

Mere Mortals Conversations
Kyrin Down & Juan Granados
What is Effective Philosophy? Juan and I simplify hard to grasp concepts into pragmatic takeaways that can be applied to every day life (fitness, goal setting, work, parenting, travel, hobbies, finances, etc.,).
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 10, 2021 • 25min
Running A Marathon While Hungover
Would you rather run or meditate for half a day? What about daily for a month or a whole year?In Episode #201 of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: why junk food is trash and now that we are old it just sucks, I finally (FINALLY!!!) completed a marathon and why it sucked balls, a fun little game to see what time I ran, a hypothetical about running/meditating and why I got offered coke just after watching an orchestra perform.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(1:32) - Junk food eating limit(6:21) - Running a marathon(7:13) - What time did Kyrin run?(10:12) - The results revealed!!!(15:58) - The Kokoda challenge(19:49) - Running or meditating(21:49) - Drug dealing at the orchestra(24:43) - Which would you choose?Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Jun 9, 2021 • 1h
Meditating 8 Hours Daily On A 7 Day Silent Retreat
Would you ever want to try a silent retreat and meditate all day? In a celebratory (but quietly so) Episode #200 on 'Solitude' Juan and I discuss: my recent experience of going on a self-organised silent retreat, how I prepared for being alone and what rules I would implement, immense suffering and pain from strong determination sittings, some intriguing moments during the retreat, some thoughts on solitude and travelling, sensory deprivation and the power of memes that even the Buddha could not resist!As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - A shakey intro & a 200th celebration(1:29) - Definition(2:30) - Why I did a silent retreat and expectations(6:29) - My self made rules(18:05) - Daily schedule (22:03) - Preparing for a silent retreat(24:50) - The blocking timer on the first day(30:03) - Songs that got stuck in my head(34:03) - The difference between knowing intellectually and feeling experientially(39:29) - How I felt after finishing(41:39) - You can feel solitude even while surrounded by people(44:20) - A rating and future thoughts(46:59) - Sensory deprivation(51:50) - Juan's upcoming 96 km hike(53:44) - Why I broke my silence(56:46) - Mere Mortal Moments(58:45) - Don't be lonely, listen to more Mere MortalsConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Jun 7, 2021 • 32min
Mere Mortals Monthly Goals - June 2021
Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous month's goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why? Let us know in the comments, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Introduction(1:00) - Juan's May recap(2:56) - Kyrin's May recap(4:00) - Ticking off a yearly goal (10:38) - We're not dirty, but we're not clean(15:52) - Some thoughts on goal setting(20:55) - Juan is a soulful being(26:17) - 2021 Fitness challenge & marathon running(30:00) - Your MM listening monthly goalsConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Jun 5, 2021 • 36min
Discipline & Maintaining An Obligation To Your Past/Future Self
Have you ever asked yourself what the difference is between purposeful pain and pointless suffering? In Episode #199 of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: Juan's purchase of a Vee Friend, some of the basics behind non-fungible tokens and gas fees, what NFT's are actually used for, the reasons for doing something painful, why we do the things we don't want to do, a story of drinking at an early age and how much of our own podcasts we would watch.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(1:11) - Gut feeling of 'there's something here'(3:14) - NFT's, gas fees and Metamask wallet(7:40) - The purpose of Nifty's(13:43) - Doing things you don't want to do(16:11) - Obligation to past and future self(22:23) - Doing something you didn't think you were capable of(25:51) - First time binge drinking(29:30) - Maybe we all need to commit genocides(31:36) - Mere Mortal Moments(35:04) - Would we watch our own stuffConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Jun 3, 2021 • 32min
Methods Of Communication & The Gullibility Of Humans
Would you describe yourself as gullible? In Episode #198 of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: using epistemic modals to communicate more effectively, Juan's direct style of conveying information, the release of CIA/FBI documents related to aliens, why we wouldn't be overly worried about the probing upon a first meeting, questions we would ask the aliens, the difference between gullibility and credulity before finishing up with reputation management.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments(1:40) - A little bit about 'a little bit about'(5:24) - Strong opinions that are loosely held(10:05) - A Jordan Peterson sentence(13:36) - What is the CIA hiding about aliens?(15:08) - Our first meeting with an alien. Texting & a gym session(19:45) - The first question to ask an alien(22:40) - Are the Mere Mortals gullible. What about humans in general?(25:00) - Clearing up someone spreading lies(28:59) - Changing your reputation in a group setting(31:05) - A gullibility test for the Mere MortalitesConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Jun 2, 2021 • 54min
Why Do Humans Value Freedom So Much?
What does freedom mean to you? In Episode #197 on 'Freedom' Juan and I discuss: why Juan thinks it is a difficult topic to talk about, what we would do if put in charge of Australia, the difference between freedom of an individual vs having a free society, why I personally didn't like Sebastian much and how this conversation has saved me a lot of time. Just FYI. Our discussion was based on the conversation between Tim Ferriss & Sebastian Junger in Episode #513 of The Tim Ferriss Show.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(3:31) - Definition(7:08) - Having difficult conversations on the topic(13:22) - Mere Mortal Mandates(18:04) - A poem by Edward Thomas(21:01) - Changing laws of Australia(28:05) - Freedom as an individual(33:48) - Women on the front line(37:55) - Countries fighting for freedom(42:55) - Kyrin's gripes about Sebastian(47:08) - Sebastian's books(48:35) - Mere Mortal Moments(51:59) - The most freedom you can get. Mere Mortals everydayConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

May 29, 2021 • 37min
Shaven Headed Strumpets & A Black Ron Weasley
I don't even have a good explanation for why these topics came up. In Episode #196 of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: Gary Vee's non-fungible tokens, how NFT's might be used in the future, the absurd stories that appear in Buddhist texts, how it is possible to completely change your deepest held beliefs, why coding will be important and everyone should know it, Harry Potter mishaps and asking yourself whether you actually are a good person deep down.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(1:09) - Vee Friends(6:20) - A proper photobombing(7:39) - The future uses of NFT's(13:50) - Nuns in the Vinaya Pitaka(16:11) - Shaven Headed Strumpets(17:33) - Doing a complete 180 on your beliefs(23:29) - You'll need to know how to code(26:53) - Hermione and black Ron Weasley(28:51) - Are you inherently a good person?(32:58) - Mere Mortal Moments(35:44) - Your contract with the Mere MortalsConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

May 27, 2021 • 33min
The Infinite Money Pool & Opportunities Too Good To Pass Up
Have you ever had an opportunity that just seemed too easy to be real? In Episode #195 of 'Meanderings' Juan and I discuss: the absolute apes on Wall St Bets, my brother's recent experience of the infinite money pool, a hilarious study that showed monkeys are better at picking stocks than retail investors, gaining unwarranted confidence from having more and more data, how people of the past used to goal set and make sacrifices, why some parts of evolutionary theory seems a bit dodgy and just how much of what we say in an average day is actually true.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro & Mere Mortal Moments(1:35) - Funny crypto savages(4:47) - The Infinite Money Pool(7:22) - Opportunities too good to pass up(14:56) - Monkeys throwing darts(17:55) - Crypto fees & unwarranted confidence(24:52) - Goal setting in the past(29:37) - The problem with some evolutionary theory(31:20) - 90% of what we say is horseshitConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

May 26, 2021 • 51min
Analysis Of 'How To Get Rich' By Naval Ravikant
What makes a person wise & how can one judge if advice received is wisdom? In Episode #194 on 'Wisdom' Juan and I discuss: the meaning behind the word 'wisdom', how wealth is different to having lots of money, why most competition is useless and better off jettisoned, the 4 different types of luck, avoiding the trap of feeling productive while 'networking', reading the books with the fundamental concepts, what it means to be accountable and some of my personal takeaways that I want to implement in my everyday life.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(1:32) - Definition(4:34) - Seek Wealth, Not Money Or Status(12:50) - Escape Competition Through Authenticity(20:41) - Make Luck Your Destiny(23:37) - Be Too Busy To Do Coffee(26:21) - Foundations Are Math & Logic(35:07) - Accountability Means Letting People Criticise You(42:46) - Kyrin's Learnings & Things To Implement(47:45) - Mere Mortal Moments(49:04) - Homework for next podcastConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

May 22, 2021 • 27min
Accidental Insults & Swearing Statistics
How many times a day do you swear, the answer may surprise you (shocked emoji face)! In Episode #193 of 'Musings' Juan and I discuss: the difference between deeply knowing a subject vs being able to communicate on it, my story of accidently insulting someone while trying to give a compliment, insulting nicknames and casual racism, some statistics behind swearing, the actual reasons why people swear and how to be a lake instead of a glass.As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:53) - Explaining concepts simply and communicating(5:09) - The power of language(7:09) - Accidently insulting someone(9:19) - Times we have insulted people & been insulted(14:30) - Bilingual swearing & cursing statistics(18:14) - The 5 types of swearing(20:14) - Salty ice-cream(24:50) - Mere Mortal MomentsConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show


