The Feynman Technique: The 4 Steps to Learn and Master Anything
Most people “learn” by hoarding facts, which doesn't mean you understand them. Then you forget them all anyway... In this episode, learning stops being about cramming and starts being about curiousity. Using Richard Feynman’s four-step technique, you’ll find a mindset that will add joy into your learning whilst also making it effective. We unpack the learning pyramid, why lectures and highlights barely stick, and why embarrassment, curiosity and mild panic are actually your brain’s upgrade buttons. By the end, you’ll have a simple, repeatable system to turn any topic—from maths to marketing—into something you genuinely own, not just recognize. Turn any topic into a one-page “Feynman sheet” Use emotions (not more hours) to cement ideas Build a teaching habit that secretly becomes your study habit Hit play and turn your next confusing idea into something you could explain in your sleep. SPONSORS 👨💻 NordLayer Security across your business 10% off: GROWTHMINDSET-10 http://nordlayer.com/growthmindset 🌳 Acorns Smart way to grow your money $5 welcome bonus Acorns.com/PSYCHOLOGY NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8 --- UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset CHAPTERS 00:00 The Power of Emotions in Learning00:55 The Learning Pyramid: Retention Rates01:21 Effective Learning Methods02:05 The Role of Emotions in Teaching03:51 Introduction to Richard Feynman04:06 Feynman’s Contributions to Physics05:18 Feynman’s Teaching Technique06:35 Step 1 – Go Wide and Then Deep07:26 Step 2 – Explain Like You’re Teaching a 5-Year-Old09:02 Step 3 – Feedback, Assessment, and Restudying10:54 Step 4 – Organize, Convey, and Review14:15 Conclusion – The Importance of Simplicity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10 Feb 20min
How to Stop Wasting Time with the Wrong People - Emotional maturity with Jonathan Aslay
Most people treat dating like a lottery; swipe, hope, repeat. Jonathan Aslay lost $2 million, his marriage, and his son. What saved him wasn't positive thinking. It was asking one brutal question: "What happened in your marriage?" Not to judge. To observe. Because how someone talks about their ex reveals everything about their emotional maturity. Self-love isn't bubble baths and affirmations. It's having the spine to walk away from someone hot but emotionally stunted. It's recognizing that your body screams "yes" while your values whisper "run." Chemistry is a drug. Compatibility is architecture. Most relationships fail because people confuse the two. You'll learn: The exact question that exposes emotional immaturity in 30 seconds Why chemistry without shared values guarantees failure How to interview dates without sounding like HR (and why you should) Stop wasting months on people who were wrong from day three. SPONSORS 👨💻 NordLayer Security across your business 10% off: GROWTHMINDSET-10 http://nordlayer.com/growthmindset NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. The podcast is full of fun facts, surprising stories and philosophical insights. Found on all major podcast players: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast --- UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset 📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail.com CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction: When Success Becomes Suffering 01:32 - Jonathan's Story: Losing Everything 03:45 - The Market Crash and Day Trading Disaster 05:20 - From Greed to Self-Love 06:15 - What Self-Love Actually Means 08:40 - Self-Love vs. Narcissism 10:25 - Could You Have Learned This Earlier? 13:10 - Generational Wisdom and Technology 14:50 - Dating in the Tinder Era 17:20 - Inner Peace as a Barometer 19:05 - Discipline and Daily Practice 20:15 - The Dating Problem: Chemistry vs. Compatibility 22:30 - The Marriage Question That Reveals Everything 24:45 - Emotional Maturity and Taking Ownership 26:20 - Why You Should Interview Your Dates 27:40 - The Partnership Charter 28:35 - How They React to Questions 29:25 - The Job Question: Eeyore vs. Tigger 30:10 - Earliest Memories 31:28 - Kindest Thing Someone Has Done 32:23 - Advice for Life 33:15 - Outro: Be Kind to Yourself Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3 Feb 36min
![Surrounded by Conformists: How to spot the 5 types of NPC and think your own thoughts - [Psychology of non-player characters]](https://cdn.podme.com/podcast-images/16BC34619C0736E96DF18D51E0183DDB_small.jpg)
Surrounded by Conformists: How to spot the 5 types of NPC and think your own thoughts - [Psychology of non-player characters]
The algorithm doesn't want you to think; it wants you to react. It wants you to be a character in its story, following a predictable path of outrage and agreement. We are living through a shift where the line between human and bot is blurring. Not because computers are getting more human-like, but because we are becoming more bot-like. We outsource our worldview to gurus, tribes, and mainstream consensus because the "heavy lifting" of System Two thinking is expensive. Being an NPC is a choice of convenience, but being an "Autonomous Player" is an act of leadership. This episode isn't about being right; it’s about the bravery of having no opinion on the trivial, so you can have a passionate, informed perspective on the essential. SPONSORS 👨💻 NordLayer Security across your business 10% off: GROWTHMINDSET-10 http://nordlayer.com/growthmindset NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. The podcast is full of fun facts, surprising stories and philosophical insights. Found on all major podcast players: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast --- UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset 📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail.com CHAPTERS 00:00 Modern Culture, Predictability, and Non-Player Characters (NPCs)01:24 The Brain's Information Processing Shortcuts01:58 Welcome to the Growth Mindset Psychology Podcast03:07 Episode Inspiration and Structure04:46 The Brain's Energy Efficiency and Decision Making05:07 System One and System Two Thinking07:06 The Influence of Social Media and Algorithms07:54 The Conformist NPC14:35 The Contrarian NPC21:11 The Disciple NPC25:25 The Tribalist NPC29:51 The Averager NPC36:11 Embracing Confusion and Building Autonomy37:31 Recap of NPC Types and Strategies38:23 Strategic Cognitive Resource Allocation38:51 The Importance of Selective Deep Thinking39:24 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
27 Jan 42min
How To Build Free Will
Free will sounds easy until you look closely. Then it turns out to be smaller, stranger, and far more difficult than advertised. We take a cheerful scalpel to the idea that we’re the conscious captains of our lives. With help from psychology experiments, philosophical detours we find out what's really going on. Examining stories involving casinos, concentration camps, meditation cushions, and more, we discover that most behaviour is automatic. Pain, habit, desire, and social pressure do most of the driving. Yet, whilst we can’t choose our thoughts or impulses, we can choose how we respond to them. Viktor Frankl called it “the space between stimulus and response,” and it turns out to be the most valuable square inch of mental real estate you’ll ever own. Cultivate that space, and you get resilience, wisdom, and the rare ability to not punch metaphorical holes in windows. Actionable takeaways Treat strong emotions as data, not instructions Reduce temptation before relying on discipline Train non-reactivity through small, deliberate discomforts SPONSORS 👨💻 NordLayer Security across your business 10% off: GROWTHMINDSET-10 http://nordlayer.com/growthmindset NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast --- UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset CHAPTERS 00:00 What Personal Growth Really Means: Free Will 00:33 Fixed vs Growth Mindset as Freedom vs Reaction 01:59 Welcome to the Growth Mindset Podcast 02:08 Why You Can’t Understand One Part of Psychology in Isolation 03:34 Setting Expectations: Consciousness, Free Will, and Big Ideas 05:13 Habits, Consciousness, and the Sleepwalking Killer Case 06:44 The Compulsive Gambler and the Illusion of Choice 11:45 How Much Free Will Do We Actually Have? 15:35 Why You Don’t Choose Your Desires 18:24 Conscious vs Subconscious Memories 21:51 Why Willpower Often Arrives Too Late 25:04 Free Will, Fixed Mindset, and Hard Truths 25:39 Viktor Frankl and the Space Between Stimulus and Response 26:27 How to Build Free Will in Everyday Life 28:17 Emotional Triggers and Losing Autonomy 30:25 David Foster Wallace on Learning How to Think 33:12 The Psychology of Revenge 38:34 Pain, Discipline, and the Limits of Control 39:43 Meditation, Pain, and Non-Reactivity 45:30 Applying Free Will to Daily Life 47:04 What We’ve Learned: Growth Mindset as Choice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
20 Jan 53min
5 Surprising Truths About Independence and Being Yourself: What really impacts who you are
The idea that you are a blend of the 5 people you spend time with has a dangerous side. In fact, it's not exactly true. In this episode, I break down why the Growth Mindset is actually about autonomy, not assimilation. I share the story of my best friend Laurie—a guy with zero ambition who taught me how to relax and actually saved my career during burnout. I also look at Sahil Lavingia, who blended his Silicon Valley builder mindset with a country level ambitions to enjoy his success without chasing billions. Real growth isn't about surrounding yourself with clones; it's about treating influence like a buffet. You take the relaxation from one friend, the drive from another, and the curiosity from a stranger you met for an hour. You are not a result; you are a selector. SPONSORS 👨💻 NordLayer Security across your business 10% off: GROWTHMINDSET-10 http://nordlayer.com/growthmindset NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8 --- UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset CHAPTERS 00:00 You are not the 5 people you spend time with 01:01 What is growth mindset 01:26 How people really affect growth 04:11 Don't be prevented from being yourself 04:38 Best friends 08:42 You choose your inspiration 09:27 Minimal time, big effect 10:44 Prioritize healthy relationships 11:27 Don't spend time with only one type of person 12:04 Sahil Lavingia and GumRoad 13:51 Variety is the spice of life 14:52 Questions to journal on 16:03 Life tips Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
16 Jan 20min
Life's Infinite Games: How to play by your own rules
What if the game you're playing isn't yours? Every moment of your life, something is at stake. Ignore your partner, they feel less loved. Choose status over meaning, you'll need a therapist. We inherit these games—LinkedIn profiles that read like eager cover letters, news consumption that convinces us everything's collapsing, social media that demands we perform. But there's another way. Instead of seeking approval, seek independence. Instead of doing what looks good, do what is good for us. The philosopher suggests three modes: machine (following instructions), intelligent (playing better), and zen (not playing at all). This episode will help you be more intelligent and more zen. SPONSORS 👨💻 NordLayer Security across your business 10% off: GROWTHMINDSET-10 http://nordlayer.com/growthmindset NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8 --- UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to the Show 00:36 The Concept of Life as a Game 01:29 The Rules of Life's Games 03:18 Playing the LinkedIn Game 04:53 Reevaluating LinkedIn's Purpose 06:35 Life Lessons from LinkedIn 08:24 The Philosophy of Fun and Success 11:42 The Game of Life 14:08 Modes of Approaching Life 15:00 Applying the Modes to Social Media and News 17:02 Final Thoughts on Playing Life's Games 18:13 Housekeeping and Recommendations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
13 Jan 23min
4 Steps to Become Remarkable: A guide to overhaul your life
Get in control of your life and use your time to build a life of purpose. We have been sold a myth of heroic solutions. Where a single dazzling act will change who we are. But real change is quiet, methodical, and often boring. As a result many people lack agency waiting for some heroic reinvention. This episode explores the architecture of a "Deep Life," a four-month process of reclaiming your sovereignty from the noise of the industrial complex. We stop asking "what do I feel like doing?" and start asking "what kind of life do I want to live?" By strictly curtailing obligations and automating the mundane, we create breathing room. This space allows us to move from being busy to being remarkable. The goal isn't to fit more in; it is to design a life that is unique, specific, and yours. The Code vs. The Decision: How to write a personal operating system that saves you from decision fatigue. Moving from "Yearning" to "Project": How to operationalize your dreams into a 6-week vision phase. The Art of the Big Overhaul: Why you need to take control of your obligations before you can successfully pivot your career or location. Go make your life remarkable. Worksheet 4 month overhaul prompts SPONSORS 👨💻 NordLayer Security across your business 10% off: GROWTHMINDSET-10 http://nordlayer.com/growthmindset NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8 --- UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction: Shackleton's Antarctic Challenge 01:25 Rebuilding Agency: The Four-Month Plan 02:29 Phase One: Discipline 04:54 Choosing Three Key Habits 07:53 Phase Two: Values 08:30 Reconnecting with Moral Intuition 10:11 Writing Your Personal Code 11:27 Installing Rituals 13:43 Phase Three: Control 14:31 Multi-Scale Planning for Work 15:55 Creating Breathing Room 17:58 Phase Four: Vision 20:46 Small Overhaul vs. Large Overhaul 22:39 Examples of Remarkable Overhauls 26:04 Planning for a Big Life Overhaul 28:49 Evaluating Constraints and Making Plans 31:04 Recap of the Four-Month Plan 33:45 Conclusion: Embracing Agency Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6 Jan 38min
Working with Time Instead of Against It - How to enjoy this year and every year of your life
You have roughly 4,000 weeks. Somehow, nobody mentioned this at school. This episode takes a cheerful scalpel to modern time-panic—the kind that convinces smart adults that the next app, habit, or color-coded calendar will finally subdue existence. (It won’t.) Time, inconveniently, keeps doing what it has always done: passing. The good news is that this makes it remarkably reliable, like a train that never apologizes. You’ll explore why becoming “more efficient” can make you feel more chased, how birthdays can reveal your true time-philosophy, and why sitting quietly for ten minutes can be the most practical thing you do all week. The aim isn’t to win against time. It’s to stop declaring war on the only place life can happen. Treat calm as a skill, not a personality trait. Build plans that assume “the deck” never clears. Use meditation as a weekly perspective tune-up. Press play, then reclaim one hour you were about to surrender. NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8 --- UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction: Time as a Medium 01:52 The Relationship with Time 03:28 The Efficiency Trap (4,000 Weeks) 05:15 The Birthday Test: Are You Friends with Time? 07:22 The Privilege of Contentment 08:29 Lessons from a Silent Retreat 10:05 Meditation as Time Training 11:58 Working With Time, Not Against It 13:17 Conclusion: You Are the Pilot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
30 Des 202515min
