Podcasts about midlife a philosophical guide

Philosophy often feels like a disconnected discipline, obsessed with tedious and abstract problems. But MIT professor Kieran Setiya believes philosophical inquiry has a practical purpose outside the classroom — to help guide us through life's most challenging circumstances. He joins Sean to talk about self-help, FOMO, and midlife crises. This episode originally aired in April 2024. Host: Sean Illing (@SeanIlling) Guest: Kieran Setiya, author of Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way and Midlife: A Philosophical Guide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you think about someone having a midlife crisis, you probably think of a man getting divorced, stepping out with a younger woman, and buying a sports car. But my guest today says the often jokey, mockable trope of the midlife crisis we have in our popular culture discounts the fact that the sense of dissatisfaction people can feel in their middle years is quite real, and that the questions it raises are profond, philosophical, and worth earnestly grappling with.His name is Kieran Setiya, and he's a professor of philosophy and the author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide. Kieran and I first discuss what researchers have uncovered about whether the midlife crisis really exists, how it might be better described as a kind of midlife malaise, and how Kieran's own sense of life dissatisfaction began when he was only in his mid-thirties. We then explore the philosophical reframing that can help in dealing with the existential issues that the journey into midlife often raises, including feeling like you've missed out on certain possibilities and feeling regret over your mistakes and misfortunes. We also talk about how to shift out of one primary cause of the midlife malaise — the sense that your life is merely about putting out fires and checking off boxes.Resources Related to the PodcastSeasons of a Man's Life by Daniel LevinsonAoM series on Levinson's researchTransformations: Growth and Change in Adult Life by Roger GouldPassages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life by Gail SheehyOrville Gilbert Brim's MacArthur study on "Midlife in the United States"David Branchflower's study on the U-shaped curve of happinessJohn Stuart MillSunday Firesides: Youth Is Not an IdentityAoM Podcast #770: Philosophical Tools for Living the Good LifeAoM Podcast #620: How to Deal With Life's RegretsAoM Article: The George Bailey Technique — Mentally Erase Your Blessings for Greater Joy and OptimismAoM Podcast #527: Father Wounds, Male Spirituality, and the Journey to the Second Half of Life With Richard RohrAoM Podcast #598: Journeying From the First to the Second Half of Life With James HollisConnect With Kieran SetiyaKieran's WebsiteKieran on TwitterKieran's Podcast

My guest this week is Dr. Kieran Setiya, a philosophy professor at MIT and author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide (affiliate link). Topics we discussed included: The extent to which midlife is a time of crisis Elliott Jaques's coining of the term “midlife crisis” in 1965 Data showing that life satisfaction is U-shaped, with a low in middle age Common significant challenges in midlife Past, Present, and Future The feeling of having missed out on other possible lives The tremendous loss we would experience if missing out were not possible The power of philosophy in the self-help space The poetic quality of Kieran's writing and its likely origins The overvaluing of having options for their own sake, even if it costs us in absolute satisfaction Value beyond removing problems and suffering A vision of life beyond striving for “neutral” The tension between feeling like what we do matters, and yet life feels completely pointless The profundity of hobbies as gratuitous activities that aren't aimed at solving problems What my guest has found is worth doing beyond addressing unmet needs The distinction between telic (project) and atelic (process) activities The societal pressure and value to be project-focused Why we're bothered by our nonexistence after death much more than our nonexistence before birth Understanding what it would really mean to be immortal How the arc of a life is different from a movie or a book Kieran Setiya, PhD, is professor and philosophy section head at MIT. He works mainly in ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind. Kieran's other books include Practical Knowledge, Reasons without Rationalism, Knowing Right from Wrong, and Life Is Hard, which was named one of the best books of 2022 by the Economist and the New Yorker. Kieran has also written about stand-up comedy, HP Lovecraft, baseball, free will, and the meaning of life. Find Kieran online at his website and on Substack.

Kieran Setiya--a philosopher at MIT who wrote the terrific book Midlife: A Philosophical Guide that Dave Schmelzer talked about on the last episode--joins Dave for a lively conversation about how philosophy can help with our deepest questions and about how it interacts with the spirituality we talk about here. Mentioned on this podcast:Midlife: A Philosophical Guide, by Kieran SetiyaLIfe is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way, by Kieran Setiya

Philosophers and theologians offer different answers to how we should feel about the losses we confront in midlife. Kieran Setiya, a philosopher teaching at MIT, wrote a terrific recent book on midlife crisis. Dave Schmelzer highlights some of Setiya's best stuff, including Setiya's takes on missed opportunities, why we can simultaneously regret and not regret where our lives have taken us, and whether there is help for those moments when we realize we're not as far from dying as we once were.Mentioned on this podcast: Kieran Setiya's book, Midlife: A Philosophical Guide

BIO Kieran Setiya is a professor of philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he works on ethics and related questions about human agency and human knowledge. He is the author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide and Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way, which was selected as a Best Book of 2022 by The Economist and The New Yorker. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, the LA Review of Books, the TLS, the London Review of Books, The Atlantic, Aeon, and The Yale Review. Website: http://www.ksetiya.net; Twitter: @KieranSetiya; Substack: https://ksetiya.substack.com Sign up for 10% off of Shrink Rap Radio CE credits at the Zur Institute  

Mike Doehla is a longtime health and fitness enthusiast who was able to turn his passions into a very successful company, Stronger U, which he recently sold. Mike is a really down-to-earth guy, and he has a super thoughtful approach, in that he thinks through decisions and information from many angles. His perspective on topics like health and nutrition and running a business often go against what we might consider conventional wisdom, and it's fascinating to hear his thoughts. We continue to learn a lot from Mike and we're sure you will too! Where you can find Mike Doehla:- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikedoehla/To get 50% off ($79.50) your first month with Stronger U, use this link: https://r.strongeru.com/l/fq5f2Where you can find Bivona's Simply Pasta:- Website: https://www.bivonassimply.com- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bivonassimplypasta/- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090935162686- Physical location: 47 Liberty Street, Newburgh, NY 12550 Mentions from the show:- Stronger U: https://strongeru.com/- NPS (Net Promoter Score): https://www.qualtrics.com/experience-management/customer/net-promoter-score/- Maintenance Phase podcast: https://www.maintenancephase.com/- Self Esteem Brands: https://www.sebrands.com/self-esteem-brands-acquires-digital-nutrition-coaching-brand-stronger-u/- Mike's "retirement" post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CkdUFXrO7PR/?hl=en- Midlife: A Philosophical Guide: https://amzn.to/3YJ9xg6- LEGO for adults: https://www.lego.com/en-us/categories/adults-welcomeStay in touch with People, Place, & Purpose on Instagram and stay tuned for a new episode every Monday!Links may be affiliate links, which means we would get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you.

Hosted by Andrew Keen, Keen On features conversations with some of the world's leading thinkers and writers about the economic, political, and technological issues being discussed in the news, right now. In this episode, Andrew is joined by Kieran Setiya, author of Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way. Kieran Setiya is a professor of philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide. His writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, The Times Literary Supplement (London), the London Review of Books, The New York Times, Aeon, and The Yale Review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The philosopher Zena Hitz asks me five questions about myself. Zena Hitz is a Tutor at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, and the author of "Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life" (2020). Kieran Setiya is a Professor of Philosophy at MIT. He is the author of “Midlife: A Philosophical Guide” (2017) and “Life is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way” (2022)—now available in bookstores!

Only the first 44 minutes of this episode are available on the paywalled podcast version (the black podcast logo). If you’d like to hear the full 1 hour 56 minutes of this episode and gain access to all full-length episodes of the podcast, you’ll need to SUBSCRIBE here. If you’re already subscribed and on the private RSS feed, the podcast logo should appear red. Sam Harris speaks to Kieran Setiya about the relevance of philosophy to living a good life. They discuss the existence of objective moral truths, being happy vs living well, our response to grief, the difference between "telic" and "atelic" activities, the power of reframing, FOMO, bias toward the future, regret, the asymmetry between pain and pleasure, and other topics. Kieran Setiya is a professor of philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His new book, Life is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way, comes out October 2022. He is the author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide, and his writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Times Literary Supplement, the London Review of Books, The New York Times, Aeon, and The Yale Review. Website: www.ksetiya.net Twitter: @KieranSetiya Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That’s why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life’s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.

Jonathan Bastian talks with philosopher Kieran Setiya, author of “Midlife: A Philosophical Guide”  about the meaning and feeling of hitting midlife and how philosophy helped provide answers to Setiya's own anxieties and perceived failures. Later, Geoff Dyer, author of “The Last Days of Roger Federer And Other Endings” examines what it means to give up something you love and why last works and best works don't need to follow a chronological order. Delve deeper into life, philosophy, and what makes us human by joining the Life Examined discussion group on Facebook.

Though most people pass through a midlife malaise or crisis, few have studied the phenomenon as closely as M.I.T Philosophy Professor Kieran Setiya. As Kieran shares in his book Midlife: A Philosophical Guide, people as far back as ancient Greece have written about midlife crises and searched for answers to life's big questions. In this episode, Kieran Setiya boils down what happens to us at midlife and exposes the wisdom of those who have come before us and found satisfaction as they entered the second half of life. Find the show notes and transcript at http://reconsidering.org/episodes/16

Art of Manliness When you think about someone having a midlife crisis, you probably think of a man getting divorced, stepping out with a younger woman, and buying a sports car. But my guest today says the often jokey, mockable trope of the midlife crisis we have in our popular culture discounts the fact that the sense of dissatisfaction people can feel in their middle years is quite real, and that the questions it raises are profond, philosophical, and worth earnestly grappling with.His name is Kieran Setiya, and he's a professor of philosophy and the author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide. Kieran and I first discuss what researchers have uncovered about whether the midlife crisis really exists, how it might be better described as a kind of midlife malaise, and how Kieran's own sense of life dissatisfaction began when he was only in his mid-thirties. We then explore the philosophical reframing that can help in dealing with the existential issues that the journey into midlife often raises, including feeling like you've missed out on certain possibilities and feeling regret over your mistakes and misfortunes. We also talk about how to shift out of one primary cause of the midlife malaise — the sense that your life is merely about putting out fires and checking off boxes.Resources Related to the PodcastSeasons of a Man's Life by Daniel LevinsonAoM series on Levinson's researchTransformations: Growth and Change in Adult Life by Roger GouldPassages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life by Gail SheehyOrville Gilbert Brim's MacArthur study on "Midlife in the United States"David Branchflower's study on the U-shaped curve of happinessJohn Stuart MillAoM Podcast #770: Philosophical Tools for Living the Good LifeAoM Podcast #620: How to Deal With Life's RegretsAoM Article: The George Bailey Technique: Mentally Erase Your Blessings for Greater Joy and OptimismAoM Podcast #527: Father Wounds, Male Spirituality, and the Journey to the Second Half of Life With Richard RohrAoM Podcast #598: Journeying From the First to the Second Half of Life With James HollisConnect With Kieran SetiyaKieran's WebsiteKieran on TwitterKieran's Podcast

When you think about someone having a midlife crisis, you probably think of a man getting divorced, stepping out with a younger woman, and buying a sports car. But my guest today says the often jokey, mockable trope of the midlife crisis we have in our popular culture discounts the fact that the sense of dissatisfaction people can feel in their middle years is quite real, and that the questions it raises are profond, philosophical, and worth earnestly grappling with.His name is Kieran Setiya, and he's a professor of philosophy and the author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide. Kieran and I first discuss what researchers have uncovered about whether the midlife crisis really exists, how it might be better described as a kind of midlife malaise, and how Kieran's own sense of life dissatisfaction began when he was only in his mid-thirties. We then explore the philosophical reframing that can help in dealing with the existential issues that the journey into midlife often raises, including feeling like you've missed out on certain possibilities and feeling regret over your mistakes and misfortunes. We also talk about how to shift out of one primary cause of the midlife malaise — the sense that your life is merely about putting out fires and checking off boxes.Resources Related to the PodcastSeasons of a Man's Life by Daniel LevinsonAoM series on Levinson's researchTransformations: Growth and Change in Adult Life by Roger GouldPassages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life by Gail SheehyOrville Gilbert Brim's MacArthur study on "Midlife in the United States"David Branchflower's study on the U-shaped curve of happinessJohn Stuart MillAoM Podcast #770: Philosophical Tools for Living the Good LifeAoM Podcast #620: How to Deal With Life's RegretsAoM Article: The George Bailey Technique: Mentally Erase Your Blessings for Greater Joy and OptimismAoM Podcast #527: Father Wounds, Male Spirituality, and the Journey to the Second Half of Life With Richard RohrAoM Podcast #598: Journeying From the First to the Second Half of Life With James HollisConnect With Kieran SetiyaKieran's WebsiteKieran on TwitterKieran's Podcast

This is the last episode before we take a podcasting break for the holidays. See you back here in January 2022!  And yes, we're trying out a new name. The focus of the podcast has become broader than the topic of “taking a gap year.” So the new name is [B]OLDER: Making the most of growing older. In other words, boldly reinventing life and work at midlife and beyond. Debbie is always on the lookout for guests who can lend a new perspective to the concept of time and our perception of how much of it we have. So when she read Oliver Burkeman's new book, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, she knew he had to come on the show. Plus the book is terrific and it's getting lots of notice.The first sentence is “The average human life span is absurdly, terrifyingly, insultingly short.” In other words, about 4,000 weeks.Oliver is a British author and journalist who wrote a popular weekly column, This Column Will Change Your Life, for The Guardian for over a decade. He has reported from London, Washington and New York and recently moved with his wife and son from Brooklyn, NY back to Yorkshire in the UK to be near his family. He has established himself as a tongue-in-cheek expert on productivity and time management and how that does - or does not - lead to happiness. He sums up his new book very nicely in his Twitter profile: explaining that 4,000 Weeks is about embracing limitation and finally getting round to what matters. As he's 46, he's only lived about 2,400 of those 4,000 weeks himself but he tells Debbie in this episode  that he may be getting closer to a better relationship with time.Debbie and Oliver talk about time and self-worth, why we are so future-oriented, the connection between time and happiness, and why it might be okay that we use social media as a distraction. Oliver is a contrarian thinker but he's truly interested in how to build a meaningful life. Debbie had a number of aha moments in this conversation and listeners will too! Mentioned in this episode or useful:Oliver Burkeman's website@oliverburkeman on TwitterFour Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021)The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; Reprint edition, 2013)This Column Will Change Your Life (The Guardian, 2006 - 2020)Jung on the Provisional Life (Jungian Center for the Spiritual Sciences)Who is Marie-Louise von Franz? (David C. Hamilton, Jungian Psychoanalyst, IAAP)Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2008)What is Flow in Psychology? (PositivePsychology.com, November 25 2021)Understanding Nonlinear Time (The Four Winds, November 27 2018)Chronos vs Kairos: How Ancient Greeks Saw Time (McKinley Valentine, November 3 2020)Telic vs atelic activities, and the meaning of life (Philosophy as a Way of Life, September 27 2019)Midlife: A Philosophical Guide by Kieran Setiya (Princeton University Press, 2017)Kieran Setiya Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide.Connect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie We Are Looking For a Sponsor or Podcast NetworkIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Here's a saying I heard once - it used to be hilarious, now I guess it's just painfully true: “Inside every old person is a young person wondering ‘What the hell just happened here?!'” When you hit midlife, is it just a slower, creakier version of being a thirty-year-old, or do things actually shift? What is contentment or ambition? What actually matters?  Kieran Setiya is a professor of philosophy at MIT in Boston, and the author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide. In this episode, he shares the fundamentals of navigating problems and finding existential value in the midst of a crisis. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/  Kieran reads two pages from ‘Nicomachean Ethics' by Aristotle. [reading begins at 7:50]  Hear us discuss:  Atelic activities and existential value. [13:37] | When to settle and when to disrupt: “Looking for an algorithm to tell you how to solve your life is not the way to do it.” [18:59] | Death's role in shaping a meaningful life: “Thinking about the finitude of human life has changed my sense of what actually matters.”  [24:41] |Changes in ambition when navigating midlife. [31:18] 

A conversation with the MIT professor of philosophy and author of "Midlife: A Philosophical Guide."

More at www.philosophytalk.org/shows/midlife-and-meaning. At some point or another, the midlife crisis comes for us all. But what is it really about? Is it a sense of our mortality, the fear of not achieving what we hoped to, or the sinking feeling that we’ve been spending our whole adult lives chasing our tails? And what is the solution: a new car, a new life goal, or the choice to give up goals altogether? Ken and Josh entertain the possibilities with Kieran Setiya from MIT, author of "Midlife: A Philosophical Guide." This program was originally broadcast on December 3, 2017.

...You will learn why missing out might be a good thing, how options are overrated, and when you should be glad you made a mistake. You will be introduced to philosophical consolations for mortality. And you will learn what it would mean to live in the present, how it could solve your midlife crisis, and why meditation helps.

Next For Me is a new resource that connects and inspires our generation to evolve post-50 life through new work, a new purpose or a new social contribution. Mid-Career Crisis: Should You Cope or Quit? We may all be confronting our professional state of affairs around 40-50. Keiran Setiya, author of “Midlife: A Philosophical Guide,” […] The post Weekly Newsletter: Wading Through a Mid-Career Crisis appeared first on Next For Me.

You’re living the same day over and over, doing things that seem worth doing . . . yet, you have this sneaky wave of emptiness that lingers. It’s not that you completely dislike the day-to-day, you’re just not feeling fulfilled. Ready to break this Groundhog Day routine? Modern-day philosopher, Kieran Setiya, shatters the misconceptions about what it is to have a midlife crisis and helps you answer the big meaningful questions--no matter your age. Kieran’s a professor of philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, working mainly in ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind. He’s the author of several works including his most recent self-help book, Midlife: A Philosophical Guide. Kieran’s work on midlife has been featured in several publications including, The Guardian and The New York Times. Refocus and change the pace of your days . . . starting NOW! Key takeaways: Your developmental phase. In your adolescence, you’ve got that spit and fire that fuels your ambition. But now, 15-20 years later, the time to reevaluate where you stand has crept up on you. Good news! Get off on the right start by knowing THIS about your next, unexpected phase . . . [08:33]. Your heartfelt crisis. German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer believed in the futility of desire. It’s our human nature to either have high hopes for things that are never achieved or live a life desiring nothing--therefore feeling empty. Could there be truth to this theory? The FACTS revealed . . . [14:17]. Your confusing crossroad. You’ve got this and you’ve got that. All too often we’re living in the conundrum of having passions and interests that light us up and then having the day job. Sound familiar? But how can you realistically merge the two at any time in your life? Try this ONE strategy . . . [22:37]. Your mindfulness journey. When you think about meditation, where does your mind go? While it’s been proven to help you rewire the way in which your nervous system interprets what’s going on, there are some that don’t respond to the Buddhist origin behind it. But there’s another way to see it. For a NEW side of meditation . . . [29:05]. Tune in and turn the volume up for a dose of inspiration and life lessons. You're never more than One Idea Away from a whole, new reality.

On the surface, Kieran Setiya *02 had nothing to complain about. He had earned tenure as a philosophy professor; he’d published books and journal articles; he enjoyed teaching. But something was missing. “However worthwhile it seemed to teach another class or write another essay, I suddenly was aware, in a way I hadn’t been, of all the things in my life I wasn’t going to do,” Setiya says. He was having a midlife crisis, and he worked through it by talking with friends and digging into philosophical texts. In a new book, Midlife: A Philosophical Guide, Setiya shares what he learned. He spoke with PAW about some of the key takeaways — and the things he still struggles with.

How can you reconcile yourself with the lives you will never lead, with possibilities foreclosed, and with nostalgia for lost youth? How can you accept the failings of the past, the sense of futility in the tasks that consume the present, and the prospect of death that blights the future? In this self-help book with a difference, Kieran Setiya confronts the inevitable challenges of adulthood and middle age, showing how philosophy can help you thrive. You will learn why missing out might be a good thing, how options are overrated, and when you should be glad you made a mistake. You will be introduced to philosophical consolations for mortality. And you will learn what it would mean to live in the present, how it could solve your midlife crisis, and why meditation helps. Ranging from Aristotle, Schopenhauer, and John Stuart Mill to Virginia Woolf and Simone de Beauvoir, as well as drawing on Setiya’s own experience, Midlife combines imaginative ideas, surprising insights, and practical advice. Writing with wisdom and wit, Setiya makes a wry but passionate case for philosophy as a guide to life. — Kieran teaches Philosophy at MIT, working mainly in ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind. In addition to Midlife: A Philosophical Guide, he is the author of Practical Knowledge, Reasons without Rationalism, and Knowing Right From Wrong. His work has been featured in Aeon, Hi-Phi Nation, Why? Radio, Five Books, the Guardian, and the New York Times. He has also written about baseball and philosophy. The post Midlife: A Philosophical Guide – Ep 33 with Kieran Setiya appeared first on Read Learn Live Podcast.

The Power and Perils of GRIT. How to become more gritty, how to teach your children grit, and why you need to think about grit in a completely different way.  References: Jess Lee: "Partner at Sequoia Capital and Former CEO" | Talks at Google: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwjZHFMdgLk Angela Duckworth, “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance”: https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-book/ Kieran Setiya, “Midlife: A Philosophical Guide”: http://www.ksetiya.net/midlife.html Thanks for listening! SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and REVIEW What Just Happened? on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify. Reach me at Facebook: www.facebook.com/whatjusthappenedpodcast Twitter @davidgchang whatjustpodcast @ gmail . com  

The Power and Perils of GRIT. How to become more gritty, how to teach your children grit, and why you need to think about grit in a completely different way.  References: Jess Lee: "Partner at Sequoia Capital and Former CEO" | Talks at Google: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwjZHFMdgLk Angela Duckworth, “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance”: https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-book/ Kieran Setiya, “Midlife: A Philosophical Guide”: http://www.ksetiya.net/midlife.html Thanks for listening! SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and REVIEW What Just Happened? on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify. Reach me at Facebook: www.facebook.com/whatjusthappenedpodcast Twitter @davidgchang whatjustpodcast @ gmail . com  

Middle-agedness is a curious phenomenon. In many ways, one is at one's peak and also at the early stages of decline. There is much to do, but also dozens of paths irretrievably untaken. Successes, but also regrets. It's no wonder that the idea of a midlife crisis is so familiar. But midlife is not commonly a subject of explicit philosophical study. In Midlife: A Philosophical Guide (Princeton University Press, 2017), Kieran Setiya develops a philosophical account of the crises associated with midlife that combines the precision of a philosophical treatise with the narrative and advice-giving of a self-help manual. The result is a fascinating exploration of the challenges that come with growing old. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychology

Middle-agedness is a curious phenomenon. In many ways, one is at one’s peak and also at the early stages of decline. There is much to do, but also dozens of paths irretrievably untaken. Successes, but also regrets. It’s no wonder that the idea of a midlife crisis is so familiar. But midlife is not commonly a subject of explicit philosophical study. In Midlife: A Philosophical Guide (Princeton University Press, 2017), Kieran Setiya develops a philosophical account of the crises associated with midlife that combines the precision of a philosophical treatise with the narrative and advice-giving of a self-help manual. The result is a fascinating exploration of the challenges that come with growing old. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Middle-agedness is a curious phenomenon. In many ways, one is at one’s peak and also at the early stages of decline. There is much to do, but also dozens of paths irretrievably untaken. Successes, but also regrets. It’s no wonder that the idea of a midlife crisis is so familiar. But midlife is not commonly a subject of explicit philosophical study. In Midlife: A Philosophical Guide (Princeton University Press, 2017), Kieran Setiya develops a philosophical account of the crises associated with midlife that combines the precision of a philosophical treatise with the narrative and advice-giving of a self-help manual. The result is a fascinating exploration of the challenges that come with growing old. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Middle-agedness is a curious phenomenon. In many ways, one is at one’s peak and also at the early stages of decline. There is much to do, but also dozens of paths irretrievably untaken. Successes, but also regrets. It’s no wonder that the idea of a midlife crisis is so familiar....

"Written with charming simplicity and wry humor, Midlife is a philosophically rich source of what might be called 'the higher life hacks' – reflective ways of dissolving the sense of emptiness and regret that tends to hit each of us with the onset of middle age. A work of disarming wisdom."  - Jim Holt (author of Why Does the World Exist?) Have you ever asked yourself, what would my life have been like if I’d gone down another career path? Or wished you could release some past grudge that sits on your shoulder like a squaking parrot? The Contemplify conversation today revolves around questions of meaning, purpose and regret. My guest today is Kieran Setiya, professor of philosophy at MIT. Our conversation today revolves around his latest book, Midlife: A Philosophical Guide, which outlines a helpful framework for wrestling with existential questions. Kieran Setiya is a philosopher who enjoys witty banter as much as delving into the depths of foundational life questions. In our conversation we dive into the waters of the stereotypes of philosophers, the rules for midlife crisis prevention, what we can learn from John Stuart Mill’s nervous breakdown, and what superman can teach us about the afterlife. What makes Kieran’s book Midlife sing is his curiosity and succinct wordsmithing that gleefully ushers you along through the difficult internal terrain. Which you will get a taste of in this conversation. Midlife is for any of you in the early stages, the thrush, or retrospect of the midlife years. Midlife creates a framework for the dizzying existential questions that arrive from new angles as the years accumulate. Learn more about Kieran Setiya a ksetiya.net.

This week on Relationships 2.0 my guest is Kieran Setiya author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide. About the book: Philosophical wisdom and practical advice for overcoming the problems of middle age How can you reconcile yourself with the lives you will never lead, with possibilities foreclosed, and with nostalgia for lost youth? How can you accept the failings of the past, the sense of futility in the tasks that consume the present, and the prospect of death that blights the future? In this self-help book with a difference, Kieran Setiya confronts the inevitable challenges of adulthood and middle age, showing how philosophy can help you thrive. You will learn why missing out might be a good thing, how options are overrated, and when you should be glad you made a mistake. You will be introduced to philosophical consolations for mortality. And you will learn what it would mean to live in the present, how it could solve your midlife crisis, and why meditation helps. Ranging from Aristotle, Schopenhauer, and John Stuart Mill to Virginia Woolf and Simone de Beauvoir, as well as drawing on Setiya’s own experience, Midlife combines imaginative ideas, surprising insights, and practical advice. Writing with wisdom and wit, Setiya makes a wry but passionate case for philosophy as a guide to life. About the author: MIT philosopher; would-be self-help guru; master of the semi-colon. www.ksetiya.net @KieranSetiya

My guest is Kieran Setiya. He teaches philosophy at MIT, working mainly in ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind. He's the author of "Reasons without Rationalism" and "Knowing Right From Wrong." His most recent book is "Midlife: A Philosophical Guide." It comes out on October 3, 2017. You can buy the book here: bit.ly/midlifeguide. Special Guest: Kieran Setiya.