Mere Mortals Conversations

Have you heard of the Congolese Dandies and their expensive fashionable attire (suits) whilst living in ghettos/slums? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: the difference between being highly focused vs getting into a flow state of non-thinking, gym etiquette and if it is permissible to use two machines for supersetting, wasting precious resources on random crap in Sapeur culture/potlatches, why you might be reading something created by artificial intelligence, Instagram models/influencers who are actually computer generated and whether AI will ever be able to write a better book than humans can.
As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!
Timeline:0:00 - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments5:43 - The importance of consciousness vs unconsciousness14:40 - In the gym can you take two machines at a time?18:30 - The Congolese Dandies20:41 - Potlatches22:30 - Maslow's hierarchy of needs25:20 - AI generated content32:38 - Artificial Intelligence profiles on Instagram35:02 - Can AI create a book that is better than our classics?40:30 - The gift of knowledge: Mere Mortals

About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.
Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Jacques Massie is the host of the 'Couple A Lattes' Podcast, photographer and aspiring author. I first met Jacques when he reached out to Juan and I to be guests on his podcast to talk about meditation (and finance). I really enjoyed the convo I had with him and resolved to question him on the Mere Mortals channel after I heard him speak about his self-organised 7 day silent retreat.
This conversation is split into roughly 3 parts: the practical, the subjective & the learnings. We begin with his preparation before the retreat, discussing why someone would want to do this and how to structure it. This leads into Jacques's experiences as well as why it can be so intense for some people that it leads to mental breakdowns. The final section was on his insights into his own mind and how taking the time in silence has helped him. We also briefly discuss consciousness and end off with some final questions that give a bit of perspective on other parts of Jacques's personality.
As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!
Timeline:0:00 - Overview1:15 - Jacques's Mere Mortal Moment4:34 - Why would someone want to be silent for a week?10:10 - Expectation breeds anxiety11:21 - Jacques's childhood in nature14:40 - Practical considerations for making your own silent retreat21:53 - Getting clear on your why27:24 - A rundown of the whole week33:50 - Why do people have mental breakdowns when on their own?40:11 - Peak experiences45:49 - Happiness vs contentment50:41 - Abstract constructs & objective reality54:17 - Takeaway that implemented a change1:01:37 - Eliminating distractions1:05:57 - A book that instigated practical change1:07:17 - No mention of coronavirus for a full month1:11:31 - Jacques's method of goal setting1:19:51 - Connect with Jacques
Connect With Jacques:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couplealattes/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClpgU64ePinVwaH35CCt-9Q

About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.
Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Is 10,000 hours actually enough time to become a master of your craft? In this themed episode Juan and I discuss the topic of 'Mastery'. As usual we start off with our MMM's and a definition before asking how to tell if somebody is a master? This led us onto the 10,000 hour rule popularised by Malcolm Gladwell and why you might need to broaden your skillset. Robert Greene has a fantastic book on the topic (called 'Mastery') where he outlines the three phases necessary to become a master and just how much a role the emotional/intuitive side plays. At the end we chat about some people we have met in real life who meet the qualifications (the hand balancer Miguel Sant'ana for example) as well as the 3 steps of business mastery.
As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!
Timeline:0:00 - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments3:16 - Definition5:50 - Can you become a master of something no-one else is doing?7:48 - When is someone a 'master'10:27 - The 10,000 hour rule15:46 - Broadening your skillset17:53 - The three phases of mastery: apprenticeship, creative/active & transformation21:34 - Do you have to love the pursuit to become a master?29:36 - The characteristics of a true master37:51 - Real life masters that we have met45:16 - Business mastery: cognitive, emotional and physical49:05 - Master the art of listening to podcasts: listen to Mere Mortals!

About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.
Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Is volunteering worth it or is it better to directly donate? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: using binary decision making to take away the stress from certain options, effective altruism and why volunteering may not be the best use of time, becoming overly rational and missing out on the human connection, intangibles that make a difference but can't be quantified, why being selfish in the long run may benefit humanity more, a list of some of the most effective charities to donate to, how to get in touch with your emotions and artificial intelligence that determine your mood/emotional state.
As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!
Timeline:0:00 - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments2:58 - Binary decision making9:28 - Volunteering and effective altruism12:41 - Over-rationalisation: not taking into account human feelings16:15 - Intangible aspects that can't be measured17:40 - Volunteering in the present vs giving back in the future23:31 - The most effective charities26:14 - Getting in touch with your emotions32:03 - Technology that can predict your emotional state34:33 - Become a good person by listening to the Mere Mortals

About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.
Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

During the festive season, don't be tricked into going too hard at ny one thing that will negatively impact other priority areas of your life.
As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!
About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Meanderings, Interviews & Themed Podcast.
Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalsmedia.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_mediaFacebook: https://facebook.com/MeremortalsmediaSupport the show

What would be your strategy to try and kill as many people as possible within a strict time limit? In this episode of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: quality assurance/quality control for the mind, only listening to those with skin in the game, is it better to be a great singer or dancer, Daniel Schmachtenberger and the meaning of life, driving big mining vehicles/4WD's and the shit box cars that we and our families used to drive.
As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!
Timeline:0:00 - Pidgeon fun & Mere Mortal Moments5:44 - Skin in the game9:04 - Would you prefer to be born a great dancer or great singer?12:30 - The problem with asking about the meaning of life19:37 - Killing as many humans as possible in 1 month23:10 - Killing as many humans as possible in 1 minute25:45 - Driving big vehicles27:27 - Shit box cars 34:12 - The best Christmas present: Mere Mortals

About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.
Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Miguel Sant'ana is a professional hand balancing teacher operating out from Melbourne. Miguel is originally from Brazil and worked all sorts of odd professions until finding his passion in the art of balancing upside down. If you want to see some of the amazing shapes that the human body is capable of creating then come no further. This strength and balance of course is not a natural talent and can only come from hard work, lots of it!
In this conversation we talk about: discipline/habit and what hard work means to Miguel, knowing how hard to push and finding acceptance in your current level (while still striving forwards), being humble and doing what is necessary to survive, how to listen to your body and deal with physical/mental stress before finishing off with recognising what is most important in life.
As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!
Timeline:0:00 - Introduction1:26 - Miguel's Mere Mortal Moment2:34 - Sources to learn about Miguel's backstory3:36 - Discipline: what hard work means5:56 - Giving 100% vs holding back11:18 - Negative comparisons and finding acceptance14:31 - The discipline mentality19:53 - Putting in the work, no matter the job24:17 - Dealing with stress29:10 - What really matters the most29:57 - Learn how to hand balance with Miguel30:44 - Agatsu Physical Culture

Connect with Miguel:https://www.instagram.com/miguel_hand_balance/
About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.
Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Do we have any lawyers in the building? If so, maybe don't watch as in this themed episode Juan and I are giving the layman's, highly uneducated dive into the topic of 'Law'. As usual we start off with some MMM's and the definition to clarify our thoughts. Juan kicks off with some examples of when he worked with interpreting Australian Law for his consulting company before then asking where the law comes from and if it is possible to have a human society without some system of law?
I then jump in to give an overview of the 4 systems of law (and their mixture) in countries across the world as well as the difference between public and private law. Towards the end of the episode we get a little less serious as we chat about walking with salmon under suspicious circumstances, times when it is ethical to break the law and how Juan's family used to pirate CD's from the library!
As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!
Timeline:0:00 - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments2:08 - Definition5:04 - The enforcing of rules and being willing to participate7:40 - Where does law come from?10:15 - Law is a by-product of organised human society13:26 - The 4 systems of law: common, civil, religious & customary17:24 - Public vs Private18:38 - Reading law is boring!!19:20 - Law can change depending on the context it is used24:57 - The weirdest laws still on the books28:10 - Are there things you feel embarrassed about not knowing?29:23 - Are we breaking the law?32:09 - The Mere Mortals natural disposition to the law37:30 - When is it ethical/beneficial to break the law?39:40 - The Granados family are criminals!41:19 - The unwritten Mere Mortal law

About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.
Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

Do you agree with Juan that perhaps it is better to follow meaning rather than chase your passion? In this episode of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: mentally and physically preparing oneself for the bad situations life can create, the difference between passion and meaning, how chunking practice is good for some things (it depends) and why spreading it out can also be beneficial, knowing how much personal information to share with the world, the point of listening to people you are drawn to and the recent deciphering of the Zodiac killer's 340 character letter.
As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!
Timeline:0:00 - Mere Mortal Moments4:21 - Techniques to mentally prepare for the worst6:41 - Physically testing one's own limits10:17 - Passion vs meaning13:10 - Chunking practice vs spreading it out22:02 - The art of anonymity25:54 - Why would anyone want to listen to the Mere Mortals?29:22 - Cracking the Zodiac 340 letter31:31 - Slow drip or binging Mere Mortals!

About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.
Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/Support the show

2021 is just around the corner folks, what are YOU going to do about it? Here at the Mere Mortals we are locked and loaded to look back, learn and move forward.
As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!
About Mere Mortals:Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Meanderings, Interviews & Themed Podcast.
Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalsmedia.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_mediaFacebook: https://facebook.com/MeremortalsmediaSupport the show