The Human Flourishing Project: Recent Episodes
Alex Epstein
Hi, I'm Alex Epstein.
I started the Human Flourishing project to tackle the problem I care about most: human beings lack reliable access to the knowledge we need to flourish.
Alex Epstein discusses how he is able to work long hours while rarely feeling tired or fatigued.
He identifies four ways others can have the same experience:
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Develop deep nighttime empathy with “morning guy”
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Discover and liberally utilize “inevitable rejuvenation practices”
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Separate proactive and reactive time
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Cultivate a love of working energized and a hatred of working while tired
Alex Epstein discusses Greg McKeown's new book Effortless, how Alex had benefited from the chapters on Rest and Pace, and how separating proactive and reactive time can make the principles of Effortless even more effortless.
Alex Epstein discusses how to appreciate the many great things that exist today that didn't exist even in the recent past.
Alex Epstein discusses his equation for "time security"--expected resources outstrip current commitments + expected threats--and how keeping this equation positive has an enormous impact on happiness.
On this best-of-HFP, Alex Epstein discusses the three ingredients of relaxed productivity—inevitably productive processes, high-altitude planning, and real rejuvenation—along with one poison: focus-destroyers. This version features a new introduction in which Alex talks more about his recent experience with inevitably productive processes.
Alex Epstein discusses how the handwriting experience of the modern iPad makes possible an unprecedented form of journaling that can make your reflections on life far more effective.
Alex Epstein discusses several ways to identify easy-to-implement best practices that will improve our lives, and easy-to-eliminate bad practices that are unnecessarily undercutting our lives.
Alex Epstein discusses, using Richard Hamming's allegory about a drunken sailor, why vision and persistence are the two most powerful elements of productivity within our direct control.
Alex brings on Brian Amerige, with whom he cofounded Thoughtful, to discuss the problems of social media today and how to overcome them. They discuss:
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Is there any role for government in the content policies of social media platforms?
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What content policy would make Facebook or Twitter a better "marketplace of ideas"--or is that even possible given the purpose of these platforms?
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What it takes to create a real alternative to mainstream platforms, and where Parler and Gab have struggled.
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The purpose and evolution of Thoughtful, Brian and Alex's platform that is "the one place on the Internet that's exclusively for thoughtful content."
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How to get on the waiting list for Thoughtful.
Alex Epstein discusses two mindsets that can advance one's career even when one is starting from the most adverse circumstances: "customer obsession" and "100% responsibility."
Alex Epstein discusses several characteristics that unite his productive role models for 2021, including focus, optimizing for value creation over advertising, and having very little need for short-term feedback.
Alex Epstein discusses some lessons that his experimentation with "work fortnights"--11 days on, 3 days off--has reinforced.
Alex Epstein discusses 6 kinds of focus that make individuals more productive and fulfilled:
1) focusing on a high-value and meaningful market
2) focusing on an area of comparative advantage
3) focusing on the most valuable few projects
4) focusing on performing your core work
5) focusing on inevitably productive processes
6) focusing on your progress
Alex Epstein discusses one of his biggest productive breakthroughs to date: maximum separation of "performance time" and "feedback time."
Alex Epstein discusses one of life's basic questions--"How do I spend the very limited time I have on Earth?"--and shares three techniques for answering it: life-blocking, ranked lists, and calendar comprehensiveness.
Alex Epstein discusses the work and new podcast of Cal Newport, his favorite thinker on productivity.
Alex Epstein discusses why he is suspicious of any “morally safe” activity—any easy way to be seen by oneself or others as a good person. Doing the “morally safe” thing, he argues, often involves 1) a lack of critical thinking, 2) wasting time, and 3) acting on unhealthy motives.
Alex Epstein discusses the three ingredients of relaxed productivity—inevitably productive processes, high-altitude planning, and real rejuvenation—along with one poison: focus-destroyers.
Alex Epstein discusses why we should seek out the rare phenomenon of the master practitioner-teacher wherever we can find it, using Netflix CEO Reed Hastings' new business book as an example.
Alex Epstein discusses how to avoid overwhelm when one feels totally overcommitted for the upcoming week. The key is "calendar comprehensiveness," which Alex shares a quick process for achieving.
Alex Epstein discusses three interrelated ways to avoid the pervasive problem of “overwhelm”: time blocking, choosing projects carefully, and scoping projects carefully.
Alex Epstein discusses how thinking through best-case and worst-case scenarios can dramatically improve anything from the planning of your week to a hiring decision to a new project.
Alex Epstein discusses the main resolution he made upon turning 40: being more disciplined about setting the right conditions for work--so that the work itself is far easier, more relaxed, and more enjoyable.
Alex Epstein discusses what to do when you’re having trouble getting started on a valuable activity, from a workout to a challenging project.
Alex epstein discusses why the mainstream approach tends to be reactive, and how to take a more proactive approach to health--including nutrition, breathing, and stress management.
Alex Epstein discusses the value of focus and the “opportunity cost” of dividing focus by doing multiple projects at once.
Alex Epstein discusses how to think about the recent death of George Floyd and other public injustices. He shares four useful questions to ask:
1) What actually happened?
2) What, if any, mistakes in policy caused this to happen?
3) What changes in policy are being proposed?
4) What are the likely positive and negative consequences of the proposed policies?
Alex Epstein discusses how to mine the past for things we used that worked well—but that for some reason we stopped doing.
Alex Epstein interviews Katherine Epstein, MD, on how to understand the new Coronavirus and other infectious diseases from an “organism-based” perspective.
Alex Epstein shares concepts and tactics he has developed to avoid destructive distractions.
Alex Epstein shares a “playlist” of Human Flourishing Project episodes with helpful tactics for dealing with disruption. He also answers a listener question about how to productively deal with fear.
In the second Human Flourishing Project live workshop Alex Epstein guides participants through an updated version of the “Triumphing Over Disruption” exercise.
In the first ever Human Flourishing Project live workshop Alex Epstein guides participants through the “Triumphing Over Disruption” exercise.
Alex Epstein discusses a powerful question for coming up with creative ways to improve life during a massive disruption.
Alex Epstein discusses strategies for transforming the massive disruption of our lives into the basis for significant personal growth.
Alex Epstein discusses some tactics for overcoming the mental and emotional challenges of the current pandemic + recession.
Alex Epstein is joined again by nutrition expert Ray Cronise, who shares insights on Alex’s experiments with fasting and gives Alex a new fasting goal.
Alex discusses his new app, Thoughtful, with cocreator Brian Amerige, and shares an exclusive invitation for Human Flourishing Project listeners.
Alex Epstein discusses what he’s learned in the attempt to incorporate more fasting into his life.
Alex Epstein discusses the new insights about meditation he gained from the Flow Meditation online course by James Brown.
Alex Epstein discusses the wisdom and inspiration he gained from reading the thriller I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes.
Alex Epstein discusses some challenges he have faced in setting healthy expectations for his work, and asks listeners for ideas or recommended reading on the subject.
Alex Epstein interviews Ray Cronise, a nutrition researcher who optimizes for “healthspan,” about his new book “The Healthspan Solution.”
Alex Epstein discusses how choosing the right medium for different kinds of thinking tasks—editing, planning, brainstorming—can make an enormous positive difference.
Alex Epstein discusses his recent choice to work “too hard” for 20 days straight—and how to avoid making this level of intensity a habit.
Alex Epstein discusses what he has learned over the last year about how to guarantee progress on long, difficult project.
Alex Epstein discusses what he has learned about the “80% strategy” during a particularly intense two months of work.
Alex Epstein discusses how he has been applying the concepts of Flow to architect his own “flow zones” for different productive activities.
Alex Epstein discusses what he learned from a major achievement in the martial arts world about the value of having a clear “operating standard.”
Alex Epstein continues his exploration of how the insights of the book Flow can dramatically improve the quality of our leisure time.
Alex Epstein discusses how he is applying the thesis of the book Flow to his leisure time.
Alex Epstein discusses his challenges and successes with going on a “distraction diet” and being more internally directed.
Alex Epstein discusses three recent disruptions to major life routines and how he reengineered his routines to get back on track.
Alex Epstein discusses how saying “no” to most requests is essential to saying “yes” to your most important values.
Alex Epstein discusses how to recalibrate your standards of success in work and in personal life.
Alex Epstein discusses “reverse procrastination” and how it can lead to increased creativity, joy, and “time choice.”
Alex Epstein discusses one of his favorite lessons he’s learned about learning—which he has recently relearned with his new puppy, Sherlock.
Alex Epstein discusses what he has learned about the psychology of human flourishing from Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead.
Alex Epstein continues his discussion of "80%" actualization, focusing on how it creates productive momentum and increases productive enjoyment.
Alex Epstein is joined by his friend and fellow Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Matthew Blasdel to discuss some interesting questions he had about clear thinking and human flourishing.
Alex Epstein discusses his favorite new “life recipe” and how you can create your own great life recipes.
Alex Epstein discusses the counterintuitive idea that you can get better results with more enjoyment by consistently striving to achieve 80% of your potential.
Alex Epstein shares some of the fascinating recommendations of truly great content he's gotten from listeners so far.
Alex Epstein shares the new and improved survey he’s created to get recommendations of “truly great content” from you, the listener, about crucial, complex, confusing issues. Everyone who fills out the survey will get access to all the recommendations.
Alex Epstein discusses three recent experiences that have motivated him to cultivate the habit of appreciation.
Alex Epstein discusses how he's made rapid progress on his 2019 New Year's Resolutions through "weekly altitude time."
Alex Epstein discusses, using last week’s interview as an example, how he learns as much as he can as quickly as possible from other people’s successful systems.
Alex interviews Brent Charleton, an innovative psychotherapist and executive coach, about how he developed a system that has yielded dramatically positive results with his clients.
Alex Epstein shares a new survey he’s created to get recommendations of “truly great content” from you, the listener, about crucial, complex, confusing issues.
Alex Epstein discusses some of Arnold Bennett’s positive insights on: personal finance, finding life interesting, taking control of one’s own mind, and integrating the present with the future.
Alex Epstein discusses why he loves the century-old self-help writings of Arnold Bennett, a master of "wise ridicule."
Alex Epstein discusses the rare value of “superior system builders” and three attributes they have in common.
Alex Epstein answers listener questions on how his New Year’s Resolutions are going, how to think about other people’s contexts, and how to make the most of a personal assistant.
Alex Epstein discusses how he is applying "time-blocking" to every major category of life.
In this episode of The Human Flourishing Project I discuss my framework for evaluating controversial technologies such as AI, genetic engineering, and, of course, fossil fuels.
Alex Epstein discusses “the altitude walk,” a tool for improving the quality of your important decisions.
Alex Epstein discusses his resolutions for 2019, how he decided on them, and how he is going to ensure that he keeps them.
Alex Epstein discusses his perspective on “news” and how avoiding it or time-blocking it can improve your ability to advance your own agenda.
Alex Epstein discusses his specific “life routine” and guidelines for engineering your own.
Alex Epstein discusses a concept he’s been refining this week as he’s been sick: the tendency to seek short-term stimulation when we’re uncomfortable—and why we should seek “nourishment” instead.
Alex Epstein discusses his "secret project" and how working on it has helped him understand the vital concepts of focus and "opportunity cost."
Alex Epstein discusses two thoughtful reader comments on his exploration of nutrition, both of which point to the value of self-experimentation to personal flourishing.
Alex Epstein discusses the latest developments in his quest to get real knowledge about nutrition. To access the debate he recommends go to tinyurl.com/catodebate. Share your thoughts on the debate, as well as your questions for our upcoming psychology guest, on our Facebook page.
Alex Epstein discusses how to understand the essentials of expert claims and expert disagreements through "reverse outlining." At the end of the show, he invites listeners to create their own "reverse outlines" of content they like. You can submit your reverse outline (and read his Ultimate Outline guide) at tinyurl.com/hfpnutrition.
Alex Epstein discusses two processes he is using to sift through self-proclaimed experts on nutrition.
Alex Epstein discusses why he and others have difficulty flourishing on the weekend. To address this “weekend crisis” he introduces a new tool called the Playtime Planner.
Alex Epstein answers listener questions about creativity, meditation, planning the week, and many other topics.
Alex Epstein discusses lessons he’s learned from the podcast so far and asks listeners to answer four questions to help him improve the show.
Alex Epstein discusses two contributors to relaxed productivity, “cash confidence” and “collaborator confidence.” He also discusses the importance of “thinking through implications” in utilizing these ideas (and any ideas).
Alex Epstein discusses what "relaxed productivity" is, why it's so desirable, and what practices can help us achieve it.
Alex Epstein discusses the role of rejuvenation in human flourishing and shares some methods to identify what will rejuvenate you the most.
Alex Epstein discusses the importance of explaining ideas in a way that respects the context and independence of the other person. To accomplish this goal he suggests using “opinion stories” to explain crucial, controversial ideas.
Alex Epstein discusses how to have constructive conversations—conversations where two people combine their knowledge and abilities to build a better understanding—about controversial issues.
Alex Epstein discusses why it’s crucial for the specialists with the best knowledge to have far better systems for persuasively explaining their views. He shares two parts of his own explanation system: the context-bridging model of explanation, and the process of framing explanations.
Alex Epstein discusses the challenge of enjoying ourselves as we grow and progress. Most ambitious people are taught a self-defeating system for evaluating their progress—one that leads to a perpetual state of dissatisfaction. By changing how we evaluate our progress we can enjoy it more and be motivated to achieve more.
Alex Epstein discusses how we as individuals and as a society can develop the knowledge systems we need to flourish.
On the first ever episode of The Human Flourishing Project, Alex Epstein introduces the problem this project exists to solve: human beings lack reliable access to the knowledge we need to flourish.