Speaking Generally

2020 is here.

One of our resolutions last year was to see and live in more new countries, and we actually did a pretty good job of it!

Now Steve is back from his Asia trip so we decided to talk about the value of travel. What do you learn from seeing lots of countries in a short space of time? What parts of travel overrated? And how do you make the most of a long trip?

Japan seems to have been enjoying a resurgence of interest here in the West over the last few years. And since we're both flying out to Tokyo REAL soon, we thought we'd discuss the art and culture that first plunged us into the world of Japan and its unique aesthetic and philosophical outlook.

If you know us, you'll know we can't stop talking about books. But instead of talking about what we read, today we're going to examine HOW we read.

Topics include:

- How to find books you love

- How to STOP reading things you don't

- Who to ask for recommendations

- Whether it's worth struggling to the end of difficult/boring books

We all strive to learn more and get more books under our belt. These are some of our personal habits that have helped keep us on track over the years.

We're back from our summer "break". We talk about Steve's observations from being on tour talking dating in the USA, why we're STILL in peak "nostalgia porn", and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Plus, George digs into Taylor Swift's new album and gives us his verdict.

Steve has become fairly obsessed with how he spends his time since turning 30. One way we frame out decisions more and more as we get older is trying to avoid doing (or NOT doing) things we'll regret later on. But is this healthy? Is it a useful decision-making tool, or is it too paralyzing to try and predict what your future self will think 10, 20, 30 years from now? Join us for a chat about how to make life decisions - or forever regret it...

No matter how far we've progressed as a society, being single beyond a certain age carries some kind of social stigma.

We all know relationships can be amazing (when they're good at least). But why can't being single also be great?

The cultural story tells us: “Your life will finally make total sense when you meet the right person.”

Actually, it’s even worse than that. It says:

“Get a relationship, or else your life won’t have meaning.”

Yikes.

We dive in and argue why being single DOESN'T mean you're behind in life, and show how you can actually enjoy being unattached, even if you're looking for a long-term relationship for the future.

How is it possible to get 1 billion YouTube views and still have the average person not know who you are? Is there an official "mainstream" in popular culture anymore, or does everyone live in their own small bubbles on the internet?

We talk about mass popularity, the value of a monoculture, and whether tv shows/movies/music can be culturally important if hardly anyone knows about them.

How do you feel when people in real life speak like a Twitter post? Do you shudder when someone says, "They're #goalz" at the dinner table? Or when your friend describes her partner as "bae" over a coffee?

At the risk of sounding older than our 30-odd years, we debate the constantly annoying creep of internet language into everyday speech. Is Twitter-speak just an evolution of language? Or a sign of infantilised adults talking like 15 year old children? Let's #SpillTheTea and talk about it!

Would you quit doing something you love if you sucked at it? Why? Humiliation? Frustration? Embarrassment? Is it possible to LOVE a hobby for it's own sake, and find value in it's pursuit that transcends mere improvement?

Maybe if we give up the pressure to be great at everything we can just be happier and enjoy it more.

So here's the question: when was the last time you bravely tried something knowing you might fall on your face and SUCK?

We sit down to talk about learning points from Karen Rinaldi's fascinating book, "(It's Great To) Suck At Something", and figure out why sucking is ok, how to let go of ego, and what can be gained from failure.

So, George isn't entirely sold on the idea of gratitude. So it's up to Steve to sell it to him. Is being grateful a symptom of middle class smugness? Can people in the worst circumstances really look for the positives?

We discuss the benefits of gratitude, whether you have to be spiritual to practice it, and why the law of attraction is terrible.