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Modern Wisdom

Chris Williamson
Modern Wisdom
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1129 episodes

  • Modern Wisdom

    Ex-Military Hacker: The Secret World Of Government Surveillance - Bill Thompson - #1131

    01/08/2026 | 1h 15 mins.
    Bill Thompson is a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer and a former military intelligence specialist.

    Is your private life actually private? As AI rapidly outpaces our privacy protections, everything from your personal data to your deepest vulnerabilities is becoming easier to exploit. So what can be hacked, how exposed are you, and is even your mind still safe?

    Expect to learn what the government can and can’t actually see of yours, why companies actually try to hack their own systems, how AI is supercharging espionage in various nation states, who the most surveyed people in the world are, if there is any hope for real privacy in the age of AI and much more…

    Sponsors:

    MW Merch is now live - for 6 days only! Shop now at https://mwmerch.com

    See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠

    Get 160+ lab tests for just $365 and save an extra $25 at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom

    Get up to $350 off the Eight Sleep Pod 5 at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom

    Get the brand new Whoop 5.0 and your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom

    Get up to $50 off the RP Hypertrophy App at https://rpstrength.com/modernwisdom

    Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠https://chatgpt.com

    Timestamps:

    (00:00) Why Bill Doesn’t Trust Apple
    (03:35) How Is Information Collected and Distributed?
    (09:13) Can Humans Keep Up With Technology?
    (11:21) Why Companies Hack Their Own Systems
    (17:05) The Biggest Exploitation Hack
    (20:48) Why Threats Are Constantly Changing
    (25:17) Is DOGE Really a Mess?
    (32:03) How AI Is Supercharging Hacking
    (36:58) Do Intelligence Operators Know You Better Than You Do?
    (47:15) Who Is the Most Surveilled Person in the World?
    (54:39) Is the Bad Outgrowing the Good?
    (01:03:59) How Bill Built Spartan Forge
    (01:13:16) Where to Find Bill

    Extra Stuff:

    Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠

    Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠

    Episodes You Might Enjoy:

    #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠

    #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠

    #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠

    -

    Get In Touch:

    Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx⁠

    Twitter: ⁠https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx⁠

    YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠

    Email: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/contact⁠

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  • Modern Wisdom

    Why Almost Nobody Gets The Life They Want - Jett Franzen - #1130

    30/07/2026 | 1h 59 mins.
    Jett Franzen is a writer and YouTuber.

    What holds people back? Is it their mindset, environment, or circumstances? One overlooked factor is the ability to be alone. Solitude can build clarity and resilience, but too much can be destructive. So when is being alone a superpower, and when does it become dangerous?

    Expect to learn the pitfalls of taking too much medication, why being lonely and/or isolated for a period of time is a superpower, why the most dangerous are ambitious but lazy people, the mentality that is keeping people stuck in a terrible mindset, how to escape the hedonic treadmill, why the incel community came after Jett and much more…

    Sponsors:

    Modern Wisdom Merch available this Friday: https://mwmerch.com

    See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠

    Get the brand new Whoop 5.0 and your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom

    Get 10% discount on all Gymshark products at https://gym.sh/modernwisdom (use code MODERNWISDOM10)

    Get up to 20% off Timeline powered by Mitopure (now at a lower price) at https://timeline.com/modernwisdom

    Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom

    Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠https://chatgpt.com

    Timestamps:

    (00:00) Why You Need to Confront Your Shadows
    (10:09) Make It Until You Believe It
    (22:19) Why Success Demands Real Work
    (34:36) Can Anyone Go From Nothing to Something?
    (39:19) Don’t Let Empathy Hold You Back
    (52:39) Are We Addicted to the Next Win?
    (56:31) Progress vs Position: What Matters More?
    (01:08:59) Why Happiness Comes From Acceptance
    (01:14:05) Escaping the Victim Mindset
    (01:19:54) Protect What Makes You Unique
    (01:29:40) How to Use Ego as a Strength
    (01:36:57) Don’t Let the Fear of Having Self-Belief Hold You Back
    (01:51:31) Does True Authenticity Really Exist?
    (01:58:00) Where to Find Jett

    Extra Stuff:

    Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠

    Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠

    Episodes You Might Enjoy:

    #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠

    #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠

    #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠

    -

    Get In Touch:

    Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx⁠

    Twitter: ⁠https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx⁠

    YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠

    Email: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/contact⁠

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  • Modern Wisdom

    The Painful Psychological Cost Of Becoming A Dad - Darby Saxbe - #1129

    27/07/2026 | 1h 34 mins.
    Dr Darby Saxbe is a clinical psychologist, professor at USC, and author.

    Do dads get postpartum depression? Mothers face enormous physical and emotional changes after childbirth, but fathers can struggle too, often in silence. So what happens to men when they become dads, why does it affect some so deeply, and how can they adapt to a new life that nature has thrust upon them?

    Expect to learn what actually happens to dads after moms give birth, the physiological changes that happen to dads after birth, which behaviors create the effect known as “dad brain”, the biggest upsides and downsides of fatherhood for men, why postpartum depression in fathers goes unrecognized, the worst advice dads get, and much more…

    Sponsors:

    Modern Wisdom Merch available this Friday: https://mwmerch.com/

    See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠

    Get 160+ lab tests for just $365 and save an extra $25 at ⁠https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom⁠

    Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at ⁠https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom⁠

    Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period from Shopify at ⁠https://shopify.com/modernwisdom⁠

    Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at ⁠https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom⁠

    Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠⁠https://chatgpt.com

    Timestamps:

    (0:19) What is Dad Brain?(2:18) How Fatherhood Has Changed Over Time(8:18) What Happens to Men During Pregnancy?(12:57) Should Fathers Be in the Delivery Room?(13:47) Are Sympathetic Pregnancies Real?(15:17) What Couples Should Focus on During Pregnancy(17:56) The Real Cause of Dad Brain(24:18) The Top Behaviours That Trigger Dad Brain(31:31) Biology or Choice: What Makes a “Hands-On” Dad?(33:48) The Truth Behind the Deadbeat Dad Narrative(36:44) Can Fathers Bond at Any Age?(38:50) How Fatherhood Changes Male Hormones(46:44) Why Becoming a Father Is the Ultimate Masculine Role(50:25) Does Dad Brain Get Worse With More Kids?(53:19) How Daughters Change Fathers(1:00:48) Does Housework Ruin Cortisol Recovery?(1:03:43) Do Dads Experience Postpartum Depression?(1:15:29) Why Postpartum Depression Happens in Women(1:18:55) How to Support a Partner Through Postpartum Depression(1:31:09) The Worst Advice New Dads Hear

    Extra Stuff:

    Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠

    Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠

    Episodes You Might Enjoy:

    #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠

    #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠

    #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠

    -

    Get In Touch:

    Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx⁠

    Twitter: ⁠https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx⁠

    YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠

    Email: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/contact⁠

    -
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  • Modern Wisdom

    Polyvagal Theory: Why You Feel So Anxious All The Time - Dr Stephen Porges - #1128

    25/07/2026 | 1h 53 mins.
    Dr Stephen Porges is a neuroscientist & psychologist.

    Why does your nervous system always feel on edge? When everything feels like a threat, your body may be stuck in survival mode. So what keeps your nervous system on high alert, and how can you finally teach it to feel safe again?

    Expect to learn why your nervous system is in a state of fight or flight all of the time, what the Polyvagal Theory is and how to attain a calmer state of mind, why dogs calm humans so effectively, what the biggest myth about anxiety is and the role of metabolic support for the nervous system, how the gut, inflammation and chronic stress play in nervous system regulation and much more…

    Sponsors:

    See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠⁠⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠⁠⁠

    Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at ⁠⁠https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom⁠⁠

    Get a free bottle of D3K2, an AG1 Welcome Kit, and more when you first subscribe at ⁠https://ag1.info/modernwisdom⁠

    Get up to $50 off the RP Hypertrophy App at ⁠⁠https://rpstrength.com/modernwisdom⁠⁠

    Get 160+ lab tests for just $365 and save an extra $25 at ⁠https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom⁠

    Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠⁠⁠https://chatgpt.com⁠

    Timestamps:

    (0:00) What is Polyvagal Theory?

    (5:54) Why It’s So Important to Focus On How We Feel

    (12:04) How the Nervous System Adapted Over Time

    (18:08) Is Safety Our #1 Goal?

    (19:59) What Feeling “Safe” Really Means

    (21:28) The Most Powerful Signals of Safety

    (23:31) Can You Ever Truly Feel Safe?

    (25:21) Why Safety Feels Different for Everyone

    (30:05) What Stephen’s Work Means to Chris

    (39:20) What Causes Nervous System Dysregulation?

    (44:00) Are Humans on the Same Frequency As Animals?

    (50:49 Don’t Hack Your Nervous System, Challenge It

    (54:05 Does Resonance Breathing Actually Work?

    (57:15) How Does the Safe and Sound Protocol Work?

    (59:43) What Your Body Language Reveals About You

    (01:04:11) The Biggest Myth About Anxiety

    (01:05:06) What Unlocks Your Full Capacity?

    (01:10:28) Low vs High Tolerance: Understanding Your Nervous System

    (01:12:31) How to Build a Sense of Safety

    (01:16:59) How Important is Metabolic Support?

    (01:19:49) What Causes Shifts Between Shutdown and Overdrive?

    (01:23:07) Why Tinnitus Can Signal Nervous System Issues

    (01:27:21) The Link Between the Vagus Nerve and the Gut

    (01:29:47) Are Male and Female Nervous Systems Different?

    (01:34:44) Why We Need More Humility and Compassion

    (01:41:13) Do Stellate Ganglion Blocks Actually Work?

    (01:44:50) The Strongest Criticisms of Polyvagal Theory

    (01:49:54) Can Your Nervous System Be “Too Safe”?

    Extra Stuff:

    Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠

    Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠

    Episodes You Might Enjoy:

    #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠

    #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠

    #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠

    -

    Get In Touch:

    Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx⁠

    Twitter: ⁠https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx⁠

    YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠

    Email: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/contact⁠

    -
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
  • Modern Wisdom

    Something Scary Is Happening In Biolabs - Annie Jacobsen - #1127

    23/07/2026 | 1h 37 mins.
    Annie Jacobsen is a journalist, investigative reporter and an author.

    For decades, nuclear war has been humanity’s greatest existential fear. But the next global catastrophe may not arrive with a mushroom cloud—it could begin inside a laboratory. What would a biological attack actually look like, how quickly would it spread, and could humanity survive it?

    Sponsors:

    See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠

    Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom

    Get 160+ lab tests for just $365 and save an extra $25 at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom

    Get 10% discount on all Gymshark products at https://gym.sh/modernwisdom (use code MODERNWISDOM10)

    Get the brand new Whoop 5.0 and your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom

    Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠https://chatgpt.com

    Timestamps:

    (00:00) Nuclear vs Biological War: Which Is Worse?
    (01:08) Why No One Is Talking About Bioweapons
    (04:23) Is Genetic Engineering a Good Thing?
    (07:14) What COVID Really Taught Us
    (13:25) Who Created the First Biological Weapon?
    (21:25) What Makes the Perfect Biological Weapon?
    (26:44) The Soviet Bioweapons Ambition
    (27:50) How the Soviet Program Was Exposed
    (34:38) How Many Bioweapons Are Man-Made?
    (37:30) The Biggest Mistakes in Bioweapons History
    (45:04) What Happens in the First 24 Hours of a Leak?
    (56:02) Bacteria vs Virus: Which Is More Dangerous?
    (57:19) Does Dose Responsiveness Determine Survival?
    (59:21) Are Incubation Time and Lethality Correlated?
    (01:02:19) How the Soviets Created a Euphoric Plague
    (01:08:39) Six Days: From Outbreak to Anarchy
    (01:23:37) How Close COVID Came to Social Breakdown
    (01:36:24) Where to Find Annie

    Extra Stuff:

    Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠

    Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠

    Episodes You Might Enjoy:

    #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠

    #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠

    #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠

    -

    Get In Touch:

    Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx⁠

    Twitter: ⁠https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx⁠

    YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠

    Email: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/contact⁠

    -
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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About Modern Wisdom
Life is hard. This podcast will help. Lessons from the greatest thinkers on the planet with Chris Williamson. Including guests like David Goggins, Dr Jordan Peterson, Naval Ravikant, Sam Harris, Jocko Willink, Dr Andrew Huberman, Dr Julie Smith, Steven Bartlett, Ryan Holiday, Robert Greene, Matthew McConaughey, Alain de Botton, Alex Hormozi, Tony Robbins, Chris Bumstead, Mark Manson and more.
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