Camilla Kring is an author, a global speaker, and is the founder of B-Society, an organization fighting for "chronotype equality." During our conversation, Camilla talks about night owls and morning birds, why humans have a wide spectrum of sleep cycles, our cultural bias towards early birds, the damage done to night owls who are asked to fit into a morning bird society, and how we might be able to provide greater time autonomy to people to live in accordance with their own rhythms. ------------ Camilla's org, B-Society Keep Talking Substack Rate on Spotify Rate on Apple Podcasts Social media and all episodes ------------ Support via Venmo Support on Substack Support on Patreon ------------ 00:00 Intro 00:41 An "A person" vs "B person" 02:42 Social jet lag of night owls 04:17 Evolutionary reasons for night owls 11:17 How society became biased against night owls 15:32 Are night owls lazy? 21:02 The range of preferred sleeping cycles in humans 26:29 The guilt of and bias against night owls 32:14 Advice for night owls who can't control their schedule 36:12 How AM sunlight and light exposure helps people 37:22 The importance of sleep 43:18 Chronotypes and a quote from "Why We Sleep" 48:46 Can night owls turn into morning birds? 54:32 Is our society chronically sleep-deprived? 58:25 How does a sane society approach sleep?
Sarah Everts is a science journalist, an associate professor at Carleton University, and the author of "The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration." During our conversation, Sarah talks about how sweating was an evolutionary superpower for humans, what sweat is, why some people sweat more than others, the history of the antiperspirant industry, and why we receive such psychological benefits from sauna exposure and exercise-induced sweating. ------------ Keep Talking Substack Rate on Spotify Rate on Apple Podcasts Social media and all episodes ------------ Support via Venmo Support on Substack Support on Patreon ------------ 00:00 Intro 00:50 Sarah's interest in sweat 02:20 Sweating as an evolutionary advantage 13:08 Why do some people sweat more than others? 19:29 Is being able to easily sweat a sign of health? 24:30 Ethnic differences in sweating 29:05 How advertising created the antiperspirant industry 39:35 The benefits of heat and sweating 51:45 Forcing your heart to exercise
Sherry Ning is an author and an essayist, whose Substack, "Pluripotent," has some of the best writing I've come across on human nature, purpose, and how to live. During our conversation, Shelly talks about creating one's own path, success, open-mindedness, beauty, nostalgia, spirituality, and religion. ------------ Keep Talking Substack Rate on Spotify Rate on Apple Podcasts Social media and all episodes ------------ Support via Venmo Support on Substack Support on Patreon ------------ 00:00 Intro 00:36 A purpose to write 2:37 Trait openness 6:12 Real diversity is found in human personality 8:37 Fame 10:29 WEIRD people 12:45 For happiness, ask: what will make me miserable? 15:47 Success and going your own way 26:36 Open-mindedness and particularity of taste 34:06 Wildflowers: beauty and toughness 39:52 The death of Sherry's father 43:27 Nostalgia and good times 49:49 What modern writer does Sherry enjoy? 52:26 Sherry's religious and spiritual beliefs
Stuart Whatley is a writer, a Senior Editor at Project Syndicate, and the author of "Toward a Leisure Ethic," my favorite essay that I've read of the past few months. During our conversation, Stuart talks about the historic purpose of leisure and work, our culture's obsession with busyness and praise of toil, and the reason for striving towards a life of a leisure ethic: where one has control of one's time, one's energy, and where one works on projects for their own sake. ------------ Support via Venmo Support on Substack Support on Patreon ------------ Rate on Spotify Rate on Apple Podcasts Social media and all episodes ------------ 00:00 Intro 01:01 What has been a "leisure ethic" in history? 04:05 Isn't extolling leisure a call for laziness? 10:04 The role of work and leisure in history 15:44 The shame of having an anti-work mentality 20:44 A quote from "Toward a Leisure Ethic" 27:02 A response to people who disagree with Stuart 32:11 "Enough" and how to live a life well-lived 40:19 How much we worked as hunter-gatherers 43:36 We lack models for a "leisure ethic" 48:24 Workaholism in America 51:44 Derek Sivers, money hoarders, and insatiable desires 55:14 A story from "The Psychology of Money" and how to use money
Rob Henderson is an Air Force Veteran, an alumnus of Yale and Cambridge, an essayist, and the author of "Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class." During our conversation, Rob talks about his early life, his experience in the American foster care system, and his unlikely journey out of the unstable and chaotic environment of his youth. Rob is one of my favorite thinkers, and it's damn near miraculous that this brilliant and prolific writer comes from the upbringing that he details in the book. Rob's memoir gives voice to a human experience that is largely invisible and unknown to the American credentialed class: abandonment by one's biological parents, an unstable home life with uncaring guardians, rampant drug abuse and early childhood violence, and a general environment of nihilism that pervades the formative years of life. Rob's arc gives him a unique perspective into American social class, what really matters in the development of children, and what our society should prioritize for childhood and adult well-being. Rob notes in the book that "in the U.S., 60% of boys in foster care are later incarcerated, while only 3% graduate from college." We are all fortunate that Rob is one of the lucky ones to escape the crucible of his upbringing, and to give testimony to the lived, troubled experiences of the voiceless millions who have had similar lives, right under our noses. ------------ Support via Venmo Support on Substack Support on Patreon ------------ Rate on Spotify Rate on Apple Podcasts Social media and all episodes ------------ (00:00) Intro (03:00) How the book came about (08:15) Rob's early life (18:42) The effect of instability and two quotes from "Troubled" (26:37) America's misguided "success" obsession with education and credentials (34:04) How to help kids in chaotic foster care or impoverished homes (42:29) Should parenthood be more rare? (53:49) How Rob knew he needed to enlist to change his life trajectory (01:02:58) Rob addressing rehab and his own trauma (01:16:04) Shame and rage and deliberately trying to change (01:22:10) Observations from Yale and luxury beliefs (01:37:18) Advice for kids with a similar background to Rob