
The Human Flourishing Project
Hi, I'm Alex Epstein.
I started the Human Flourishing project to tackle the problem I care about most: human beings lack reliable access to the knowledge we need to flourish.
Latest episodes

Jul 6, 2021 • 16min
Episode 98: How to not be tired
Alex Epstein discusses how he is able to work long hours while rarely feeling tired or fatigued.
He identifies four ways others can have the same experience:
1. Develop deep nighttime empathy with “morning guy”
2. Discover and liberally utilize “inevitable rejuvenation practices”
3. Separate proactive and reactive time
4. Cultivate a love of working energized and a hatred of working while tired

Jun 8, 2021 • 21min
Episode 97: The Wisdom of Effortless
Alex Epstein discusses Greg McKeown's new book Effortless, how Alex had benefited from the chapters on Rest and Pace, and how separating proactive and reactive time can make the principles of Effortless even more effortless.

May 17, 2021 • 21min
Episode 96: How lucky we are to be alive right now
Alex Epstein discusses how to appreciate the many great things that exist today that didn't exist even in the recent past.

May 3, 2021 • 22min
Episode 95: The joy of security
Alex Epstein discusses his equation for "time security"--expected resources outstrip current commitments + expected threats--and how keeping this equation positive has an enormous impact on happiness.

Apr 13, 2021 • 27min
Best-of: The three ingredients of relaxed productivity (with bonus content)
On this best-of-HFP, Alex Epstein discusses the three ingredients of relaxed productivity—inevitably productive processes, high-altitude planning, and real rejuvenation—along with one poison: focus-destroyers. This version features a new introduction in which Alex talks more about his recent experience with inevitably productive processes.

Mar 29, 2021 • 19min
Episode 94: Dynamic, handwritten journaling
Alex Epstein discusses how the handwriting experience of the modern iPad makes possible an unprecedented form of journaling that can make your reflections on life far more effective.

Mar 16, 2021 • 25min
Episode 93: How to identify your best practices and bad practices
Alex Epstein discusses several ways to identify easy-to-implement best practices that will improve our lives, and easy-to-eliminate bad practices that are unnecessarily undercutting our lives.

Mar 2, 2021 • 17min
Episode 92: Vision and persistence
Alex Epstein discusses, using Richard Hamming's allegory about a drunken sailor, why vision and persistence are the two most powerful elements of productivity within our direct control.

Feb 13, 2021 • 58min
Episode 91: Overcoming the Problems of Today's Social Media -- with Brian Amerige
Alex brings on Brian Amerige, with whom he cofounded Thoughtful, to discuss the problems of social media today and how to overcome them. They discuss:
- Is there any role for government in the content policies of social media platforms?
- What content policy would make Facebook or Twitter a better "marketplace of ideas"--or is that even possible given the purpose of these platforms?
- What it takes to create a real alternative to mainstream platforms, and where Parler and Gab have struggled.
- The purpose and evolution of Thoughtful, Brian and Alex's platform that is "the one place on the Internet that's exclusively for thoughtful content."
- How to get on the waiting list for Thoughtful.

Feb 1, 2021 • 23min
Episode 90: Mindsets for overcoming adverse circumstances
Alex Epstein discusses two mindsets that can advance one's career even when one is starting from the most adverse circumstances: "customer obsession" and "100% responsibility."
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