An Unqualified Guide to the Good Life

Welcome to a new miniseries on Identity and Politics! In this episode, Nic and Adam discuss the objects they carry with them, as well as the ways in which we interact with material culture inform our identity and our politics. In the episode, Adam said that Danny Miller called blue jeans the first "post-semanitc" object, when he meant "post-semiotic" (what an idiot). Want to let us know the things you carry? Email us at unqualified@goodlifeguide.io or message us on instagram @_goodlifeguide! Sources: Oxford Bibliographies: Material Culture The Things They Carry by Tim O'Brien Capitalism and Ego Formation by Alice Cappelle (video) Objects and Self Identity by S Wheeler

It's time! Our annual holiday special! Only a bit late! This is our annual episode, featuring Zac, in which we have a bit of fun, reflect on the year just passed, and make vague promises for the year ahead. Enjoy!

This week Nic and Adam are continuing their self-help kick by taking a look at Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People and Samuel Smiles' Self Help. As with the previous book, Nic is much more receptive than Adam who is bitter and jaded. Nevertheless, here at An Unqualified Guide to the Good Life, we are not snobby about where we obtain our wisdom from, and we try to tease out the value nevertheless! Adam's audio is a little wacky this episode. Will try and fix it for next time, apologies! Also, a few corrections: Adam said it sold half a million copies by the time Sam Smiles died, but actually this was a quarter of a million. Furthermore, when Adam said "Great Men of history, and it is almost exclusively men", he meant those who had managed to be featured in this book. Fiction is Better than Self-Help by Alice Cappelle

Baby we back. Welcome to Season Six of An Unqualified Guide to the Good Life! This season is all about ambition. To start the season off, we're starting in the same place that a lot of people start in their pursuit of ambition: self-help books. In this episode we discuss one of the best selling self-help books of all time: Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck. Nic maintains that there is some useful advice to be pulled from this book. Adam believes it to be almost meaningless drivel. Do either of them have something insightful to say? You decide! The books Adam promised to mention were Happy by Derren Brown and The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. You can contact us on Instagram @_goodlifeguide or you can email us at unqualified@goodlifeguide.io

In this episode, the boys discuss ritual in its myriad forms and ponder questions such as: What is ritual? What forms of ritual are there? Why should we bother with ritual? What actions deserve ritual? How can we incorporate rituals into our lives? What actions are indicative of ritual? What obscure academics can Adam introduce to the conversation? And more! Nic's sources: The Power of Ritual by Casper Ter Kuile Adam's sources: Emile Durkheim, Clifford Geertz, Victor Turner Oh, and as of upload, it really is Monday. It's wicked late (apologies, again), but it is Monday.

In this episode Nic and Adam host musician and martial artist Dr Koul aka Mike Azkoul. They rediscover some of the broader topics of the season, from what the difference between religion and spirituality is, to the definition of spirituality, the role of meditation therein, the practice of it, the world views that it can underpin and much more. A broad-ranging conversation that captures lots of ideas and the links between them, this episode really helps bring the whole season on spirit together in one place. If you would like to learn more about the guest you can follow him on social media @drkoul_official and @cotimusic

In this episode Nic and Adam discuss Brian Draper's "Soulfulness: Deepening the Mindful Life" as a jump-off point for discussing the idea of soul and what its role in helping us to live well is. Additional thought is paid to music as a particularly 'soulful' medium and why that may be. Adam also delivers an excellent introduction, 5 seasons in he's really starting to nail them.

In this episode Nic and Adam discuss the notions of resilience and spiritedness. A lot of the talking points are drawn from Viktor E. Frankl's book 'Man's Search for Meaning' and his psychology school of logotherapy.

Ok, this is an episode for us. The wonderful Zac Wolf returns for his second holiday special and it is special to have him! Join us for banter around Zac's passtimes, quiz-o-the-year style games, and all manner of eclectic facts. There's some audio stuff, and perhaps a better editor could have fixed it, but we continue to learn. In the edit, I feel I was a little harsh on the roast and I apologise deeply.

In this episode Nic and Adam discuss consumption as it relates to spirituality. The conversation ranges from the use of different drugs in various religious ceremonies across various cultures and the current role of alcohol in society to religiously prescribed or recommended diets and their significance.

In this episode Nic and discuss some of the different ways in which we interact with and perceive animals. Be it through domestication, co-operation, or food animals are an inescapable part of our existence. Additionally, they serve as potent symbols and representatives of their ecosystem and therefore can allows us to connect to the wider natural world around us. So what can animals teach us about ourselves, the world, and our place in it?

In this episode Nic and Adam discuss nature and the degree to which nature is important for our spiritual experiences. We discuss how we relate to nature, especially in the urban environments in which most of us live. How can we overcome the alienation we feel and how can we become more connected to space? Is the language we speak part of the problem? And what is the name of that molybdomantic Swiss tradition that Adam couldn't remember the name of? (It's Bleigießen)

In this episode, Nic and Adam consider how travelling can become a spiritual practice. What can be learned from removing oneself from one's context and immersing ourselves in somewhere new? Do we need special training for this? Do we have to go far, or abroad? We still don't know the answers, but we have a wonderful time expressing our ignorance and we hope you will too!

In this episode, Nic and Adam continue pontificating about the distinction between religion and spirituality and discuss why certain experiences may qualify as one or the other. In the process of this debate, they discuss martial arts, the semantics of eating an apple, why Adam was once punished for high-fiving a vicar, and the best way to enjoy pizza.

Nic and Adam are back for Season 5, this time discussing all about spirituality! This is a big topic and one we are particularly ill-positioned to address. In this episode, we discuss what spirituality means to us, the distinction between religion and spirituality, and how science might be reconciled with spiritual goals.

In this episode, quite possibly the last of the season on the body, we discuss the role of technology in staying healthy, focusing mostly on smart watches. Apologies for the second somewhat lengthy hiatus, this was recorded a couple months ago but took a little while to edit and upload. Will be back on a regular schedule very soon!

In this episode we discuss the notion of being one's own doctor ('physician heal thyself') and where alternative medicine and healing remedies belong in the modern world.

We're back, after a brief unjustifiable hiatus - hooray. In this episode we continue with the theme of the body by discussing the idea of 'excess': what it means to overindulge, over-exert, and just generally live in the extreme.

It finally happened! In this episode Nic and Adam discuss the joys of martial arts. Included in this episode are reflections on our own experiences of martial arts, the benefits of martial arts for fitness and culture, the distinction between martial arts and combat sports, and why on earth we voluntarily subject ourselves to getting beaten to a pulp.

In this episode, Nic and Adam are joined by Devin Ibañez to talk all about team sports. Devin is the first openly gay Major League Rugby player and is dedicated to LGBTQ+ advocacy in sport. We talked about what it means to play on a team, how individual identity relates to team identity, how sports can be made more inclusive spaces, and why it is important to do that. Devin is working to raise money for the Transgender Law Centre (TLC) in the US. The TLC advocates for a world in which all people are free to define themselves and their futures. Grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice, TLC employs a variety of community-driven strategies to keep transgender and gender nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation. If you wish to donate, you can do so here: https://tinyurl.com/translawcenterfundraiser (It might struggle with a non-US phone number. This is not a mandatory field so you can leave it blank. If you need to put in a US postcode, I tend to use “90210” from the eponymous late 00s teen drama). Devin can be found on social media via his hand @thatgayrugger or on his website https://thatgayrugger.com

This week we have the good fortune of being joined by London-based Personal Trainer Ellen Louise to talk all things working out. In keeping with tradition, we cover lots of key ideas in broad strokes, including but not limited to: setting goals with work outs, finding motivation to train, the concept of 'functionality', what we should be training for and whether there is an ideal physique for the average person, and the perks and downfalls of hybrid athleticism. If you enjoyed Ellen's valuable contributions to the discussion and want to learn more you can follow her on instagram at @ellenlouisefitness, or you can also check out her website: https://www.ellenlouisefitness.com/

In this episode we discuss beauty standards of the contemporary era and times past, as well as how they differ among the sexes (we realised too late we should have had at least one woman join us for this conversation..). We also discuss whether it's healthy to train towards aesthetic goals and what the relationship between health and beauty is. Unrelatedly, Nic also tries his hand at accents.

Welcome to the opening episode of our fourth Season: 'Body'. In this first session we talk about the dangers of living too statically and what we can do to redesign the spaces around us in order to encourage all peoples to live their lives dynamically, and in movement, in so far as they can. A fair few ideas are taken from Christopher Mcdougall's works 'Born to Run' and 'Natural Born Heroes'. You can buy those anywhere. He also did a Ted Talk, it was tight.

Recorded live in Geneva, in this inter-seasonal episode we are joined by our friends Damon and Peter of The Reeds podcast/magazine in an attempt to try and answer whether or not learning philosophy does help one to live a good life. Given that is largely the premise of both of our projects, we thought it might be fun to potentially jeopardise our mission statements. No conclusions were extracted in the making of this podcast. Check out The Reeds here: https://www.the-reeds.com

In the closing episode of this season on Mind Adam and Nic discuss Artificial Intelligence. Nic looks at how it has been represented in culture and what some of the more sensationalist depictions of the topic are, whilst Adam dives into where we are currently at in our human endeavour of creating a machine as powerful as the human mind (pretty far away still, it turns out).

In this episode we discuss what creativity actually is and how crucial it is to our functioning. We also discuss the merits of listening to music, both as a passive and interactive experience and whether or not it's good for you, can be bad for you, or whether it varies based on which genre you're listening to: In other words, if Mozart can make you smarter, can lil Yachty?

In this episode Nic and Adam discuss what the impact of the diet and exercise are on mental health and healthy mind development. Grab a milkshake and find a place to slump.

In this episode Nic and Adam take a look at the histories of depression and anxiety, respectively. Insights include progress not being linear, superstition not necessarily being a thing of the past, and the occasional bright lights of the not so dark ages. A happier episode than you might expect.

We're very fortunate this episode to be joined by Dr. Jon Nuth. Jon lives in Auckland and is a New Zealand Registered Clinical Psychologist and Registered Neuropsychologist. He works both as a clinical and forensic psychologist. Nic and Adam discuss Jon's work with him, and Jon provides insights into how he conducts his work, troubles with outdated language, and how therapies actually work.

We went a little long on this one, but with good reason! In this episode, we are joined by Mr. Sam Riebel. We met Sam several years ago in a bar in central London, and have been regaled by his stories ever since. Sam spent almost two years teaching in English in Hong Kong and shares some of his experiences with us here now. In this episode, we talk about education. We discuss what is worth studying, how our educational systems can adapt to a changing world, the distinction (if any) between learning and play, and the role of schools in education. Also, we have a good time, and hope you will too!

In this episode we discuss habit-building and the concept of gamification and how it can be applied to self-improvement or skill-building. Adam draws a lot from James Clear's book Atomic Habits to propose a new framework for routine building, and Nic claims to have read upwards of 2 articles on his chosen topic.

In this episode we discuss the extent to which we think in words rather than other mediums (be they sensory, emotional, or other) and why it is that we have a voice in our heads that needs to vocalise thought even when there's no one beside ourselves to talk to. Some consideration is also given to the notion of 'self-narrating' our lives, and the tools that can be used effectively to mould (honestly!!) self-image, with a prominent focus on journaling as a complimentary yet entirely distinct skill to meditation in this particular context.  There's some mention of psychedelic trees (allegedly!) and unorthodox gospels, and the introduction grows more rambling and unformatted by the episode, (pretty soon we'll just be barking at each other for the first 5 minutes - there was in fact some barking in this episode, but it does not originate with either of the hosts). 

In this episode we revisit, for the first time, a topic previously covered: the act of meditating and the practice of mindfulness. Adam talks to us about the Wim Hof method and how breathing techniques and meditation can help unlock more extreme elements of human resilience and fortitude, and Nic addresses the material impact of a meditative practice on the brain (sort of). After two episodes on this specific topic, we are, if possible, less knowledgeable and assured in our beliefs than ever before. It's the Socratic way.

In this episode, Nic and Adam are joined by Franziska Müller for a discussion of how the mind works in more biological terms. Fran shares her wisdom on everything from her own research into neuroregeneration, to the parts of the brain you might remember from school, to whether the computer is an appropriate model for the mind. It was wonderful to talk to her, and you should follow her puppy's instagram (@alfie_in_london). Fran also provided these useful links for further reading! Phineas Gage: https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-21/edition-9/phineas-gage-unravelling-myth Dutch Hunger Winter: https://www.nature.com/news/2005/050801/full/news050801-6.html Gregory Courtine (Brain-spine interface): https://www.researchgate.net/blog/post/paralyzed-monkeys-walk-again We use 10% of our Brain - A myth: Overview: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-people-only-use-10-percent-of-their-brains/ More in depth: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2776484/ Left-right Brain: https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2013/12/02/248089436/the-truth-about-the-left-brain-right-brain-relationship?t=1610712151960 Male v female Brian: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00677-x Gina Rippon's Book, The Gendered Brain: The new neuroscience that shatters the myth of the female brain (bookshop.org) And good for a general overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_the_brainhttps://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21128311-800-a-brief-history-of-the-brain/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234157/ The mountain I could not remember the name of was Pumori.

Welcome to Season 3 of our podcast: The Mind. In this introductory episode on the topic we discuss the duality of body and mind, as put to us in the words of iconic, and pretentious, philosopher René Descartes (friend of the show). We reflect on how this distinction has existed both consistently and variously across cultures and epochs, and a significant portion of the conversation is also devoted to understanding contemporary materialism in science, which brings us closer to being able to justify the workings of consciousness in purely material terms, the implications of which have ramifications that shatter fundamental aspects of traditional belief systems (so we've been told). Nic also has a new mic, which makes him explore the possibilities of a career in radio disc jockeying, and makes Adam explore the possibilities of finding a more reasonable co-host. Back, and more unqualified than ever.

Hello and welcome to our Christmas Special! Today we're joined by the enigma that is Zac Wolf to talk through the history of Christmas and the pagan festivals it absorbed and assimilated. We also discuss Christmas music, literature that we haven't read, and unorthodox traditions. A surprisingly fact-filled episode. Wishing you all some very merry festivities, despite the difficult circumstances we all find ourselves in. Love and Rage.

In this guest episode, which concludes 'Season 2: Virtue' we have the good fortune to be joined by Matthias Schmale, the head of UNWRA in Gaza, a lifelong humanitarian, and, also, Nic's dad. We discuss his current role and the conflict in which it is rooted, his personal experience of the humanitarian sector as it has developed across the decades, and where the future of charity is headed. For once, this material is qualified.

Thank you for tuning into the final episode of Season Two! In this episode, Nic and Adam discuss concepts of utopia. What makes a utopian society, and do the risks of such a vision outweigh the potential benefits? What can we learn about utopia from literature, and what would the role of culture in a utopian society be? Join us as we fail to answer these questions and more! A few technical notes: Adam got a fancy new microphone. On the one hand, that's good. On the other, he is still very much learning how to use it, which is why the audio is a bit weird. Also there was an internet outage about 40 minutes in, you will see how we handled that. Finally, a note on Adam's fact at the end. Though we were laughing at the time, I want to make it clear that this was purely because of the ridiculousness of the situation, and I apologise if it seems like we did not approach the issue with the gravity that it deserves. For more information on how you can take action to fight for freedom and justice, check out https://blacklivesmatter.com To find a mutual aid group, check one of the links below: Switzerland (Zurich): www.nachbarschaftshilfe.ch Switzerland (Geneva): www.servethecitygeneva.ch UK: www.mutual-aid.co.uk USA: wwwmutualaidhub.org I couldn't find examples of mutual aid organisations in Switzerland, perhaps the culture of it hasn't been fully developed there. If you come across any, please send them our way!

What is the relationship of beauty to morality? we've spent a fair bit of time discussing and defining morality so how do we do the same for beauty? if there are different forms of beauty which of them relate to morality? Beauty may not play a significant role in our contemporary morality but has that always been the case, or is it even the case everywhere today? What examples of morality's relationship to appearance can we find in literature? Except for Dorian Gray? Will we ever be able to answer a single question? What's the point of asking questions when they only just lead to more questions? How do we find truth? ok maybe I've gone a bit off track now, I guess I'll stop (?)

What does it mean to be a good person? is it about acting good everyday? about respecting moral law? religious commandments? is it about power? Who shall we follow? Aristotle? Jesus? Jordan Peterson? Seriously, if you have the answer to any of these questions then please write to us, we spent nearly an hour talking it through and are none the wiser (Except for that last one, the answer to that one is definitely no).

In this episode we discuss the complicity of populations in the conspicuous evils of their states. As examples we consider Nazi Germany, from which we acquire our title, borrowed as it is from Hannah Arendt's long essay of the same name, and go on to think about the USA, particularly the southern states whilst they were governed by the Jim Crow laws. There are multitudes of other examples we could draw on throughout history (Apartheid South Africa is another we touch upon) and indeed the present day, but the hope is that by looking at a couple of these a little closer we might extract some conclusions that might usefully help us to understand this trend in a much broader sense. As to whether we succeed in that is not up to us to say, but hopefully you gain some insight from the conversation regardless.

Having previously discussed charity as a sector and its role within society this episode sees us exploring how social enterprise can harness some of the resources of the private sector with more holistic goals in mind. This leads us on to a conversation about the merits of philanthropy, the limits to the power money can buy you, and the value of idolising billionaires.

In this episode Nic and Adam discuss international aid. In particular, we investigate the legacy of colonialism in aid work, the role of aid air interventions, how and when nations should intervene in other nations, and how the concept of the "white man's burden" remains relevant today. A couple of notes from the episode. At one point Adam said that China offered development loans on generous terms. In fact, they offer generous amounts of money on not particularly generous terms. Also, Nic at one point stated that the United States contributes around $1 billion dollars annualy to the United Nations budget. In fact, in 2018 (the last year for which we could find accurate data), the USA contributed $10 billion to the United Nation's budget. To prevent an the UN being more influenced by the desires of the USA than it already is, the USA is capped at providing no more than 22% of the overal UN budget.

Today we discuss the idea of charity and the means by which it entered mainstream British consciousness in the Victorian Era. This leads us to a conversation about the Red Cross and its origins and invites us to consider the role of charity in the modern day as well as under what form it might appear in an ideal society. Of course, keeping true to the premise of the show, we conclude by debating the role of charity in the life of the individual seeking to lead their very own good life.

A few corrections from the podcast. I said Paddy McGuiness. I was thinking of Martin McGuiness. Paddy McGuiness is a comedian. Whoops. The other important figure I was trying to remember from the Troubles was Gerry Adams. Also, when I said child support, I meant child care. Child support would be wild. In this episode, Nic and Adam discuss politics. What are the ideal forms of government? How should we participate in the political? What is the role of lived experience in political offices? Also, what's the deal with Switzerland? The fun fact I couldn't remember the source of came from Oxford City Guide: https://www.oxfordcityguide.com/fun-stuff/fun-facts-on-oxford

On episode 3 of our second season we explore the history and definition(s) of Activism and its role within (political) society. Adam also takes us on a deep dive into the workings and objectives of Extinction Rebellion. @goodlifecast to reach us on instagram @katy.lay for the artwork

Join us for this episode as we discuss whether it is possible to be good in a system which seems like it conspires against us, what our responsibilities to society are (and vice versa), and what, if anything, we can do about it (the degree to which we come up with solutions to this last one are questionable). Get in contact with us via @goodlifecast on instagram. @katy.lay on instagram for our artwork

In this first episode of season 2, Nic and Adam launch into the theme of virtue, starting with a crash course in moral philosophy where they discuss a few different ways to define and identify a good act. This takes them onto the idea of heroes and villains, both fictional and real, and what is both required and forgiven of such placeholders. 

We've been gone a while. We're sorry. In this episode we elaborate on why and also what we've been up to since our last episode. We also talk some about where we're going next! Talking points include: our holiday in the alps, stoicism, and the difficulties and problems involved in translation. Think of this episode as an interlude, but still with the banter, quotes, and fun facts of a normal episode. We'll be back with the next stage of An Unqualified Guide to the Good Life for weekly episodes starting September 13th. See you there!

In this episode Nic and Adam are joined by their second consecutive guest, the honourable Florian Blackburn. This episode concludes the series on food and so involves a discussion around hypothetical scenarios, concerning ideal meals and the conditions in which to host them in.

Episode 17! How time flies. This is the penultimate episode of our month-long discussion around food. It is also the first with a guest! Joining us from Khanom, Thailand, is Iona Whitehead. Iona joins us to share her thoughts on cultural appropriation in food, cooking, cuisine in general, and how this fits into issues around racism. We elaborate and discuss our thoughts on cultural appropriation in general, in short: it's complicated. Recording conditions were varied so please bear with the slightly crazy audio for this week!