Tim Urban — creator of Wait But Why and the mind behind one of the most-watched TED Talks of all time — reveals why courage might be the most underrated skill for living a fulfilling life. Tim takes us on a journey from his transformative solo trip to Thailand at age 20 to the systems he's built to trick himself into being productive, exploring how the habits we fall into can either expand or shrink our experience of time itself.
Tim dissects the concept of "ladders of thinking," explaining how primitive and higher minds battle for control in both individuals and society, why universities have lost their immune systems against tribal thinking, and how social media amplifies our worst instincts.
He shares candid insights about procrastination across different timescales: from doom scrolling in bed to avoiding life-changing decisions for decades, and offers a surprising perspective on religion's role in keeping humanity's darker impulses in check.
From the "tail end" of time with loved ones to why he schedules his future self to work out, Tim reveals the mental frameworks that help him cut through irrationality and paralysis. This is a masterclass in self-awareness, wrapped in humour and served with a side of existential urgency.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
01:10 - Moving Cities
04:02 - Time Elasticity
08:05 - Ladders of Thinking
12:30 - Problem with Universities
20:08 - Low Rung Benefits?
23:25 - Procrastination Spectrum
27:49 - The Courage Problem
31:49 - Tim's Last Meal
33:15 - Vicarious Living
35:37 - Thailand
41:20 - Jaded is a Choice
46:01 - New Hobbies
53:02 - First Memory
57:18 - Is Religion Net Positive?
01:03:00 - One Big Idea
01:08:00 - Last Meal Context
01:14:36 - Future Tim vs Past Tim
01:21:15 - Repeat One Year
01:27:00 - Worth Every Cent
01:33:11 - Last Word
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About the Show: Last Meal is a deep-dive into life’s biggest questions—wisdom, legacy, regret, and everything in between. Join me, Tom Nash, as I serve up thought-provoking conversations with the world’s foremost thinkers.
