UNFILTERED. Victor Li

Observing society's traditional views on success, I critique the idea of success and question whether successful individuals view themselves with such contempt. I distinguish between ‘relative' and ‘absolute' views on success and conclude that your internal orientation, drive, and most of all, contentment with your achievements, ultimately generates internal notions of success. Finally, in a hyper-capitalistic society filled with relativity-contained media, it is of imperative importance for your mental sanity to not let ideals of success consume you.

When much of the world is so divided, sports often become a common ground uniting players and fans alike. I reflect on my sporting experiences growing up and ponder the value they've added in my life. I contrast individual and team sports and query how to achieve peak mental and physical performance on the sporting field. I voice my vehement disdain for social sports, harping on the necessity of competition to fuel performance, and additionally distance sports through a gendered lens.

Created initially as institutions espousing singular excellence in education, universities have transformed into modern centers of social, political, and economic intertwinement. Employing a similar structure to the previous episode on schools, I ponder upon the modern education system and learn to appreciate it for all its beauty and its flaws.

In this one, I deep-dive into schools and examine the value they bring to children in modern society. I believe that our education system is partially flawed, teaching students only mechanical ‘hard' skills while leaving ‘soft' skills out of the picture; an issue compounded by snowflake Millennials screaming, ‘we're never going to use that again.' The intertwinement of capitalism, religion, and gender in our schools also irks me, as these once centres for academic excellence and personal growth become increasingly institutionalised. They say that ‘to live is to learn,' but does this apply to our schools?

The planet is dying. Ecosystems are being destroyed at exponential rates. Human life as we know it is on the verge of extinction. The solution to all these problems. Go vegan. In this one, I'll discuss a range of topics related to veganism. Is veganism the most environmentally sustainable diet? Are vegans kinder? Are there clear benefits to the consumption of a whole-foods plant-based diet? And, when it's all said and done, do our choices about what we eat really matter at all?

Recalling my formal education as a historian, I share my experience learning about the past. I elicit the motives drawing me to the field of history and historiography, and provide arguments cementing its imperative importance in illuminating key topics of conversation in modern society. I also explain the seminal historical argument of ‘absolute and relative truth,' spurred by current post-modern interpretations of history. Ultimately, I believe that 'history judges the past and instructs the present for the benefit of the future.'

I have another crack at the fitness industry, particularly voicing dismay at the poor value accretion of personal trainers. I also look at other types of training and the benefits they bring, as well as dive deeper into the psychological realm of physical fitness. This episode caps off with a couple of health tips that I currently employ, and the provision of resources elsewhere for you to jump-start your fitness journey.

It dismays me how many people have a lack of knowledge about basic nutrition. Here, I aim to provide the bare bones regarding what your body needs to consume. I'll move from a scientific description of nutrients and energy to the bro-science detailing of dieting fads and rapid weight loss. In the end, eat whatever you want to because life is to be enjoyed. Keep in mind however, power to all things in moderation.

I step into the mind of a gym rat. While sipping on liquid arrogance, I talk about the intricacies of getting shredded and the pursuance of aesthetics to get some attention/attraction from others and society at large, the limitation of predisposed genetics on muscle gains, the interplay of the mind and the ego at the gym, and performance enhancing substances. It's time to build serious muscle.

I explore the duality between monetary income and asset-based wealth. I look specifically at the controversial view that money is solely a medium of exchange, that it is the means to get wealth and not the wealth itself, that it motivates those of us living in capitalistic societies, and its buying power over freedom, power, and/or happiness. Does money ultimately make you rich?

I lay the groundwork for the rest of this first season of my podcast and provide you with brief background details about my life.