In Search of Wisdom

Rediscovering Wise Elders with Dr. Dilip Jeste

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribeIn this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Dr. Dilip Jeste, author of Wiser: The Scientific Roots of Wisdom, Compassion, and What Makes Us Good. In this conversation, Dr. Jeste emphasizes the importance of social connections and compassion in developing wisdom and improving overall well-being. He also highlights the negative impact of loneliness on mental and physical health and suggests that wisdom can serve as an antidote to loneliness. The conversation concludes with insights on the importance of humility, self-reflection, and finding meaning and purpose in life. Key Takeaways:Wisdom is a characteristic pattern of behavior that can vary in individuals and across different components.Social connections and compassion are essential for developing wisdom and improving overall well-being.Loneliness has a negative impact on mental and physical health, and wisdom can serve as an antidote to loneliness.Humility is essential for wisdom and involves recognizing our own ignorance and the limitations of our knowledge.---🖇️ Stay Connected:Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialmeditations/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPodsWebsite: https://www.perennialleader.com/---🦉 Additional Resources:Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archiveListen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

The Wisdom to Know the Difference | Perennial Meditations

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribeIn this episode of In Search of Wisdom, we discuss a practice I usually refer to as the wisdom to know the difference. Specifically, we revisit and reflect on a previous meditation (from the Letters to a Young Seeker series) titled Neither Good Nor Bad. You can expect to learn what it means to discern between what matters and what doesn’t (in everyday life).Key Takeaways:The meaning of neither good nor badWhy we are wired to categorize and labelHow to get comfortable with ambiguityThe wisdom of questions and clarity---🖇️ Stay Connected:Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialmeditations/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPodsWebsite: https://www.perennialleader.com/---🦉 Additional Resources:Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archiveListen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

The Decent Life with Todd May

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribeIn this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Todd May, author of A Decent Life: Morality for the Rest of Us. Todd is a philosopher and author of eighteen books, including A Significant Life, A Fragile Life, and a forthcoming book titled Should We Go Instinct?. Todd worked as a philosophical advisor on the hit show The Good Place and has written extensively on meaning, friendship, fragility, and other topics.Key Takeaways:The meaning of a moral lifeThe art of knowing oneselfExpanding our circles of compassionPractical wisdom for modern living---🖇️ Stay Connected:Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialmeditations/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPodsWebsite: https://www.perennialleader.com/---🦉 Additional Resources:Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archiveListen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

”Think Like a Mortal” | Perennial Meditations

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribeIn this episode of In Search of Wisdom, I reflect on a previous meditation titled Think Like a Mortal (from Perennial Meditations on Substack) and explore what it means to live an intentional life. I discuss how realizing that we are “dying every day” can help us live in the present moment and lead more meaningful lives.Key TakeawaysThe wisdom of accepting life’s eternal truthsThe paradox of uncertaintyThe need for constraints and limitsHappiness (and Life) is in the present---🖇️ Stay Connected:Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPodsInstagram: https://instagram.com/PerennialPodsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPodsWebsite: https://www.perennialleader.com/---🦉 Additional Resources:Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archiveListen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

Getting Over Yourself with Jay Garfield

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribeIn this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Prof. Jay Garfield, author of Losing Ourselves: Learning to Live without a Self. Jay Garfield is the Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy, Logic, and Buddhist Studies at Smith College and a visiting professor of Buddhist philosophy at Harvard Divinity School. Prof. Garfield is the author of multiple books, including Buddhist Philosophy, Engaging Buddhism, and Buddhist Ethics.Key Takeaways:What it means to lose ourselvesThe difference between conventional and ultimate truthsWhy losing ourselves connects with an ethical lifeHow to reclaim our humanity***If you enjoyed the conversation (and are interested in learning more), I encourage you to listen to Jay’s conversation on The Wisdom Podcast. ---🖇️ Stay Connected:Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPodsInstagram: https://instagram.com/PerennialPodsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPodsWebsite: https://www.perennialleader.com/---🦉 Additional Resources:Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archiveListen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

True, Good, and Beautiful with Shane Trotter | The Character Lab

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribeThe Character Lab is a new series on In Search of Wisdom designed to explore various aspects of character development. The series is a joint venture with my friend and previous podcast guest, Shane Trotter (author of Setting the Bar). In this episode, Shane and I discuss the complex topic of objective morality and the shift towards moral relativism in society. We explore the role of judgment in ethics and the need for cognitive flexibility, the provisional nature of moral behavior, and the inherent insight humans have into right and wrong. We also touch on the tendency towards moral relativism, the need for clarity in virtues, and the importance of serving the greater good. Key TakeawaysSociety has seen a shift towards moral relativism, where individuals believe that there is no objective good or bad.Moral objectivism suggests that there are universal truths of morality that humans have independently come to throughout history.The tension between pluralism and dogmatism highlights the need for open-mindedness and the recognition of competing moralities.Discerning right from wrong is challenging and requires wisdom, discussion, and the pursuit of excellence in character development.---🖇️ Stay Connected:Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPodsInstagram: https://instagram.com/PerennialPodsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPodsWebsite: https://www.perennialleader.com/---🦉 Additional Resources:Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archiveListen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

The Life (and Wisdom) of Socrates | Perennial Lives

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribePerennial Lives is a new series on In Search of Wisdom exploring The Art of Living: From Socrates to Aquinas. Each episode examines the life and wisdom of one perennial figure in an attempt to keep learning how to live.🔆 Read the transcript: https://perennial.substack.com/  ---🖇️ Stay Connected:Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPodsInstagram: https://instagram.com/PerennialPodsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPods---🦉 Additional Resources:Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archiveListen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

A Philosophical Guide to Anxiety with Samir Chopra

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribeIn this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Samir Chopra, author of the new book Anxiety: A Philosophical Guide. Samir is a philosophical counselor and professor emeritus of Philosophy at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. In the conversation, we discuss the meaning of anxiety and how it can help us learn more about ourselves and the world around us. You can learn more about Samir’s work at Samirchopra.com.Key TakeawaysPhilosophy can provide comfort and insight in dealing with personal challenges and emotions like anxiety.Anxiety can be a teacher, providing self-knowledge and insight into our values and priorities.Medicating anxiety can be a complex issue, as it may suppress opportunities for self-discovery and growth.Wisdom is an ongoing process of acquiring a vision of our place in the world and understanding the unalterable aspects of existence.🎧 For more wisdom, subscribe to The Wisdom School (Apple Podcasts or Spotify).---🖇️ Stay Connected:Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPodsInstagram: https://instagram.com/PerennialPodsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPods---🦉 Additional Resources:Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archiveListen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

”What is the Nature of God?” with Simon Drew | Living the Questions

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribeIn this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Simon Drew from the Walled Garden Philosophical Society. As many of you know, Simon is a friend, poet, musician, philosopher, and someone deeply interested in life’s questions. Today’s episode is Part V of an ongoing series called Living the Questions (Catch up on previous volumes: I, II, III, & IV). The title is inspired by a famous quote from Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, "Live the questions for now. Perhaps then, without even noticing it, you will gradually come, on some far-off day, to live your way into the answer."SummaryIn this conversation, Simon and I explore the nature of God and the value of contemplating the question. We discuss the importance of living with the questions and embracing the mystery of God's nature. We also discuss the challenges of seeking and discerning the right way, the concept of living with unresolved questions, and the importance of embracing patience. We highlight the power of questions and the need for humility in the pursuit of truth and much more🎧 For more wisdom, subscribe to The Wisdom School (Apple Podcasts or Spotify).---🖇️ Stay Connected:Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPodsInstagram: https://instagram.com/PerennialPodsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPods---🦉 Additional Resources Related to the Podcast:Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archiveListen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

Christian Philosophy as a Way of Life with Ross D. Inman

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Ross D. Inman, the author of Christian Philosophy as a Way of Life. In the conversation, Ross discusses the connection between Christianity and philosophy, the importance of asking big questions, and the role of wonder in daily life. We discuss how philosophy can be a way of life, why contemplation leads to a deeper understanding of truth and much more. Learn more about Ross’s work here. Key TakeawaysChristianity and philosophy are interconnected and can provide a framework for understanding reality and the good life.Asking big questions is an integral part of intellectual and spiritual growth.Wonder is a natural human experience that can lead to a deeper appreciation of the world and a sense of awe.Philosophy can be a way of life, guiding one's beliefs, principles, and practices.🎧 For more wisdom, subscribe to The Wisdom School (Apple Podcasts or Spotify).---🖇️ Stay Connected:Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPodsInstagram: https://instagram.com/PerennialPodsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPods---🦉 Additional Resources Related to the Podcast:Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archiveListen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts