Gurwinder Bhogal's Guide to Modern Survival (Infinite Loops CLASSICS)
Hello everyone, Jim here. We're taking a brief two-week break from new episodes to spotlight a couple of golden oldies from the Infinite Loops archive. Years later, these remain some of my favorite conversations. We’ll be back soon with fresh episodes, but in the meantime, enjoy this trip back to August 2024, when we welcomed the one and only Gurwinder Bhogal. _________________ “We have created for ourselves a world that we didn't evolve for.” Gurwinder Bhogal is, for my money, one of the most independent, original and insightful thinkers you’ll find in our corner of the internet. He returns to discuss how willpower and good old-fashioned human agency can help us reclaim our mental sovereignty and escape the “constant avalanche of concerns that are being vomited over us through our laptop screens, our phones, our TV screens, and in conversations.” For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other stuff designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!” check out our Substack. Important Links: Gurwinder's Substack Gurwinder's Twitter Gurwinder’s previous Infinite Loops appearance Show Notes: “We have created for ourselves a world we didn’t evolve for” The dogged persistence of our stubborn beliefs Gamification; generational differences in agency The societal impact of the education system’s changing priorities How to zombify a population Skin in the game: Gurwinder’s guide to reclaiming agency LLMs, bullshit, and the atomization of culture How to play better games Willpower is the bottleneck Gurwinder as emperor of the world MORE! Books Mentioned: Why Everything is Becoming a Game; by Gurwinder Bhogal Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know; by Adam Grant The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It; by Will Storr The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements; by Eric Hoffer Why the Mental Health of Liberal Girls Sank First and Fastest; by Jonathan Haidt (After Babel) America’s Colleges Are Reaping What They Sowed; by Tyler Austin Harper (The Atlantic) Joe Biden and the Common Knowledge Game; by Ben Hunt (Epsilon Theory) The Emperor’s New Clothes; by Hans Christian Andersen Futarchy Details; by Robin Hanson (Overcoming Bias) The Enlightenment Trilogy; by Jed McKenna The Weirdest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous; by Joseph Henrich
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1:41:22
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1:41:22
Joe Hudson — The Art of Accomplishment (EP. 280)
What happens when a self-described "not very good" venture capitalist discovers he has an extraordinary gift for coaching the world's most successful CEOs? Joe Hudson joins Infinite Loops to share his unconventional journey from Alaska fishing boats to Hollywood directing to Silicon Valley boardrooms, ultimately finding his calling in helping high-performers unlock their deepest potential. This conversation dives deep into Joe's revolutionary three-center approach to human development—working with the head, heart, and nervous system simultaneously to create lasting transformation, and MORE! I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Sign up for a complimentary transformation guide: artofaccomplishment.com Listen to the Art of Accomplishment Podcast on Spotify Listen to the Art of Accomplishment Podcast on YouTube Joe Hudson's Twitter Joe Hudson's LinkedIn Show Notes: Opening Joe's Unconventional Coaching Philosophy The Artist in the Art The "Should" Trap & The Trash Can Experiment Game Rules & Emotional Decision-Making The Curiosity Override The Big Five & CEO Personality Patterns The Three-Center System The Disinterested Observer & Emotional Suppression John Sarno & The Mind-Body Connection Fear & Gratitude Escaping the Logic Box Invest in Great Entrepreneurs The Tennis Ball & Quarter Analogy Micro Expressions & Unconditional Love Buddhist Monks & The last Taboo Trustafarians & Multi-Generational Wealth AI, Wandering & The Rat Park Joe as Emperor of the World Authors & Books Mentioned: Prometheus Rising; by Robert Anton Wilson Quantum Psychology; by Robert Anton Wilson Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; by Robert Pirsig Mind Over Back Pain; by John Sarno Molecules of Emotion; by Candace Pert Adventures of a Bystander; by Peter Drucker The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock; by T.S. Eliot The Enlightened Brain; by Andrew Newberg
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1:33:17
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1:33:17
Michael Gibson & Danielle Strachman — The 1517 Rebellion (EP.279)
Michael Gibson and Danielle Strachman, co-founders of 1517 Fund, join the show to discuss their rebellion against higher education, why universities stifle creativity, why IQ doesn't correlate with innovation, and how betting on "misfit toys" is the way to go—plus we explore Girardian mimesis, the perishable nature of creativity, the laziness of pessimistic storytelling and MORE! I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: 1517 Fund Michael’s Twitter Danielle’s Twitter 1517 Substack Show Notes: Why 1517 Fund Rebels Against Higher Education Giving Individuals a Shot “It’s cool to be building stuff, it’s not cool to be a Thiel Fellow” The ‘ATM Founder’ and ‘Rich Too Early’ Syndrome The Power of Predictive Character Traits Flipping Credentialist Thinking "How do we become Spielberg? How do we do something truly great?" Simple Memes and Powerful Narratives Avoiding a Monoculture of Misfits The Incestuous Universities Scene Choosing Your Own Path People Contain Multitudes Michael and Danielle as World Emperor and Empress Books & Essays Mentioned: A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age; by Jimmy Soni and Rob Goodman Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity, and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions; by Todd Rose "A Gift for My Daughter"; by Harry Browne (Full text available here) Paper Belt on Fire; by Michael Gibson The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation; by Jon Gertner The Right Stuff; by Tom Wolfe The Status Game; by Will Storr The Two Cultures; by C.P. Snow What Works on Wall Street; by Jim O'Shaughnessy White Mirror: Stories; by Tinkered Thinking Zero to One; by Peter Thiel The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley; by Jimmy Soni Rome's Last Citizen: The Life and Legacy of Cato, Mortal Enemy of Caesar; by Jimmy Soni and Rob Goodman How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World; by Harry Browne
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1:31:19
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1:31:19
Ed Latimore — The Art of Self-Transformation (EP.278)
Ed Latimore: boxer, physicist, and author of Hard Lessons from the Hurt Business makes his third appearance on the show to discuss hard-won wisdom about impulse control, self-forgiveness, the challenges of modern parenting and why being discerning (not judgmental) about your social circle might be the simplest rule for a better life. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Ed’s Twitter Ed’s Website Ed’s Substack Ed’s Previous Appearances: #1, #2 Show Notes: Punctuality and Impulse Control Ed’s Parenting Philosophy The Dilemmas of Raising Kids Having Socratic Dialogues with Six Year Olds Exposure to Different Realities The Journey to Getting Sober Learning from Experience How Stories Transmit Values Justice and Forgiveness Self-Talk and Internal Narratives Race, Merit, and Cultural Double Standards Falsifiability and Rational Thinking Ed as World Emperor Books Mentioned: The Triple Package; by Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld Hard Lessons from the Hurt Business; by Edward Latimore What Works on Wall Street; by Jim O'Shaughnessy Boxing and the Art of Life; by Edward Latimore
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1:45:24
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1:45:24
Sam Arbesman — Science, Complexity and Humanistic Computation (EP.277)
Sam Arbesman, complexity scientist, author of "The Magic of Code," and scientist in residence at Lux Capital, joins me for a wide-ranging exploration of how we navigate an increasingly complex world that often exceeds human comprehension. We dive into the oral traditions that preserve crucial scientific knowledge, why cognitive diversity trumps demographic diversity, the forgotten innovations hiding in technological history, and Sam's vision for "Maxis 2.0". This conversation had everything—from science fiction's cultural impact to the philosophy of intellectual humility. Sam and I discovered we're remarkably simpatico on how to think about complex systems, the importance of historical context, and why saying "I don't know" is the foundation of genuine learning. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Personal Website Book Page: The Magic of Code Sam’s X Profile Show Notes: Sam’s Sci-fi Origins The Oral Tradition in Science and Technology Cultivating the Unexpected Open-Endedness and Large Language Models “All Models Are Wrong, but Some Are Useful” Culture’s Role in Shaping Everything Patching Bugs in HumanOS Tech History and Forgotten Innovations A Tech Archaeology Fellowship Humility and Knowledge Learning Via Negativa The Complexity of Our World Sam’s Current Obsessions in Science and Gaming Sam As Emperor of the World Books Mentioned: Dune; by Frank Herbert Foundation trilogy; by Isaac Asimov Overcomplicated: Technology at the Limits of Comprehension; by Sam Arbesman The Half-Life of Facts; by Sam Arbesman When We Cease to Understand the World; by Benjamín Labatut White Mirror; by Tinkered Thinking Nonzero; by Robert Wright The Evolution of God; by Robert Wright God and Golem, Inc.; by Norbert Wiener The Road; by Cormac McCarthy The Guide for the Perplexed; by Moses Maimonides The Story of Civilization; by Will and Ariel Durant Mistakes Were Made, and Yes, by Me; by Jim O'Shaughnessy
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