Thought Mining

Derek Olson, Nathan Anderson
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Philosophy

Thought Mining is a show about the ideas, frameworks, and assumptions shaping how we live, even when we don't realize it. Derek and Nathan take one thought at a time, test it against real life, and follow the conversation wherever it leads. Expect honest debates about creativity, work, relationships, identity, decision-making, and the strange ways we try to make sense of being human. New episodes explore useful ideas without pretending there's always a simple answer.

  1. 3d ago

    What do you do when a DNA test changes who your father is?

    At 45, Thad M. Von Breit learned from a 23andMe test that the dad who raised him was not his biological father. Can a shock like that turn out to be a blessing?Nathan brings the thought for episode 5: acting on serendipitous moments can change the trajectory of our lives. Our guest is the proof. Thad wrote a book about it, 23 and F Me, and it cites our show: he had come up with the phrase "thought mining" on his own, before he ever heard of us, then changed his word to "memory mining" when he found out we had it first. Nathan got the email at the lake. From there we talk about the family secret, why it was kept for decades, what it was like to finally call his biological father, and what he did with all of it, in therapy and on the page. Derek's extraction at the end: sometimes you can't tell a blessing from a disaster until you've processed it.Thad's book, 23 and F Me (a therapeutic memoir), and Nathan's book, Finding Doses of God, are both on Amazon."23 and F Me" by Thad M. Von BreitAvailable at Amazon.com https://tinyurl.com/2xb7ys8d"Finding Doses of God" by Nathan C. AndersonAlso at Amazon https://tinyurl.com/bdpp2hhuThought Mining is Derek Olson and Dr. Nathan Anderson taking one thought and staying with it for 30 minutes.0:00 The worst part (cold open)0:26 Welcome back0:55 Meet Thad: 23 and F Me2:15 How the three of us met, by email at the lake4:01 Thought mining vs. memory mining5:54 Nathan's book, Doses of God, and synchronicity7:38 Finding out at 45 that his dad wasn't his biological father9:20 Why the secret was kept11:03 Betrayal, resentment and the book12:00 Meeting his biological father14:21 Calls every first and third Tuesday15:32 Seeing himself in a stranger18:22 Serendipity: meeting him just in time18:57 The dad who raised him20:23 Nature vs. nurture and the role model he got22:23 Advice for anyone who gets this surprise24:33 "It's all on you"25:16 How his well-being changed26:28 What if he had found out at 2128:06 Everyone knew, and owning the story29:44 Today's extraction: when a blessing and a disaster are the same event30:56 German Russians and fertilizer31:30 Parting thoughts33:04 Thank you, ThadNew episodes on Saturdays.

    What do you do when a DNA test changes who your father is?

  2. Oct 25

    When Planning Becomes Procrastination

    When does a careful plan help you decide, and when is it a polished way of not starting?Today's thought, from Nathan: over-systematizing your life with conceptual frameworks is just intellectual procrastination. Nathan collects frameworks; four of them hang on his wall. Derek mostly plays jazz. They work through two of Nathan's: CORCE, the framework behind this show, and ALT MAP, which Nathan once used to plan a project at his cabin until a friend who builds things for a living told him none of it was necessary. Derek runs a judgmental thought about a stranger's tilted hat through CORCE and finds a third-grade jester hat at the bottom of it. Then the turn: if nothing can satisfy every requirement of your framework, no action is necessary. Where is the line between thinking it through and talking yourself out of it?Thought Mining is Derek Olson and Dr. Nathan Anderson taking one thought and staying with it for 30 minutes. Season 2, episode 4.0:00 No action necessary0:22 Welcome back1:18 How we stay with one thought1:54 Today's thought: is over-systematizing just procrastination?2:09 What is a conceptual framework?2:46 Two ways to build a shed4:33 Why Nathan collects frameworks5:52 COURSE: the framework behind Thought Mining7:10 What it means to be present9:57 The guy in the tilted hat12:07 Running the hat through COURSE14:01 Skipping straight from C to E15:29 ALT MAP, or "just build the shed"18:49 A shed vs moving to Italy21:01 When a framework stops you from starting22:29 Making room for creativity23:23 Playing jazz vs walking a worn path26:12 Catching your own judgments27:30 Wrapping upNew episodes on Saturdays.

    When Planning Becomes Procrastination

  3. Oct 17

    Should You Change Yourself to Succeed?

    Should you change who you are to get ahead, or wait to ripen into what you already are?Today's thought: trying to force your unique talents into a standard mold is like painting a banana red to look like an apple. It comes from a story in Nathan's 30-year journal, about a green banana who rolls himself in red paint to be loved like the apples. Derek asks what that means for a show that won't do politics to get views. From there we get into the pit of despair: why every creative person hits one, why the early pit is part of growing and the later one is much harder to climb out of, and why Derek still daydreams about a PhD, a novel in Spain and a dig in Turkey. Nathan explains CP2R, his test for whether something is yours to do.Thought Mining is Derek Olson and Dr. Nathan Anderson taking one thought and staying with it for 30 minutes.0:00 Welcome back0:34 How we think about a thought1:20 Today's thought: the bright red banana1:52 Nathan's banana story6:07 We've all been the red banana9:44 Red bananas only11:11 Thought Mining as a green banana12:45 The pit of despair15:43 Trusting your own instinct17:05 When do you want to hit the pit?19:26 The early pit and the later pit21:52 Not knowing yourself yet24:20 Envying other people's success25:24 There's always more29:02 CP2R: capacity, passion, relevance, presence31:59 What we took away34:04 You can wash the red paint off35:11 Wrapping up

    Should You Change Yourself to Succeed?

  4. Oct 12

    Will monetizing ruin your hobbies?

    Is turning your hobby into a side hustle the best thing you can do with it, or the fastest way to kill it?Nathan brings the thought: turning every personal hobby into a side hustle destroys the hobby. Derek starts with a deodorant sponsor who doesn't want you talking about what's in their deodorant, and it gets harder from there: books nobody buys, books you only write because they sell, and whether there would even be a Van Gogh if he'd painted what the market wanted. Nathan tells the story of the contract he turned down to protect his side projects. Derek explains how learning a magician's tricks turns magic into rabbit torture, and where the awe goes after that. By the end, they land on an idea neither of them walked in with.If you've ever wondered whether to charge for the thing you love, this one's for you.Thought Mining is Derek Olson and Dr. Nathan Anderson taking one thought and staying with it for 30 minutes.0:00 Welcome back0:29 The fifth-grade version of the show2:12 Today's thought: hobbies vs. side hustles2:26 The deodorant sponsor problem4:56 Keeping the reason you started6:00 Darned if you do, darned if you don't7:45 Nathan's 20-year book9:12 Marketing vs. the work itself12:05 Would Van Gogh have been as good?13:00 "There would be no Van Gogh"14:26 The contract Nathan turned down16:28 Money as safety, money as validation19:15 Keep the hobby and the job separate22:12 A million dollars, but no more joy22:54 Learning the magician's tricks25:39 Awe that comes from knowing how it works27:28 From Dorothy to the Wizard of Oz29:35 The chrysalis30:32 Wrapping upNew episodes of Thought Mining every week. Episode 3 is coming soon.#sidehustle #creativity #podcast

    Will monetizing ruin your hobbies?

  5. Oct 7

    Is AI writing like paying someone to exercise for you?

    Is letting AI do your writing like paying someone to go to the gym for you?That's the thought Nathan brought to this episode, the first of season two. It started with a Cal Newport op-ed in the New York Times about technology making us intellectually lazy, and it took us from AI-written email chains to James Patterson's ghostwriters, e-bikes, Icarus, the Borg, and whether either of us could start a fire without a lighter (one of us can't).We don't land on "AI bad" or "AI good." Derek plays devil's advocate twice, Nathan keeps pulling it back to what you lose when you skip the work, and somewhere in there we end up asking what authorship even means anymore.Thought Mining is a show where we take one resonant thought and dig into it until something useful comes out. Hosted by Derek Olson and Dr. Nathan Anderson.0:00 Welcome back to season two0:24 What Thought Mining is1:37 This episode's thought: outsourcing your thinking to AI2:26 The Cal Newport op-ed and the "flabby brain"3:56 When your inbox turns into AI talking to AI6:04 Will AI-speak start creeping into how we write and talk?8:09 Could writing like a normal person make you look out of touch?10:36 How do you grade students when the essay writes itself?11:24 Devil's advocate: you can't flap your wings to Paris13:36 The e-bike problem16:01 Devil's advocate, round two: James Patterson18:03 If everyone is James Patterson, who finds the next Stephen King?19:36 Are we really short on content?20:41 Maybe the ideas are the workout, not the writing22:18 If AI cures cancer, do you turn it down?24:32 Screwdrivers vs. power drills25:07 Rebuilding ancient cities, and whether AI is a mech suit26:53 The Borg, and can you still make a fire?28:10 Nathan's take: keeping your soul while the tools change29:30 Wrapping upIf this one got you thinking, subscribe, and tell us in the comments where you'd draw the line on AI writing.

    Is AI writing like paying someone to exercise for you?

  6. 06/01/2025

    Episode 13: Are All Times Good Times?

    In this episode of Thought Mining, we explore a powerful quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:“This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.”What does Emerson mean by this? How can we apply it in a world full of uncertainty, distraction, and pressure? Join us for a contemplative conversation where we break down the meaning behind the quote, deconstruct its philosophical roots, and mine it for personal insight.Whether you're into philosophy, mindful living, or just crave deeper conversations, this episode offers something to resonate with.💡 In this episode:The historical and philosophical context behind Emerson’s wordsHow to reframe your experience of the present momentPractical takeaways for turning any time into a “very good one”Reflections for thinkers, seekers, and self-inquirers📌 Engage with the Thought Mining community:🔔 Subscribe for more weekly reflections👍 Like this video if you enjoy philosophical breakdowns💬 Comment below: What does this quote mean to you?📤 Share with someone who values deep thought#ThoughtMining #RalphWaldoEmerson #PhilosophyTalk #DeepThinking #ModernPhilosophy #QuoteBreakdown #MindfulLiving #Contemplation #SelfReflection #MakeTheMostOfIt #LiveThoughtfully

  7. 03/13/2025

    Episode 12: Impatience

    Derek and Nathan thought mine the quote, "Impatience is an argument with reality," from Rick Rubin's book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being. What do you think? Is impatience an argument with reality?

  8. 09/13/2024

    Episode 8: Predictive Processing with Tanner Wells

    In this episode of the Thought Mining Podcast, hosts Derek and Nathan welcome Tanner Wells, a sophisticated explorer of geographic regions, cultures, and perspectives. They discuss predictive processing, explaining how our brains use life experiences to fill in details, sometimes leading to biases. The conversation covers the implications for safety, time-saving, and social interactions, with Tanner sharing how predictive processing aids his travels. They also touch on the emotional aspects, such as anxiety and excitement, and how reframing perceptions can enhance experiences. The episode further explores creativity, emphasizing the importance of fun in the creative process. The hosts discuss how adults can harness the joy of creative expression to overcome anxiety and fear of failure. The episode concludes with reflections on risk-taking and embracing uncertainty for a richer life.

See All (15)

About

Thought Mining is a show about the ideas, frameworks, and assumptions shaping how we live, even when we don't realize it. Derek and Nathan take one thought at a time, test it against real life, and follow the conversation wherever it leads. Expect honest debates about creativity, work, relationships, identity, decision-making, and the strange ways we try to make sense of being human. New episodes explore useful ideas without pretending there's always a simple answer.

Information

  • Creator
    Derek Olson, Nathan Anderson
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Derek Olson, Nathan Anderson
  • Show Website
    Thought Mining