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Jon & Dre
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Men Talking Mindfulness
Dre Baldwin on Winning in Sports, Business, and Life!
Is the key to success in sports the same as in business and life? Join us in this exhilarating episode of Men Talking Mindfulness, where former NBA player Dre Baldwin reveals the secrets of performance and results-based success. Hosts Jon Macaskill and Will Schneider explore with Dre the parallels between athletic prowess and business acumen. Discover Dre's unique insights on harnessing the discipline, mindset, and strategies that drive excellence in sports to thrive in business and personal life. This episode is not just about achieving goals; it's about mastering the art of performance in every arena. Get ready to...
2024-02-05
1h 03
Men Talking Mindfulness
Dre Baldwin on Winning in Sports, Business, and Life!
Is the key to success in sports the same as in business and life? Join us in this exhilarating episode of Men Talking Mindfulness, where former NBA player Dre Baldwin reveals the secrets of performance and results-based success. Hosts Jon Macaskill and Will Schneider explore with Dre the parallels between athletic prowess and business acumen. Discover Dre's unique insights on harnessing the discipline, mindset, and strategies that drive excellence in sports to thrive in business and personal life. This episode is not just about achieving goals; it's about mastering the art of performance in every arena. Get ready to...
2024-02-05
1h 03
Hot Hire 6 and 7 Figure Coaches On Fire - Live Podcast
Cut The BS Cut To Results - JON EVANS
What does a baby computer call his father? . Data . Yes, that was a terrible pun, but I own it! ... I'll see myself out!! . Moving on... . Absolutely love this guy! If you look up in the dictionary "SUUUPPPAAA LEGEND, Happy, Most Positive Person in the world"... You will find this phenomenal human being, who is positively impacting millions of lives. . Jon Evans is a Head Wellness Coach with over 307,000 followers on FB and millions of views with his Reels. When...
2023-07-23
28 min
Hot Hire 6 and 7 Figure Coaches On Fire - Live Podcast
How To Go Viral Using Facebook (Reels) - JON EVANS INTERVIEW
Why did the Dad who went out for Pasta get locked out? . He had Gnocchi . Ba Dum Tss... . In this LIVE episode, I will be chatting to one of the most inspiring & positive humans I know... Jon Evans is an Authentic Mindset Coach and has millions of views on his content, along with 100k+ followers... . Not to be missed... Join us LIVE to ask questions... Feel free to share this with anyone that might find this valuable. . ******************************************* ...
2022-09-07
28 min
Multifamily By The Slice
TLDR 50 | Riskier than Your Conventional Value-Add Deals with Jon Stark
Jon Stark formed Stark Capital in January 2021 to help friends and his network of investors create passive income, build wealth, and diversify their portfolios. He is an experienced commercial real estate broker and multifamily syndicator. Currently, he is residing in Carlsbad, California with his beautiful wife Janae and 2-year-old son, Ryder [00:01 – 11:13] Opening Segment Love from our listeners Jon shares his background and current plans [11:14 – 18:47] Riskier than Your Conventional Value-Add Deals Team Sport: Getting support from your peers Investing in Multifamily in Phoenix Risky Value-add Deals [1...
2022-08-31
06 min
Multifamily By The Slice
50 | Riskier than Your Conventional Value-Add Deals with Jon Stark
Jon Stark formed Stark Capital in January 2021 to help friends and his network of investors create passive income, build wealth, and diversify their portfolios. He is an experienced commercial real estate broker and multifamily syndicator. Currently, he is residing in Carlsbad, California with his beautiful wife Janae and 2-year-old son, Ryder [00:01 – 11:13] Opening Segment Love from our listeners Jon shares his background and current plans [11:14 – 18:47] Riskier than Your Conventional Value-Add Deals Team Sport: Getting support from your peers Investing in Multifamily in Phoenix Risky Value-add Deals [1...
2022-08-29
32 min
REAL ONES with Jon Bernthal
Carl "Booger" Townley, Tony Gerbine, & Andres "Dre" Severino
Carl Townley is a retired Caddo Parish Lieutenant. Tony Gerbine worked with Carl on a multi-agency narcotics task force. Jon met Carl over a decade ago while researching and shooting a film in Shreveport, LA - Carl introduced Jon to Tony during their friendship and the three have remained close friends. They are joined by previous Real Ones guest Dre Severino, a Baltimore Police officer. Follow JON and REAL ONES: Jon Bernthal YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/realoneswithjonbernthal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonnybernthal/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonnybernthal?lang=en REAL ONES Instagram: https://instagram.com/r...
2022-05-20
58 min
REAL ONES with Jon Bernthal
Ralph "H" Horton & Andre "Dre" Severino
Andre “Dre” Severino and Ralph “H” Horton are Baltimore police officers who run The Silverback Chronicles Podcast. Jon met Dre and H on the set of HBO's upcoming mini series We Own This City. The Silverback Chronicles Podcast Website: https://www.silverbackchronicles.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/silverbackpod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/silverbackpod?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/silverbackpod/?ref=page_internal YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2WCERqrh6XdFKcoZRHgCjA Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silverback-chronicles-podcast/id1488698343?uo=4 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/66kD3pl5vu2fMVjSk5GOYz Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM...
2022-03-18
53 min
The Area 510 Podcast
Ep. 8 Clip (Jon Jon & Dre Roastin' Cougars)
This clip from Episode 8 is Jon Jon & Dre roasting JD for having a linking to Cougars
2021-03-02
02 min
Voices in the Dark
Solo Cast & The Conspiracy on Pushkin Street
This episode is an experiment. Jon turns on the mic for a solo cast – to reflect on what life in the pandemic means and the challenges of finding meaning and direction in a world where it feels impossible to plan for the future. We've also go an update for you on the state of the podcast, and Jon's inviting you to get in touch with him via his websiteto offer some feedback, questions, and prompts for future episodes like this. Jon then shares an article he wrote for the Los Angeles Review of Boo...
2021-02-13
1h 07
Hot Hire 6 and 7 Figure Coaches On Fire - Live Podcast
Episode 29: Jon Evans Interview | Job Search Tips | Career Advice | Controlling Your Nerves | Be Positive | Body Language
Dre interviews Jon Evans, who is a Mindset and Self-Love Coach. This Super Legend has an incredible career journey himself and so much passion. He was born to do what he does and Jon is one of the most positive people you will ever meet. He wants to bring positivity to each corner of the world. Helping people to lead a positive more purposeful driven life. ******************************************* Jon Evans Contact Details & Links: ******************************************* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jon.r.w.evans/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/iamjonevans_/ ****************************** ...
2021-02-05
11 min
Voices in the Dark
The Laws of Human Nature 7: Why Do You Want To Get Rich Quick?
Why do people get caught up in wild and implausible conspiracy theories, get-rich-quick scams and other tantalising pyramid schemes? As we learn in this episode, even brainboxes like Isaac Newton can't seem to resist the excitement that so easily overcomes our better judgement when we think we can shortcut our way to success. And that's the problem – it's exciting. The danger comes from our emotions: we are caught in the present, enslaved to our immediate hopes and fears. Robert helps us to pause and draw back from the desire for immediate (re)action. We need to learn to...
2020-05-16
1h 19
Voices in the Dark
When Jon Became Part Of A Police Investigation
What would you do if the police called, informed you that you're a victim, and that they want you to give evidence about a sexual assault you've already tried to put behind you? That's the bizarre and challenging situation Jon found himself in recently, and in this episode we talk about the emotional and moral dilemmas he faced when trying to deal with it. Should you participate in a police investigation if the likely outcome is that someone goes to prison – a place where rehabilitation definitely takes a backseat to punishment? Where is yo...
2019-09-09
1h 40
Voices in the Dark
Closing Loops, Having Boundaries, And Giving Your One Last Talk
Jon's back from Indonesia and is experiencing reverse culture shock as he returns 'home' to London. From that unstable vantage point, in this catch-up episode we talk about getting things done, why closing 'loops' in your day-to-day life is essential for your mental and emotional health, and how to take meaningful action in the absence of clarity. In aid of those goals, Andrea's adopted a policy of having no boundaries with other people. But how can that possibly work long term? We debate how to tame our psychological disposition to look for problems rather than...
2019-07-08
1h 24
Voices in the Dark
Think & Grow Rich: The End of Self Help?
Jon's back in London because, in strange symmetry, his grandfather died shortly after Andrea's. So, we decided to make a mixed episode in which we finish off Think & Grow Richand add some further reflections on what life is in the face of death and how we become who we are, with or without the aid of self-help. In short, we've decided it's time to take Napoleon Hill to the wood shed and put him down. His book is the foundation stone of the self-help industry, and as such it's also a raw source which highlights many of...
2019-04-13
1h 08
Voices in the Dark
Grief, Death, Censorship, And #MeThree
This episode is a long overdue catch-up. We cover a lot of ground across the worlds of culture, censorship, sex and psychology. But it's also about grief. Andrea's grandfather died recently and he opens up about the experience of losing someone for the first time with whom he was truly close. Before that, we catch up with Jon and what it's like living the 'digital nomad' life in Chiang Mai. If the internet has made it childishly simple to connect with people in new places, it seems that this can just as easily result in tribalism rather...
2019-03-27
1h 34
Voices in the Dark
Consent, Confusion and Toxic Narcissism: Sex & Relationships Series
What would you do if your physiotherapist's hands started wandering? Would you even know howto say 'stop'? Could you be sure something sexual was actually taking place before it was too late? And what if it wassexual and you wished it hadn't happened afterwards? This happened to Jon not so long ago. He's still not sure what to think about it. The physiotherapist in question has now been put on the sex-offenders' register. So what the hell is Jon meant to make of this experience now? That's our starting point for this episode. How does...
2019-02-17
53 min
Voices in the Dark
New Year in Chiang Mai and Chiswick
It's 2019 and that means it's time for our annual catch-up and reflection episode as we contemplate how the year's gone, what we achieved, what we didn't, and where we see the podcast (and our lives) going in the future! This is the first episode we've recorded since Jon moved to Thailand, so Andrea grills him on what life is actually like halfway round the world, and what the realities are of this whole 'digital nomad' thing. So far, Jon's dodged a typhoon, failed to see Bangkok, and is already wondering if all digital nomads are...
2019-01-17
1h 21
Voices in the Dark
VITD SPECIAL: Social Pressure & Social Conformity
With Jon moving to Thailand in the next few weeks, we've decided to start a new regular series where we catch up, share our experiences and dig deep into the cool and weird ideas and situations we've been encountering. You, dear listeners, have repeatedly asked us to share more of what we get up to in life and in the making of the show, so here – finally – is what you've been asking for! For this first episode, Jon talks about the psychological and emotional challenges of switching to freelancing. Without the reassurance of a monthly pay-cheque he's havi...
2018-11-25
1h 13
Voices in the Dark
How Do Open Relationships Work? [Sex & Relationships Series]
Open relationships. We've all heard about them. But how do they work? Would one be right for you? And how can you even broach the subject with your partner? And then, if you get into one, do you need to set rules? Can they change? Do you need to ask for permission beforehand, or take video footage to share with your partner afterwards? It gets very complicated very quickly, and in this special episode, we set out to answer all these questions and more. The goal isn't to unconditionally praise open relationships, but to explore w...
2018-07-23
1h 18
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic #33: What Is Free Speech? Seneca Takes Down Social Justice Warriors
Why do flame wars happen? Why are so many people on the Left shutting down free speech through no-platforming? Do Social Justice Warriors even know what they're trying to do? How can we have conversations with people we don't like without it degenerating into an emotional bloodbath? This week, we try to answer all these questions and more as we dig into Letter 48 from Seneca (unexcitingly titled 'On Quibbling as Unworthy of a Philosopher'). Seneca's words eerily predict our own times, walking on eggshells for fear of offending someone. Sometimes it can feel like the only thing t...
2018-07-16
1h 07
Voices in the Dark
Dre Is Dead
Here at Voices in the Dark we're doing our best at Learning How To Human, but sometimes we – like everyone else – face some stumbling blocks. This is a special episode where we share some recent (and dramatic) hiccups along the road for both of us. Each of us took a trip recently. Jon went to stay in a cabin in the woods in the middle of nowhere. No electricity, no hot water; just a wood-burning stove and the Scottish countryside to keep him company. He was hoping for some peace and clarity, but instead found himself in a su...
2018-05-12
48 min
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic #25: How To Make The Right Friends And Influence The Right People
Drawing on Letter 38 from Seneca ('On Quiet Conversation'), this episode digs into the immense value of real, face-to-face conversation for all aspects of our lives. Emails and texts can be great, but sitting down in person changes the game, whether it's a massive business deal, or a chance to (re)connect with another person. It's almost a meditative thing to have a conversation because, unless you're stuck in your head for some reason, it is a mindfulexercise. You are in the moment. – Andrea And being in the moment means not just waiting for the...
2018-05-07
1h 08
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic #24: Entering the Arena of Life... With A Vibrator
This week we riff on Seneca's Letter 47, 'On Allegiance to Virtue' – it's short, but richly rewarding to dig into. It's about how life can seem like a battle – an unfair one – that we never consciously agreed to, yet are thrust into the midst of. How can we change our experience of life into a glorious adventure rather than a horrible, Sisyphean trudge? Seneca's got some pointers and Jon and Andrea have got more to add: This week we explore how to reset your emotional baseline; give some practical tips on shifting your mindset from shit to shiny; and tal...
2018-04-30
1h 07
Voices in the Dark
Join The Unknown – JJ Bitters Interview
Poet, writer, philosopher and artist JJ Bitters joins us this week midway through a tour through Europe and Africa. And he's just come out of the closet... OK, not thatcloset! JJ originally wanted to create art without ego, so he chose the pseudonym 'The Unknown' to keep is identity separate from his art. But can you survive and get the word out that way – and how much of yourself can you pour into art which is intentionally disconnected from you? JJ has written about mental health, psychedelic discoveries, deep philosophical questions... and lately he's been wri...
2018-04-16
1h 05
Voices in the Dark
Why Nice Guys Suck [Sex & Relationships Series]
What's wrong with being a Nice Guy? Isn't that what everyone wants in a partner? No, they don't. Nice Guys aren't nice. Nice guys are a problem – for themselves and for the people they want to seduce. Because Nice Guys aren't what you (or they) think they are. They're the people pleasers who never truly ask for or say what they need. They're the approval-seekers (or disapproval-avoiders). They're the fixers and the caretakers who're always keeping a mental balance sheet in their minds: Because I do X for you, I should get Y in return. But...
2018-04-09
1h 07
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic #21: What Progress Really Means
This one's about staying the course, knowing how to recognise progress from how it feels, and the dangers of internalising other people’s narratives of what your life should be. In Letter 32 Seneca wants us to stay the course, rather than endlessly making fresh starts and chasing fads. As he puts it, 'We break up life into little bits and fritter it away' – Seneca That can cheat us of doing the Deep Work we need to make progress, rather than endlessly skimming the surface and thrashing about like a hyperactive child in a...
2018-03-26
1h 01
Voices in the Dark
Finding Clarity In Life With Philip McKernan – Jon's Retreat Experience
After a successful Go Fund Me campaign, Jon raised enough money to spend an intensive weekend retreat with coach, speaker, author and emotional terrorist Philip McKernan. And he's still reeling from what happened. So what happened, and how's Jon doing today? It was an intimate event at a hotel in a tiny village. They spent most of it locked in a room with a man whose speciality is relentlessly asking some of the most deep and searching questions about yourself, your life, and your relationships with people, money, and even to your own identity. ...
2018-03-24
53 min
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic #20: Stop Giving Advice, Start Making Connections!
This week: when and how to give advice; how people avoid seeing what's right in front of them; how to avoid getting overwhelmed in life; and what human connection and life are truly all about. Riffing on Letter 29 from Seneca, this episode is a corker. Advice is a dangerous game: when and how you give it can change your life. Don't waste energy and time trying to give advice to those who don't want to hear it. Not only would Seneca be pissed off at you, you'd be violating the most important of the 48 Laws of...
2018-03-19
1h 01
Voices in the Dark
Can Psychedelics Cure Autism?
Can psychedelics cure Autism? It's a question researchers are only beginning to ask, but VITD's own Dre has already run the experiments – on himself. Over the past few years, he's taken MDMA and LSD to help connect the parts of his brain that allow most people to understand others, feel their emotions, and make lasting connections. But before we get to that, what even is Autism Spectrum Disorder? Probably not what you think it is. Most people on the Autism spectrum aren't Rain Man or maths geniuses. They're people whose brains function differently, but in myr...
2018-03-12
1h 04
Voices in the Dark
Psychology Of Dating Apps [Sex & Relationships Series]
Welcome to our new series on Sex & Relationships! VITD has long been about psychology, mental health, social dynamics and self-development, and these are all vital themes in the realms of sexuality and interpersonal connection. But usually most of us just don't talk about them. They're vital parts of the human experience, yet we tend to just follow the script that our culture's given us, rarely questioning why we think and act the way we do. In this series, we're going to upend those assumptions and see what we find underneath. From open relationships to dating...
2018-02-27
1h 13
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic #17: Helping People Change
How and when to help other people; whether we can really get anybody to change after a certain age; how to check we’re not also in need of correction (and whether we should calibrate that by looking at everyone else, or turning to our inner compass). Drawing from Letter 25, this one is all about timing, making change, and the hard work that always requires. This week, Seneca is on Lucilius's case about some mutual friends – one old, one young, and both in need of some correction to get their lives back on track. But how...
2018-02-13
57 min
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic #16: Make Fear Your Mentor
How to deal with and handle fear; how to find balance between accepting death and embracing life; and how to make fear your mentor. This week we take a look at Letter 24 – 'On Despising Death'. But it's not another go-round of telling yourself that death is OK and we should accept it. No – this time our focus is on how to live well now, and recognise how our fears (conscious or otherwise) can destroy our lives well before the Grim Reaper comes a knocking. Seneca invites us to get practical: What if we imagine the worst...
2018-02-05
1h 05
Voices in the Dark
Why Does School Suck For So Many Kids? – Jim Sheils Interview
Jim Sheils is disarmingly friendly for a terrorist. Well, that's what he's been branded in his community – they say he's an 'education terrorist' for taking his kids out of school and teaching them through 'experiential education'. That means learning by doing and reflecting, not by memorising and regurgitating. Wait up, though – this isn't an episode blindly extolling the virtues of home schooling; this is a thoughtful but passionate debate about the education system... and why and how it must be reformed. Jon, Dre and Jim each bring their own different perspectives and experiences to t...
2018-02-01
1h 09
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic #15: Littlefingering Your Way To Success
When's the right time to make change? Whether it's leaving a job or changing your life, this letter is all about facing some hard truths. When and how can we change for the better? Why do we cling on and refuse to develop? And what are the myriad ways we're unconsciously enslaving ourselves to lives that we hate? Want to make a change, but it's not quite the right time? Well, it's time to wake up – it's never going to be the Right Time, but you can prepare yourself to embrace the inescapable uncertainty to your...
2018-01-29
1h 00
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic #14: Practising What You Preach
From ancient Stoic letters to modern-day S&M clubs, this one's a corker. We explore why actions speak louder than words; the benefits of taking action for mental health; why philosophy is about LIFE, not about libraries; and finding true peace within as you seek to better yourself. It's one of Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power to 'Win Through Your Actions, Never Through Argument', and for good reason. Consciously or otherwise, we value what people actually do, not what they merely say. Seneca exhorts us to live a life of congruence – to practise what we pre...
2018-01-22
56 min
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic #13: Practical Exercises For Overcoming Fear
Tim Ferriss's favourite letter, this week's episode has direct, practical applications. It's time to intentionally do tough things to become sturdier mentally and physically. We explore how to temper the mind as well as the body; to understand our anger; why the how is often more important than what you do; and whether going with less really means we appreciate the more when we have it. Do you live in fear? Fear that you can't make change in your life in case you can't pay the rent? Fear of losing all you've gained if you take a ris...
2018-01-15
52 min
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic #12: Rich On Paper, Poor On Life
A letter that hammers home the need to put your WHY first – to find your mindset and your outlook before you do anything else; on avoiding becoming the slave to money in all that you do; the swamp of accumulating possessions; how to do what you truly want now, not later; and how to make sense of Stoicism not as a prescription, but as guidelines for what to emphasise in life. Do you dream of getting rich? Would all your problems magically disappear? Well, they wouldn't. Not unless you consciously know why you want to get rich.
2018-01-12
59 min
Voices in the Dark
New Year, Real You: Stoic Journalling & New Year's Dissolutions
It's 2018 and we've got a couple of powerful tools for you to make the best start in the new year, personally, socially, and professionally. And we do it all through the lens of our incredibly fancy new film-grade camera, so check out the video to see us in our high-def glory! We've both started using The Daily Stoic Journal which, unlike most blindly optimistic journals, actually helps you to order your thoughts, tune into what's important in your life, and see the huge difference that only a day or just a few hours can make t...
2018-01-08
34 min
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic #10: Are You Fears Real Or Imagined?
This episode is a Tim Ferriss favourite – the basis for his TED talk on 'Fear-Setting'. This one's about overcoming the paralysis of worrying; how to tell whether our fears are real or imaginary; how to see through the web of our own fears and be able to release into the moment; and how we constantly trip ourselves up trying to plan and control things, rather than actually living. Fear of the future and the unknown can leave us powerless and paralysed. But it doesn't have to be that way. As Seneca teaches in one of his most fam...
2017-12-18
1h 04
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic #7: What You Need vs. What You Want
This episode is all about being self-sufficient. Is it possible and, if so, is it really desirable? Do we need friends? Can we really be so ‘stoic’ that if everyone and everything we love and have is gone, we’d still be OK? Plus – how to make true friends & alliances. And where does happiness really come from? What does being self-sufficient really mean? It's often held up as the pinnacle of being a wise, fully-developed human being, but doesn't that mean a life of severely restricted emotions? This one really gets to the heart of Stoicism...
2017-11-20
1h 02
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic: Success Vampires & The Madness of Crowds
This episode examines the subtle madness of crowds; why 'upgrading your peer-group' is a recipe for disaster if you don't understand what it really means; how to help others without them becoming dependent on you; setting strong personal boundaries; and how to avoid the chill embrace of the Success Vampires of this world. Seneca was appalled at the blood-sports of Rome, but not because of the violence itself. He warned that if we join the crowd and lose ourselves in its midst, we subtly but continuously poison ourselves. Substitute reality TV, political rallies and social justice warrior...
2017-11-13
55 min
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic #5: Seeing Reality, Rejecting the Rulebook
This episode explores the psychology of sharing and over-sharing; understanding and cultivating true friendship; how to use your own eyes rather than society's rulebook; and how to judge which role models are genuinely worth emulating. Countless thousands of people have turned to Stoicism as a tool for self-development, but how do we even start improving ourselves without shunning aspects we don't like: you can't cut off your arm and not injure yourself in the process. And how can we improve ourselves when the wisest philosophers we've had can't even agree whether a 'self' exists at a...
2017-11-06
58 min
Voices in the Dark
The Modern Stoic: Dying (And Living) Well
You forget to look before crossing the street; your foot slips as you walk down the stairs... and it's all over. Are you ready? Can you be at peace with that? The Stoics took care to remind themselves of death: Memento mori. In the cutthroat world of the Romans, this could be all too close, but we all so easily forget that death can turn up any moment. And yet most people are caught between the fear of death and the unwillingness to live. We're too scared of losing things – possessions, jobs, relationships – to actually enjoy...
2017-10-23
42 min
Voices in the Dark
Perfection In A Glass – David Waterlow Interview (Jon's Bro)
Do you know what makes the perfect dram? By popular demand, we delve back into the world of whisky – the essential drink of the modern Renaissance Man. And this time, we've got insider knowledge from Jon's brother, David. David's managed whisky shops on Edinburgh's iconic Royal Mile – the ancient cobbled street running between the castle and Holyrood Palace. He started by answering a job ad on Gumtree, before working his way up to running stores and selling whiskies to celebrities and Texan oil barons alike. As you'd expect, he's got a few stories to share...
2017-09-26
1h 22
Voices in the Dark
The 50th Law – Part 11: Confront Your Mortality. The Sublime.
Are you afraid to die? You don't have to be. You can overcome those fears – and in the process you'll unlock your truest potential. This episode uncovers the real Robert Greene and gets right to the core of what it means to be human to the best of our potential: to live fearlessly, powerfully, and to be attuned to the beauty of the human experience. We look at what happened when 50 Cent confronted his own morality; consider whether knowledge of our own morality helps or hinders us; and we drop insight bombs from physics, Buddhism, and...
2017-07-31
1h 34
Voices in the Dark
The 50th Law – Part 7: Lead From The Front. Authority
We know it when we feel it. Sometimes we hate it. Sometimes we crave it. But how does authority work? In these modern times, we often distrust authority by default, but in this episode we reveal how deeply we screw ourselves over in the process. What if we think of authority as the act of authoring something new – leading people forward, willingly, with dynamism and creativity, even if it means pulling them uncomfortably out of their stupor? This is a deep exploration of one of the core elements of our tribal nature. We diss...
2017-07-03
1h 39
Voices in the Dark
The 50th Law – Part 6: Know When To Be Bad. Aggression
Will you stand your ground? Do you get what you want? Are you prepared to be uncomfortable to do what's right? Probably not. In our society, we're taught to fear confrontation and to consider it dangerous and destructive. We call it being polite, but this emotional avoidance can lead to fundamental dishonesty with yourself and turn you into other people's doormat. This episode is all about setting personal boundaries and refusing to let others walk all over you. It isn't about becoming a bully, but about refusing to be bullied by anyone. Democracy i...
2017-06-26
1h 27
Voices in the Dark
The Shaman's Path: Don Howard Lawler Interview
For the last five decades, Don Howard Lawler has been practising shamanism, using his deep knowledge of plant medicines such as Ayahuasca and Huachuma (San Pedro) to heal people's depression, addictions, and to help reconnect them with their purpose and the world around them. Jon's met Don Howard before. Eighteen months ago, he went to SpiritQuest Sanctuary, the shamanic healing centre Don Howard set up in the Peruvian Amazon, and drank Ayahuasca for the first time. The medicine turned his life upside down, but Don Howard was always there to guide the often immensely challenging process with...
2017-06-16
1h 52
Voices in the Dark
Ayahuasca and Huachuma Before & After: Back From The Jungle
Eighteen months after Ayahuasca turned his life upside-down, Jon headed back to the jungle to see what would happen this time around. For one thing, this time it was a veritable plant medicine odyssey: Four Ayahuasca ceremonies, one Bobinsana ceremony, three Huachuma ceremonies, and a final, terrifying Vilca ceremony. Recorded the day after he got back to the UK over a ceremonial mapacho 'cigar', we reflect on the experience from Jon's perspective, and Dre breaks down the neurochemistry and psychology of how and why these things unfold. We consider how modern societies screw us up and...
2017-06-08
1h 45
Voices in the Dark
The 50th Law – Part 3: Make Everything Your Own. Self Reliance.
Who owns you? Think about it. Who controls your time, your work, even your sense of self-worth? If someone else controls any of these things, you're neither free, nor powerful. But breaking those chains is a daunting challenge. For 50 Cent, this was a tale of crack hustling, escaping the vampiric embrace of the record industry, and seizing control of his art and image. But the dynamics at play in all these areas can be related directly – and often pointedly – to the rest of us, too. Making everything your own isn't simply about material possessions. This is about...
2017-06-05
1h 26
Voices in the Dark
The 50th Law – Part 2: Intense Realism
More than likely, you're living in a dream world. A fabrication. A projection of how you think the world is or should be. And just as likely, the world has a habit of slapping you in the face with something quite different. Time to change things up. Time to start seeing things clearly and fearlessly. In this deep and wide-ranging episode, we explore how to develop the Hustler's Eye: the ability to see things and people how they actually are, rather than how we wish them to be. To do so, we first have to r...
2017-05-29
1h 43
Voices in the Dark
Ayahuasca Before & After: Back To The Jungle
Almost two years after he first went to the Amazon rainforest to drink the most potent psychedelic known to man, and after his whole life was turned upside-down as a result, Jon's heading right back out there to do it again. We get into the spiritual, the biological, the personal and the philosophical in this episode. There's a psychedelic 'renaissance' underway in modern culture, but what does that really mean for us as individuals? Recorded just the day before boarding his flight to Peru, Dre quizzes Jon on why he's going back, what his expectations ar...
2017-05-11
1h 01
Voices in the Dark
Law 46 - Never Appear Too Perfect | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power
The green demon is among us! Envy is a dangerous affliction and one which we all fall victim to at times. But being a victim is obviously not what we're aiming for here... and if envy is something everyone is susceptible to, how can we make use of it on our journey to power? On the flipside, humility can take you a (very) long way. But in a world dominated by social media and self-promotion, have we forgotten to tone down our virtues for the sake of the long game? Law 46 challenges the cult of th...
2017-04-24
1h 20
Voices in the Dark
Law 45 - Preach The Need For Change, But Never Reform Too Much At Once | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power
There is only one constant in life: Change. It destroys, creates, excites... but also terrifies. Most of us, however opened-minded we claim to be, instinctively resist change and prefer to cling to our familiar routines and circles. But creatures of habit are rarely powerful. Law 45 breaks down this inertia: how can we make changes that suit us? How can we overcome the innate, tribal resistance of the people and structures which surround us? Acceptance can come surprisingly quickly if you know how to play the game effectively, and in this episode we reveal the tools...
2017-04-17
1h 25
Voices in the Dark
Law 44 - Disarm And Infuriate With The Mirror Effect | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power
Who's that in the mirror? And what are they trying to do to you? We all calibrate ourselves to the world around us, but if we're not careful we get caught in a hall of mirrors – lost in the warped and warping realities of other people, trapped in their funhouse. The root of all power is to lower people's resistance to you, but that takes time and teaching. The Mirror Effect is the perfect teaching device; the perfect mask; and the perfect weapon when used at the right time. But mirrors, like the Laws themselves, ar...
2017-04-10
1h 15
Voices in the Dark
Law 43 - Work On The Hearts And Minds Of Others | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power
Coercion is a dirty word; manipulation no better. But that's what social life is all about, down at its very core: we're all trying to get people to see our point of view, to join forces in some fashion, whether it's building a world-changing company or just going to the cinema together. Brute force doesn't do the job, or certainly not for long. So how can we win people over effectively, and without the stench of coercion blighting our attempts? Law 43 answers these questions and much more besides. Drawing together the threads of many of th...
2017-04-03
1h 25
Voices in the Dark
Law 42 - Strike The Shepherd And The Sheep Will Scatter | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power
Bad apples, shit-stirrers and fifth-columnists. It only takes one to disrupt and destroy your power, but how can you spot and remove them before it's too late? Purging, banishment, shame and rebellion – Law 42 explores the enormous power of isolation and exile, but it's frequently more complicated than it seems to put into practice. How can you keep people on side without pandering to their whims, and how can you dethrone a power-player without fostering an eventual counterstrike? This episode we get controversial. We get into a tense debate about whether mercy can ever be a too...
2017-03-27
1h 27
Voices in the Dark
Law 41 - Avoid Stepping Into A Great Man's Shoes | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power
You've got Daddy Issues. And you're going to have to deal with them if you want to find your way to Power. Law 41 penetrates deeply into our psyches and draws back the veil on the automatic behaviours we go through life with – unconsciously playing out the patterns we inherited from our parents, whether by copying them or trying, naively, to reject them. So how can we forge our own distinctive routes to Power? This week, we ask some crucial questions. What is real drive? Who has it; can it be learnt; and should you rely on y...
2017-03-20
1h 27
Voices in the Dark
Law 40 - Despise The Free Lunch | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power
Freebies? Surely we want them... Actually, we don't. Law 40 explains the enormous psychological burdens involved in accepting the free lunch, and how rapidly this can draw you into a web of obligations and inferior power positions. This Law breaks down the different kinds of toxic people who try to manipulate you through emotional and financial blackmail – you'll know them when you hear them described, but how many times have you fallen inadvertently under their sway? This week we explore how to successfully cultivate and nurture relationships so that you can call on those favours when you need th...
2017-03-13
1h 27
Voices in the Dark
Law 38 - Think As You Like But Behave Like Others | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power
Behave like others?! Doesn't this contradict the very fabric of The 48 Laws of Power, a book designed to reveal the mechanistic, unreflective ways in which most people act and then give us the tools to escape the imaginary cage this seems to confine us in? How can we Create Compelling Spectacles or Keep Others In Suspended Terror without acting in ways markedly different from the norm? But Law 38 is a complex affair, offering both a slap in the face to the idea of 'just being yourself' and expecting everything to work out, and simultaneously providing a nuanced way to ret...
2017-02-27
1h 21
Voices in the Dark
Law 37 - Create Compelling Spectacles | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power
Words are wind, but images and symbols are unforgettable. Create a spectacle, tell a story, or imbue yourself with the resonant power of a symbol and you're well on your way to capturing the hearts and minds of your audience. Kings, charlatans, mistresses and maniacs – Law 37 unpacks the magical thinking which forms an intrinsic part of how humans operate across the spectrum of society. Even if we can turn down the volume of these superstitious thought patterns, we can never escape their influence completely. Symbols are at the very heart of communication – they're the shortcuts our brains take...
2017-02-20
1h 26
Voices in the Dark
Law 36 - Disdain Things You Cannot Have - Ignoring Them Is The Best Revenge | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power
We've all tasted it now and then: the ability to shrug things off that might otherwise cause us distress and make us appear weak and needy is a fundamental and immense wellspring of power. The promotion you didn't get; the romantic advance turned down; or just the mix-up of times and dates that meant you missed something cool... If you reacted with petulance and frustration, you neither felt nor appeared dignified or in control. But oh, those times where you managed to find the inner strength and stability to smile and move onwards... those are moments to treasure. B...
2017-02-13
1h 19
Voices in the Dark
What Is Your Favourite Place In The World? – Minisode 002
Inspired by our friends Nic Gregoriades and Thomas Faustin Huisking over at Digital Communion, this is the second of a series of short (20 mins) but deep conversations between Jon and Dre. Each episode begins with a question designed to make you (and us) reflect and to think about life and our experience of it. Today's episode poses the question: 'What's your favourite place in the world?' Some of the areas we get into: Jon increasingly aims at a feeling more than a place Finding flow – alone and in company Moscow: Jon's favourite city in t...
2017-02-09
21 min
Voices in the Dark
Law 35 - Master The Art of Timing | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power
Do you have your shit together? Drowning under to-do lists? Time is the one resource you can never replenish, so mastering how to use it wisely is not only powerful, but essential. Law 35 gives us a bracing confrontation with the ways we let time use and abuse us, before showing how we can make it serve us instead... Not least, as a tool to influence other people. In this episode, we consider how to master the art of timing during revolutionary periods – how can you escape the guillotine over and over again while still remaining in a posit...
2017-02-06
1h 29
Voices in the Dark
Law 34 - Be Royal In Your Own Fashion - Act Like A King To Be Treated Like One | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power
One of Dre's favourite Laws, this one treads the fine line between performing, lying, and simply showing the side of yourself that you most want the world to see. Are you ready to escape the roles and limitations that other people foist upon you? Well, here's a newsflash: it all starts with you and how you present yourself. Kings can be unmade if they do not act like kings, and power can be gained if you act like it's yours already. Dre reads this Law through the prism of Superman (Jon's least favourite superhero), but what does it...
2017-01-30
1h 40
Voices in the Dark
Law 33 - Discover Each Man's Thumbscrew | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power
Time to crack out the torture devices! Well, actually Law 33 turns out to be much less about tightening those thumbscrews than releasing the pressure of them, making it a rather neat counterpart to Law 32's invocation to Play To People's Fantasies. Discovering someone's soft-spot may be the way to their hearts, but that doesn't mean you have to stab them in it. In fact, this Law proves to be a particularly acute lesson in the need to choose the right Law for the right situation and, beyond that, understand the specific way to apply it. When you begi...
2017-01-23
1h 36
Voices in the Dark
Law 32 - Play To People's Fantasies | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power
LAW 32: Play To People's Fantasies You're living a fantasy, whether you know it or not. We all tell stories about ourselves and the world around us, making us intensely vulnerable when someone comes along and bursts our bubble. Or, perhaps worse still, when they tease us with the possibility of making those fantasies real... Fantasies can be dangerous things, and Law 32 explains why. When we want a fantasy to exist badly enough, we're alarmingly good at ignoring any evidence that exposes it – everyday life can be so mundane or even painful otherwise. But Robert takes no pris...
2017-01-16
1h 27
Voices in the Dark
Make Sweet Beautiful Love To Your 2017
What happens when you try to record a live podcast in the lounge of a 5-star hotel without asking permission? It turns out you have a really powerful conversation, an excellent cocktail, you break down what 2016 meant and what 2017 is going to be… and no one interferes with you whatsoever. Not bad, eh? Recorded on the road during Dre’s trip to Jon’s home town of Edinburgh, we decided to cast an eye back over the last year and share some of our BIG plans for Voices in the Dark in 2017. Dre’s quit his job; Jon’s wr...
2017-01-13
1h 01
Voices in the Dark
031 - Exploring The 48 Laws of Power - Control The Options: Get Others To Play With The Cards You Deal
Control The Options: Get Others To Play With The Cards You Deal How did I end up in this mess? All too often that's the question we ask ourselves when we look back and realise we've been led by the nose into a situation we'd never have chosen willingly. And yet it seemed like we were free to choose every step of the way. So what happened? Law 31 is what happened: when someone manages to control your options, you find yourself playing on their chessboard, never quite sure of the rules and yet still wanting to believe tha...
2017-01-10
1h 31
Voices in the Dark
After Nepal: One Month Meditation Retreat
It's been a whole month. A month of 2-3 hours of meditation every day, no internet or phone calls, 5am starts, amazing people from around the world, and no caffeine... So who is Jon after all that? Is he a Buddhist? Did he find what he was looking for? What's next for Voices in the Dark? Time to find out. Recorded the day after he arrived back from Kathmandu, Jon answers Dre's questions about what he's learnt and how he's adapting to life outside the walls of the monastery. This is Part II of our Before & After pie...
2017-01-06
1h 23
Voices in the Dark
030 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Make Your Accomplishments Seem Effortless
LAW 30: Make Your Accomplishments Seem Effortless Tim Ferriss breaks this Law all the time. So how does he get away with it, and to such great effect? The best magicians, artists and leaders all hide the intensity of their effort from the world's view, so that when they're on stage everything they do seems deeply impressive. And then there's Tim, who specialises in deconstructing the process behind everything he does... Jon and Dre take on the Ferriss Paradox and much more in Law 30, pondering how we can avoid the danger of seeming to try too ha...
2017-01-03
1h 25
Voices in the Dark
Before Nepal - One Month Meditation Retreat
Jon's heading off to Buddhist monastery in Nepal for a whole month of meditation, reflection, and keeping silent most of the day. No internet. No phone. No caffeine. No 'sexual conduct'. Lots of Buddhism. This is the non-hallucinogenic sequel to Jon's experiences with Ayahuasca in the Amazon just over a year ago, so we decided to create a Before & After interview, with Dre asking the questions: Why's he going? What does he expect to gain from it? Who's he going to be on the other side? And what's the difference between a few doses of psychedelics and 30...
2016-12-26
1h 01
Voices in the Dark
029 - Exploring The 48 Laws of Power - Plan All The Way To The End
LAW 29: Plan All The Way To The End Do you know where you’re going? Or are you just reacting in the moment, never planning beyond the next emerging crisis? Law 29 is all about overcoming this all-too-common tendency and taking a definitive step back to view the bigger picture of your life. To avoid overwhelm from events and getting trapped in constant improvisation, we need to get a clear sense of our destination, so Jon and Dre set about untangling how to find the delicate balance between powerful planning and retaining the flexibility we need to ‘fl...
2016-12-26
1h 24
Voices in the Dark
028 - Exploring The 48 Laws of Power - Enter Action With Boldness
LAW 28: Enter Action With Boldness Don't half-ass it. Don't be the timid one at the back making everyone else feel uncomfortable. Fortune may not always favour the bold, but other people certainly do – and Law 28 is all about why. To celebrate Jon's return from a month meditating in a Buddhist Monastery, your hosts enter the podcast with beer as well as boldness and get stuck into why boldness and timidity are choices, not personality traits; why you're only as powerful as your last interaction with someone; and how society is trying to control you by confusing confidence with arrog...
2016-12-19
1h 27
Voices in the Dark
027 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Play On People's Need To Believe To Create A Cultlike Following
LAW 27: Play On People's Need To Believe To Create A Cultlike Following Even more controversial than usual, Law 27 is a guide to building your own cult and actively duping people! But behind the shock factor, the reality is that people do this all the time, from pyramid schemes to spiritual gurus on- and offline, so, at the very least, we need to learn how to spot a con if we're going to avoid being a victim of one. Jon and Dre discuss cults old and new and how they continue to gain power over t...
2016-12-13
1h 21
Voices in the Dark
026 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Keep Your Hands Clean
LAW 26: Keep Your Hands Clean Have you ever scapegoated someone? Law 26 is about keeping your hands clean, a law which makes Jon uncomfortable. Together with Dre he explores why a scapegoat doesn’t always have to be a negative thing. Once again the need for subtlety and an understanding of the emotional needs of others is a key subject, with Dre and Jon discussing their views on being wronged and apologies and why being an unsung hero feels meaningless to them. Jon shares his opinions on free speech and why he refuses to ton...
2016-12-05
1h 07
Voices in the Dark
025 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Re-Create Yourself
LAW 25: Re-Create Yourself As Law 25 explores identity and the benefits of recreating yourself, Dre and Jon give you a peek into their personal lives as they discuss the different nicknames they’ve been given over the years. Find out who is known as Dr Muscles and who aspires to be King of the Humans. Law 25 is a playful, relatable law for the pair and they both enjoy discussing it, sharing personal experiences and musings on their own identity and reinventions. They discuss becoming the hero of your own life, why they are lobbying to m...
2016-11-29
1h 35
Voices in the Dark
Jeet-Kune-Do Of Power, a MidBook Recap | Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power
We’re pursuing knowledge and philosophising over the morality and practicality of Robert Greene’s book The 48 Laws of Power. In episode 24 ½ we’re halfway to being excessively powerful. This episode will explore some of the key themes from the book, the main realisations we’ve had, how we’ve managed to integrate the Laws of Power into our lives and we’ll discuss our favourite laws so far. The 48 Laws of Power is often read in prisons and by people with potentially nefarious intentions due to the claims it can help you manipulate and be a modern Mac...
2016-11-21
1h 02
Voices in the Dark
024 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Play the Perfect Courtier
LAW 24: Play the Perfect Courtier Law 24 seems to be a combination of previous laws, and about taking stock and measuring your success so far, which makes it the perfect law to hit our midway point with. Jon and Dre focus on the laws within the law, and ponder their roles as courtiers What do high school students have in common with apes? Potentially more than you might realise. Jon and Dre dig into the art of flawless courtiership, and how that fits in with modern hierarchies. They discuss how understanding the rules of court can...
2016-11-16
1h 54
Voices in the Dark
023 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Concentrate Your Forces
LAW 23: Concentrate Your Forces We’re almost at the halfway point, so we’re aiming to do a review at the halfway mark, considering what we’ve done and reviewed so far. We hope to integrate some stories from our listeners and have a look forward to what’s coming up next. If you like what we’re doing please remember to click the like button on Facebook, and share your favourite post. The more people who join, the more we can learn together. FULL NOTES:http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/11/08/concentrate-your…power-episode-23/ Is it better to...
2016-11-09
1h 34
Voices in the Dark
022 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Use The Surrender Tactic - Transform Weakness Into Power
LAW 22: Use The Surrender Tactic - Transform Weakness Into Power Law 22 is all about knowing when to surrender and lose a battle so that you may live to fight another day. There is no benefit to being obliterated to prove a point. How does one reconcile a personal code with the act of giving up? Jon and Dre ponder on the confirmation bias and fetishisation of Hero/Martyr success stories and the difference between upholding what is right and letting it survive so that it may actually become what is possible.
2016-11-01
1h 35
Voices in the Dark
021 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Play A Sucker To Catch A Sucker – Seem Dumber Than Your Mark
LAW 21: Play A Sucker To Catch A Sucker – Seem Dumber Than Your Mark Are you a sucker? Or are you a show-off? Either way, you're not going to be powerful. In Law 21 we explore the delicate art of not alienating people with your smarts, and how potent it can be to make others feel a good deal smarter than you. We discuss the different kinds of trust and how to identify them (or face the consequences); when, why and how to push other people's buttons; and we ponder the #accidentalpower of ignorance. FULL LINKS: http://voicesi...
2016-10-24
1h 24
Voices in the Dark
020 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Do Not Commit To Anyone
LAW 20 Do Not Commit To Anyone We all like to hear that someone – in love or in business – is committed to us, but talk is cheap and value grows from scarcity. So when it comes to making our own moves, Law 20 teaches us to hold back, weigh our options, keep an air of mystery about ourselves... and only commit to people or to ideas at the last possible moment. We cover a lot of ground for Law 20, from the way things (and identities) become true just by saying they are, why you should listen t...
2016-10-18
1h 19
Voices in the Dark
019 - Exploring The 48 Laws of Power - Know Who You're Dealing With – Do Not Offend The Wrong Person
Law 19 Know Who You're Dealing With – Do Not Offend The Wrong Person 'Don't you know who I am?!' screamed the insecure person... But maybe you really should know who they are before you offend them: insecure or otherwise, offending the wrong person can have disastrous long-term consequences. Law 19 is all about not making enemies needlessly; although there's plenty of toxic personalities under discussion here, things are a bit different this week: after all, this law is all about being nice to people and avoiding conflict. In Law 19 of the 48 Laws of Power, Robert Gre...
2016-10-11
1h 54
Voices in the Dark
018 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Do Not Build Fortresses To Protect Yourself – Isolation Is Dangerous
Law 18 Do Not Build Fortresses to Protect Yourself – Isolation Is Dangerous Think you're safe hidden away behind those walls, excuses, or personal assistants? Think again: isolation and being hidden from view will be your undoing. This week we guide you through Law 18 and discuss how to bring the public to you; how introverts can still practise this Law effectively; what lessons we can learn from history's great (and not so great) leaders... and why this Law doesn't actually contradict Law 16: Use Absence To Increase Respect And Honor. Law 18 is also, at its core, all about networki...
2016-10-03
1h 19
Voices in the Dark
017 - Exploring The 48 Laws of Power - Keep Others In Suspended Terror: Cultivate An Air Of Unpredictability
Keep Others In Suspended Terror - Cultivate An Air Of Unpredictability You'd have enormous power if you could predict the future. Learning to predict other people is the next best thing to a crystal ball... but, of course, your own behaviour must remain nebulous, fluid and unpredictable if you want to keep that advantage. This week, we talk about the international chess wars between the USA and the USSR; the costs of using Law 17 on the wrong person; how and uncover more examples of #accidentalpower. FULL NOTES: http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/09/26/keep-others-in-s…power-episode-17/ What are...
2016-09-26
1h 24
Voices in the Dark
016 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Use Absence To Increase Respect And Honor
Law 16: Use Absence To Increase Respect And Honor In Law 16 it's time to make yourself a limited edition and never outstay your welcome. The more you're available, the less value you'll have in the eyes of others; time to cultivate that air of mystery and distance if you want to be desired rather than taken for granted. As we dig into this one, we ask how Law 16 impacts relationships and love, and is this, like so many Laws of Power, really more about about controlling your own emotions and egotistical need for attention than anything else? Dre also...
2016-09-19
1h 21
Voices in the Dark
015 - Exploring The 48 Laws of Power - Crush Your Enemy Totally
Law 15 Crush Your Enemy Totally: Perhaps the most controversial Law of all – Crush Your Enemy Totally! As ever, we are you guides to when a Law like this can be applied in a world beyond the battlefield. What does it mean to crush an enemy in the modern world? When does it become necessary to wipe out an enemy, and can you pull it off with a clear conscience? And what do we even mean by 'enemy'? Historical examples are joined by tales of when Jon's enemy came back to haunt him and Dre took reve...
2016-09-13
1h 33
Voices in the Dark
014 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power- Pose As A Friend, Work As A Spy
LAW 14: Pose As A Friend, Work As A Spy Who are you working for?? Well, yourself... or you should be. Law 14 isn't about insincerity or screwing your friends over, but it's a sharp lesson in social intelligence and self-awareness. We explain how to learn about the people you're dealing with – especially those who're more powerful than you – and how to charm and disarm them into revealing more about themselves and their buttons than they intend. To use Law 14 effectively, you must calibrate yourself to other people, but this doesn't have to be insincere. There are risks, however: don't...
2016-09-05
1h 18
Voices in the Dark
012 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Use Selective Honesty And Generosity To Disarm Your Victim
Law 12 - Use Selective Honesty And Generosity To Disarm Your Victim When is honesty not truly honest? And when is generosity less than generous? Ethical issues unravel as we venture into the seeming contradictions of Law 12. In this episode we explain how to master the skill of the indirect approach and what it means to give before you take, all the while fighting our cultural conditioning which assumes anything but constant and total honesty is somehow a bad thing... We explain why this is not only bad advice, but is totally hypocritical in the first place. We pond...
2016-08-22
1h 25
Voices in the Dark
What Is Your Greatest Fear ? Minisode 001
Inspired by our friends over at Digital Communion, this is the first of a series of short (20 mins) but deep conversations between Jon and Dre. Each episode begins with a question designed to make you (and us) reflect and to think about life and our experience of it. Today’s episode poses the question: ‘What are you most afraid of?’ Dre’s desire to live forever… which Jon finds very difficult to grasp Why be scared of death? The positives and negatives of having boundless ambition The fear of living in a state of self-delusion: how do you know...
2016-08-19
21 min
Voices in the Dark
011 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Learn To Keep People Dependent On You
Learn To Keep People Dependent On You An uncomfortable Law that makes us consider just who we are important to – and how precarious that can be as we struggle to become the power behind the throne. This is about the need to become indispensable... or at least to appear to be, making it the complementary piece to Law 1: here we learn how to be and remain The Master, but also how to remain essential to a Master without coming to outshine them. Along the way we hear how Dre managed to keep ahead of the game by diversify...
2016-08-15
1h 28
Voices in the Dark
010 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Infection, Avoid The Unhappy And Unlucky
Infection: Avoid The Unhappy And Unlucky Ever find yourself dragged down or enmeshed by the negativity of the people around you? Does misfortune rain on their heads with implausible regularity? In this episode we deconstruct who these people are and how you can avoid their corrosive influence in your personal and professional life. This Law is the more intelligent and effective way to 'upgrade your peergroup', but Jon and Dre also set about redesigning society from the ground up; discussing the brainwashing effects of western society; the BS of unpaid internships; and why you should stop trying to...
2016-08-08
1h 31
Voices in the Dark
Episode 0: Meet Jon & Dre - What's It All About
Voices in the Dark, what's it all about... Recorded during a massive thunderstorm over London (in mid-summer, of course), Jon and Dre dive into what Voices in the Dark is all about; why we're exploring the 48 Laws of Power; what our other shows are going to be... and who the hell are we, anyway? In a nutshell, we're 'just' exploring the human condition: what it is to be a human beings and the problems we face both as individuals and as a society. In the process we talk about Dre's journey from severe a...
2016-08-04
1h 06
Voices in the Dark
009 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Win Through Your Actions - Never Through Argument
Law 9: Win Through Your Actions, Never Through Argument A Law that many smart people fail to observe... not least the big-mouthed hosts of this podcast! In this episode we dissect the crucial differences between being smart and being effective, and dig into how to score results rather than points. Dre vents about his experiences with freelancers, while Jon has an existential crisis about how any of his academic work can observe the Law... And we both tell some excruciatingly embarrassing stories of how we've both been conned when others have used the devilish Reversal of this Law agai...
2016-07-18
1h 35
Voices in the Dark
007 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Get Others To Do The Work For You, But Always Take the Credit
Law 7: Get Others To Do The Work For You, But Always Take the Credit One of the most controversial Laws in the book, this one makes people very squeamish, evoking the same kind of moralising outrage that so often faces Machiavelli’s The Prince. But all is not quite as it seems, as Jon and Dre reveal: this Law is ultimately about self-worth, escaping The Matrix, teamwork, knowing when to give as well as to take the praise, depending how far along the road to power you are… Are you ready? This episodes includes: Why cravi...
2016-07-07
1h 09
Voices in the Dark
006 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - Court Attention At All Costs
Law 6: Court Attention At All Costs They say all publicity is good publicity, but how do we deal with that in real life? How can we cope emotionally with others thinking ill of us? And doesn’t this clash with Law 5’s incitement to guard your reputation with your life? This Law presents us with an array of bizarre stories and emotional sticking-points, ranging from exotic dancers of dubious backgrounds, hiring terrible musicians to build your business, to Jon's inability to keep a consistent opinion on just about anything... and why that might be a good thing. We also...
2016-06-29
1h 24
Voices in the Dark
005 - Exploring The 48 Laws Of Power - So Much Depends On Reputation - Guard It With Your Life
Law 5: So Much Depends On Reputation - Guard It With Your Life Reputation can make or break you, but how can you keep control of it when it's ultimately all about the opinion of other people? In this episode we set our crosshairs on the cult of 'authenticity' and explore where the line lies between creating an image and losing touch with yourself. We puzzle over the cult of social media, the importance of cat videos to our moral lives, and what pro wrestling has to teach us about being genuine. We also dig into: How havi...
2016-06-21
1h 45
Voices in the Dark
003 - Exploring The 48 Laws of Power - Conceal Your Intentions
Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions Sex and seduction, politics and warfare… This episode has all of that and more! Disagreements emerge as Jon and Dre discuss the Third Law of Power and what it means to put up a smokescreen and keep honesty in lockdown, including: Sex and deception… Can you have one without the other? How honesty can ruin relationships Creating a smokescreen to hide your true desires Why exposing your emotions is like exposing your body Control your face or lose your power Letting your audience complete the performance for you – revel in their un...
2016-06-09
1h 27