The Examined Life

Kenneth Primrose
  • 5.0 (8)
  • PHILOSOPHY
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The Examined Life podcast explores the questions we should be asking ourselves with a range of leading thinkers. Each episode features a different interview, and appeals to those interested in wisdom, personal development, and what it might mean to live a good life. Topics vary from discussing the role of dopamine mining and status anxiety, to exploring the science of awe and attention.

  1. Sir Anthony Seldon - What is the purpose of education?

    DEC 15

    Sir Anthony Seldon - What is the purpose of education?

    Send us a text Sir Anthony Seldon is one of the most influential voices in the UK on education. He has led three prominent independent school, and written or edited more than 40 books. In this episode we explore how education can honour what truly matters in a time when AI can outscore us on the tests we designed. Sir Anthony Seldon lays out a shift from human capital to human flourishing, urging schools to cultivate agency, character, and love of learning. • redefining the purpose of education toward human flourishing • harms of exam-driven systems and narrow metrics • every child’s unique gifts and “song” • AI exposing the limits of cognitive-only assessment • OECD’s human flourishing model and core competences • coaching pedagogy to build agency and judgment • practices for inner life, mindfulness, and body care • virtues and pro-social habits for a resilient future • choosing subjects you love to sustain motivation • balancing measurable outcomes with the immeasurable As ever, do please share this episode with others you think might like it or on social media Sign up for This Examined Life on Substack, where you can receive updates, bits of writing, and you can support the show Any feedback or ideas can be emailed to me at kp@examined-life.com Support the show

    44 min

  2. DEC 8

    LM Sacasas on why life should not be delegated

    Send us a text In this brief episode we explore a short soundbite from a previous episode with philosopher of technology LM Sacasas. In it we explore the way that efficiency and ease might give with one hand, while taking with the other.  - check out the previous episode in full here -  https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/michael-sacasas-what-should-we-be-doing-for-ourselves/id1680728280?i=1000705506079 - LM Sacasas substack here - https://substack.com/@theconvivialsociety - This Examined Life substack here - https://thisexaminedlife.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips Support the show

    6 min

  3. DEC 1

    Leaning into Pain with Anna Lembke

    Send us a text Comfort is easy; appetite is sacred. We trace a surprising path to steadier happiness by leaning, gently but deliberately, into friction. Drawing on psychiatrist Anna Lembke’s insight that our modern environment is addictogenic, we look at how endless convenience and constant dopamine nudges can flatten mood, fog attention, and leave us restless. Then we put the theory to the test with a cold North Sea dip—short, sharp, and strangely joyful on the other side. Across the conversation, we unpack why the human nervous system needs stress in measured doses. Think hormesis: brief, voluntary challenges like hard exercise, short fasts from alcohol or sugar, or cold exposure that nudge the brain into balance and rebuild resilience. A greenhouse tree grows fast but topples without wind; without resistance, we also lose inner structure. By choosing small hardships, we earn the afterglow—a calmer baseline, cleaner focus, and a renewed appetite for simple pleasures. We also explore practical ways to invite healthy stress without going extreme. Start with one constraint you can keep this week, and notice the shift: food tastes better, sleep deepens, and mornings feel less rushed. The aim isn’t suffering for its own sake; it’s recalibrating reward so that life’s ordinary moments become vivid again. If abundance has dulled your edge, a little voluntary discomfort can turn the volume back down on noise and up on meaning. If this resonates, follow along for more short reflections, share the episode with a friend who needs a reset, and join our Substack community for deeper dives. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what small hardship will you choose this week? Support the show

    8 min
  4. Dr Alex Curmi - how should we prepare for a technological future?

    NOV 24

    Dr Alex Curmi - how should we prepare for a technological future?

    Send us a text Dr Alex Curmi is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist who also hosts The Thinking Mind podcast, and is a gifted communicator on mental health and self-development.  Alex's clinical work and training has given him acute insights into troubling aspects of modern life, and how we might prepare for an uncertain future. The question which formed the spine of our conversation was ‘ In a world where technology has been quite disruptive psychologically for a lot of people, how do we prepare for an increasingly technological future? We examine how modern technology reshapes attention, confidence, morality and meaning, and Alex offers practical tips for staying human as machines grow more capable. Among the topics explored you will find: • tech-driven overstimulation dulling joy and focus • confidence built through voluntary discomfort • psychiatry and psychotherapy as complementary lenses • intolerance of uncertainty and stoic control • integrity, congruence and moral habits that scale • social skills as a proactive practice • AI as tool versus thinking crutch • career durability through uncommon skill stacks • financial resilience over consumerist drift • community as the container for lasting change If you do enjoy the show, please follow or rate it. It really helps others to find it. For future episodes and news on the show, please sign up to the substack - https://thisexaminedlife.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips Support the show

    1h 9m
  5. Tom Chatfield - What myths are we telling ourselves about technology?

    JUL 2

    Tom Chatfield - What myths are we telling ourselves about technology?

    Send us a text Technology is taking on a mythic mantle as we look to our creations to supply us with a sense of belonging and purpose, but this is a category error because tech cannot honestly deliver on these promises. In this podcast Tom Chatfield explores some of the issues bound up with the ways we are thinking about technology. • Technology is not a bolt-on or optional extra, but has been integral to human existence since before our species evolved • The delusion of neutrality allows us to abdicate responsibility for design choices and embedded values in our tools • Technology has affordances that push us toward certain behaviors – email "wants" more emails, cars "want" highways • The delusion of determinism suggests technology drives history along a predetermined path, diminishing human agency • We've confused progress with salvation, imbuing tech with religious qualities like transcendence and apocalyptic narratives • Understanding ourselves as "dependent rational animals" helps us appreciate our fundamental interdependence • Each new generation must be taught a way into modernity, allowing them to question, change, and remix our culture • Being a "good ancestor" means considering how our technological choices will impact future generations "Even if you're the richest person in the world, let alone the poorest, you don't have perhaps as much leverage as you might wish to. Nevertheless, that's what you've got, and it does no good whatsoever to say, therefore I have no power, no control, no insight, nothing to give. You do what you can within the limits of what you can know and bring into being." Support the show

    56 min
  6. Rosie Spinks - What Do We Do Now That We're Here?

    JUN 17

    Rosie Spinks - What Do We Do Now That We're Here?

    Send us a text Rosie Spinks Substack - https://rojospinks.substack.com/about Kenny Primrose Substack - https://positivelymaladjusted.substack.com/ Moby Gratis Music - https://mobygratis.com/ Writer and journalist Rosie Spinks joins us to explore her powerful question: "What do we do now that we're here?" Drawing from her journey from ambitious journalist to burnout victim to advocate for a different way of living, Rosie offers a surprisingly hopeful perspective on navigating a world where traditional markers of success have lost their shine. After achieving what looked like career success—writing for prestigious publications like The Guardian and The New York Times—Rosie found herself profoundly unhappy. The pandemic provided an unexpected reset, challenging her assumptions about what's guaranteed in life and what truly matters. She describes straddling two worlds: "here" (where we've accepted the limitations of growth and progress) and "there" (the conventional world of consumption and productivity we still partially inhabit). The conversation takes a particularly powerful turn when Rosie discusses how becoming a mother revealed the transformative power of care. "I had never in my old life, in my twenties, in my ambitious journalist life, thought about anyone but myself. The work of caregiving is repetitive and you're never done, but in that is this extraordinary quality that you unlock within yourself." This insight extends beyond parenting—it's about redirecting our energy toward connection with others and our local communities. Rather than dwelling in despair, Rosie offers practical suggestions for building what she calls "the village"—trading childcare with other parents, learning neighbors' names, replacing consumption-based leisure with generative activities. These small shifts can rebuild our sense of belonging while preparing us for a future that may demand more resilience and mutual support. Support the show

    53 min
  7. Ruth Taylor - How do we develop better cultural values?

    JUN 4

    Ruth Taylor - How do we develop better cultural values?

    Send us a text Ruth Taylor explores how our cultural conditions shape our values and beliefs, revealing how we can build futures where humans and other life forms flourish together on our planet. She illuminates the often invisible narratives that guide our thinking and behavior, showing how these shape everything from our personal happiness to our collective response to global challenges. • The "values perception gap" - most people prioritize intrinsic values like community and equality, but believe others are more motivated by wealth and status • Deep narratives like "growth is always good" or "humans are fundamentally selfish" shape our entire approach to social and environmental problems • Research shows prioritizing intrinsic values leads to greater well-being than pursuing external rewards like wealth and status • Our society lacks spaces for reflection on values, leaving us vulnerable to constant messaging promoting consumption and competition • Creating "glimmers" - spaces and experiences that demonstrate alternative ways of living aligned with our deeper human values • Cultural change requires both individual reflection on our values and structural changes to systems that currently reinforce harmful narratives • Real change happens at the deepest level, addressing the root cultural conditions rather than just symptoms of problems Find out more about Ruth's work on her Substack channel Culture Soup, or take her Values 101 course with the Common Cause Foundation. Support the show

    1 hr
  8. William Damon - Am I serving a bigger purpose than myself?

    MAY 21

    William Damon - Am I serving a bigger purpose than myself?

    Send us a text What does it mean to live a purposeful life? Is the way you're spending your time truly reflective of your deepest values and aspirations? These questions stand at the heart of my enlightening conversation with William Damon, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and a world-renowned expert on purpose and moral development. Damon brings decades of research to bear on understanding how purpose shapes our lives, offering a compelling definition that transcends simple personal satisfaction. True purpose, he explains, must be both meaningful to ourselves and consequential to the world beyond ourselves. This dual focus distinguishes purpose from mere ambition or self-interest, creating a pathway to both personal fulfillment and meaningful contribution. Our discussion explores how purpose evolves across the lifespan, with Damon sharing insights about why approximately 20-25% of people find themselves "drifting" without clear direction. Contrary to popular belief, purpose isn't something we discover in a single moment of clarity, but rather develops gradually through experimentation, feedback, and mentorship. Damon vulnerably shares his own journey of finding purpose through early writing experiences and later through reconciling with his absent father's legacy—a powerful illustration of how understanding our past can illuminate our future direction. Ready to examine whether your daily activities align with your ultimate concerns? This conversation offers practical wisdom for anyone seeking to live with greater intention and meaning. Subscribe to The Examined Life podcast for more thought-provoking discussions about the questions that matter most. Support the show

    55 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

The Examined Life podcast explores the questions we should be asking ourselves with a range of leading thinkers. Each episode features a different interview, and appeals to those interested in wisdom, personal development, and what it might mean to live a good life. Topics vary from discussing the role of dopamine mining and status anxiety, to exploring the science of awe and attention.

Information

  • Creator
    Kenneth Primrose
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Examined Life
  • Show Website
    The Examined Life

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