Spring Training (for the Rest of Your Life)

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PHILOSOPHY
COMPLETE SERIES

Celebrated writer John Kaag extracts modern life lessons from the classic works of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and William James.

EPISODE 1

Opening Credits

Spring Training (for the Rest of Your Life)

8 sec
EPISODE 2

Introduction

Spring Training (for the Rest of Your Life)

8 min
EPISODE 3

The Experience Experiment

Is it possible that the most valuable aspects of life have nothing to do with power or money, but only with experience?

13 min
EPISODE 4 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

The Highest Experience

What are you willing to experience? Where are you willing to go? And how do your answers to these two questions make life — your life — worth living?

14 min
EPISODE 5 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Meaningful Work

How to cultivate your sense of self in the work that you choose.

14 min
EPISODE 6 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

This Too Shall Pass

In a culture that clings to stability and safety, we must also learn how to let go.

12 min
EPISODE 7 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Thoreau's Cynicism

How does departing from everyday life allow you to be yourself in ways that defy convention and habit?

14 min
EPISODE 8 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Madness in the Woods

It's time you got bewildered.

12 min

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The Next Big Idea is a weekly series of in-depth interviews with the world’s leading thinkers. Join hosts Rufus Griscom and Caleb Bissinger — along with our curators, Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink — for conversations that might just change the way you see the world. New episodes every Thursday.

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BOOKS
In her book "Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole," acclaimed author and Next Big Idea Club curator Susan Cain invites you to accept more sadness in your life—and be happier for it. Contrary to popular belief, embracing bittersweetness can fuel creativity, connection, productivity, and our sense of self. In Susan’s 40-minute podclass, you will discover: • Why melancholia is possibly the most inspirational state of mind • The scientifically-supported connections between sorrow and creativity • How to transform pain and longing into productive forces • Examples of the bittersweet as a team-building tool • Reasons to have gratitude for our own mortality

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COURSES
In "Extra Life," acclaimed science writer Steven Johnson told the remarkable story of the breakthroughs that helped us double our life expectancy in the last century. Now, in "Immortality: A User's Guide," he asks: What will happen if we do it again? Imagine a world where we flip a switch and suddenly everyone can expect to live to 120 or beyond. Some scientists believe this demographic shift is within the realm of possibility, which might seem like good news, but a dramatic extension of the average lifespan could plunge the planet into a maelstrom of unintended consequences and second-order effects. That's why we need to start thinking about the implications of radical life extension now. "Immortality: A User's Guide" takes listeners on a thrilling journey through recent scientific history and reveals the cutting-edge technology that may help us live deep into our second centuries. Featuring insightful conversations with longevity experts, archival footage, immersive sound design, and Johnson's trademark storytelling, Immortality explores the recent paradigm shift in our understanding of aging and wrestles with what we should do, as a society, to prepare for advances in science and technology that may radically transform the potential length of human life.

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SOCIETY & CULTURE
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COURSES
In "Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most," New York University psychologist Adam Alter explains how to emerge from any personal, professional, or creative rut — and start blazing a new, more promising trail. In Adam's 30-minute podclass, you will discover: • Which counterintuitive skill helped both Lionel Messi and Andre Agassi achieve greatness • How “the Real Dr. House” simplifies even the trickiest medical diagnoses • Why no one, not even Bob Dylan, is as original as you think • Which three people belong on every creative team • How a two-step process helped both Jackson Pollock and Peter Jackson find success

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COURSES