Podcasts for wisdom
3 podcasts that mix learning, therapy, and entertainment
Are you a podcast listener? For many years, I wasn’t. They didn’t make sense to me. If I was listening to anything, I wanted it to be music—music that amped me up and got me moving for exercise or walking through the world.
Lately however, I’ve found myself comfortable at a less frenetic pace and much more engaged with a handful of wise, enriching podcasts rooted in science and philosophy.
Podcasts remind me of what listening to the radio was like for generations of the past—audio storytelling without a visual component. Except now, the range of options and voices is far broader and more representative of global human diversity of interests, beyond news, sports, and politics.
I still love to listen to music, but have slowly evolved my overall media mix to include some very excellent podcasts. Here are the three I think are the best (and why)
“Orange Man” original photography and collage work by me. Follow jizsander on Instagram.
“Hidden Brain”
“Hidden Brain” started as a segment on NPR’s Morning Edition in 2015, but now runs independently. Each week, host Shankar Vedantam interviews an academic scholar regarding a topic in human psychology—things like emotions, behaviors, language, memory, mental health, self regulation, and many more.
Each episode is about an hour, usually less, and highlights actionable insights that listeners can take into their own daily lives to live better. I’ve picked up several books from Hidden Brain and feel like I’m hacking my own psychology by listening to it each week, basically for free. Apple offers a paid subscription to support “Hidden Brain,” Spotify does not (yet).
With over 8,000 reviews and a 4.9-star rating, this one is an audio gold mine.
“Gay Men Going Deeper”
A podcast of the Gay Men’s Brotherhood, “Gay Men Going Deeper” is hosted by three gay men who are also certified life coaches, all based in Canada—Michael Dilorio, Matt Landsiedel, and Reno Johnston.
The show’s tagline is “conversations about personal development, mental health, and sexuality from an unapologetically gay perspective,” and it covers topics like anxiety and depression, attachment styles, resilience, and intimacy. I’ve found it to be a wholly refreshing and honest space to unpack the taboo topics and less-than-glamorous aspects of being a gay man in the world.
Perhaps there are other podcasts doing something similar, but I like this one because of its emphasis on radical transparency and compassionate sharing, and because it’s hosted by three people I’ve grown to like and respect.
What’s more, the show convenes a monthly live Zoom hangout where listeners can interact, find community, and battle alienation, something I believe is far more common among gays than many people realize.
On Spotify, the show has 511 ratings averaging 4.6 stars
“America’s choice” (between the fake Gale Weathers and the real Gale Weathers - a Scream 3 reference) - original artwork by me / jizsander
“Wiser Than Me”
Oh man, this one is a hidden gem for sure. Or at least it was to me.
Hosted by the incomparable Julia Louis-Dreyfus (JLD), “Wiser Than Me” focuses each episode on personal conversations with wise and iconic older women—people like Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem, Anne Lamott, Ina Garten, and Vera Wang.
The conversations between JLD and her guests meander over politics, life lessons, parenting, careers, and even body image and sexuality, all with a touch of levity. It’s amazing to listen to the observations and wisdom of some of the world’s most ambitious and fearless women, which are often universal to the human experience.
JLD is one of my fantasy dinner guests, and listening to “Wiser Than Me” is like having a little taste of what it would be like to have an intimate and frank chat with her.
“Wiser Than Me” has 5,700 ratings, averaging 4.9 stars on Spotify.
I like these podcasts because they feel nutritionally rich and deliciously satisfying. If you’re looking for some new audio content with soul, check them out!