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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!

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  • 463 episodes
  • daily
  • Avg 22 min
  • English

Episodes 463

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  • September 25 · 12 min

    The $2.8 Trillion War Nobody Knows We're Fighting

    Wait until you hear the number: Global military spending just hit $2.4 trillion in 2023, the highest since the Cold War ended. But here's what nobody's talking about - experts think World War III isn't coming. They think it's already here. In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down why the war we're fighting today looks nothing like the wars in history books. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why cyber attacks on critical infrastructure shot up 400% in just four years • The 50+ active conflicts happening right now that most people don't even know about • How the Doomsday Clock reached 90 seconds to midnight for the first time ever • What modern warfare actually looks like when it's fought with economics and code instead of tanks 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who wants to understand what's really happening in our world beyond the headlines. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian introduces the $2.8 trillion question [01:45] Why military experts think WW3 already started [03:30] The cyber war happening in your backyard [05:15] Economic weapons that hit harder than bombs [07:00] Proxy conflicts: fighting without fighting [09:30] What the Doomsday Clock actually measures [11:15] How to think about global conflict today The scary part? Most of this war is invisible. No dramatic invasions, no Pearl Harbor moment. Just infrastructure failing, economies crashing, and democracies destabilizing while we scroll through social media. 🔔 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: world war 3, global conflict, cyber warfare, military spending, proxy wars Find all episodes at First Principles -------- Keywords: anxiety management, fame psychology, social media addiction Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • September 25 · 14 min

    Why 73% of Men Can't Form Real Relationships (The Hidden Addiction)

    What if I told you that 73% of men struggle to form genuine relationships, and the reason might be hiding in plain sight? Adrian Wells breaks down the uncomfortable truth about how modern addictions are rewiring our brains and destroying our capacity for real human connection. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why pornography consumption has exploded 200% in the past decade and what it's doing to dopamine pathways • How dating apps promise connection but deliver anxiety and depression instead • The specific feedback loop that traps people in emotional numbness and relationship failure • Why people who focus on internal control report dramatically higher life satisfaction 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to understand the hidden forces shaping modern relationships and mental health. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the hidden addiction crisis [01:30] The shocking statistics on pornography and relationship failure [04:00] How dopamine hijacking creates emotional numbness [07:00] Why dating apps make loneliness worse, not better [10:00] The internal vs external control mindset shift [12:00] Practical steps to break free from these cycles This isn't just another episode about relationships. It's about recognizing how society-wide addiction patterns are creating a generation that can't connect authentically. Wells connects the dots between neuroscience, psychology, and the relationship crisis that's affecting millions. The research is clear: when we understand these patterns, we can break them. When we focus on what we can control internally rather than external validation, everything changes. 🔔 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: porn addiction, relationship psychology, dopamine pathways, dating apps, emotional connection Find all episodes at First Principles -------- Keywords: thinking skills, health myths, anxiety management, success psychology Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • September 24 · 13 min

    Your Brain Already Picked Your Partner (And You Had No Say In It)

    What if your conscious mind had zero say in who you fell for? That's exactly what happens when your brain's ancient wiring takes over, using scent, hormones, and evolutionary programming to pick your romantic partner before you even realize what's happening. In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down the fascinating science of attraction and why our modern relationship expectations might be fighting millions of years of biology. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • How women can literally smell genetic compatibility through body odor (and why this matters more than dating apps) • Why men's testosterone crashes 30% after becoming fathers, and what this reveals about human pair bonding • The shocking truth about monogamy: only 3-7% of mammals actually practice it, and humans aren't naturally wired for it either • Why you unconsciously choose partners with exactly 30% genetic similarity for optimal offspring 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to understand the hidden forces shaping their most important life decisions. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the unconscious partner selection process [01:45] The scent of genetic compatibility: how your nose knows best [04:15] Testosterone, oxytocin, and the chemistry of commitment [06:30] Why monogamy feels so hard: the 3-7% mammal reality [08:45] The 30% genetic similarity sweet spot [10:30] What this means for modern relationships This isn't relationship advice, it's biology class. And once you understand what's really driving attraction, you'll never think about love the same way again. 🔔 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: evolutionary psychology, relationship science, attraction biology, human behavior, mate selection Find all episodes at First Principles ------- Keywords: thinking skills, anxiety management, celebrity interviews, personal development Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Showing 461–463 of 463 episodes