Are you ever happier not knowing something?
As Aristotle famously claimed, “All human beings want to know.” But denial and avoidance are also human impulses. Sometimes they’re even more powerful than our curiosity.
In this episode Sean speaks with professor Mark Lilla about when we’re better off searching for knowledge and when we’re better off living in t ... Show More
Nov 10
Truth in an age of doublethink
We use “Orwellian” to describe everything from campus dust-ups to authoritarian crackdowns. But what did George Orwell actually stand for, what did he get wrong, and what can we learn from him about our age of surveillance capitalism and distraction? Sean’s guest is Laura Beers, ... Show More
52m 16s
Nov 2024
How can we live without regrets?
Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, in his work The Joyful Wisdom, explored this through a thought experiment he called the "eternal return." He asked us to imagine: What if you had to live this very life, exactly as it is—every joy, every sorrow, every thought—over and over, for et ... Show More
4m 6s
Apr 2025
#933 - Brad Wilcox - Why Are Liberal Women Becoming Unhappy?
Brad Wilcox is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia and Director of the National Marriage Project. Why are some people naturally happier than others? Whether it's genetics, upbringing, or life circumstances, how can you finally rediscover joy and feel like your ... Show More
1h 14m
May 2025
#1332 - Is Ignorance Bliss
A questioner asks if there is truth in the slogan 'Ignorance is Bliss'. "You must live out of your awareness and intelligence, not by slogans", says Sadhguru. He then goes on to explain that if you remain ignorant about life and try and do things, life will get you. Set the conte ... Show More
5m 42s
Aug 2020
E45: Pleasure | Consciousness Anywhere Podcast: Shannon O'Hara & Dr Dain Heer
Why is pleasure so taboo? Society has this weird idea that pleasure is something that is induced by something else inside of us that we only have in rare moments, rather than a space of being from which we live our lives. Shannon O’Hara and guest, Dr. Dain Heer, discuss accepting ... Show More
47m 59s
Apr 2025
#927 - Annaka Harris - Unpacking The Mystery Of Consciousness
Annaka Harris is an author, editor, and speaker focused on neuroscience and consciousness.
What does it mean to be conscious? What is consciousness? These questions have puzzled humanity for millennia. Despite our greatest scientific breakthroughs and philosophical efforts, are w ... Show More
1h 7m
Oct 23
Phi Curious [with Massimo Pigliucci]
In this episode I sit down with philosopher and author Massimo Pigliucci to talk about his book Beyond Stoicism—and why, in his view, no single philosophy can capture everything it means to live well. We dive into the limits of ancient Stoicism, what modern life can borrow from o ... Show More
59m 10s