The Art of Manliness
Episodes
#656: The Hidden Pleasures of Learning for Its Own Sake
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When we typically think about learning, we tend to think about being in a structured school, and doing it for some reason -- to get a grade, to get a ...
#655: Simple, Excuse-Busting Advice for Getting in Shape
26 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to getting in shape, there are always a bunch of excuses to use as to why you can't get yourself in gear: you don't know what program to...
#654: How to Astronaut
21 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you grew up in the ‘80s like me, there's a good chance you really wanted to go to space camp and you really wanted to be an astronaut. You probab...
#653: The Dirtbag's Guide to Life
19 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you call someone a dirtbag, you might be insulting them for being dishonest. Or, you might be describing their lifestyle -- their pursuit of an out...
#652: Chefs' Secrets for Organizing Your Life
14 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The kitchen of a busy restaurant can be a chaotic, frenetic environment. But the best chefs create a kind of personal eye in this storm, from which th...
#651: How to Turn Fear Into Fuel
12 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We typically think of fear as a negative emotion. Something that feels terrible, and not only keeps us away from true danger, but also inhibits us fro...
#650: Why People Are Building Bunkers for the Apocalypse
07 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When you think about bunkers, you might be apt to think of the 1950s and people building basement and backyard fallout shelters during the Cold War. B...
#649: Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Outsourced Expertise
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In an age where endless streams of data, options, and information are available, it can feel like every choice -- from what TV show to watch to how to...
#648: Lessons in Building Rapport from Experts in Terrorist Interrogation
30 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What do you imagine when you imagine a terrorist being interrogated by an intelligence officer? The former getting roughed up? The latter yelling, ban...
#647: What Happened When Two Friends Left Their Jobs to Build a Cabin Together
28 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's a thought that's crossed many a desk jockey's mind: "Man, I'd love to flee this office, get out from under this fluorescent-lighting, and do some...
#646: How to Win at Losing
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Losing stinks. Nobody wants to suffer defeat in a game, flunk a test, or get passed over for a promotion. Losses can feel like stinging humiliations, ...
#645: The Forgotten Story of the Lumberjack Commandos of WWII
21 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today, it's hard to go very long without hearing about special operations forces like the Army's Green Berets and the Navy's SEALs. But before special...
#644: How to Develop Greater Self-Awareness
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
95% of people say that they're self-aware. But only 10-15% of people actually are. As my guest today says, that means "on a good day, 80% of us are ly...
#643: Life Lessons From Dead Philosophers
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Studying philosophy can be a metaphorical journey into wisdom. My guest today experienced it as not only that, but as a very literal journey as well.H...
#642: Finding Money and Meaning in the Blue Collar Trades
09 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to living their best life and building substantial wealth, many young men's first thoughts turn to developing a new app or starting a po...
#450: How to Make Time For What Really Matters Every Day [RE-BROADCAST]
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a re-broadcast. The episode originally ran in October 2018. Do your days seem like a continuous blur of busyness, and yet you don’t seem to...
#641: How Eisenhower Led — A Conversation with Ike's Granddaughter
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From guiding the Allies to victory in World War II as supreme commander, to steering the ship of state for eight years as one of the country's least p...
#640: Weird and Wonderful Ways to Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When people start on a self-development journey, they'll sometimes create a bucket list -- all the things, all the typically exciting and pleasurable ...
#639: Why You Should Learn the Lost Art of Rhetoric
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For thousands of years, the study of rhetoric was a fundamental part of a man's education. Though it ceased to be commonly taught in the 19th century,...
#638: How Changing Your Breathing Can Change Your Life
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When we think about improving our health, we typically think about altering our diet, trying to exercise more, and taking vitamins and supplements. Bu...
#637: What Poker Can Teach You About Luck, Skill, and Mastering Yourself
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Maria Konnikova, who has her Ph.D in psychology and studies human behavior, had never played poker when she approached Eric Seidel, a renowned player ...
#636: Why You Overeat and What to Do About It
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We all know the basics of losing weight: don't consume more calories than your body needs. And yet many of us still overeat anyway, sometimes continua...
#635: The Existentialist's Survival Guide
12 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Life isn't an easy road to navigate. We're moody creatures, susceptible to an array of psychological setbacks, emotional ups and downs, fruitless sear...
#634: How to Design Conversations That Matter
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We typically don't think much about how we structure a conversation. We just sort of wing it and hope for the best. But my guest today argues that all...
#633: The World and Vision of Lakota Medicine Man Black Elk
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When he was nine years old in 1872, Black Elk, a member of the Lakota tribe, had a near-death vision in which he was called to save not only his peopl...
#632: How the Internet Makes Our Minds Shallow
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Have you found it harder and harder to sit with a good book for long periods of time without getting that itch to check your phone? Well, you're not a...
#631: How to Prevent and Survive a Home Invasion
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You're lying in bed at night and hear a noise downstairs. Is there someone in your house, and if there is, do you know what to do? While we'd like to ...
#630: The Strategy Paradox
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To be a great success in business, you need to have a compelling vision, create a well-thought-out strategy to achieve that vision, and then fully com...
#629: Why We Swim
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you've been swimming since you were a child, you probably don't think too much about it anymore. But when you take a step back, the human act of sw...
#628: The Rise of Secular Religion and the New Puritanism
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There has been a lot of civil and political upheaval lately, and what makes the atmosphere particularly disorienting, is that beyond the more obvious ...
#627: How to Deal With Jerks, Bullies, Tyrants, and Trolls
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There are some people in life who are more than unpleasant, more than annoying. They're real, genuine a**holes. My guest today has written the preemin...
#626: How to Declutter Every Aspect of Your Work Life
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When you think about decluttering, you probably think about your home life, and cleaning out your junk drawer and closets. But there are also ways to ...
#625: The Code of the Warrior
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
War is a violent and bloody business, but it's rarely a no-holds barred free-for-all. Instead, codes of conduct that determine what is and isn't honor...
#624: The Crazy, Forgotten Story of America's First Fitness Influencer
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The topic of health and fitness has long been a popular one for magazines, and in most recent times, for blogs and Instagram accounts. But what these ...
#479: Becoming a Digital Minimalist [RE-BROADCAST]
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a re-broadcast. The episode originally ran in February 2019. Practicing minimalism with your possessions has been a trend for the past decade...
#623: How to Make Better Decisions by Thinking Like a Rocket Scientist
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When someone is struggling with a seemingly easy problem, someone else might say, "Come on, it's not rocket science!" The inference being that rocket ...
#622: How to Simplify Your Life and Get Off the Grid
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Many dream of leaving the city and all its tethers and obligations and creating a simpler, more independent life farther from the mainstream populatio...
#621: The Causes and Cures of Childhood Anxiety
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone feels under greater psychic pressure these days, but we adults hope that children, who have always been seen as naturally resilient, have bee...
#620: How to Deal With Life's Regrets
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We've all asked "what if" questions about our life: What if I had majored in art instead of business? What if I had let my best friend know I liked he...
#619: What Driving Tells Us About Agency, Skill, and Freedom
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
According to Silicon Valley, self-driving cars are the future of transportation. Instead of owning and driving a car, you can just summon an AI-operat...
#618: Finding Connection in a Lonely World
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We've all been there: you're sitting at home some evening and you don't have plans, you haven't heard from family or friends for awhile, and you've go...
#617: What It's Like to Go to Army Ranger School
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Which branch of the military has the toughest training course for its officers and special operators is a matter of animated debate, but there's no qu...
#616: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most burning questions in life is what it is you're called to do with it. What is your life's purpose? What great work are you meant to do?...
#615: How to Develop Authentic Gravitas
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to how you're perceived in your professional life, it's likely you want to be taken seriously. You want your words to carry weight. You ...
#614: Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life
27 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When most of us run into obstacles with how we think and approach the world -- whether in terms of dealing with mental health issues like depression a...
#613: How Soldiers Die in Battle
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
War is about many things: glory, violence, courage, destruction. But at its heart is death. Each side in a conflict tries to kill as many of the enemy...
#612: Grillmaster Secrets for Flame-Cooked Perfection
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's almost summer and you know what that means: grilling season is upon us. To help ensure that you have your best grilling season ever, today I talk...
#611: How a Weekly Marriage Meeting Can Strengthen Your Relationship
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Several years ago, Kate and I implemented a practice that has helped strengthen our relationship. It's called a "marriage meeting," and we got the ide...
#610: Who Lives in Survival Situations, Who Dies, and Why
13 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In disasters or accidents, why do some people survive and others perish? In exploring this question, my guest has uncovered psychological and philosop...
#609: The 3 Tasks of Moving From Adolescence to Adulthood
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of ink has been spilled about how young people today are struggling to transition from adolescence to adulthood. But these think pieces are ofte...
#608: How Caffeine Hooks, Hurts, and Helps Us
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
More than 80% of the world's population consumes the same psychostimulant every single day. Yet few of us know very much about our favorite daily drug...
#607: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's been 30 years since the landmark self-management book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was published. It's been called the most influentia...
#606: How to Activate Your Brain's Happy Chemicals
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone has experienced the way our feelings fluctuate day by day, and even hour by hour. Sometimes we're feeling up and sometimes we're feeling down...
#605: The Money Moves You Should Make Right Now
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The shutdowns that have accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic have wreaked havoc on the global economy. Millions of people are out of work, businesses are...
#604: The Boring Decadence of Modern Society
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On the surface, it can feel like we've made a lot of technological, economic, and cultural progress during the past 30 years. But if you look closer, ...
#603: The Physical Keys to Human Resilience
20 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl said that "between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response." Frankl was t...
#602: The Case for Being Unproductive
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Decades ago, economists thought that thanks to advances in technology, in the 21st century we'd only work a few hours a week and enjoy loads of leisur...
#601: How to Get Jailhouse Strong
13 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When you're in prison, you've got a lot of time on your hands, and a lot of inmates spend this time exercising. With little or no equipment and someti...
#600: What Board Games Teach Us About Life
08 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Board games have long been a source of social activity and family entertainment. But my guest today makes the case that board games can be more than j...
Bonus: How the Stages of Grief Explain What You're Feeling During This Pandemic
07 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of people have been feeling out of sorts: angry, sad, frustrated, and just plain bummed out. Part of the reason fo...
#599: The Physical Intelligence That Helps You Take Action
06 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wonder why you don't walk into walls? How you know you have to step gingerly on ice? How you decide whether you can or can't scale a certain rock...
#598: Journeying From the First to the Second Half of Life
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Have you come to a point in your life where the pursuits of your younger years no longer seem meaningful or satisfying? Maybe it's time for you to tra...
#597: A Survival Expert's Guide to Bugging-In
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The coronavirus pandemic has forced tens of millions of people to stay home due to shelter-in-place orders and even lockdowns. While supplies of food,...
#596: The Mystery, Science, and Life-Changing Power of the Hot Hand
25 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever had a period in your athletic or professional career where you kind of felt like you were on fire? Maybe you made a whole streak of cons...
#595: Everything You Need to Know About Creating a Home Gym
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In a time when the world is dealing with a pandemic, and many commercial gyms have shut down, interest in creating a gym at home has swelled. Whether ...
#594: How Churchill (and London) Survived the Blitz of 1940
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A few months after Winston Churchill took office as prime minister, the German military began an eight month-long bombing campaign on the United Kingd...
#593: All You Have to Do Is Ask
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are you feeling overwhelmed at work? Trying to find a job, but can't seem to get your foot in the door? Have you been knocking your head against a pro...
#592: Being a Man in the Lousy Modern World
11 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Emerson famously said "society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members." My guest today says things have gotten a...
#591: Solve Problems Before They Become Problems
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
So often in life, we get stuck in a cycle of reaction. We tackle the most urgent tasks. We deal with emergencies. We put out fires. We intuitively kn...
#590: The Creation of Sherlock Holmes
04 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sherlock Holmes is one of the most widely recognized figures of literature and pop culture. But how did the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Con...
#589: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You know how good moving your body is for your physical health. You probably have a vague sense that it's good for your mental health too. But you lik...
#588: The Audacious Command of Alexander the Great
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alexander the Great became king of Macedonia at age 19. By age 30 he controlled an empire that spanned from Greece to India. In the two thousand years...
#587: How to Get More Pleasure and Fulfillment Out of Your Reading
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Do you have a goal of reading more, but any time you start working on that goal, it feels like a chore? The equivalent of eating your broccoli? My gue...
#586: The Story of the Skiing Soldiers of WWII
19 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the winter of 1940, a group of civilian skiers was sitting by a fire in a ski lodge in Vermont shooting the breeze about how the US Army needed an ...
#585: Inflammation, Saunas, and the New Science of Depression
17 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I've dealt with depression in my life. My body temperature also seems to run hot; in fact my wife Kate has nicknamed me "the baked potato." My guest t...
#584: How to Avoid Falling in Love With the Wrong Person
12 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why do people sometimes fall in love with someone who is all kinds of wrong for them? Their friends and family see lots of red flags about their partn...
#583: How to Stay Mentally Sharp and Fulfilled as You Age
10 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone gets old. But not everyone experiences old age the same way. Some folks spend the last few decades of their life sick, sad, and stagnating, ...
#582: Essential Lessons From Great Wartime Leaders
05 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
War puts leadership to the ultimate test. During a war, a leader must make life or death decisions and be held accountable for those decisions while g...
#581: The Tiny Habits That Change Everything
03 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're a month into the new year now. How are you doing on your resolutions? Have you already fallen off the wagon? Maybe the goal you set for yourself...
#580: Why People Do (Or Don't) Listen to You
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Some cultural observers have posited that we're moving from an information economy to a reputation economy. There's so much information to sort throug...
#579: Jack London's Literary Code
27 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The literature of Jack London has long been given the short shrift by scholars. They say he wrote some good dog stories for boys, but beyond that didn...
#578: Figuring Out If You Should Change Careers (And How to Do It)
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Have you been feeling doubts about your career recently, or perhaps for quite some time? Maybe you're not sure if you're in the right job, or even in ...
#577: An FBI Agent's 6 Signs for Sizing People Up
20 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Every day, we have to make choices on whether we can trust someone or not. If we make the wrong choice, it could mean a failed relationship or busines...
#576: A Treasure Trove of American Philosophy
15 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When you think of philosophy, you probably think of ancient Greece or 18th century France. You probably don't think of America. But this country also ...
#575: Counterintuitive Advice on Making Exercise a Sustainable Habit
13 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's a new year and like many people, you may have set a goal to exercise more regularly. But like most people, you've set this goal before only to gi...
#574: The Power of Bad — Overcoming the Negativity Effect
08 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever been heaped with praise, only to ignore it in favor of focusing on the lone piece of criticism you received? That's the power that bad t...
#573: Why You Don't Finish What You Start (And What to Do About It)
06 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How well did you do in completing projects last year? Not just work projects, but also personal projects surrounding family, fitness, or hobbies. If y...
#572: The Unexpected Upsides of Being a Late Bloomer
30 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There's an unspoken timeline that people supposedly need to follow to have a successful life: be a good student in high school, get into a good colleg...
#571: The Voyage of Character
23 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Good character is hard to define in the abstract, but easy to identify when it's embodied in the lives of great individuals. In order to illuminate wh...
#570: St. Augustine's Real-World Spirituality for Restless Hearts
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Do you feel restless? Have you ever lied in bed at night looking up at the ceiling wondering "Is this all there is to life?" Or have you ever achieved...
#569: How to Perform Your Best Under Pressure
16 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When Don Greene was a springboard diver in high school and college, his performances were erratic -- sometimes they'd be amazing and sometimes embarra...
#568: The Untold Story Behind the Famous Robbers Cave Experiment
11 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the summer of 1954, two groups of 8- to 11-year-old boys were taken to a summer camp in Oklahoma and pitted against each other in competitions for ...
#567: Understanding the Wonderful, Frustrating Dynamic of Friendship
09 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Friendship is arguably the most unique type of relationship in our lives. Friendships aren't driven by sexual attraction or by a sense of duty, as in ...
#566: How to Have a Hyggely Christmas and a More Memorable New Year
04 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The holiday season is upon us. It's a time for getting cozy, making memories, and looking forward to the new year ahead.My guest today has plenty of r...
#565: Stillness Is the Key
02 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
According to my guest today, many of the world's most eminent leaders, thinkers, athletes, and artists have one thing in common: they cultivate stilln...
#564: Assault Your Assumptions Through Red Teaming
27 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We live in an age of disruption. Companies that were once stalwarts are overtaken by small, plucky upstarts. Our personal lives can also be disrupted....
#563: How to Develop Your Nature Instinct
25 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our ancestors were able to navigate long distances, find water, and even predict the weather simply by looking at their environment. My guest today sa...
#562: How Boxing Can Fight Parkinson's Disease
20 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If boxing and Parkinson's disease are thought of together, it's usually in terms of the former causing the latter.But my guest today makes the case th...
#561: Get With the Program
18 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
All of us are a part of teams at work and in our community. Even our families are teams. And most of us serve as both members and leaders of these tea...
#560: The Magic of Walking
13 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Walking. It can seem, well, rather pedestrian. But my guest today makes the case that walking can act as a gateway to explore memory, meaning, and wha...