Joshua and Ryan talk about how we all seem to find ourselves having the things we don’t need, and needing the things we don’t have—and how we’re so disconnected from our communities that bartering for those things is nearly impossible—with the founder of HaveNeed, Josh Kline, and they answer the following questions:

What is HaveNeed? (00:00)

How has the pandemic affected bartering? (04:01)

What is your distinction between items that are essential, nonessential, and junk? (06:16)

What would the world look like if there was no such thing as money, which has a vice-like grip on the material world; that is, what would the world look like if it ran strictly on barter? (07:02)

What is the history of bartering? (07:26)

What is the “mutual coincidence of wants”? (08:11)

What is “Object A”? (13:44)

Bartering has been around forever, but seems to have fallen out of favor in recent times—why? (26:51)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

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Joshua and Ryan talk about our want for things, why we want what we want, and how we can free ourselves from chasing unfulfilling desires with author and professor Luke Burgis, and they answer the following questions:

What is mimetic desire? (00:00)

Does it help to identify the origins of our desires? (05:05)

Should we strive to be immune from desires? (06:54)

What is negative imitation? (08:22)

How do we find fulfilling desires? (08:48)

Can a relentless desire to be debt-free actually cause adverse unintended consequences? (12:39)

What are “borrowed desires”? (16:17)

What costs should we consider in the pursuit of our desires? (18:13)

What is a “misery tax”? (19:42)

How do we recognize and address the influences, especially those online, that promote mindless consumption? (24:08)

How is social media addictive? (24:39)

What is “hate watching”? (26:33)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan talk about how to take back control of our income and our creative outcomes by making a living on our own as an aspiring creator, small business owner, artist, or entrepreneur with the CEO of Patreon, Jack Conte, and they answer the following questions:

Why did Jack start Patreon? (04:40)

Where do you find the most practical feedback from your audience? (13:25)

How do I best prepare myself to make the jump from working full-time for others to working full-time as a small business owner with as much tranquility as possible? (15:46)

What should be my primary focus as a budding entrepreneur? (18:20)

How did Jack benefit from his “not be prudent” approach to his professional pursuits? (22:23)

When do you know it’s time to turn your side hustle into your full-time business? (26:00)

What is the first step I should take to become an online creator? (27:32)

What do you mean by “add value”? (28:55)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan talk about our desire for friendship that leads us to accumulate scores of friends, acquaintances, coworkers, partners, lovers, companions, contacts, colleagues, and associates; our realization that relationship clutter is getting in the way of loving, meaningful connections; and they answer the following questions:

Is it loving to let go? (00:00)

How can I stop feeling pressured to keep up with so many connections? (03:57)

I’ve never struggled to declutter my “friends” on social media when they no longer have a meaningful place in my life, but how do I explain their removal when they ask me about it without hurting their feelings? (13:53)

What does a truly healthy friendship look like? (20:56)

How do we ensure mutual respect in a relationship? (28:46)

How do we appropriately apply attention in a relationship? (29:43)

How do you define “toxic relationship”? (34:49)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan talk about that empty feeling we all experience from time to time—and the things we do when we attempt to fill the void—with podcaster, writer, and director Jennette McCurdy, and they answer the following questions:

Why did Jennette start her podcast? (00:00)

What is the disconnect between our higher quality of life in this modern age and our happiness? (04:26)

How does society and culture influence disorders? (06:21)

Why do others often insist we not give up our “successful” careers? (10:59)

What are the three different types of relationships? (14:06)

How do we appropriately manage expectations in relationships? (16:09)

I think minimalism can help many of my loved ones find meaning in their lives and avoid the void, but I find it difficult to communicate it to them effectively so they see and understand the benefits and find it more attractive than the rat race they’re in—any tips? (20:01)

What is the elevator pitch for minimalism? (20:35)

How do you address the shame that sometimes accompanies minimalism? (23:50)

How is power the opposite of freedom? (24:26)

Was Jennette shamed for walking away from her acting career? (25:40)

Does confidence come from consistency? (26:58)

Filling our voids with stuff isn’t good, but what is good—what should we replace that consumption urge with that is meaningful? (28:37)

What is the “suckhole”? (33:33)

Why is Jennette’s podcast titled Empty Inside? (36:28)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan discuss identifying how much is enough so we can subtract the excess to get there, and they answer the following questions:

What is “enoughism”? (00:00)

How is enoughism different from minimalism? (03:04)

Given that the key to transformation is understanding our ‘whys,’ why does anyone truly want more, and, conversely, why does anyone truly want less? (12:20)

When it comes to a small business, how much record-keeping is enough and what is the ideal way to store it? (24:57)

How does renouncing something create an attachment to it? (30:09)

How do we learn to recognize the difference between enough and a false sense of security and comfort from unnecessary consumerism? (39:35)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan talk about our constant search for meaning, purpose, and significance; they discuss ways we can rethink spirituality, sex, and death with author Jamie Wheal; and they answer the following questions:

What is “meaning”? (01:04)

Why do we always seem to look for shortcuts? (03:57)

What are heuristics? (05:30)

What constitutes a true nihilist? (13:39)

Is awareness a curse? (16:55)

Once we find meaning in life, do we have a duty to help others find meaning as well? (18:25)

What is the difference between being selfish and being self-centered? (20:01)

What is the Hedonic treadmill? (25:19)

What is the difference between narcissism and nihilism? (27:29)

What is rapture ideology? (35:35)

How does one find meaning after a close loved one has passed and they are struggling to deal with the passing? (40:43)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan discuss how we’re too often led astray by the status quo and how we can benefit from doing the opposite, and they answer the following questions:

What does it mean to be authentic? (00:00)

What is so problematic about trends? (04:58)

Can we find meaning in suffering? (10:56)

Why are opinions so inconsequential? (20:48)

When have you benefited from thinking the opposite? (22:21)

I’m being advised by my ethics class in college that retirement is detrimental to our growth and development as human beings—do you think that is true? (29:20)

What is the best kind of growth? (34:31)

Some of the worst advice I’ve received is, “Fake it until you make it”—what is wrong with being a work in progress? (44:30)

How is all advice flawed advice? (44:59)

Do we improve our lives more by addition or subtraction? (52:00)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan discuss minimizing and letting go of sentimental stuff, and they answer the following questions:

How do we tactfully and appropriately address loved ones regarding stuff they’ve given us that we’re giving away—especially those things they consider of significant sentimental value? (08:37)

How do we avoid arguments with loved ones regarding possessions? (14:40) 

Why does our brain try so hard to hold us back from releasing sentimental possessions? (18:03)

What do we do with all of the things associated with a loved one when we’ve lost them in a particularly tragic, traumatic way? (21:01)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan discuss trauma, the ego, and setting boundaries with holistic psychologist Dr. Nicole LePera, and they answer the following questions:

Why did Dr. LePera write her latest book? (02:31)

How do you start on a path to healing and commit to it when your motivation is almost nil? (04:34)

Why is it so difficult to break our patterns? (05:04)

How do we reframe failure? (07:38)

How important is the caloric intake of the brain? (08:35)

How do we recognize if a goal is empowering or disempowering? (13:09)

How do I work with loved ones to adjust our lifestyle preferences so I can attain and maintain mental peace? (13:36)

How do you forgive others and yourself and move forward when a loved one passes suddenly and you feel you haven’t had a chance to tell them everything you needed to, and how do you forgive others that you feel treated that person terribly in life and let go of the anger toward them? (18:30)

How are forgiveness and acceptance associated? (19:31)

How do we let go of anger? (25:37)

Are there types of bodywork that address the mind-body connection together, or are there types of psychotherapy that address the mind-body connection in tandem? (30:28)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support