3MM: Big Americans, Smoking & Birthrates


3 MINUTE MONDAY

Hi friend,

I’m in Honduras.

The island of Roatan specifically.

At an independent network state called Prospera which is basically not a part of any country. Think Mad Max with mojitos.

Will report back soon.

I’ve been thinking about perspective this week.

Things are not what they are, they are what we think they are.

For instance, doing a hard workout gives you a signature feeling.

You’re laid on the floor, panting, heart rate at 180, sweating from everywhere with the taste of metal in your mouth.

This is oddly enjoyable.

But if this exact same sensation was to spontaneously occur in your car while sat in traffic, you’d call the ambulance for fear you’re having a heart attack.

Framing is everything.

“Sometimes you just want to stand in the corner and stare out of the window.
The problem is, when you’re not smoking and staring out the window, you're an anti-social, friendless idiot.
If you stand and stare out of the window with a cigarette, you're a fucking philosopher.
The power of reframing things cannot be overstated.” — Rory Sutherland

It’s significantly easier to find a way to reframe your experiences while you improve them, rather than waiting for them to be “done” before you give yourself license to be happy.

MODERN WISDOM

I do a podcast which has had 450 million+ downloads. You should subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

This week’s upcoming episodes:

Monday.
Dr Joe Dispenza - some of the most experimental, adventurous research in the world of life transformation and change.

Thursday.
Gurwinder Bhogal - one of my favourite guests back on to talk mental models, human psychology, crowd behaviour and more. Don’t miss.

Saturday.
Hannah Ritchie - why does everyone believe the world is doomed? What does Our World In Data have to say about it?

THINGS I'VE LEARNED

1.
America is getting heavier.

The average American woman now weighs as much as a 1960s man.

In 1960, the average U.S. woman was 5 foot 3, 140 pounds; the average man was 5 foot 8, 166 pounds.

Today, the average U.S. woman is 5 foot 4, 171 pounds; the average man is 5 foot 9, 198 pounds. — h/t Rob Henderson

2.
Where the word nonce comes from.

For the Americans in the room, nonce is a British word for pedophile.

I found out that NONCE is an acronym that stands for “Not On Normal Courtyard Exercise”.

Ie a prisoner who can’t be let out with others because they’ll be in physical danger because of the crime they committed.

h/t - someone in the comments section. I love how smart this audience is.

3.
Birthrate decline might be clearing the world out of its crappy ideologies.

A friend told me…

“My controversial thesis is that the dating crisis is good actually.

In overall cultural evolutionary terms.

Many are called to propagate their genes beyond the demographic pinch point. But few are chosen.

Whoever manages to propagate their family in the face of a structurally anti-natalist anti-culture will manage to do so by virtue of having developed strong enough immune responses to toxic messages.”

Basically, the only cultures who have kids in the modern era are the ones who manage to push back against bad ideas.

“A celibate clergy is good because it screens a propensity for fanaticism out of the gene pool” — Carl Sagan

LIFE HACK

Get your bloodwork done.

If you’re not performing in the gym or the bedroom or with your energy or mental clarity the way you would like, you need to work out what’s going on inside of your body.

Playing a guessing game with your health is not going to work.

I asked around for who has the best service in America and was sent to Marek Health.

I was so impressed with them that I reached out to the CEO to partner with them. They do your tests, analysis, suggest lifestyle interventions, diet and training protocols, plus supply supplements and pharmaceuticals like TRT and HRT all in one.

If you want to stop guessing about what’s happening with your health, this is the place to go.

Extra 10% discount with code MODERNWISDOM

Get the exact same tests and service I got here.

Big love,
Chris x

Try my productivity drink Neutonic.
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PS
It's been a heavy couple of weeks work-wise. Send some energetic vibes my way if you have time.

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.

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