#3 in Top 5 Things I Love About Podcasts
#3 Top 5 Things I Love About Podcasts
They’re on topics you’re
Interested in, or
Interested in becoming interested in
You do the curating. You’re in the driver’s seat.
I tell my students, why are you in college ?
They never answer, to learn. It’s for a piece of paper. And it’s not even on paper any more. The transcripts now are electronically delivered.
But, I prompt, what’s the piece of paper supposed to signify ?
This is a deep question for them. Their eyes look up and to the left. And then, since they’re in my class, I point out, they can also look up and to the right as well to see if there’s anything up thataway.
The piece of paper is supposed to signify LEARNING.
But, you could do that without the piece of paper. You could do it for free. But you don’t, because you’re undisciplined, lazy, and have poor mentoring. You’re looking for leadership. Even if it says, sit here and do this Tues and Thurs from 1 to 2:50 pm for 13 weeks.
Why not just go to the library on Tues and Thurs during that time for 13 weeks, or, shoot , the ENTIRE YEAR ?
“We wouldn’t know what to read,” one says.
“We wouldn’t know what it means,” says another.
Sure, you need an expert, a mentor. I get it. I did to. I still do.
You have that aplently now on your phone, in your car, in your computer at home, in your bathroom, your kitchen, while you mow the lawn (we don’t mow the lawn here), while you’re in traffic, at the store, doing laundry, folding clothes, getting dressed, making the bed, gardening, fixing things, organizing the garage, waiting for your oil to be changed, etc.
Take for example a podcast episode I listened to today while working out. It’s The Tom Woods Show, October 26, 2023, episode 2409 called “100 Books Educated People Should Read.”
There is a book about that they talk about, and so I guess that’s the 101st book (or the first before the 100, so 101 total), but I digress.
Let’s say you want to know about passive income. There’s Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income podcast. Or international relations. There’s Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson, or Lawfare (which leans Democrat, fyi). Let’s say you want to know more about the military. There’s the Cavasships Podcast, or Proceedings of the Naval Institute. Let’s say you’re interested in discovering whether you’re interested in Real Estate. You could pop into the Real Estate Rookie podcast with Bigger Pockets. You could then graduate, if you like, to their main real estate one. Maybe you want to learn more about the Bible : there’s Think Biblically.
I would suggest though that you take it easy. The podcast world is glutted. I get emails that my podcast, The Republican Professor , is in the top 10% of all podcasts , whatever that means. But the same email tells me that there are over 3 million podcasts across the world.
Take it slow. Get an idea of what your 1 or 2 (from above) are, before you open up the podcast search. Limit yourself to trying a couple or a few at most. Give a podcast some time to develop. Not every episode is the same. Try some out. Get an idea of what you want out of them. Try to track what you’re learning. If a podcast suggests good books to be aware of and to acquire for reading, those are particularly useful for learning, because you can acquire a physical object you can hold in your hand that reinforces and deepens your understanding of the material you want to learn. Be careful though because books are addictive, and they cost money and take up room and are heavy. So get the good ones.
You’re in control. That’s good, but that can also be bad if you don’t know what you’re doing, or don’t have a sense of what you’re working toward, what you find important. But, the longer you “work” at it, the funner it is, and the more clarity and knowledge and understanding you gain. It has the potential to increase your happiness and flourishing.