Curious Humans with Jonny Miller

I'm really thrilled to be bringing you this philosophical deep dive with truly I think one of the most radical and thoughtful thinkers of our generation.

Dr. Zachary Stein is a co-founder of The Consilience Project—which publishes novel research and explores questions surrounding global risk mitigation and existential threats facing humanity. He is the Academic Director Center for Integral Wisdom and the author of 'Education in a Time Between Worlds' – which I've personally gifted myself to many friends and shifted how I think about the future of schooling.

In this conversation, we cover some truly fascinating territory, because of his multi-disciplinary approach Zak has a truly unique perspective on some of the biggest questions of our time.

To give you a sense of what to expect in this conversation:

🙏 We began with a model of what it means to move into the perspective of post-traumatic growth...

🌱 He shared a thought experiment of 'Nous Arc' which asks the question of what seeds of ideas could be stored such that they could reboot human civilisation.

🫁 We talk about the role of nervous system regulation in models of adult development

🌎 Zak's diagnosis of 'Global Intimacy Disorder' and re-imagining what it means to be human and his work to start the conversation for a new kind of global philosophy called cosmo-erotic humanism.

What questions come alive in your mind? How might you see yourself contributing? Drop me a note on twitter... and finally, if this conversation resonates, do consider sharing a link with a friend who might also appreciate it.

🔗 Links

Zak's Homepage // zakstein.org
The Consilience Project // consilienceproject.org
Nous Arc // Zak's talk at the centre for integral wisdom

Joe Hudson is many things — he's a Venture Capitalist and renowned executive coach, but beyond that, he is a rare example of someone who in my perspective has accessed some profound truths about the human experience and is putting himself out there into the world helping others to find greater joy and ease in their lives.

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❓ We begin with his perspective on wonder and explore what makes for the capacity to ask transformational questions.

🤩 He then shares his VIEW framework—which stands for Vulnerability, Impartiality, Empathy & Wonder—and how life-changing it can be if we're able to truly inhabit these states of being.

🔥 We both then begin to unpacking the concept of emotional fluidity, why it's very different from emotional management and dive into specific examples of unclogging the tube of anger, Joe's process for dissolving shame (in which I become the guinea pig and it gets real for a few minutes)

Joe also mentions his experiences doing naked breathwork, the one-two punch tactic he used to use to get out of speeding tickets, why selfishness is a word used to get children to do what their parents want and why you have to allow your heart to break a little to increase your capacity to love.

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I was quite taken aback by how many of my recent Nervous System Mastery students had taken Joe's 'Connection Course' and how tremendously impactful they shared it had been in their journeys of self-exploration and finding greater depths of emotional maturity.

I rarely (if ever) promote other courses, but having listened to Joe's 'Art of Accomplishment' podcast episodes, heard from several of his students whose lives have been transformed by his work as well as the depth of our recent conversation I believe his work and methodology deserves to be shared more widely.

So to this end, I'd like to make the case for at the very least considering the 'Connection Course' that he's offering—it's very reasonably priced ($300) and uses a “cohort of two” learning format that combines the power of cohort-based learning with the flexibility of a self-paced course.

It's an opportunity to access workshops usually only reserved for elite execs and combines 20 years of Joe's research into dozens of spiritual traditions + robust psychological frameworks, also backed by the more recent findings from neurological research.

"This course is a unique approach to relationships with yourself and others. It dramatically changes your ability to accomplish what you want in your life with ease and joy. It will help you examine the way that you show up at work and in your personal life, all through training a mindset that leads to more connection and more satisfying relationships."

So there you have it—a wholehearted recommendation to first listen to the podcast conversation with Joe and if the themes of emotional exploration resonate, then definitely check out the amazing podcast and self-paced connection course linked below for a deeper dive.

>> You can use the code CURIOUS to save 10% on Joe's course here <<

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Links to Joe & the Art of Accomplishment

👨‍🎓 Art of Accomplishment Connection Course (link)
🎙️ Art of Accomplishment Podcast (link)
📸 Art of Accomplishment on Instagram (link)
💬 Joe Hudson on Twitter (link)

When I first started this podcast, I had Derek Sivers in mind as the archetypal curious human — and to this day, I think of him as one of the most interesting and provocative philosophers of life. His career path involved joining the circus as a ringleader, then becoming a professional musician and touring, building a company and selling it for $22 million dollars, then giving most of the money away to charity, then becoming a TED speaker and author... to now where he's a minimalist living in New Zealand as a full-time dad.

In this conversation, you can expect to learn the following:

🏙️ His unexpected love affair with Dubai
🤔 Why nothing you believe is actually true
📝 How he journals to find sanity for himself
🤝 What he's learned about negotiation skills
🛠️ Why he created a 'Making Room' in his house
🗺️ How it's possible to have too much freedom in your life
👨‍👦 Why he feels that his son is his best friend and soulmate

Timestamps

[00:08:56] Derek didn't have much curiosity until later in life.

[00:12:20] Rebellious streak seeks balance in all situations.

[00:18:55] Having total freedom can feel disorienting.

[00:25:17] Choose independence, then commit for best results.

[00:29:14] We don't really know why we do things.

[00:35:00] Journaling: Derek's way to process thoughts and find clarity.

[00:43:32] Brain awake, busy day of writing.

[00:49:48] Sister's chaotic household convinced me: no kids.

[00:54:45] Choosing mice for breeding: defying expectations.

[00:57:08] Teach kids to talk confidently and be makers.

[01:05:56] Money obsession feels like a mental disorder.

[01:10:52] The Red Cross can't do much, donate wisely.

[01:17:38] Negotiate Anything by Herb Cohen is a book full of relatable stories that emphasize the idea that everything is negotiable. The author, a professional negotiator, shares his experiences and challenges the notion of non-negotiable things. It's a thought-provoking read that sticks with you.

[01:21:05] Book: "You Can Negotiate Anything" - rating: 10/10. Talks about realizing power in any situation. Prisoner example shows hidden power. Violence comes from feeling powerless. Realize your power in any situation. Must-read.

[01:27:15] Movies portrayed sex as something men want, women don't.

[01:32:45] Dubai is a fascinating, diverse and foreigner-filled place.

[01:38:45] Python: a newfound love, Dubai.

[01:44:21] Aspiration: be read even after death.

Official Links

✉️ Email Derek personally here: [email protected]
📚 Derek's Book Reviews
🙋‍♂️ Derek's /now page
📖 Buy his masterpiece How to Live (don't buy on Amazon!)

Connect + Follow Jonny:

🐦 Follow on Twitter @jonnym1ller
💌 Subscribe to the Curious Humans Newsletter
🫁 Learn more about Nervous System Mastery
🙋‍♂️ Join Five to Thrive — a zero-cost educational email series.

Episode Sponsors

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🎙️ Episode Overview

I'm thrilled to bring you this conversation with philosopher, writer & activist Charles Eisenstein. For those of you who aren't familiar with Charles' work—it's no exaggeration to say that his ideas contained in his books and writing have shaped my personal worldview more than any other author I can think of.

What I appreciated about this conversation was his deep presence and at times a refusal to answer my question because he felt like there was a deeper and more real question beneath the surface. You can feel the urgency in the tone of his voice, the deep sense of how much is wrong with the world and his sincere desire to not bypass this deep discomfort.

I've re-listened to this conversation several times myself and some of what really stood out for me was:

👽 Our mutual sense of confinement, wrongness and alienation that we felt growing up in middle-class education — he described how he wrestled with this question of ‘who marooned me on planet crazy’.

👐 His earnestness to be "fully available" and to be in service to life and his belief that it’s actually technically 'easy' to heal the planet, but our consciousness is getting in the way

🌎 We also touched in on the state of the world and how he believed that grief for the dying world is actually what is required for the world not to die.

🎅 Making the case for getting truly serious about being selfish & why laziness is a message that points towards how our life energy wishes to be expressed.

📚 Why Dr. Seuss' Myth of the Grinch is so relevant for our times and what we can learn from seeing today's world through a more mythic lens.

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🫁 Apply for Nervous System Mastery // Cohort #2

This episode is also sponsored by me—or more specifically the upcoming Nervous System Mastery training that I've poured my heart and soul into. Applications will be opening up soon so if you're curious to nerd out on research-backed protocols for emotional self-regulation + resilience you can find more details at >> nsmastery.com <<
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🔗 Show Notes + Links

💌 Subscribe to Charles' superb substack newsletter
👀 Explore his thought-provoking essays from the past decade
🌎 Two of Charles' Books: A More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know is Possible & The Ascent of Humanity
👨‍🎓 His self-paced online courses (the gift economy + exploration of masculinity are highly recommended)
📹 Curated youtube videos containing some of his biggest ideas

📚 Two Books Mentioned by Charles

📖 Charles favourite story growing up: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster
🎄 A myth for our times: How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

I truly believe that CURIOSITY is the birthplace of knowledge and creativity... it’s a gateway to awe & wonder – for the world around us— allowing us to experience the familiar, as if for the first time. It has been called the insight emotion, the key to life-long learning and recent studies have even cited it as the antidote to anxiety & depression.

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If we’re all born with this innate sense of curiosity, why do most of us lose touch with it in our teenage years? I know that in my own life, I felt like my experiences at school nearly crushed many of my interests... And in our productivity obsessed culture I struggle to justify investing time or money into something that doesn’t have a defined outcome...

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So really this podcast is a personal journey to turn the lens of curiosity back on itself, to find out how courageous humans have dared to take it more seriously and exploring insights that the rest of us can learn from their journeys.

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In Season One you can expect fireside conversations with the TED speaker and poet David Whyte, you’ll learn how astronomy is a lens for understanding yourself with a NASA researcher Kevin Hainline, how Yoga can be a technology for cultivating better humans with Karina Guthrie, and thoughts on curiosity from 12 year old conscious fashion designer Hanalei Swan.

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Each guest will share a beautiful and mind-expanding question for you to take with you on your own adventures hopefully leaving you a little bit more curious than you were before.

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If you like the sound of all this... it would mean a lot to me if you can take 15 seconds to open up whichever app you listen to podcasts on and give Curious Humans a 5 star review and share this trailer with fellow curious humans.
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💌Subscribe to the monthly Curious Humans Newsletter
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