Many people are reminiscing about the things they enjoyed during Covid, which is a surprisingly common thing to happen after bad or challenging times. Why do we do this? Because our memories work in strange, unexpected, but ultimately very helpful ways. In this episode, we take a deep dive into how our memories work — including why we remember good more than bad, why reminiscing about the past prepares us for the future, and how, in some way, we are all living a lie. (And that’s OK.)

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Are smartphones and social media addictive? Tech critics say yes. But actual addiction researchers say something else — and they point to ways in which our broad use of the word “addiction” can cause real harm. In this episode, we look at the history of supposedly “addictive” technologies, understand the surprisingly odd science behind today’s scariest claims, and discover who really has the power to break these supposed “addictions.” (Hint: It’s you.)

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What was once only available to kings and queens, but that you can do today? The answer: Shocking stuff you've never even thought of. If you ever worry that our world is in decline, this episode can help put that in perspective. We also look at some amazing predictions from 1921 about 2021, and see how we’re living in the world they only fantasized about.

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Web: jasonfeifer.com

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You’ve heard the story: Young people got “participation trophies” as kids, and it taught them to be entitled, lazy workers. But here’s what you haven’t heard: Participation trophies are 100 years old, and for most of that time, they were considered a good thing. Here’s the real story of how these trophies became villainized… and what their actual impact is.

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You can learn a lot from a simple margarita… because when you take one home from a restaurant in America, you’re participating in a change that was hundreds of years in the making. In this episode, we dig deep into how cocktails-to-go became suddenly legal (and why they were once illegal in the first place). It’s a surprisingly complex story that reveals our weird history with alcohol, and how the smallest shifts can lead to unexpectedly massive changes.

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Website: jasonfeifer.com

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(Click “Free Training” at the top for my course on how to become more adaptable!)

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We like to say that things were better before. But... what year was that, exactly? Join me on a trip through history, as we return to every supposed "golden age" to find out just how golden it was. Then we answer the big question: Is nostalgia useful or harmful, and how do we make people more excited for tomorrow?

This is a full remake of our classic 2016 episode, now with lots more insights and history!

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Website: jasonfeifer.com

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This podcast was called Pessimists Archive. Now it's called Build For Tomorrow.

Why? Because this show is optimistic — and it needed a name that reflected that. It's the same show you love, now with a name that loves you back.

Ready to help spread optimism? Here are some things you can do:

1. Sign up for my newsletter about how to find opportunity in change!

2. Tell friends about the show! Need my help? DM me on Instagram or Twitter. I'm happy to send a note to your friend.

3. Stay tuned. Because there's lots more fun stuff to come.

By the way, the Pessimists Archive social media feeds are NOT changing their name.

Thank you!

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We once knew how to do important things... until new technology made us weaker, lazier, and dumber. That’s a story we’ve told ourselves for centuries. But is it true?

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Website: jasonfeifer.com

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These feel like historic times… so how can we share our wisdom and experiences with future generations? Turns out, it’s really hard! This episode explores why time capsules fail, why almost nothing lasts for thousands of years, why the future may not care about us after all—and why all of that is just fine.

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Website: jasonfeifer.com

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If you’ve ever voted in an election, watched the Bachelor, or worried about the end of days, then you’ve probably fallen for a specific rhetorical trick. In this episode, we explore the history of the phrase “the most important election of our lifetime,” and why the human brain is so UNIQUELY, INSANELY, OUTRAGEOUSLY(!!!) susceptible to hyperbole.

Get in touch!

Web: jasonfeifer.com

Email. [email protected]

Twitter / Instagram: @heyfeifer

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