Hi friend,

Happy new year.

I hope you’re ready to do some damage to 2024.

“New year new me” is a hyper-cringe tagline but I made the most personal growth progress of my twenties every year between January and April.

Some of the highest ROI resolutions I ever made:

No phone in the bedroom ever, charge it outside.

Read for 10 minutes a day.

No alcohol for 6 months.

Morning walk every day.

Gratitude journal morning and night.

Never miss a habit 2 days in a row.

Most of those are still with me.

Anyway I’ve been thinking about how deranged people are on social media.

“Social media makes more sense when you view it as a place people go to perform rather than a place to communicate.” Morgan Housel

Given that so much of our time is spent online, and it seems unlikely for that to change in 2024, I thought this would be a useful message to end the year on.

So much of our experience of the world is mediated through the internet.

But the internet is not real life.

The internet is a selection mechanism for the most outlandish stories, real, exaggerated and fabricated.

If the world seems deranged, it’s probably because of what you’re seeing on screens, not what you’re seeing in real life.

ChatGPT has started being trained on its own content, making it a recursive creator and victim of its own blind spots.

The same thing is happening online.

Most people get their information from the internet, but the stories which garner the most attention from influencers are preselected to be the most egregious and outlandish, meaning that many influencers’ worldviews are being trained on other influencers’ worldviews, further worsening the way they see the world.

The world isn’t that bad, and don’t hang around with people who say it is.

​

MODERN WISDOM

I do a podcast which has had 400 million+ downloads. You should subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
​

This week’s upcoming episodes:

Monday.
Shawn Stevenson – how to optimise your sleep, the foods you need to eat, habits you should follow and routines you need to have the best sleep of your life.

Thursday.
James Smith – recapping our month on tour together, keys to confidence, the truth about whether you need passion to be successful, fatherhood, business & more.

Saturday.
Gregory Clark – is social status genetically heritable? This might sound insane and judgemental, but the data says otherwise. Amazing episode, don’t miss this one.

​

THINGS I’VE LEARNED

1.
​People break their penises more at Christmas.

A study titled “Penile Fractures: The Price of a Merry Christmas.” found that penile fractures spike at Christmas time.

The most common cause of these unfortunate injuries is “wild sex – particularly in positions where you’re not in direct eye contact [with your partner], such as the reverse cowgirl.”

How does this connect with Christmas?

Here’s how the researchers explain it in their paper:

In Germany, Christmas is widely celebrated. ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year, there is always much mistletoeing, and hearts are glowing, when loved ones are near’.

In other words, Christmas might be a risk factor for penile fractures due to the ‘Christmas spirit’ related to the intimacy and euphoria of these holly jolly days.

To test their hypothesis, the researchers looked at data from 3,421 German men who’d experienced penile fractures between 2005 and 2021.

Sure enough, Christmas was associated with an elevated rate of penile fractures.

The authors summed up the implications of their research as follows:

“Our findings do not support Elvis Presley et al. stating that ‘for if every day could be just like Christmas what a wonderful world this would be’, as Christmas was associated with 43% more penile fractures…” — h/t Steve Stewart-Williams

​

2.
​Stop complaining about the wealth you don’t have from the job you didn’t take.

Over 1 in 5 people in the UK now are classed as economically inactive – “out of work and not looking for a job”.

Those figures have been driven largely by 16-24 year olds.

​

3.
​Violent crime is wild.

1% of the population is responsible for 63% of the violent crimes.

If all violent crime careers came to a stop after a third conviction, more than 50% of all convictions for violent crime in the total population would be prevented.

Murder rates would be up to five times higher than they are were it not for medical developments since the 1960s.

Relative to the 1960s, people today are more likely to survive assault and injury as a result of modern advances in medical treatment. — Rob Henderson

​

LIFE HACK

Try AG1 risk-free for 3 months.

You probably want to improve your nutrition in 2024.

AG1 is the most comprehensive all-in-one supplement I’ve found.

I use it every single day.

75 vitamins minerals and whole-food sourced ingredients including a pre & probiotic, greens superfood blend and more.

This all helps to fill the gaps in your diet, increases energy and focus, aids your digestion and supports a healthy immune system.

You can use AG1 every day for 90 days and if you’re not satisfied for any reason, they’ll give you your money back.

​Try AG1 risk-free today.​
​

Big love,
Chris x

Try my productivity drink Neutonic.
Share this newsletter with your friends here.

PS
Gymshark’s habit tracking community starts today for 66 days. Join for free.

Hi friend,

Merry Christmas!!

Below is a list of the Top 10 most played episodes on audio of 2023.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, that epic Goggins episode from January came in at #1, it’s still so so good.

It’s great to see such a range of topics performing well, I love how varied I can go with the show and everyone still enjoy it.

Anyway, all the links for Spotify and Apple Podcasts are below, go back and check some of these monsters out.

If you would like to get me a present for Christmas, just send some of these episodes to a friend or two that you think would enjoy them.

The most recent podcast growth research shows that more than 50% of listeners discover new podcasts through personal recommendations.

So the only way this show grows is from people like you sharing it with people like you – so these suggestions to friends are hugely appreciated.

A massive thank you to everyone that’s been sharing and supporting the show throughout this year, Spotify said Modern Wisdom is in the top 1% of all shows shared in 2023. The squad is strong.

Merry Christmas everyone. Enjoy the holidays!

Modern Wisdom Top 10 Episodes (2023)

#1 – David Goggins – This Is How To Master Your Life
​Apple Podcasts
​​Spotify​

#2 – Alex Hormozi – 23 Controversial Truths About Life
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#3 – Dr Jordan Peterson – How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#4 – Dr Andrew Huberman – The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#5 – Sam Harris – How To Take Control Of Your Mind
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#6 – Chris Bumstead – The Mindset & Motivation Secrets Of 4X Mr Olympia
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#7 – Eric Weinstein – Why Can No One Agree On The Truth Anymore?
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#8 – Jimmy Carr – The Secret Hacks For Living A Fulfilled Life
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#9 – Douglas Murray – We Need To Stop Listening To These People
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#10 – Steven Bartlett – 17 Raw Lessons About Human Nature
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

​

MODERN WISDOM

I do a podcast which is officially ratified as Santa’s favourite thing to listen to as he delivers presents.
​

This week’s upcoming episodes:

Monday.
Day off. Time to gain weight.

Thursday.
1.5m Q&A – how do I deal with negativity on the internet, what are my plans for 2024, is Naval coming on the podcast and more.

Saturday.
Seerut Chawla – why should you stop listening to Instagram Therapy gurus? Just how dangerous is a victimhood mentality? Does everyone have trauma?

​

THINGS I’VE LEARNED

1.
​The Narcissist’s Bedpost.

Notice how many times a person uses the words “me” and “I” when speaking about a non-personal topic as a good gauge of how self-centred they are.

The narcissist can’t resist injecting themselves into every story and example, no matter how unrelated or tenuous, because they can’t imagine a story that doesn’t have them at the centre.

​

2.
​11 Great Christopher Hitchens Quotes.

“I’ll try anything once except incest and folk dancing.”

“To whom do you award the right to decide which speech is harmful or who is the harmful speaker? To whom would you delegate the task of deciding for you what you could read?”

“I learned that very often the most intolerant and narrow-minded people are the ones who congratulate themselves on their tolerance and open-mindedness.”

“Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god.
Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realise that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.”

“If someone tells me that I’ve hurt their feelings, I say, ‘I’m still waiting to hear what your point is.’

I’m very depressed how in this country you can be told, ‘That’s offensive!’ as if those two words constitute an argument.”

“Those who are determined to be ‘offended’ will discover a provocation somewhere. We cannot possibly adjust enough to please the fanatics, and it is degrading to make the attempt.”

“I have one consistency, which is being against the totalitarian – on the left and on the right.
The totalitarian, to me, is the enemy; the one that’s absolute, the one that wants control over the inside of your head, not just your actions and your taxes.”

“When you hear people demanding that the Ten Commandments be displayed in courtrooms and schoolrooms, always be sure to ask which set.
It works every time.”

“The four most overrated things in the world are champagne, lobster, anal sex and picnics.”

“Everybody does have a book in them, but in most cases that’s where it should stay.”

— h/t Alex O’Connor and Steve Stewart-Williams

3.
​Your calendar is a better indicator of wealth than your bank balance.

“An empty calendar is a competitive advantage. The person who fills their calendar with average opportunities has no time for exceptional ones.” — Shane Parrish

​

LIFE HACK

Two duvets when sharing a bed.

A George Mack special from the Christmas Episode this week.

Based on an extensive sleep tracking study from a couple.

One of the best predictors of a good night’s sleep for the woman was being in bed with her husband.

One of the best predictors of a bad night’s sleep for the man was being in bed with his wife.

Two duvets, one each, supposedly solved this problem.
​

Big love,
Chris x

My productivity drink Neutonic is currently sold out, sorry.
Share this newsletter with your friends here.

PS
Forreal, if you share some of those episodes with your friends I’ll love you long time.

Hi friend,

There are two types of people; those who don’t know how to improve their lives, and those who don’t know when to stop.

And people who can improve their lives will always struggle to be around people who can’t.

Personal growth and self improvement is liberating, fulfilling and exciting.

But it’s also a trap that convinces you that you’re an unfinished article who doesn’t need to start enjoying life yet.

One who can defer happiness until you’ve reached a certain level of development.

“I’ll really start living when I’ve finally… mastered this new meditation technique/got to single digit bodyfat/hit 6 figures a year income/bought that new house/read 100 books/grown my channel to 1m subscribers.”

Personal growthers have learned a sacrifice-reward dynamic that is useful in the micro but malignant in the macro.

We teach ourselves that we need to do the tough things first so we can enjoy the fun things later.

And if that’s “go to the gym” before “watch some YouTube”, that’s fine.

But if it’s “complete an arbitrary amount of life-improving” before we “actually feel like we can let ourselves enjoy life”, it’s not fine.

“Deferred Happiness Syndrome is the common feeling that your life has not begun, that your present reality is a mere prelude to some idyllic future.

This idyll is a mirage that’ll fade as you approach, revealing that the prelude you rushed through was in fact the one to your death.” — Gurwinder Bhogal

The perennially difficult balance of the personal growther is between being and becoming.

Between feeling enough and wanting to be better.

Between a desire for more and a satisfaction for what you already have.

You want to leave it all out on the field of play, but you realise that if you’re constantly driven by desiring more, it’s difficult to take time to enjoy the process of playing the game.

It’s tough. This is THE personal growth problem.

My current best solution is from my Sam Harris episode a few months ago:

String together some moments of peace and gratitude wherever you can.

Just spend 30 seconds, 5 times a day really putting your mind where your feet are.

Take a deep breath in, allow your mind to focus on the peripherals of your vision and think about how the things you have now are only once things you dreamed of having.

Think about how insane it would be if you from 5 years ago could see this newly improved texture of your mind, quality of your life and clarity of your thoughts.

Realise that all the striving and pushing and grinding is indeed satisfying, but if you can’t have fun now, you’re never going to.

​

MODERN WISDOM

I do a podcast which has had 450 million+ downloads. You should subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
​

This week’s upcoming episodes:

Monday.
Alex O’Connor – can you convince ChatGPT of the existence of God? Why does Peter Hitchens hate Alex? Are people becoming less moral? Lots of good philosophy insights here.

Thursday.
Mike Thurston – why is male body dysmorphia on the rise? Where does genuine confidence come from? Does growing a platform make you more or less at the mercy of other people’s opinions?

Saturday.
Danny Polishchuk – one half of The Boyscast joins me on my trip to NYC. Why did I contribute to Danny’s Instagram getting deleted? Is Britney Spears ok? What’s happened with the Matt Rife fallout? Should we get vasectomy’s to stop climate change?

​

THINGS I’VE LEARNED

1.
​77% of US 17-24 year olds could not join the military.

The American Department of Defense recently did an analysis of 17-24 year olds and found that 77 percent were unqualified to serve in the military.

Due mostly to obesity, drug abuse, physical health, or mental health.

Almost half were disqualified for more than one of those reasons.

So that seems concerning, for multiple reasons.

But looking into it, maybe it’s not as bad as it seems?

35% were disqualified for being overweight.

But the limit for the army (for men) is 20% body fat which is reasonably strict.

24% were disqualified for “drug abuse”.

But that—in theory—includes anyone who has ever used marijuana. — h/t Dynomight

​

2.
​Cynical Genius Illusion.

“Cynical people are seen as smarter, but sizeable research suggests they actually tend to be dumber.

Cynicism is not a sign of intelligence but a substitute for it, a way to shield oneself from betrayal & disappointment without having to actually think.” — Gurwinder Bhogal

​

3.
​The Behavioural Genetics of podcasting.

More than 50% of people still find new podcasts through personal recommendation.

So all the algo hacking and clever titling and fancy thumbnails account for less than 50% of audience growth.

(So if you love me, pls share this link with a friend – https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59)

​

LIFE HACK

The Twovet.

A surprising amount of uproar about this one.

A couple did a sleep study using fitness trackers.

One of the biggest benefits to the woman’s sleep was being in bed with the man.

The single biggest detriment to the man’s sleep was being in bed with the women.

The solution: two duvets.

Sleep scores then both went into the positive for being in bed together. — h/t George Mack
​

Big love,
Chris x

Try my productivity drink Neutonic.
Share this newsletter with your friends here.

PS
Vegas & LA next week. Insanely huge guests incoming. Modern Wisdom Cinema is back baby.

Hi friend,

I’m back on the road.

Vegas today, LA Wednesday, back to Austin Saturday night.

4 huge guests coming on Modern Wisdom Cinema this week. I can’t wait for this.

Anyway…

You’re probably pretty competent.

You can do things.

You’re prepared to try new stuff.

And when you try new stuff, you don’t suck that much and you seem to make progress more quickly than most people.

This is the Curse Of Competence.

Your options for life-direction are less constrained by your abilities, and more by your choices.

This sounds like a blessing.

Indeed it’s better than the alternative.

But it’s a unique category of problem; one which occurs while people tell you how fortunate you are to deal with it.

Barry Schwartz in the Paradox Of Choice talks about the process of buying jeans 60 years ago.

You went to the jeans store and there was one type, one colour, one cut.

You found your waist size, paid and walked out.

Now you may have wanted a slightly different style of jeans, or length, or colour, but you had no choice other than what was given to you.

So your total utility from the jeans may not be maximised but your satisfaction with the decision is pretty high, knowing you got the best you could given the circumstances.

Compare this to today.

You go to a jean store and look around.

Do you want skinny or bootcut? Straight legged? Cropped? Ripped? Blue? Grey? Acid wash? With contrast stitching or without?

The options are endless.

Hurray! You can finally select exactly the pair of jeans you’re looking for.

Boo! This also means that any suboptimal decision is entirely your fault.

If you were unhappy with your jeans in 1960 – it’s the fault of the crappy jeans store.

If you’re unhappy with your jeans in 2024 – it’s the fault of your crappy choice.

Previously, your outcomes were largely out of your hands and limited by the world, today, they’re only limited by your choices.

This is how a constraint of options makes the decision making process easier.

The Curse Of Competence plays into this too.

If you only are good at one category of things, you sure might be unhappy that you can’t do something else, and that indeed is a rubbish situation.

But the constraint helps to narrow your choices down.

On the other hand if you’re good at lots of things, there are many paths open to you which is liberating but can also cause you to be scared, confused and frozen in place.

We could call this a Titanic Problem.

An issue that everyone says you’re in such a privileged position to deal with.

“This is an extra special type of tragedy, a tragedy that unfolds while everyone cheers.

Like being on the Titanic after the iceberg, water up to your chin, with everybody telling you that you’re so lucky to be on the greatest steamship of all time.

And the Titanic is indeed so huge and wonderful that you can’t help but agree, but you’re also feeling a bit cold and wet at the moment, and you’re not sure why.” — Adam Mastroianni

Having lots of competencies you could follow in your life is exciting, but it’s also terrifying and paralysing too.

Plus you have the added pain of feeling guilty for your seeming ungratefulness at the difficulty, even though the world is at your feet.

​

MODERN WISDOM

I do a podcast which has had 450 million+ downloads. You should subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
​

This week’s upcoming episodes:

Monday.
Mary Harrington – one of my favourite writers on Digital Modesty, why liberals would sooner date an OnlyFans worker than an OnlyFans subscriber and the problem of Matt Walshism.

Thursday.
Rikki Schlott – brand new data and research on the waves of cancellations in the media and on university campuses, just how bad is this? What is driving this culture of safetyism? Really good.

Saturday.
Dean Phillips – Presidential candidate for the Democratic party and ex-owner of Belvedere Vodka and Talenti Gelato explains just how corrupt the American political system is and what it’s actually like inside congress.

​

THINGS I’VE LEARNED

1.
​The patriarchy strikes again.

% of US women and men who say it is “acceptable” for women to be topless:

At the beach
Women: 25%
Men: 54%

Swimming pool
Women: 17%
Men: 49%

Park
Women: 8%
Men: 30%

Public transport
Women: 4%
Men: 15%

— h/t Rob Henderson

​

2.
​The danger of chasing status.

“Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy.

It causes you to work not on what you like, but what you’d like to like.” — Paul Graham

​

3.
​Herostratic Fame.

“Many people would rather be hated than unknown.

In Ancient Greece, Herostratus burned down the Temple of Artemis purely so he’d be remembered.

Now we have “nuisance influencers” who stream themselves committing crimes and harassing people purely for clout.” — Gurwinder Bhogal

​

LIFE HACK

Post-It Note Reminders.

If you need triggers to remind you to do certain things – like be grateful as you step outside of your door or to not eat things from the cookie cupboard, Post-It Notes seem to be doing the trick for me.

Maybe after enough time it’ll become habit, but for now I’m living under the tyrannical surveillance of little squares of sticky paper.
​

Big love,
Chris x

Try my productivity drink Neutonic.
Share this article with your friends here.

PS
America people – Neutonic restock is underway and will be back soon I promise!

Hi friend,

Merry Christmas!!

Below is a list of the Top 10 most played episodes on audio of 2023.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, that epic Goggins episode from January came in at #1, it’s still so so good.

It’s great to see such a range of topics performing well, I love how varied I can go with the show and everyone still enjoy it.

Anyway, all the links for Spotify and Apple Podcasts are below, go back and check some of these monsters out.

If you would like to get me a present for Christmas, just send some of these episodes to a friend or two that you think would enjoy them.

The most recent podcast growth research shows that more than 50% of listeners discover new podcasts through personal recommendations.

So the only way this show grows is from people like you sharing it with people like you – so these suggestions to friends are hugely appreciated.

A massive thank you to everyone that’s been sharing and supporting the show throughout this year, Spotify said Modern Wisdom is in the top 1% of all shows shared in 2023. The squad is strong.

Merry Christmas everyone. Enjoy the holidays!

Modern Wisdom Top 10 Episodes (2023)

#1 – David Goggins – This Is How To Master Your Life
​Apple Podcasts
​​Spotify​

#2 – Alex Hormozi – 23 Controversial Truths About Life
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#3 – Dr Jordan Peterson – How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#4 – Dr Andrew Huberman – The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#5 – Sam Harris – How To Take Control Of Your Mind
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#6 – Chris Bumstead – The Mindset & Motivation Secrets Of 4X Mr Olympia
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#7 – Eric Weinstein – Why Can No One Agree On The Truth Anymore?
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#8 – Jimmy Carr – The Secret Hacks For Living A Fulfilled Life
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#9 – Douglas Murray – We Need To Stop Listening To These People
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

#10 – Steven Bartlett – 17 Raw Lessons About Human Nature
​Apple Podcasts​
​Spotify​

​

MODERN WISDOM

I do a podcast which is officially ratified as Santa’s favourite thing to listen to as he delivers presents.
​

This week’s upcoming episodes:

Monday.
Day off. Time to gain weight.

Thursday.
1.5m Q&A – how do I deal with negativity on the internet, what are my plans for 2024, is Naval coming on the podcast and more.

Saturday.
Seerut Chawla – why should you stop listening to Instagram Therapy gurus? Just how dangerous is a victimhood mentality? Does everyone have trauma?

​

THINGS I’VE LEARNED

1.
​The Narcissist’s Bedpost.

Notice how many times a person uses the words “me” and “I” when speaking about a non-personal topic as a good gauge of how self-centred they are.

The narcissist can’t resist injecting themselves into every story and example, no matter how unrelated or tenuous, because they can’t imagine a story that doesn’t have them at the centre.

​

2.
​11 Great Christopher Hitchens Quotes.

“I’ll try anything once except incest and folk dancing.”

“To whom do you award the right to decide which speech is harmful or who is the harmful speaker? To whom would you delegate the task of deciding for you what you could read?”

“I learned that very often the most intolerant and narrow-minded people are the ones who congratulate themselves on their tolerance and open-mindedness.”

“Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god.
Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realise that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.”

“If someone tells me that I’ve hurt their feelings, I say, ‘I’m still waiting to hear what your point is.’

I’m very depressed how in this country you can be told, ‘That’s offensive!’ as if those two words constitute an argument.”

“Those who are determined to be ‘offended’ will discover a provocation somewhere. We cannot possibly adjust enough to please the fanatics, and it is degrading to make the attempt.”

“I have one consistency, which is being against the totalitarian – on the left and on the right.
The totalitarian, to me, is the enemy; the one that’s absolute, the one that wants control over the inside of your head, not just your actions and your taxes.”

“When you hear people demanding that the Ten Commandments be displayed in courtrooms and schoolrooms, always be sure to ask which set.
It works every time.”

“The four most overrated things in the world are champagne, lobster, anal sex and picnics.”

“Everybody does have a book in them, but in most cases that’s where it should stay.”

— h/t Alex O’Connor and Steve Stewart-Williams

3.
​Your calendar is a better indicator of wealth than your bank balance.

“An empty calendar is a competitive advantage. The person who fills their calendar with average opportunities has no time for exceptional ones.” — Shane Parrish

​

LIFE HACK

Two duvets when sharing a bed.

A George Mack special from the Christmas Episode this week.

Based on an extensive sleep tracking study from a couple.

One of the best predictors of a good night’s sleep for the woman was being in bed with her husband.

One of the best predictors of a bad night’s sleep for the man was being in bed with his wife.

Two duvets, one each, supposedly solved this problem.
​

Big love,
Chris x

My productivity drink Neutonic is currently sold out, sorry.
Share this newsletter with your friends here.

PS
Forreal, if you share some of those episodes with your friends I’ll love you long time.

Hi friend,

Happy new year.

I hope you’re ready to do some damage to 2024.

“New year new me” is a hyper-cringe tagline but I made the most personal growth progress of my twenties every year between January and April.

Some of the highest ROI resolutions I ever made:

No phone in the bedroom ever, charge it outside.

Read for 10 minutes a day.

No alcohol for 6 months.

Morning walk every day.

Gratitude journal morning and night.

Never miss a habit 2 days in a row.

Most of those are still with me.

Anyway I’ve been thinking about how deranged people are on social media.

“Social media makes more sense when you view it as a place people go to perform rather than a place to communicate.” Morgan Housel

Given that so much of our time is spent online, and it seems unlikely for that to change in 2024, I thought this would be a useful message to end the year on.

So much of our experience of the world is mediated through the internet.

But the internet is not real life.

The internet is a selection mechanism for the most outlandish stories, real, exaggerated and fabricated.

If the world seems deranged, it’s probably because of what you’re seeing on screens, not what you’re seeing in real life.

ChatGPT has started being trained on its own content, making it a recursive creator and victim of its own blind spots.

The same thing is happening online.

Most people get their information from the internet, but the stories which garner the most attention from influencers are preselected to be the most egregious and outlandish, meaning that many influencers’ worldviews are being trained on other influencers’ worldviews, further worsening the way they see the world.

The world isn’t that bad, and don’t hang around with people who say it is.

​

MODERN WISDOM

I do a podcast which has had 400 million+ downloads. You should subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
​

This week’s upcoming episodes:

Monday.
Shawn Stevenson – how to optimise your sleep, the foods you need to eat, habits you should follow and routines you need to have the best sleep of your life.

Thursday.
James Smith – recapping our month on tour together, keys to confidence, the truth about whether you need passion to be successful, fatherhood, business & more.

Saturday.
Gregory Clark – is social status genetically heritable? This might sound insane and judgemental, but the data says otherwise. Amazing episode, don’t miss this one.

​

THINGS I’VE LEARNED

1.
​People break their penises more at Christmas.

A study titled “Penile Fractures: The Price of a Merry Christmas.” found that penile fractures spike at Christmas time.

The most common cause of these unfortunate injuries is “wild sex – particularly in positions where you’re not in direct eye contact [with your partner], such as the reverse cowgirl.”

How does this connect with Christmas?

Here’s how the researchers explain it in their paper:

In Germany, Christmas is widely celebrated. ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year, there is always much mistletoeing, and hearts are glowing, when loved ones are near’.

In other words, Christmas might be a risk factor for penile fractures due to the ‘Christmas spirit’ related to the intimacy and euphoria of these holly jolly days.

To test their hypothesis, the researchers looked at data from 3,421 German men who’d experienced penile fractures between 2005 and 2021.

Sure enough, Christmas was associated with an elevated rate of penile fractures.

The authors summed up the implications of their research as follows:

“Our findings do not support Elvis Presley et al. stating that ‘for if every day could be just like Christmas what a wonderful world this would be’, as Christmas was associated with 43% more penile fractures…” — h/t Steve Stewart-Williams

​

2.
​Stop complaining about the wealth you don’t have from the job you didn’t take.

Over 1 in 5 people in the UK now are classed as economically inactive – “out of work and not looking for a job”.

Those figures have been driven largely by 16-24 year olds.

​

3.
​Violent crime is wild.

1% of the population is responsible for 63% of the violent crimes.

If all violent crime careers came to a stop after a third conviction, more than 50% of all convictions for violent crime in the total population would be prevented.

Murder rates would be up to five times higher than they are were it not for medical developments since the 1960s.

Relative to the 1960s, people today are more likely to survive assault and injury as a result of modern advances in medical treatment. — Rob Henderson

​

LIFE HACK

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​

Big love,
Chris x

Try my productivity drink Neutonic.
Share this newsletter with your friends here.

PS
Gymshark’s habit tracking community starts today for 66 days. Join for free.

Hi friend,

There are two types of people; those who don’t know how to improve their lives, and those who don’t know when to stop.

And people who can improve their lives will always struggle to be around people who can’t.

Personal growth and self improvement is liberating, fulfilling and exciting.

But it’s also a trap that convinces you that you’re an unfinished article who doesn’t need to start enjoying life yet.

One who can defer happiness until you’ve reached a certain level of development.

“I’ll really start living when I’ve finally… mastered this new meditation technique/got to single digit bodyfat/hit 6 figures a year income/bought that new house/read 100 books/grown my channel to 1m subscribers.”

Personal growthers have learned a sacrifice-reward dynamic that is useful in the micro but malignant in the macro.

We teach ourselves that we need to do the tough things first so we can enjoy the fun things later.

And if that’s “go to the gym” before “watch some YouTube”, that’s fine.

But if it’s “complete an arbitrary amount of life-improving” before we “actually feel like we can let ourselves enjoy life”, it’s not fine.

“Deferred Happiness Syndrome is the common feeling that your life has not begun, that your present reality is a mere prelude to some idyllic future.

This idyll is a mirage that’ll fade as you approach, revealing that the prelude you rushed through was in fact the one to your death.” — Gurwinder Bhogal

The perennially difficult balance of the personal growther is between being and becoming.

Between feeling enough and wanting to be better.

Between a desire for more and a satisfaction for what you already have.

You want to leave it all out on the field of play, but you realise that if you’re constantly driven by desiring more, it’s difficult to take time to enjoy the process of playing the game.

It’s tough. This is THE personal growth problem.

My current best solution is from my Sam Harris episode a few months ago:

String together some moments of peace and gratitude wherever you can.

Just spend 30 seconds, 5 times a day really putting your mind where your feet are.

Take a deep breath in, allow your mind to focus on the peripherals of your vision and think about how the things you have now are only once things you dreamed of having.

Think about how insane it would be if you from 5 years ago could see this newly improved texture of your mind, quality of your life and clarity of your thoughts.

Realise that all the striving and pushing and grinding is indeed satisfying, but if you can’t have fun now, you’re never going to.

​

MODERN WISDOM

I do a podcast which has had 450 million+ downloads. You should subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
​

This week’s upcoming episodes:

Monday.
Alex O’Connor – can you convince ChatGPT of the existence of God? Why does Peter Hitchens hate Alex? Are people becoming less moral? Lots of good philosophy insights here.

Thursday.
Mike Thurston – why is male body dysmorphia on the rise? Where does genuine confidence come from? Does growing a platform make you more or less at the mercy of other people’s opinions?

Saturday.
Danny Polishchuk – one half of The Boyscast joins me on my trip to NYC. Why did I contribute to Danny’s Instagram getting deleted? Is Britney Spears ok? What’s happened with the Matt Rife fallout? Should we get vasectomy’s to stop climate change?

​

THINGS I’VE LEARNED

1.
​77% of US 17-24 year olds could not join the military.

The American Department of Defense recently did an analysis of 17-24 year olds and found that 77 percent were unqualified to serve in the military.

Due mostly to obesity, drug abuse, physical health, or mental health.

Almost half were disqualified for more than one of those reasons.

So that seems concerning, for multiple reasons.

But looking into it, maybe it’s not as bad as it seems?

35% were disqualified for being overweight.

But the limit for the army (for men) is 20% body fat which is reasonably strict.

24% were disqualified for “drug abuse”.

But that—in theory—includes anyone who has ever used marijuana. — h/t Dynomight

​

2.
​Cynical Genius Illusion.

“Cynical people are seen as smarter, but sizeable research suggests they actually tend to be dumber.

Cynicism is not a sign of intelligence but a substitute for it, a way to shield oneself from betrayal & disappointment without having to actually think.” — Gurwinder Bhogal

​

3.
​The Behavioural Genetics of podcasting.

More than 50% of people still find new podcasts through personal recommendation.

So all the algo hacking and clever titling and fancy thumbnails account for less than 50% of audience growth.

(So if you love me, pls share this link with a friend – https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59)

​

LIFE HACK

The Twovet.

A surprising amount of uproar about this one.

A couple did a sleep study using fitness trackers.

One of the biggest benefits to the woman’s sleep was being in bed with the man.

The single biggest detriment to the man’s sleep was being in bed with the women.

The solution: two duvets.

Sleep scores then both went into the positive for being in bed together. — h/t George Mack
​

Big love,
Chris x

Try my productivity drink Neutonic.
Share this newsletter with your friends here.

PS
Vegas & LA next week. Insanely huge guests incoming. Modern Wisdom Cinema is back baby.

Hi friend,

I’m back on the road.

Vegas today, LA Wednesday, back to Austin Saturday night.

4 huge guests coming on Modern Wisdom Cinema this week. I can’t wait for this.

Anyway…

You’re probably pretty competent.

You can do things.

You’re prepared to try new stuff.

And when you try new stuff, you don’t suck that much and you seem to make progress more quickly than most people.

This is the Curse Of Competence.

Your options for life-direction are less constrained by your abilities, and more by your choices.

This sounds like a blessing.

Indeed it’s better than the alternative.

But it’s a unique category of problem; one which occurs while people tell you how fortunate you are to deal with it.

Barry Schwartz in the Paradox Of Choice talks about the process of buying jeans 60 years ago.

You went to the jeans store and there was one type, one colour, one cut.

You found your waist size, paid and walked out.

Now you may have wanted a slightly different style of jeans, or length, or colour, but you had no choice other than what was given to you.

So your total utility from the jeans may not be maximised but your satisfaction with the decision is pretty high, knowing you got the best you could given the circumstances.

Compare this to today.

You go to a jean store and look around.

Do you want skinny or bootcut? Straight legged? Cropped? Ripped? Blue? Grey? Acid wash? With contrast stitching or without?

The options are endless.

Hurray! You can finally select exactly the pair of jeans you’re looking for.

Boo! This also means that any suboptimal decision is entirely your fault.

If you were unhappy with your jeans in 1960 – it’s the fault of the crappy jeans store.

If you’re unhappy with your jeans in 2024 – it’s the fault of your crappy choice.

Previously, your outcomes were largely out of your hands and limited by the world, today, they’re only limited by your choices.

This is how a constraint of options makes the decision making process easier.

The Curse Of Competence plays into this too.

If you only are good at one category of things, you sure might be unhappy that you can’t do something else, and that indeed is a rubbish situation.

But the constraint helps to narrow your choices down.

On the other hand if you’re good at lots of things, there are many paths open to you which is liberating but can also cause you to be scared, confused and frozen in place.

We could call this a Titanic Problem.

An issue that everyone says you’re in such a privileged position to deal with.

“This is an extra special type of tragedy, a tragedy that unfolds while everyone cheers.

Like being on the Titanic after the iceberg, water up to your chin, with everybody telling you that you’re so lucky to be on the greatest steamship of all time.

And the Titanic is indeed so huge and wonderful that you can’t help but agree, but you’re also feeling a bit cold and wet at the moment, and you’re not sure why.” — Adam Mastroianni

Having lots of competencies you could follow in your life is exciting, but it’s also terrifying and paralysing too.

Plus you have the added pain of feeling guilty for your seeming ungratefulness at the difficulty, even though the world is at your feet.

​

MODERN WISDOM

I do a podcast which has had 450 million+ downloads. You should subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
​

This week’s upcoming episodes:

Monday.
Mary Harrington – one of my favourite writers on Digital Modesty, why liberals would sooner date an OnlyFans worker than an OnlyFans subscriber and the problem of Matt Walshism.

Thursday.
Rikki Schlott – brand new data and research on the waves of cancellations in the media and on university campuses, just how bad is this? What is driving this culture of safetyism? Really good.

Saturday.
Dean Phillips – Presidential candidate for the Democratic party and ex-owner of Belvedere Vodka and Talenti Gelato explains just how corrupt the American political system is and what it’s actually like inside congress.

​

THINGS I’VE LEARNED

1.
​The patriarchy strikes again.

% of US women and men who say it is “acceptable” for women to be topless:

At the beach
Women: 25%
Men: 54%

Swimming pool
Women: 17%
Men: 49%

Park
Women: 8%
Men: 30%

Public transport
Women: 4%
Men: 15%

— h/t Rob Henderson

​

2.
​The danger of chasing status.

“Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy.

It causes you to work not on what you like, but what you’d like to like.” — Paul Graham

​

3.
​Herostratic Fame.

“Many people would rather be hated than unknown.

In Ancient Greece, Herostratus burned down the Temple of Artemis purely so he’d be remembered.

Now we have “nuisance influencers” who stream themselves committing crimes and harassing people purely for clout.” — Gurwinder Bhogal

​

LIFE HACK

Post-It Note Reminders.

If you need triggers to remind you to do certain things – like be grateful as you step outside of your door or to not eat things from the cookie cupboard, Post-It Notes seem to be doing the trick for me.

Maybe after enough time it’ll become habit, but for now I’m living under the tyrannical surveillance of little squares of sticky paper.
​

Big love,
Chris x

Try my productivity drink Neutonic.
Share this article with your friends here.

PS
America people – Neutonic restock is underway and will be back soon I promise!