18 Harsh Realities of Modern Dating - Macken Murphy - #1031
Modern Wisdom
12/11/25
•161m
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Macken Murphy is an evolutionary biologist at the University of Melbourne, a writer and a podcaster.
Modern dating is in the middle of a cultural reset. Attraction science is evolving, men and women are changing how they show up, and everyone is trying to build healthier relationships. What does the data actually say, and is a more balanced way of dating within reach?
Timestamps:
(0:00) Does Size Really Matter? (14:37) Shocking Celebrity Body Transformations (29:05) Why the ‘Dad Bod’ Debate Goes Deeper Than We Think (37:34) What Music Can Teach Us About Intrasexual Competition (45:43) Do Men Care More About Looks Than Body Count? (01:05:56) How a High Body Count Can Affect Your Relationship (01:18:59) The Tension Between Ambition and Attraction (01:34:55) The Danger of Turning a Passion into a Career (01:46:16) How Evolving Preferences Shape Healthier Connections (02:01:46) Do Unattractive People Have Less Successful Relationships? (02:17:20) The Emotional Reality of Non-Monogamy (02:30:58) Exploring the Rich Gay Uncle Hypothesis (02:39:57) Where to Find Macken
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Episodes You Might Enjoy:
#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins
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#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman
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Previous Episode
Inside the Conservative Civil War - Brett Cooper - #1030
December 8, 2025
•113m
Brett Cooper is a political commentator, an actor and a YouTuber.
What’s happening to the political Right? With promises kept and broken, the Left regaining momentum, internal fractures deepening, and young voters growing more disengaged than ever. What does this mean for the real state of politics, and how serious is the dysfunction underneath it all?
Expect to learn Brett’s thoughts on the Conservative civil war that seems to be happening and if there should there be unity on The Right, what conservatives and Republicans are missing in how can they better compete for Gen Z, what conservatives feel about trump’s performance so far, why The Left is obsessed with assassination culture, the biggest lie young women are being sold right now, why GenZ is having a hard time handling adulthood and much more...
Timestamps:
(0:00) Is the MAGA Movement Dying? (8:14) Do the Right Think Trump is Succeeding? (22:38) What Mamdani’s Win Means for the US (33:27) How Can Politicians Win Over Gen Z? (44:39) How Immigration is Reshaping Politics (50:32) Why Optimism Feels Outdated (56:42) Has Ozempic Shown Body Positivity as a Scam? (01:04:21) Why Changing Your Beliefs is So Hard (01:14:01) Do Women Regret Choosing a Career Over Family? (01:26:04) How Parenthood Changes You (01:38:01) The Hidden Battle of Postpartum Motivation (01:46:56) What’s Next for Brett?
Sponsors:
See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals
Get the best bloodwork analysis in America at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom
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Get a free bottle of D3K2, a Welcome Kit, Travel Packs, plus bonus gifts (US only) 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
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
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Next Episode
The Dark Subcultures of Online Politics - Joshua Citarella - #1032
December 13, 2025
•113m
Joshua Citarella is an artist, writer, and cultural researcher focused on internet subcultures and online politics.
We’ve all doom-scrolled our fair share of online politics, some of it funny, some unsettling, and some surprisingly insightful. But which internet subcultures are actually shaping political ideas, how serious are they, and do they truly influence real-world policy?
Expect to learn what’s happening with young people and politics at the moment and why it’s qualitatively different than the past, the weirdest subcultures on the internet that move politics, how online redicalisation actually happens, how internet subcultures actively produce or accelerates political beliefs and identity formation, why Joshua thinks “conservatism is the new punk rock” and much more...
Timestamps:
(0:00) The Impressionable Minds That Decide Our Destiny (5:31) The Radicalisation Train is Speeding Up (19:04) How Radicalisation Evolves (26:13) How Small, Strange Communities Control Beliefs (37:33) What Memes Reveal About Modern Ideology (49:06) The Most Important Ideas to Watch Out For (53:24) How Dark Does the Left Go? (01:04:14) Power, Authority and the Trump–Mamdani Showdown (01:09:08) Do Environmental Protests Do More Harm Than Good? (01:20:15) Does the Left Have Space for Men? (01:31:55) How Chris’s Health Has Impacted His Worldview (01:52:38) Staying Informed in Uncertain Times
Sponsors:
See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals
Get a free bottle of D3K2, a Welcome Kit, Travel Packs, plus bonus gifts (US only) when you first subscribe at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom
New pricing since recording: Function is now just $365, plus get $25 off 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
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
-
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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