Modern Wisdom

Adam Aleksic is a linguist, content creator, and author, best known online as the Etymology Nerd.

What’s happening to language right now? Words like “rizz” and “skibidi” can make it feel like you’re out of the loop, but are you actually getting older, or has the internet transformed language into something entirely new? What does the science of linguistics say about this shift?

Expect to learn why 6-7 was voted word of the year for 2025, why TikTok is becoming the most powerful linguistic engine on Earth, if there is a science to meme language, why funny language spreads and what makes it stick, why we should care about linguistics, and much more…

TImestamps:

(0:00) The Truth Behind “Word of the Year”
(2:31) Is TikTok Rewiring How We Speak?
(3:27) Do Social Platforms Create Their Own Dialects?
(5:34) The Hidden Formula Behind Influencer Language
(13:47) Why MrBeast Changes His Voice
(17:01) Internet Subcultures and Their Unique Languages
(18:33) How Newscasters Engineered Their Signature Voice
(21:12) Why Sports Commentators Sound So Distinct
(22:38) Is Distribution Is the Key to Going Viral?
(26:44) Can You Hear Sexuality in Someone’s Voice?
(33:38) Are Lesbian Accents Hard to Identify?
(40:32) Should We Replace Words With Emojis?
(43:37) The Surprising Evolution of Etymology
(45:26) Are Young People Driving Language Change?
(47:10) Why We Reject Forced Language
(48:34) Where Do Filler Words Come From?
(52:14) The Most Powerful Language Tricks Creators Use
(54:58) How AI is Changing the Way We Speak
(01:02:55) Can One Word Capture a Whole Idea?
(01:04:17) Social Media vs AI: What’s Worse For Language Development?
(01:08:20) How Language Shapes the Way We Think
(01:10:41) What It Really Means to Be Gen Z
(01:14:40) Why Teenagers Naturally Rebel
(01:20:20) Rapid-Fire: The Origins of Everyday Words
(01:24:37) The Power of Creating Your Own Language
(01:28:21) Was QWERTY Designed to Be Inefficient?
(01:31:57) Does ChatGPT Actually Speak English?
(01:33:49) Is Language Evolving Faster Than Ever?
(01:35:02) Where to Find Adam

Sponsors:

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Extra Stuff:

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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

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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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Alex Petkas is a historian, writer, and podcaster.

What can one of history's greatest empires, and its most notorious leaders, teach us about the modern world? We all know the story of Julius Caesar and his famous assassination... but what really happened? And what lessons from Ancient Rome still shape our lives
today?

Expect to learn why learning about Roman history is useful or instructive at helping us in the modern world, what Caesar's life teaches us about being a good person, what actually happened the night Caesar crossed the Rubicon, how Cleopatra managed to secretly meet Caesar inside the palace at Alexandria, what Caesar's his last night looked like, the convincing argument that convinced Brutus that killing Caesar was necessary and much more...

Timestamps:

(00:00) Why Roman History Still Matters Today(05:18) Julius Caesar: Genius or Tyrant?(09:58) The Origins of Caesar’s Ruthless Ambition(25:48) The Pirate Story That Defined Caesar(29:25) How Caesar Won the the People of Rome(34:02) The Strategy Behind Caesar’s Loyal Following(40:58) Caesar & Pompey: Allies or Enemies?(47:32) When Did Caesar and Pompey Become Enemies?(55:41) Was Crossing the Rubicon a Declaration of War Against the Senate?(01:03:07) How Pompey’s Murder Led Caesar to Egypt(01:16:13) Cleopatra’s Winning Tactics Over Caesar(01:21:14) Were Caesar and Cleopatra Lovers?(01:25:18) Inside the Final Day of Caesar’s Life(01:38:25) The Bad Omens That Caesar Ignored(01:49:50) The Decisions That Sealed Caesar’s Fate(01:58:23) Where to Find Alex

Sponsors:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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David Friedberg is an entrepreneur, investor, and podcaster.

What will the future actually look like? With AI dominating the conversation, cutting through the noise matters more than ever. So what’s really coming, and what will it cost us?

Expect to learn why the future if going to be epic even if the cost is high, why the future of tech and AI might be overblown, why we should care about the moon, what AI will actually do to jobs despite Anthropic’s new report, what the future of longevity will look like, why California has turned into a failed state and if David is concerned about the rise of socialism, what David is most excited about right now and much more…

Timestamps:

(0:00) Why the Future Is Going to Be Epic(6:20) Who Will Control AI: Big Tech or Everyone?(12:25) Will Everyone Be Able to Use AI Effectively?(21:38) Should We Build Factories on the Moon?(26:53) How AI is Changing the Field of Fusion(37:18) Could Manufacturing on the Moon Boost Earth’s Economy?(41:46) The Fight For Power in Space(44:33) The Science Behind Age Reversal(54:11) How Close Are We to Age Reversal?(56:15) Could Living Longer Unlock Human Potential?(01:00:07) Why Controlling Superintelligence is Critical(01:16:01) Is Embryo Selection the Next AI Arms Race?(01:26:30) How Ohalo is Reinventing Agriculture (01:36:25) What’s Driving California’s Political Decline?(01:50:14) Is Socialism the Worst Idea Ever?(02:06:18) Why Modern Society Feels So Pessimistic

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

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

Get 160+ biomarkers tested for just $1/day and save an extra $25 at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom

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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Michael Smoak is a mindset coach, entrepreneur, and podcaster.

What does it actually cost to live a great life? From the outside, top performers seem to have everything we want, but the story isn’t that simple. Behind every extraordinary life is a series of trade-offs, sacrifices, and unseen costs. So what is the true price of ambition, and are you willing to pay it?

Expect to learn what high-performance actually looks like, what the number one fear that holds people back is and how to get over it, how to face and overcome your fears, why the path to being the best version of yourself should feel somewhat lonely, why most of the things you want in life has an opportunity cost attached to it, why you should always prioritise physical health and much more..

Timestamps:

(0:00) The Power of Celebrating Small Wins(11:05) Can Sharing Your Struggles Actually Heal You?(19:41) What Grief Taught Michael(25:54) Why Rock Bottom Can Lead to Your Biggest Wins(34:56) Chris's Health Battle: The Biggest Lessons(39:32) How to Stop Letting Words Control You(42:33) The Moment Michael Nearly Got Cancelled(58:07) Why Fear of Judgement is Holding You Back(01:04:31) Scarcity vs Abundance: Which Mindset Wins?(01:10:47) Why We Chase Feelings, Not Things(01:19:13) Does Feeling Alone Mean You’re On the Right Path?(01:37:48) Why Perseverance is Vital to Succeed(01:47:00) Communication is Your Most Powerful Tool(01:55:35) What Your Etiquette Reveals About You(02:00:42) Where to Find Michael

Sponsors:

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

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

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

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

Get 15% off your first order of my favourite Non-Alcoholic Brew at https://athleticbrewing.com/modernwisdom

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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Eric Jorgenson is an investor, entrepreneur, and author.

How does Elon Musk actually think? You can analyse him from first principles, but the closest thing to a blueprint is Eric Jorgenson’s The Book of Elon. So what’s really going on in his mind, and what makes him so extraordinary?

Expect to learn what the most misleading narrative about Elon’s success is, why Elon decides to move so fast and his obsession with speed, why Eric decided to document the mind behind Elon Musk, what he decided to leave out of the book, what Eric learned about Elon that other biographies missed, what the 69 core Musk methods are, if Elon’s worldview is closer to philosophy than business and much more…

Timestamps:

(0:00) What Can We Learn From Elon Musk?(3:32) What Makes Elon So Unique?(6:28) Is This Elon’s Formula For Success?(10:23) Why Creating Things Is the Key to Wealth(12:19) Is Urgency the Key to Success?(17:43) Does Elon Have Time for Self-Care?(20:03) Does Elon Create His Own Pressure?(25:12) Does Elon Actually Sleep?(28:39) Why You Should Feel the Cost of Your Decisions(30:25) How to Compress Your Time Like Elon Musk(32:00) Why Taking Risks Is Non-Negotiable(33:11) The Biggest Myth About Elon Musk(34:56) The Strategy Behind Elon’s Media Dominance(37:55) What People Still Don’t Understand About SpaceX(43:20) How Big Could SpaceX Actually Become?(44:58) What’s Tesla’s Next Move?(46:43) Are Humanoid Robots Actually the Future?(53:05) Are Meta Glasses Always Watching?(55:13) Elon’s Most Underrated Skill Explained(57:40) How Elon Built an Machine-Like Memory(01:01:04) What Biographies Miss About Elon Musk(01:05:05) The “Idiot Index” That Slashes Costs(01:06:58) Elon’s Biggest Cost-Saving Breakthroughs(01:09:08) How Elon Crafted a World-Class Workforce(01:11:49) Not Everything Needs to Be Optimised(01:13:18) Great Leaders Always Lead From the Front(01:16:26) Inside the Chaos of Elon’s Mind(01:18:34) Why Humanity is at the Core of Elon’s Mission(01:25:20) Has Eric Created a New Genre?(01:27:03) How the Internet Supercharges Influence(01:30:18) Using Elon's Playbook in Real Life(01:34:48) What’s Next For Eric?

Sponsors:

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

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

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

Get 160+ biomarkers tested for just $1/day 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

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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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices