profile

3 Minute Monday

Podcaster with 1bn+ plays. I write about the most important lessons from the best thinkers on the planet. 300,000+ people read my free newsletter. Press subscribe to join.

a stack of newspapers sitting on top of a window sill
Featured Post

3MM: Inverse PTSD, Car Seats & Poetry

3 MINUTE MONDAY Hi friend, My US & Canada live tour is getting close to selling out - LA, Vancouver, Toronto and Nashville are all gone. New York City, Austin, Boston, Denver, Salt Lake City & Chicago - limited tickets left. Come and see me live. “The worst thing that’s ever happened to you is the worst thing that’s ever happened to you.” — Joe Rogan The saddest you’ve ever been is the saddest you’ve ever been. The hardest you’ve ever worked is the hardest you’ve ever worked. Tough times...

Directional signs point the way in the garden.

3 MINUTE MONDAY Hi friend, You’re probably pretty competent. You can do things. You’re prepared to try new stuff. And when you try new stuff, you don’t suck that much and you seem to make progress more quickly than most people. This is another Curse Of Competence. Your options for life-direction are less constrained by your abilities, and more by your choices. This sounds like a blessing. Indeed it’s better than the alternative. But it’s a unique category of problem, one which occurs while...

A glowing heart surrounded by figures with patterns.

3 MINUTE MONDAY Hi friend, My US & Canada Tour continues to sell el rapido. Get your tickets here. I came across a love letter Richard Feynman wrote to his wife. Beware, powerful stuff… October 17, 1946 D'Arline, I adore you, sweetheart. I know how much you like to hear that - but I don't only write it because you like it - I write it because it makes me warm all over inside to write it to you. It is such a terribly long time since I last wrote to you - almost two years but I know you'll...

A colorful smiley face on a gray backdrop.

3 MINUTE MONDAY Hi friend, My LA and Toronto live shows sold out in hours. Absolutely wild. Limited tickets remain for all other US & Canada dates - get yours here. I’ve been thinking about impediments to happiness. And I can see two obvious roadblocks. First is wanting things to be different. “Happiness is the state when nothing is missing. When nothing is missing, your mind shuts down and stops running into the past or future to regret something or to plan something.” — Naval Ravikant If...

black book on gray and white striped textile

3 MINUTE MONDAY Hi friend, My US & Canada solo show tour goes live on presale at 10am PT / 1pm ET tomorrow. I think some shows might actually sell out before general on-sale on Thursday - so make sure you don’t wait if you want to come. Get first access to VIP, Meet & Greet and Tickets here. Anyway, I’ve been trying to work this idea into an understandable form for a while, I really hope you like it… "When a man can't find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure.” —...

man statue

3 MINUTE MONDAY Hi friend, I’m taking my solo live show on tour around the US & Canada! Presale Tickets go live next week. Get first access to Tickets, VIP and Meet & Greet by signing up at https://chriswilliamson.live/ I can’t wait to see you all there. Anyway, onto what I’ve been thinking about… In September 1893, Churchill was admitted, on his third attempt, to the Sandhurst military college. He wrote to his father, “I was so glad to be able to send you the good news on Thursday.” His...

A spotted red mushroom rests amidst foliage.

3 MINUTE MONDAY Hi friend, A friend did a mushroom trip and a question came to him: “Do people love you for who you are or for what you do?” This is uncomfortable to consider. People loving us for who we are feels more real, genuine, caring, empathetic and robust. It feels like it’s less fickle and more difficult to lose. On the other hand, people loving us for what we do feels transactional and transient. The love we receive becomes contingent on what achievements and successes we can offer...

a car that is driving down the street

3 MINUTE MONDAY Hi friend, I put a vlog out last week about my trip to record with Rogan & Naval. It's pretty beautiful. In other news, Waymo the driverless taxi service has come to Austin. I’ve found over the last few weeks that a Waymo which says it’s 7 minutes away regularly takes 15 minutes to get to me. It wasn’t getting lost or taking wrong turns, it just seemed to be moving unusually slowly around pedestrianised areas and junctions. I’ve realised that Waymo is totally cucked and has...

woman in white and red floral shirt carrying black short coated dog

3 MINUTE MONDAY Hi friend, Toxic Compassion is the prioritisation of short term emotional comfort over everything else. Over truth, reality, actual long-term outcomes, flourishing, everything. It optimises for looking good, rather than doing good. This is seen in much of popular culture as the desirable, fair, empathetic thing to do. And it’s everywhere. People would rather claim that body fat has no bearing on health and mortality outcomes to avoid making overweight individuals feel upset....

Delicious cakes and pastries are on display.

3 MINUTE MONDAY Hi friend, The Gastric Band Surgery of Being Busy. After undergoing gastric band surgery, people’s risk of suicide goes up. That’s perhaps unsurprising - gastric band surgery is a big deal and can sometimes have complications, infections and painful outcomes. But one of the unseen reasons for the increased suicide risk is actually due to the surgery going right, not it going wrong. Many patients used food as a way to deal with issues in their lives like emotional challenges,...