First Principles

Adrian Wells

First Principles isn't another business podcast recycling the same startup stories. Adrian Wells takes the fundamentals that actually matter and breaks them down like you're having coffee with the smartest professor you ever had. Wells spent twelve years teaching philosophy and critical thinking before ditching the lecture hall for the microphone. Turns out, the same principles that help you think clearly about ancient Greek ethics also work pretty well for modern business decisions. Who knew? Every episode strips away the latest trends and buzzwords to focus on the core ideas that don't change. How to actually evaluate evidence when everyone's throwing around statistics. Why most "revolutionary" business advice is just old wine in new bottles. The thinking patterns that separate smart decisions from lucky guesses. You won't get hyped-up success stories or flavor-of-the-month strategies. Instead, you'll learn how to think through problems the way philosophers have for centuries, applied to the stuff that matters in your work and life right now. Multiple new episodes drop daily, so there's always something fresh when you need it. Follow now if you're ready to think better, not just think faster. Multiple new episodes daily—follow now!

  1. hace 3 h

    Why Jada Pinkett Smith Set Her Survival Goal at 4pm Every Day

    What if surviving depression meant celebrating making it to 4pm? Jada Pinkett Smith's raw confession about her darkest moments reveals how mental health struggles can turn basic survival into an hourly victory. In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down the psychology behind suicidal ideation and why her goal-setting approach actually saved her life. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why suicide is the 4th leading cause of death for people 15-29 globally, and the gender patterns that might surprise you • The shocking regret rate among Golden Gate Bridge survivors (it's 90%) and what this tells us about suicidal thoughts • How breaking survival into micro-goals can be a lifeline during crisis moments 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who wants to understand mental health beyond surface-level conversations 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells on Jada's survival strategy [01:45] The global suicide statistics nobody talks about [03:30] Why women attempt suicide 3x more but men succeed 4x more [05:15] The Golden Gate Bridge study that changed everything [07:20] How micro-goals work in crisis psychology [09:30] Why talking about suicide doesn't increase risk [11:15] Key takeaways for supporting others This isn't about celebrity drama. It's about understanding how the human mind works when everything feels impossible, and why Jada's 4pm goal was actually brilliant crisis management. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: mental health, suicide prevention, depression, crisis psychology, Jada Pinkett Smith Find all episodes at First Principles ---- Keywords: performance optimization, productivity science, personal development Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    26 min

  2. hace 15 h

    Sadhguru's Extinction Warning: Why Humans Have 12 Years Left

    What if one of the world's most influential spiritual leaders just gave humanity an expiration date? Sadhguru, who's reached over 4 billion people with his teachings, isn't talking about meteors or nuclear war. Adrian Wells breaks down why this extinction warning is actually about something much more immediate: our complete disconnection from nature and ourselves. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why Sadhguru's Save Soil campaign influenced policy in 24 countries and what it reveals about our survival timeline • The shocking study showing 76% of people feel disconnected from nature (and why that's literally killing us) • How inner transformation becomes a species survival skill, not just personal development fluff 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners who want to understand how ancient wisdom applies to modern existential challenges. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces Sadhguru's 12-year extinction timeline [01:45] The real meaning behind "extinction" that nobody talks about [03:20] How 3.9 billion people responded to one soil conservation message [05:40] The disconnection crisis: why 76% of us are nature-starved [07:15] Inner transformation as species insurance policy [09:30] What this means for your daily life right now [11:20] Key takeaways you can actually use This isn't doomsday prepping. It's about understanding how our relationship with the planet directly affects our ability to think clearly, make good decisions, and actually survive as a species. Sadhguru's timeline isn't arbitrary, it's based on soil degradation rates and psychological disconnection data that most people never see. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on your podcast app and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: Sadhguru extinction prediction, environmental psychology, spiritual ecology, human survival, nature disconnection Find all episodes at First Principles ------ Keywords: leadership psychology, ai dangers, logical reasoning, performance optimization Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    44 min

  3. hace 1 día

    Chris Van Tulleken: Why Your Breakfast Is More Dangerous Than Smoking

    What if your morning cereal is slowly killing you faster than a pack of cigarettes? Adrian Wells sits down with infectious disease doctor Chris van Tulleken, who ate nothing but ultra-processed foods for 30 days and watched his body and brain literally change on the scanner. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why ultra-processed foods make up 60% of American calories (and how they're engineered to hijack your hunger signals) • The shocking brain scan results that showed physical changes after just one month of processed eating • How people automatically eat 500 more calories per day when given ultra-processed versus whole foods • The simple way to identify ultra-processed foods in your kitchen right now 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to understand what's really on their plate and how it affects their body. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the processed food experiment [01:45] What counts as ultra-processed (it's more than you think) [03:30] The 30-day experiment: 14 pounds gained and brain changes [06:15] Why these foods override your natural hunger signals [08:45] The engineered addiction: how companies design cravings [10:30] Simple strategies to spot and avoid ultra-processed foods Van Tulleken's research reveals that ultra-processed food consumption links to increased obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease risk. But here's what makes this different: he didn't just study it, he lived it. The brain scans don't lie. This isn't about perfect eating or food shaming. It's about understanding how modern food engineering works against your biology, and what you can actually do about it. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: ultra-processed foods, nutrition science, food addiction, health risks, processed food dangers Find all episodes at First Principles -------- Keywords: anxiety management, ai dangers, fame psychology, depression stories, productivity science, personal development, evidence evaluation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    22 min
  4. Why Smart Women Keep Dating Toxic Men: The Psychology Logan Ury Discovered

    hace 1 día

    Why Smart Women Keep Dating Toxic Men: The Psychology Logan Ury Discovered

    Why do brilliant women keep falling for men who treat them terribly? Logan Ury has studied thousands of dating patterns and discovered something shocking: our brains are literally wired to choose chaos over compatibility. In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down the psychology behind why smart women get addicted to toxic relationships and how to rewire your dating patterns for actual happiness. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • The 50% rule: Why relationships with high initial passion are doomed from the start • How anxious attachment makes you 3x more likely to stay with emotionally unavailable partners • The brain chemistry secret behind why "boring" relationships actually create lasting love • Logan's practical framework for spotting red flags before you're already hooked 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to understand the psychology behind their own relationship patterns. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the toxic attraction paradox [01:45] Why smart women choose excitement over stability [03:30] The brain chemistry of intermittent reinforcement [05:15] Anxious attachment and the unavailable partner trap [07:00] The "boring relationship" strategy that actually works [09:30] Logan Ury's red flag detection system [11:15] Practical steps to rewire your dating brain Studies show that couples who rate their relationship as "boring" in year one report 23% higher satisfaction scores after five years. Your brain's reward system gets hijacked by hot-cold behavior the same way it does by gambling. Understanding this changes everything about how you approach dating. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: dating psychology, toxic relationships, attachment theory, relationship advice, Logan Ury Find all episodes at First Principles --------- Keywords: relationship psychology, performance optimization, logical reasoning, entrepreneurship philosophy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    17 min

  5. hace 2 días

    Brain Doctor Drops ADHD Bombshell on Steven Bartlett After Scanning 250,000 Brains

    What if a brain doctor who's scanned 250,000 minds could spot ADHD just by looking at your scan? Dr. Daniel Amen claims he can, and he just told Steven Bartlett he has ADHD based on brain patterns alone. In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down the explosive debate around brain imaging for ADHD diagnosis and what it means for how we understand attention disorders. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why Dr. Amen's SPECT scan approach divides the medical community (and costs $5,000 per scan) • The specific brain patterns that show up in ADHD scans versus traditional diagnosis methods • How 250,000 brain scans changed one doctor's approach to mental health treatment 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who's wondered if there's more to ADHD than checking boxes on questionnaires. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the brain scan controversy [02:15] What SPECT scans actually show in ADHD brains [04:30] Why most psychiatrists don't use brain imaging [06:45] The $5,000 question: do expensive scans work better? [08:30] What traditional ADHD diagnosis gets wrong [10:15] Key takeaways about brain-based medicine The American Psychiatric Association doesn't recommend brain scans for ADHD. Insurance won't cover them. So why does Dr. Amen's clinic stay booked solid? The answer reveals everything about how we think we understand the brain versus what we actually know. Whether you're questioning your own ADHD diagnosis or just curious about the cutting edge of neuroscience, this episode cuts through the hype to show you what the evidence actually says. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: ADHD diagnosis, brain scans, neuroscience, SPECT imaging, mental health Find all episodes at First Principles ------- Keywords: fame psychology, motivation psychology, health myths Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    26 min
  6. The Exercise Expert: This Popular Lifestyle Is Killing 1 Person Every 33 Seconds

    hace 2 días

    The Exercise Expert: This Popular Lifestyle Is Killing 1 Person Every 33 Seconds

    Your chair might be more dangerous than your car. Every 33 seconds, sedentary living claims another life globally, making it one of the top killers you've never heard about. In this episode, Adrian Wells sits down with Michael Easter, who spent years researching how our modern lifestyle has turned us into sitting ducks for disease, premature aging, and death. Most people think hitting the gym three times a week cancels out their desk job. They're wrong. Even if you exercise regularly, sitting for more than 6 hours daily still increases your early death risk by 19%. Your metabolism starts shutting down after just 30 minutes in that chair, and your blood sugar regulation goes haywire. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why the average American takes only 3,000 steps daily (our ancestors hit 16,000) • The 30-minute metabolism crash that happens every time you sit down • Simple movement hacks that work even in the most sedentary jobs • How to rewire your environment to naturally increase daily movement 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who spends more time sitting than they'd like to admit (which is probably all of us). 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells reveals the 33-second death statistic [01:45] Why exercise can't save you from sitting disease [03:30] The metabolism shutdown that starts in 30 minutes [05:15] Our ancestors vs. modern movement patterns [07:00] Simple daily hacks that don't require a gym [09:30] Environmental design for automatic movement [11:15] Your action plan starting tomorrow This isn't another "stand up more" lecture. Easter breaks down the actual science and gives you specific tactics that work in real life. Your body was built to move, and he shows you exactly how to honor that without turning your life upside down. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: sedentary lifestyle, exercise science, movement habits, metabolism, longevity Find all episodes at First Principles ------------- Keywords: performance optimization, celebrity interviews, anxiety management, mental health celebrities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    18 min
  7. The $300K Housing Mistake Morgan Housel Says You're Making Right Now

    hace 3 días

    The $300K Housing Mistake Morgan Housel Says You're Making Right Now

    What if everything you know about homeownership is backwards? Adrian Wells breaks down Morgan Housel's shocking argument that buying a house might be the worst financial decision you'll make, backed by 130 years of market data that'll make you rethink everything. Turns out, from 1890 to 2020, house prices grew at just 0.4% annually after inflation. Meanwhile, the stock market delivered 10% returns. But it gets worse: when you factor in maintenance, taxes, insurance, and interest, you're looking at 6-10% of your home's value vanishing every year. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why the "rent is throwing money away" myth has cost Americans millions • The hidden costs that eat 1-3% of your home's value annually (spoiler: it's not just repairs) • Morgan Housel's alternative strategy that historically outperforms real estate by 900% 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone considering their next major financial move (or questioning their current one). 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the $300K housing trap [01:30] The math that real estate agents don't want you to see [04:00] Hidden homeownership costs that destroy wealth quietly [07:00] Why "building equity" might be building nothing [10:00] Housel's alternative: where to put that down payment instead [12:00] Three questions to ask before your next housing decision This isn't about renting forever or living in your car. It's about making decisions based on data, not emotions or social pressure. Housel's research spans over a century, and the patterns are pretty hard to ignore. Ready to challenge some assumptions? The numbers might surprise you, but they could also save you hundreds of thousands over the next decade. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: housing market, real estate investing, personal finance, wealth building, Morgan Housel Find all episodes at First Principles --- Keywords: business strategy, cognitive biases, critical thinking podcast, career advice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    36 min

  8. hace 3 días

    I Spent $2M Testing Foods. This Oil Cut Inflammation 85% (With Proof)

    What if spending $2 million on your health could prove exactly which foods keep you young? Bryan Johnson did just that, and Adrian Wells breaks down the shocking results that could change how you think about aging forever. Johnson didn't just theorize about longevity - he turned his body into a $2 million science experiment. After two years of extreme testing, his biological age dropped from 47 to the equivalent of an 18-year-old in key markers. Now he's sharing the specific foods and oils that made it happen, backed by blood tests and biomarker data most of us never see. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • The exact 1,977-calorie diet with 130+ tracked nutrients that reversed Johnson's aging markers • Which specific oil reduced inflammation by 85% (with actual test results as proof) • How Johnson's $100,000+ annual testing budget reveals what really works vs. health marketing hype • Why most anti-aging advice fails and what the data actually shows about longevity 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who wants evidence-based answers about health and aging instead of more wellness trends. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces Johnson's $2M health experiment [01:45] The shocking biological age reversal results [04:15] Breaking down the 1,977-calorie daily protocol [06:30] The inflammation-fighting oil that tested 85% effective [09:00] What $100K in annual testing actually reveals [11:15] Key takeaways you can apply without spending millions Johnson's approach sounds extreme, but the data doesn't lie. This isn't another wellness guru making claims - it's a tech entrepreneur who put serious money behind proving what actually works for human longevity. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: Bryan Johnson, longevity, anti-aging, inflammation, evidence-based health Find all episodes at First Principles ----------- Keywords: depression stories, billionaire mindset, productivity science, business strategy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    17 min
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First Principles isn't another business podcast recycling the same startup stories. Adrian Wells takes the fundamentals that actually matter and breaks them down like you're having coffee with the smartest professor you ever had. Wells spent twelve years teaching philosophy and critical thinking before ditching the lecture hall for the microphone. Turns out, the same principles that help you think clearly about ancient Greek ethics also work pretty well for modern business decisions. Who knew? Every episode strips away the latest trends and buzzwords to focus on the core ideas that don't change. How to actually evaluate evidence when everyone's throwing around statistics. Why most "revolutionary" business advice is just old wine in new bottles. The thinking patterns that separate smart decisions from lucky guesses. You won't get hyped-up success stories or flavor-of-the-month strategies. Instead, you'll learn how to think through problems the way philosophers have for centuries, applied to the stuff that matters in your work and life right now. Multiple new episodes drop daily, so there's always something fresh when you need it. Follow now if you're ready to think better, not just think faster. Multiple new episodes daily—follow now!

Información

  • Creador
    Adrian Wells
  • Años de actividad
    2 k
  • Episodios
    265
  • Clasificación
    Apto

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