Finding Heroic Meaning In Modern Life - Tom Van Der Linden - #473

**Chris Williamson** (0:00)
Hola, friends, welcome back to the show. My guest today is Tom Van Der Linden. He's a YouTuber, video essayist, and creator of Like Stories of Old. Finding meaning in modern life is hard. What glory is there to achieve when all of your existence has already been made totally convenient by technology? Heroic narratives still exist in movies and books, but can we apply these lessons to the real world? Expect to learn how to tell the difference between serving ourselves and serving others, why watching a heroic movie can skew our expectations of life, why it's difficult to ever truly know another person, what Albert Camus can teach us about enduring suffering, why David Foster-Wallace called adult life the day-to-day trenches, and much more. Tom's YouTube channel is absolutely fantastic, and he's got this sort of real calm, existential insight thing going on, and he knows far more about philosophy than me, so there's lots to take away from today. Also, personal update, I am still currently in Guatemala. Long story, I came out here to get my visa for the US trip that I'm on, and it's taken a little bit longer than anticipated, so I am bodging together a hotel room setup at the moment. I will be here for, I'm not sure how much longer, but a little while at least. However, do not worry, the show is going to continue. The internet connection is fast, and I thankfully brought a microphone out with me. In other news, this episode is brought to you by Craftd London. If you are a guy that is looking to get yourself some new jewellery, this is the place to begin. They've had over half a million customers worldwide, and they are the number one men's jewellery brand on the planet, literally the market leader globally. Also, it's hard to find jewellery that actually looks good, but their designs come in gold and silver, they've got custom designs, they always release new pieces, they're sweat proof, waterproof, heat proof, gym proof, and come with a lifetime guarantee, no matter how long you have it for or what happens to it, they will replace your jewellery, no matter what. Also, you can get 15% off everything that they sell, this is the only discount that they do, and you can get it by going to bit.ly.cdwisdm, and the code MW15, a checkout, plus, they fulfill in the UK and in the USA, and they ship internationally. bit.ly.cdwisdm and MW15, a checkout. In other, other news, this episode is brought to you by Super Speciosa. You might be struggling with the amount of coffee that you're drinking, you might be trying to reduce your caffeine. Kratom is an ancient superleaf that comes from deep within the jungles of Southeast Asia. Farmers have been using kratom as a natural source of energy for hundreds of years. It is great if you're looking to cut back on your caffeine. If you are using it just before a workout, it's fantastic as a pre-workout and it's really good for you to relax on a nighttime. This was featured in Chris Bell, the guy that did Bigger Stronger Faster. He did another documentary and was raving on about this for ages. And I can kind of see why. All of Super Speciosa batches come with certified lab reports, so you know exactly what you're getting. And you can get it in powder, capsules, tablets and teas. If you are starting off, the green strains are the most popular and there is a 100% satisfaction or your money back guaranteed. Plus, you can get a 20% discount site-wide off everything. Head to getsuperleaf.com/modernwisdom and use the code MW20 at checkout. That's getsuperleaf.com/modernwisdom, the promo code MW20 for a big fat 20% discount. And in final news, this episode is brought to you by Surfshark VPN. Given the fact that I'm out here in Guatemala, I have been using Surfshark because I would not be able to watch anything on iPlayer or All 4 or my Netflix. The Guatemalan Netflix was suboptimal to say the least. However, if you've got a VPN, you'll secure your browsing and get access to the entire world's Netflix library plus HBO Max, Disney Plus, whatever else it is that you use. It secures your browsing by hiding your data from your internet service providers so that it can't be sold to companies that are gonna target you with ads or so that hackers and phishing websites can try and steal your data. All of that rolled into one app that you can use across unlimited devices so you can have it on your phone, your iPad, your laptop, and even on your smart TV. So you'll have that secure browsing plus access to the entire world's Netflix and HBO Max and Disney Plus library, no matter what device you're watching on. Also, you can get an 83% discount, three months free and a 30-day money back guarantee by going to surfshark.deals.modernwisdom so you can buy it and try it for 29 days. If you don't like it, they'll give you your money back. Surfshark.deals.modernwisdom. But now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Tom Van Der Linden.