5 Podcasts for the Existentially Curious
Podcasts — or web-based audio shows — are a wonderful way to nourish the mind whilst engaged in otherwise mundane activity, like washing the dishes or commuting.
Granted, some of our most brilliant ideas spring from these solitary, non-judgmental moments of mental vacancy. Yet one may also find solace in the mesmeric waltz of words, sounds and silences.
And it beats scrolling endlessly through social media any day.
Here are my five favorite podcasts, each showcased via one especially vitalizing episode to tickle ’em neurons:
1. On Being with Krista Tippett | iTunes
Check out: Maria Popova — Cartographer of Meaning in a Digital Age
Ms. Tippett explores the timely/timeless mysteries that saturate human experience: how to live and what it means to be human. On Being is the quintessential embodiment of journalism meets spirituality. And if spirituality isn’t quite your ‘thing’, stay for her voice. It’s like cool silk.
In this episode, Maria Popova — creator and editor of Brain Pickings — intelligently reflects on our modern fixation with solutionism, busy-ness and other externalities as a litmus test for self-worth.
“We seem somehow bored with thinking. We instantly want to know. But knowing is the cessation of thinking … The only way to gain knowledge is contemplation and the road to that is time. There is no shortcut for the conquest of meaning. And ultimately, it is meaning that we seek to give to our lives.”
I prefer On Being’s unedited interviews as they capture that meandering aspect of organic conversation.
2. The Good Life Project by Jonathan Fields | iTunes
Check out: Elizabeth Gilbert — Curiosity and the Passion Fallacy
Like On Being, GLP also poses the ubiquitous question: how do I pursue a ‘good life’ based on metrics of self-discovery, intentionality and empowerment?
In a light-hearted yet profoundly inspiring conversation, Elizabeth Gilbert expands on her ideas from Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear as she discusses the importance of nurturing one’s vessel, and challenges self-help aphorisms about ‘conquering fear’ and ‘finding your passion’.
‘The biggest misconception is that fear is something to be conquered. I’m terrified all the time but I walk next to my fear. I’ve befriended it… by recognizing what a magnificent force it is.
[…]
Fear has energy. I don’t want to be fearless because to me, it’s is a sign that I’m invested. To ‘conquer’ fear is like you’re leaving behind a unit of potential energy to fuel you… How can I become an alchemist of fear?”
Should you find yourself pressed for time, listen to Ms. Gilbert’s delightful account of her inner dialogue with Inspiration (50:06–51:36).
3. Invisibilia by Lulu Miller, Hanna Rosin and Alix Spiegel | iTunes
Check out: Future Self (*TW: teen suicide, grieving parents)
Invisibilia combines narrative story-telling with scientific research to demystify the hidden forces which shape human behaviour; ideas, emotions, schemas and worldviews.
From a Syrian orphan’s dream of becoming a professional DJ, to a high-school principal’s disastrous ‘self-actualization’ experiment for students, Alix Spiegel and Hanna Rosin navigate the concept of ‘future self’, and the perilous line between idealism and pragmatism. I’ll let the synopsis speak for itself:
‘[Our future selves] drive us to improve, and become richer, more successful, happier versions of who we are now. It keeps us from getting blinkered by the world we grew up in, allowing us to see into other potential worlds, infinite other selves. But the future self can also torture us, mocking us for who we have failed to become...’
*Alternatively, The Secret History of Thoughts is another riveting listen.
4. In Our Time: Philosophy by BBC Radio 4| iTunes
Check out: Jung
From Anarchy to Aristotle, Sartre to Stoicism, Melvyn Bragg and guests traverse the history of philosophical ideas.
This episode probes the brilliant mind of Carl Gustav Jung, whose first conversation with mentor-turned-rival Sigmund Freud is reputed to have lasted 13 hours. Although Freud is celebrated as the Father of Psychoanalysis, theories of introversion/extroversion, dream symbols, ‘collective unconscious’, and Individuation all came from Jung.
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate … Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.”
In Our Time also specializes in Culture, History, Religion and Science.
5. The Portfolio Life with Jeff Goins | iTunes
Check out: What About Me? Avoiding the Comparison Trap
An excellent podcast for budding creatives, The Portfolio Life aims to reconcile the disconnect between our ‘lives’ and our ‘livelihoods’.
Here, Jeff Goins and co-host Alex Traub discuss the Janus-faced nature of envy: a weapon of self-destruction on one hand, and a blueprint for self-refinement on the other. Transforming comparison into celebration is therefore a matter of mindset, specifically ‘fixed’ vs ‘growth’ mindset.
“Envy isn’t bad. Complacent jealousy is. But envy is an indication towards what we value most. And when we become aware of what we value, we are much better positioned to create a life that’s richly satisfying … You connected for a reason, now do the work to get there”
I highly recommend complementing this episode with Maria Popova’s 2016 commencement address, this video by Lavendaire and this 99U article.
Honorable mentions:
- Magic Lessons with Elizabeth Gilbert | iTunes
- The Lavendaire Lifestyle by Aileen Xu | iTunes
- Philosophy Bites with Nigel Warburton and David Edmonds | iTunes
- The Tim Ferriss Show | iTunes
- Intelligence Squared | iTunes
Now over to you, friends:
What are your favourite podcasts/episodes for creative, intellectual or spiritual enrichment?
Let me know in the comments below, I’d love to give them a listen!
