What If Everything You Knew About Success Was Backward?

Our lives are shaped by contradictions:

These are some of life’s paradoxes, and they are as profound as they are puzzling.

In this episode, we explore 16 of these paradoxes, breaking down their underlying logic and what they reveal about the human condition.

We’ll unpack why they exist, how they shape your life without you even noticing, and how to embrace the absurdity instead of letting it drive you insane.

Drawing on philosophy, psychology, and practical insights, we’ll show how embracing these paradoxes can lead to a richer, more intentional life.

It’s an invitation to think deeply, challenge assumptions, and find clarity in life’s complexities.

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📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com

Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.

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Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement

Episode: 16 Strange but Beautiful Paradoxes of Life; The hidden keys to fulfilment

Chapters:

00:00 16 paradoxes of life

02:08 Advice Paradox

02:56 More can be less Paradox

03:39 Freedom Paradox

05:12 Growth Paradox

06:28 Wisdom Paradox

07:44 Intelligence Paradox

09:14 Persuasion Paradox

10:20 Insecurity screams and confidence whispers

11:47 Simple future paradox

13:33 Productivity Paradox

16:45 Stress relieves stress

17:40 Harder is easier

18:32 Unpleasant moments create pleasant memories

19:14 Failure Paradox

19:35 Control Paradox

20:17 Happiness Paradox

21:59 Death Paradox

22:53 Send off

Topics:

Understanding life's paradoxes psychology podcast episode

Exploring paradoxes in growth mindset and self-improvement

Freedom Paradox insights for personal development

Growth Paradox discussion in psychology and philosophy

Navigating the Wisdom Paradox in self-improvement journeys

Intelligence Paradox implications for growth mindset

Persuasion techniques and the Persuasion Paradox

Insecurity and confidence dynamics in personal growth

Simplifying complex thoughts for mental clarity

Productivity strategies and the Productivity Paradox

Using stress management techniques to relieve stress

Approaching challenges with the Harder is Easier mindset

Creating positive memories from unpleasant experiences

Learning from failure with the Failure Paradox

The Control Paradox in psychology and personal development

Finding true happiness with the Happiness Paradox

Memento Mori and the Death Paradox in life philosophy

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What if the path to true growth begins with admitting how little you actually know?

The teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates tells us to use questions to expose holes in conventional thinking.

If you enjoy learning about psychology, self-development, and the inner workings behind success, you’ll discover proven wisdom from ancient Greece on getting out of your own way.

Hear unique Socratic tactics for:

Learn more about the psychology of Stoicism, critical thinking, and the inner workings of progress. Socrates is the master at helping us live more thoughtfully and discover our own blindspots.

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Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.

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Chapters

00:00 Socrates: The Father of Philosophy

01:02 Wisdom in Admitting Ignorance

01:43 Who Was Socrates?

02:15 Socratic Questioning and Human Thinking

05:15 The Charity Conundrum

06:42 Socratic Questions for Self-Improvement

09:56 Failure as a Path to Learning

10:54 Living with Honor and Integrity

12:01 The Hard Work of Personal Integrity

13:53 The Philosophy of Knowledge and Ignorance

14:34 Understanding Human Behavior

17:58 Achieving Inner Peace and Happiness

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Timeless laws to focus on what matters and live free of stress and anxiety.

No matter what life throws your way this year, adopting a Stoic mindset can set you up for both success and satisfaction.

Join our host, Sam Webster Harris, as he walks through 24 powerful Stoic rules that are just as important today as 2000 years ago. The lessons will help you develop more mindfulness, discipline, generosity, calmness, and contentment in your life. We'll tackle big ideas like controlling what you can control, letting go of resentment, and finding joy in simple things.

So tune in to learn how embracing voluntary discomfort, practising gratitude, and reviewing your actions can help you achieve equanimity and personal growth. With a little bit of Stoic philosophy in your back pocket, you'll be ready to handle whatever comes your way with grace and wisdom.

Episode recommendations:

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Get in Touch

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Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.

📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)

🛜 Website - Growth Mindset

Chapters

00:00 The answer for living a good life

01:31 Pre-roll advert

01:35 24 Rules of Stoicism

02:02 #1

02:49 #2

04:29 #3

06:47 #4

07:47 #5

09:43 #6

10:47 #7

11:46 #8

13:25 #9

14:45 #10

16:05 #11

17:27 BetterHelp ad

18:46 #12

19:42 #13

20:37 #14

21:31 #15

22:25 #16

23:25 #17

24:39 #18

25:21 #19

26:01 #20

27:01 #21

27:41 #22

28:53 #23

29:53 #24

30:33 Bonus

Topics:

biggest lessons of stoicism

stoicism principles and mindsets

ancient stoic wisdom

growth mindset psychology

resilience and grit

cultivating generosity

gratitude practices

Everyday mindfulness

self-discipline and growth

reflection, improvement learning

self-improvement podcast

ancient philosophy for modern times

live like a stoic

boosting inner strength

handling adversity

overcoming challenges and setbacks

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Genius decision-making strategies to build wisdom in your everyday decisions.

Annie Duke is the author of Thinking in Bets - A book full of genius psychology and poker tips to help you build mental models to make better decisions.

Annie is a psychologist studying cognitive behavioural decision science and in her life as a professional poker player she won the World Series. She was even the highest-paid female player in history when she retired.

Her psychology helped her poker and her poker helped her psychology.

The summation of her lessons are wrapped up in the book 'thinking in bets' and in today's episode I break down my 5 favourite rules and mental models from the book that are worth using in your life.

At a simple level, building wisdom is the process of making better decisions. Nothing more. so that's what we're going to learn about today

Related episodes

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Get in Touch

👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset

📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com

Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.

📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)

🛜 Website - Growth Mindset

Chapters

00:00 Thinking in Bets summary - Understanding life's chances

01:56 How Annie Got into Poker

04:24 Rule 1 - Seek Truth

05:26 Rule 2 - Do not chase losses

07:08 Mental models

07:35 Model 1 - Wisdom is good choices - (you don't know what a good choice is)

10:32 Model 2 - Question common knowledge

12:55 Model 3 - Make bets

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The laws of physics are the only true limits, stop letting your brain set fake limits.

We accrue all sorts of limiting beliefs for different reasons. Our culture and reference points hide them from us. Or fear of failure keeps us small.

This episode explores the psychology of self-limiting beliefs and fixed mindset ideas that sit hidden and unchallenged in our mind.

These limiting beliefs sabotage our potential and the only way to stop them it to take ownership of your own thoughts.

We explore:

As we launch into 2025 it's a great time to reflect on what has held us back and raise our bar for this year. This episode will help you set your sights higher and uncover the areas of potential you have untapped.

This episode carries on the mini-series on goals and achievement:

Previous season on Fear:

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Get in Touch

👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset

📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com

Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.

📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)

🛜 Website - Growth Mindset

Chapters:

00:00 The Illusion of Limitations

02:18 Self-Efficacy Theory & The Brain's Security System

04:23 Safe Limits & Overcoming Social Anxiety

06:39 Reference Point Dependence

08:46 The Four-Minute Mile Barrier

09:52 Cultural Influences on Limitations

11:12 The Polgar Experiment: Genius is Made

13:18 Learning at Any Age

16:17 The Power of Environment

18:45 Advert Break

19:09 The Placebo Effect

20:46 Redesigning Your Environment

23:06 Strategies to Break Mental Barriers

24:08 Questioning Your Limits

26:40 Final Thoughts on Overcoming Barriers

27:19 Conclusion

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The psychology of beating procrastination, inaction, and confusion that lets you systematically work towards any goal.

Goal setting is easy - Goal achieving is a very different thing.

We dig into the main causes and the often small but subtle tweaks we can make that keep us in check.

Using ideas from psychology and ancient wisdom we see how humans have dealt with the big hairy ambitious goals over history and how you can too:

Sam also lists some of the most effective resources and tools you can access to stay on track to beat the common problems we face.

This episode carries on the mini-series on goals and achievement:

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• Explorations of wonder and awe in science, art, & history

Get in Touch

👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset

📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com

Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.

📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)

🛜 Website - Growth Mindset

Chapters:

00:00 How we lose track of reality and where to find it

01:21 Unrealistic expectations

02:07 Not ready for the moment

05:36 Time to adjust to new habit

06:11 Personal responsibility - No external help - No momentum

07:49 Charles Darwin and Task Initiation Paralysis

10:02 Beating Motivation with "when - Then" contracts

13:06 Ulysses contracts and Victor Hugo's writing strategy

16:47 Get it out of your head

17:43 Cohort learning

19:10 Coaching

20:02 Accountability Groups

21:45 Future letters

23:02 Bonus tips

24:07 Temporal discounting and the real Marshmallow study

26:18 Keeping promises to ourselves

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Stop Dreaming, Start Doing - Action is more important than planning.

We are increasingly addicted to planning yet more and more allergic to doing.

Get your ducks in a row this year as we learn about the psychology behind our goals and dreams and what it takes to knuckle down, make some hard decisions and start taking action.

We discuss some key concepts:

Sam also shares his own results, including the failures and successes behind taking bigger leaps and focusing on your main goals.

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Sponsors:

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• Explorations of wonder and awe in science, art, & history

🐏 Unbound Merino - Highest quality Merino wool clothing

Get in Touch

👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset

📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com

Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.

📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)

🛜 Website - Growth Mindset

Chapters:

00:00 Amateur vs Professional goal-seeking

00:38 Growth Minded ambition vs Fixed Minded

01:07 The trap of 'find your calling'

02:29 The real work behind your calling

03:21 "When I feel like it" - means "never"

04:36 Writing as a hobby or a profession

06:16 Podcasting at professional quality

08:12 Making your own path

10:26 Sam's results and reflections

14:40 4 Burners Hypothesis

16:26 Questions to stop dreaming and start doing

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What does it mean to live a good life?

The Stoics were the masters of asking the right questions to focus the mind on what's important.

At the year's end, it's a perfect time to reflect on who you've been this year and who you want to be going forward.

We juggle multiple priorities and hectic demands, so it's easy to get lost in the day-to-day. Today's episode will combine Psychology with Stoicism as we ask the most important questions we can of ourselves to help direct our lives in the direction we want them to take.

Topics include:

Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul: Inner peace comes from self-awareness and reflection"

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Sponsors:

🎇 Constant Wonder - The podcast for questioning why

• Explorations of wonder and awe in science, art, & history

🐏 Unbound Merino - Highest quality Merino wool clothing

Get in Touch

👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset

📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com

Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.

📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)

🛜 Website - Growth Mindset

Chapters:

00:00 Connecting Stoic wisdom and growth mindsets

02:36 Am I Practicing What I Preach?

03:59 How can I simplify my life to focus on what's important?

06:02 Will this matter in one year or five years time?

08:20 What is within my control?

10:18 How can I turn obstacles into opportunities?

14:17 What fears are holding me back?

15:32 How am I contributing to my own dissatisfaction?

17:01 To be or to do?

18:34 Are you doing your job?

19:41 What would it mean to live a good life today?

21:13 Send off

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Why do we get off track, and how do we get back on track?

Humans love goals, but where do our goals come from?

How much do we choose them vs. have them chosen for us...

We learn how to stop working towards destinations that look good to others.

Instead, we dissect what makes a good goal that creates a journey we want to go on.

Topics include:

As we learn more about appreciating the road less travelled and what a good life means to us we can step back from the frenetic distractions and occupations to think about what really matters.

As the famous saying goes "It's just another cold dark night on the side of Everest" - Sometimes our goals feel boring in the day-to-day and we lose sight of the big picture. Remember there is something worth fighting for.

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Sponsors:

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Get in Touch

👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset

📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com

Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.

📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)

🛜 Website - Growth Mindset

Chapters:

00:00 Journey vs Destination and modern Decision overwhelm

02:09 Aspirational Destinations, Food Make-up and other myths

04:12 Reality is not sexy, Focus on the now

05:38 Think of your heartbeats

06:39 Beware chasing money

08:18 Enjoying the journey - What is a good game?

09:34 The Rule of Thirds

10:22 Another dark cold night on the side of everest

11:16 Take homes

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The science behind spreading Christmas cheer and getting people to like you.

Not only is Elf a wonderfully silly and enjoyable Christmas movie. Its premise is based on a fascinating concept that can be explored using psychology.

What happens when an adult is raised by elves?

Not only do we get to revisit a great story but we can learn about:

A great way to learn some science and develop your own sense of curiosity and wonder is to dive headfirst down rabbit holes of psychology and overly analyse movies for the sheer hell of it.

It's a great movie and there's lots to learn about ourselves, Christmas and happiness when we look beyond the candy canes and maple syrup.

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Sponsors:

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🐏 Unbound Merino - Highest quality Merino wool clothing

Get in Touch

👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset

📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com

Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.

📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)

🛜 Website - Growth Mindset

Chapters:

00:00 Diving into Buddy the Elf's Psychology

01:14 Psychological Underpinnings of Elf

04:47 Buddy's Positive Coping Strategies

06:04 Identity, Cultural Adaptation and Stages of Identity Development

09:20 Buddy's Social Interactions

11:43 Social Contagion Theory

13:38 Buddy's Authentic Enthusiasm

16:10 Neurodivergence and Buddy's Brain

21:10 Psychology of Joy and Wonder

24:27 Family Systems and Buddy's Impact

27:04 Lessons from Buddy the Elf

28:14 Conclusion: Spread Joy and Wonder

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