase it like their life depends on it, and whether all that “actionable advice” we’re constantly fed is actually helping anyone. Spoiler: I’m not a fan of cookie-cutter solutions, and I’ve got some opinions about the self-help industry’s obsession with telling people exactly what to do.

We also get into the bigger picture—how advice often misses the mark when it’s not tailored to someone’s unique situation, and how therapy culture might be trying to replace something deeper that’s missing in our lives. I’ll share why I don’t give rigid life hacks, the trouble with universal solutions, and the surprising reason why most breakthroughs aren’t about the advice at all. If you’re tired of “do this, don’t do that” advice, this one’s for you.

Enjoy.

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Chapters

01:26 - The F*ck of the Week: Actionable Advice

21:26 - Brilliant or Bullsh*t: Therapy vs Therapy Culture

38:04 - Q&A: Taking Your Own Medicine

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Theme song: Icarus Lives by Periphery, used with permission from Periphery.

Life has a way of just kind of happening to you. And while exactly what happens is unique to each of us, we all seem to go through very similar stages of our lives.

Today, we talk about the challenges of these stages. Each stage comes with its own “crisis” that, if navigated well, can propel us to the next stage. It is this never-ending struggle where life happens.

And then… Drew gets all new age and Mark just isn’t having it. And we round it out with a very simple, yet very difficult question from a listener: How much is enough?

Enjoy.

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The Four Stages of Life by Mark Manson: https://markmanson.net/four-stages-of-life

The Art of the Interesting by Lorraine Besser: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Interesting-What-Pursuit-Cultivate/dp/1538743205

Chapters: 00:00 Introduction

02:48 The F*ck of the Week: The Four Stages of Life

26:09 Brilliant or Bullsh*t: Psychological Richness

38:27 Q&A: How much is enough?

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Theme song: Icarus Lives by Periphery, used with permission from Periphery.

Today, we’re diving deep into the subtle difference between a healthy routine and a rut. How can you tell if your daily grind is keeping you grounded… or just grinding you down?

Next, we tackle the question of boredom: Why does it feel so unbearable, and could we actually be missing out on its hidden perks? Spoiler alert—boredom might just be the key to unlocking your most creative, inspired self.

Finally, we confront one of life’s biggest dilemmas: When is it time to walk away, and when should you double down? Whether it’s a project that’s going nowhere or a relationship that feels like it’s on life support, we’ll give you insights on knowing when to quit and when to stick it out.

Enjoy.

Brilliant or Bullshit Paper: Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4330241/

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01:19 F*ck of the Week: Routines vs ruts

17:50 Brilliant or Bullsht: How painful is boredom?

31:06 Q&A: When to quit vs when to grit?

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Theme music: “Icarus Lives” by Periphery used with permission from Periphery.

What are you called to do in life? What is your life’s task? And once you figure that out, how do you pursue it?

The one and only Robert Greene sat down with us on the pod to talk about all of these questions and a whole more.

We discuss finding and pursuing one’s life task, the nature and causes of “Peter Pan Syndrome”, science vs timeless wisdom on life, figuring out what do in midlife after you’ve taken the wrong path, and a much more.

Enjoy.

Sign up for my newsletter, ⁠Your Next Breakthrough⁠. It will help make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁠

About Robert Greene

Robert Greene is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, The 50th Law, Mastery, The Laws of Human Nature, and most recently of The Daily Laws.

In addition to having a strong following within the business world and a deep following in Washington, DC, Greene’s books are hailed by everyone from war historians to the biggest musicians in the industry (including Jay-Z, Drake, and 50 Cent).

Greene attended U.C. Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he received a degree in classical studies. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

Robert’s Website: https://powerseductionandwar.com/

Robert’s Books: https://powerseductionandwar.com/books/

Robert’s social media:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RobertGreeneOfficial

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertgreeneofficial

X: https://x.com/RobertGreene

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Robert-Greene-100085341047380/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@robertgreene

Chapters:

00:40 The F*ck of the Week: Finding Your Life’s Task

29:37 Brilliant or Bullsh*t: Peter Pan Syndrome

43:15 Q&A: Science vs Timeless Philosophy, How to Start Over in Midlife

Theme music: “Icarus Lives” by Periphery, used with permission from Periphery.

It's hard enough to change, but why it is so hard to maintain that change too? How might psychedelics facilitate big changes in our lives? And how can young men find healthy role models in the modern world?

In this week's pod, we cover my current struggles around keeping a healthy diet and lifestyle, how psychedelics might actually scramble your brain (in a good way), and why so many young men are struggling to find a place in the world today.

Enjoy.

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00:15 The F*ck of the Week: Struggling with food and healthy eating

14:23 Brilliant of Bullsh*t: Psychedelics rewire your brain?

26:37 Q&A: How do I be man in today's world?

Theme music: “Icarus Lives” by ⁠Periphery⁠, used with permission from Periphery.

Why can’t we just do the things we know we should do? It’s a simple question with a very complex answer.

To help us answer it, I sat down with my old friend, Nir Eyal, a behavioral design expert and author of the best-selling book, Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life.

I love Nir’s approach because he doesn’t linger on the surface of the problem of distraction by hocking the latest app or hack or fancy new time management method. Instead, he dives right into the thorny emotional realities we all face in trying to lead productive, meaningful lives.

In this episode, we talk about what it means to be “indistractable” and how it’s probably the most important skill of the 21st century. We also get Nir’s take on the role of social media in our lives (his views on this might surprise you). And finally, he answers that timeless question: Why don’t we just do what we know we should do?

Enjoy.

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About Nir Eyal

Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. Nir previously taught as a Lecturer in Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford.

He is the author of two bestselling books, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. His books have resonated with readers worldwide, selling over 1 million copies in over 30 languages.

Nir’s book, Indistractable: http://geni.us/indistractable

Nir on time boxing: https://www.nirandfar.com/timeboxing/

Nir on values: https://www.nirandfar.com/common-values/

Nir’s free schedule maker: https://www.nirandfar.com/schedule-maker/

More articles by Nir: https://www.nirandfar.com/best-articles/

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2:02 The F*ck of the Week: Becoming Indistractable

23:04 Brilliant or Bullsh*t: The Social Dilemma

44:20 Q&A: How do I get myself to do the things I know I should do?

Theme music: “Icarus Lives” by Periphery, used with permission from Periphery.