The Art of Manliness

Pooping. Everybody does it, but a lot of people are embarrassed to talk about it. That's a shame, my guest says, not only because your digestive health is incredibly linked to your overall health, but simply for the fact that there is much happiness to be found in an easy, worry-free constitutional.
Harvard gastroenterologist Dr. Trisha Pasricha is the author of You've Been Pooping All Wrong: How to Make Your Bowel Movements a Joy. Today on the show, Trisha and I have a fun and frank conversation about the art and science of bowel movements, including the color of healthy stools, how often you should be pooping, if laxatives are safe to use, the food to eat that's even better than prunes for getting things going, why you feel the urge to go poop at Barnes and Noble, the wonders of the bidet, the danger of using your smartphone on the toilet, how to get more comfortable pooping in a public restroom, and more.

Resources Related to the Podcast
AoM Article: The Top 10 Toilet Books
AoM Article: Be a “Regular” Guy — Tips for Improving Your Daily Constitutional
The Squatty Potty
"Mariko Aoki phenomenon" — where individuals feel an urgent need to use the bathroom when entering a bookstore
AoM Article: You Need to Eat More Fiber
Connect With Trisha Pasricha
Trisha's website
Trisha on IG

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Courage is one of our most prized and celebrated virtues. But once you really start exploring it, the nature of courage is surprisingly hard to pin down.
Here to help us explore the fascinating complications of courage is William Ian Miller, a historian, professor of law, and the author of The Mystery of Courage. Today on the show, Bill explains how centuries of philosophers, soldiers, and storytellers have approached courage and the hard-to-answer questions its manifestations raise. We discuss why courage has long been ranked among the highest virtues, the relationship between fear and courage, the fuzzy line between courage and cowardice, the association of courage and manhood, whether or not courage is domain specific, the difference between offensive and defensive courage, whether martyrs are courageous, whether deeds with evil ends are courageous, how fear, shame, and honor shape brave action, and more.

Resources Related to the Podcast
The Road to Richmond: The Civil War Memoirs of Maj. Abner R. Small
If I Die in a Combat Zone: Box Me Up and Ship Me Home by Tim O'Brien
Good-Bye to All That by Robert Graves
The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant
AoM Article: Developing Manly Courage
AoM Article: 9 Ways to Become More Courageous
AoM Article: Courage Vs. Boldness — How to Live With Spartan Bravery
AoM Podcast #380: How to Increase Your Courage and Bravery
AoM Article: The 54 Best Quotes on Courage
AoM Article: The Cardinal Virtues — Courage
AoM Podcast #763: The Perils and Powers of Cowardice
AoM series on honor
Connect With William Ian Miller
Bill's faculty page

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We tend to think of genius as something you’re born with — a rare trait possessed by the Einsteins and Teslas of the world. But what if many of the abilities we associate with genius — a great memory, quick problem-solving, mental math, creative insight — are actually trainable skills?
My guest today says that’s exactly the case. His name is Nelson Dellis, and he's a six-time USA Memory Champion and the author of the book Everyday Genius.
In our conversation, Nelson explains why memory is the foundation of thinking well and why having information stored in your head still matters in the age of ChatGPT. He shares a practical technique for improving your memory, how to read with greater focus and retention, and how to study to actually make information stick. We then talk about the importance of developing “number sense” and how to convert imperial measurements to metric in your head, strategies for solving problems more effectively, and even how to gain an edge in the games of Monopoly and Connect Four. At the end of the conversation, we get into more esoteric territory, including intuition, dreams, and the idea of remote viewing.

Resources Related to the Podcast
Nelson's previous appearance on the AoM podcast: Episode #546 — How to Get a Memory Like a Steel Trap
AoM Article: 10 Ways to Improve Your Memory
AoM Article: How to Speed Read Like Theodore Roosevelt
AoM Podcast #385: Learning How to Learn
AoM Article: Study Tactics of the Successful Gentleman Scholar
The CIA's remote viewing program

Connect With Nelson Dellis
Nelson's website
Nelson on YouTube

Thanks to This Week’s Podcast Sponsor
Incogni. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code MANLINESS at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/manliness
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Cold exposure has gotten a lot of attention the past few years, with people dunking themselves in ice baths for the sake of their health and well-being. But, good news here, exposing yourself to heat by sitting in the sauna or even a hot tub, might actually be even better for you, not to mention more pleasant.
In his new book, Hotwired: How the Hidden Power of Heat Makes Us Stronger, Bill Gifford unpacks the dichotomy of heat: how it can be both a danger and a healer. In the first part of our conversation, we dive into that former side, discussing what happens when your core temperature gets too high, why some people handle the stress of hot temperatures better than others, and how heat tolerance can actually be trained. We then talk about the advantages of heat exposure over cold exposure, and the benefits of heat for both body and mind, including how it can boost athletic performance and heart health, and may even be an effective treatment for depression. We also talk about how to get the most out of your sauna sessions and how Bill and I like to sauna.

Resources Related to the Podcast
AoM Article: How to Sauna — All the FAQs
AoM Article: How Saunas Can Help Save Your Body, Mind, and Spirit
AoM Podcast #585: Inflammation, Saunas, and the New Science of Depression
AoM Podcast #724: The Strange Science of Sweat
Study reviewing the health benefits of "sauna bathing"
Hotter'n Hell Hundred bike race
Connect with Bill Gifford
Bill on IG
Bill on X

Thanks to This Week’s Podcast Sponsor
Incogni. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code MANLINESS at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/manliness
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When we fail to make desired progress in life, most of us put the blame on physical and environmental limits. But my guest says that what's really holding people back is what's in their heads.
Nir Eyal is the author of Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Breakthrough Results. Today on the show, he argues that much of how we think about ourselves, our abilities, and what’s possible becomes our reality, and that getting what we want in life often comes down to changing how we perceive it. Drawing on research in neuroscience and psychology, Nir shares the three powers of belief, and how they direct your attention, alter your expectations, shape your sense of agency, and determine whether you stick with hard things long enough to see results. Along the way, he shares ways to identify and challenge the limiting beliefs that can sabotage your goals and relationships.

Resources Related to the Podcast
Nir's previous appearance on the AoM podcast: Episode #553 — How to Become Indistractable
AoM Article: How Reframing Builds Resilience
AoM podcast episode on William James and pragmatism
Connect with Nir Eyal
Nir's website

Thanks to This Week’s Podcast Sponsor
Incogni. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code MANLINESS at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/manliness
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.