Humans with Josh Levent
A podcast for people who want the world to slow down and become more human.
Episode 10
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Playful Curiosity, Exploring the World Headfirst: Meet Christofer Lövgren
Christofer Lövgren calls himself the irrevocably curious dickhead. Born and raised in Sweden, he grew up playing with Legos, Gameboy and Trading Cards. When he was 5 he picked up the guitar from his granddad and fell in love with it.
He only gave it up at age 19, when his workout addiction led to extreme pain in his hands and forearms making guitar-playing impossible.
Luckily he’s now again at a place where he can play guitar and is even playing with a band.
Christofer is someone who loves conversations. He told me that exploring the outer world doesn’t interest him much, because he is so fascinated by his own and others’ inner worlds, which he can tap into through conversations.
One of the places he does this is on his podcast, Do Explain, which he started 2 years ago to explore the work of David Deutsch and Critical Rationalism more broadly.
At school, Christofer loved maths when he had fun textbooks until 6th Grade. At that point the serious textbooks with fewer interesting pictures and colours, and a separate book for doing the work made him lose interest. He now says that anyone having fun is learning, even if just on an inexplicit level.
While we also talked about serious and difficult topics related to mental and physical health, at the end, we had a lot of fun recording this episode and you will hear us laughing a lot. And at the end that encapsulates Christofer’s personality completely for me. He is deep, and a great conversationalist for serious topics, but he will always make it fun as well.
On today’s podcast:
How Christofer go introduced to the guitar by his grandfather
How he managed to rack up 7 concussions in his life so far
How he used to hide on the toilet so he could spend more time playing on his Gameboy
How he used to torture his spiderman action figures
How he loved math when it was fun, but lost interest when he got the more serious textbooks for teenagers
The tragedy of thinking that learning and fun are opposites in some way
How he learns more in a weekend on YouTube than he did in 3 months at University
How the most intensely curious and intelligent people often also have a silly side and can be so fun to be around
Reading Harry Potter in childhood and not much fiction since
Never feeling like you belong
Becoming self-conscious at age 12, which lead to a weight-lifting addiction at age 16
Having a panic attack trying to decide how to split up a workout
Burning out at age 19 from working out too much, not sleeping enough and generally being in a highly stressed state
Spending 3-4 years looking for ways to workout that didn’t feel like it was destroying himself
The identity crisis of losing the two things he loved most (guitar and working out)
How Christofer decided that if he was going to be miserable, he would be a miserable drunk and began drinking whiskey which he hated
The difficulty of treating the consequences of his burnout which doctors shrugged away
Developing a panic disorder from the untreated trauma
How things can be extremely traumatic for you personally even if it doesn’t look that bad from the outside
How he hit rock bottom while in a foreign country in a new relationship
Finding help from functional therapists 5 years later
Trying freedom business entrepreneurship
Learning how to separate pain from suffering and enjoying life even when things don’t always feel great
How he decided to go to university at age 25 to get a degree in cognitive science
His interest in how we make progress
We bond over our love of David Deutsch and share how we discovered his books
Links
Twitter: twitter.com/ReachChristofer
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/DoExplain
Website: www.doexplain.org
Episode 9
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Becoming Yourself Again: Meet Kai Christen
Kai Christen was a shy, sensitive child, who found school stressful. It’s something you might not see in him when you meet because he radiates confidence, extraversion and a sense of peace with himself.
Kai was born and grew up in Aargau, Switzerland. In high-school he intentionally tried to be cooler but never felt successful at it. At age 16 he discovered personal development through Dale Carnegie and thought “I don’t have to be broken any longer”. Now he doesn’t like that framing anywhere and laughs about the idea of being broken. But pursuing personal development was one of the most important drivers in his life.
When Kai went to university he felt like he fit in a lot more. But he still describes himself as a bad student who didn’t pay attention in class, and was more interested in partying. He always found school unengaging and now that he teaches at universities himself he thinks hard about how to make class interesting for his students.
I met Kai in 2014 when he was working on his first personal development conference and we quickly became friends and business partners running two conferences together. This conversation was recorded in December 2018 and is finally seeing the light of day.
Today Kai runs personal leadership modules at universities around Switzerland, and generally follows his curiosity and passion on new business ventures.
On today’s podcast:
How Kai’s mother was smuggled out of Czechoslovakia through the iron curtain when she was a child
Being disinterest in school and obsessed with video games
How he was athletic until he became self-conscious
The transformational experience of moving out of home to a new city
Becoming best friends with your flatmates
Learning to be yourself as an adult
Becoming a trainer and coach
Only working with people you enjoy spending time with
Organising two personal development conferences
Radical Honesty and distinguishing between what you know and what you think you know
Three Principles and the story of Sydney Banks
Tiny houses, minimalism, and living between places
Moving to Berlin and failing
Volunteering in Lesbos, Greece, during the refugee crisis
Why helping others is the most selfish thing you can do (in a good way)
The detrimental effects of news
Links
Episode 8
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The Big Picture, Connecting the Dots of Experience: Meet Tinashe Mashungu
Tinashe Mashungu was born in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe, and he has lived all over the country. His father was an agro-economist, and in many ways, Tinashe has followed in his footsteps, though his path has taken him in many different directions.
He studied computer science in high school and came to the US to attend Reed College and study physics. After getting a feel for the program, Tinashe switched his major to maths and economics, writing his thesis on structural adjustment in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Though he wasn’t able to see it at the time, in retrospect, Tinashe recognises that all of his education, experiences, and opportunities have given him a unique set of skills and led him to where he is today, with the desire and capability to create change in Zimbabwe, in Africa, and in the world.
What makes Tinashe human is his drive to keep going and keep learning even when the big picture isn’t visible yet and the passion he has for using technology to accelerate progress in Africa.
On today’s podcast:
Tinashe’s early life and boarding school experience began the formation of his character
He studied mathematics, physics, computer science; he wanted to be an engineer
He changed his major at Reed College to study economics
At the World Economic Forum, Tinashe showcased his work and started thinking about bigger problems
Tinashe wants to democratise energy provision and create energy inclusion in Africa
Episode 7
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Finding Balance in the Passionate Pursuit of Life: Meet Laura Curau
Laura Curau was born in the small town of Münsterlingen, Switzerland and lived most of her life in nearby Weinfelden. Her and her twin brother are the youngest of four siblings, raised by supportive, enterprising, and politically involved parents.
Ever since she was a young girl, Laura enjoyed learning and being good at things, though in school she was often bullied because of this.
Her political involvement began in her teenage years, and her journey to becoming national campaign manager for one of the largest political parties in Switzerland, taught her a lot about work-life balance, asking for help, and knowing when to quit.
What makes Laura human are her passion for life, desire to connect with others, and willingness to search for the balance between hard work and the pursuit of fulfillment.
On today’s podcast:
Laura’s family were her role models
Her political activity began in her teenage years
She excelled academically but struggled socially in school
Traveling with Up With People was life changing and inspiring
Dealing with burnout at work
Learning to ask for help
Links:
Episode 6
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Relearning How to Walk in Confidence: Meet Bongiwe Beja
Bongiwe Beja was born in Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, to a Zulu mother and a Xhosa father. She is the youngest of four children, a brother and two other sisters. Bongiwe describes her upbringing and how her parents, particularly her father, worked very hard to make sure that their children have all the opportunities that they themselves didn’t have.
Bongiwe also talks about how she started drumming when she was 10. By the age of 15, she was already the head percussionist of a youth orchestra.
Her ambition and determination helped her build an astonishing career in South Africa. And, oddly enough, her divorce contributed to that, because after her husband left she started putting everything into her work.
What makes Bongiwe human are her strength and passion, and the way she chose to redefine herself while going through the grief of divorce. Bongiwe refused to link her identity to anyone, rewrote her story and learned how to walk in confidence all over again.
On today’s podcast:
The strong, positive influence of Bongiwe’s sister
How her love of music, drama and math were born
Her first life-changing experience
Studying finance and entrepreneurship at university
Her dramatic marriage and having to raise her daughter on her own
Her drive to become an African leader
Links:
Episode 5
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Constantly Seeking the Truth: Meet Yushan Chen
My guest today is Yushan Chen, a 29-year old Chinese filmmaker now living in Los Angeles. Yushan talks about her very strict education, only being allowed by her parents to read good books and listen to Western classical music.
She also talks about her rebellions, one of which was learning how to play the Jinghu, a traditional two-stringed Chinese instrument with a sharp sound, which is very hard to play.
She takes us through falling in love and discovering rock music, dealing with depression and getting out of it and studying filmmaking at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles (among other subjects).
What makes Yushan very human is her constant search for the truth and her belief that women should be free, independent and brave.
On today’s podcast:
Her earliest memory and her first rebellion
Her tough years within the Chinese educational system
Falling in love and discovering rock and metal music
Studying journalism at university and being disappointed with the career prospects in China
Dealing with depression
The path that led her to filmmaking
Links:
Episode 4
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Searching for His Role in Life: Meet Varun Venugopal Gupta
Varun Venugopal Gupta was born in India into a middle-class family. Growing up, he lived in many cities, was raised a very independent kid and was given a lot of freedom to do what he wanted.
One of the things that makes him deeply human is his constant search for himself, for his role in society. Today he shares his journey so far, he tells us about his love of theatre and explains how he ended up making his own luck and regaining his confidence after quite a disastrous school experience.
On today’s podcast:
Being raised very independent
His adventurous first day at school
Studying 12-13 hours every day from age 14 to 16
His first failure, stammering and not being able to fit in
How a leadership seminar gave him his confidence back
Co-founding a social enterprise focused on employability
Links:
Episode 3
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On a Journey to Find Meaningful Work: Meet Gemma Milne
Gemma Milne is a British science writer and speaker on innovation and technology. Despite being a high-achiever (or maybe because of it), she struggled to find work that was meaningful to her. This is one of the things that makes her very human.
Another thing that makes her human is her self-awareness around the desire for attention. Other topics we covered in today’s podcast include her wanting to become a dolphin trainer and later astronaut, attending Space School in Houston and working for the advertising giant Ogilvy.
On today’s podcast:
Her earliest memories and her fondness for maths
Wanting to be an dolphin trainer as a child and later an astronaut
Dealing with rejection and overcoming complacency
Being bullied for being intelligent and taking revenge by attending Space School
Her disappointment with Ogilvy
Transitioning to science writing and starting to write a book
Links:
Twitter: @gemmamilne
Episode 2
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Empathy Is the Answer: Meet Business Analyst Mosidi Modise
Today I’m speaking to Mosidi Modise, a South African social entrepreneur and finance intrapreneur at Allan Gray. When I met Mosidi I was immediately calmed by her presence. Her empathy and kindness make her deeply human, as well as her energy and passion to make a difference in the world.
On top of her full-time job at Allan Gray, Mosidi is trying to raise awareness around sexual harassment and help reduce violence and homelessness, as well as prepare people for the fourth industrial revolution.
We talk about her upbringing in the Freestate province of South Africa, and how she ended up running a guesthouse at the tender age of 20. We also spend some time discussing running and nature, passions we both share.
On today’s podcast:
Mosidi’s education, avoiding the cool kids and gravitating towards people with positive energy
Running a guesthouse, studying marketing at the university and then doing an MBA in entrepreneurship
Moving to Cape Town and starting work at Allan Gray
Joining the Global Shapers hub and helping marginalised communities
Helping create awareness around sexual harassment in South Africa
Her efforts to help reduce violence and homelessness
Links:
Episode 1
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Overcoming Failure: Meet Filmmaker & Entrepreneur Francis Rafal
My first guest is Francis Rafal, an Austrian filmmaker and entrepreneur. When I first met him in May I was struck by his playfulness. This is something that will come across in our conversation today, and what I think makes him deeply human.
The other thing that makes Francis human is his failure. He almost went bankrupt a couple of years ago, after dealing with several financial disasters in his business.
On today’s podcast:
Entrepreneurial from a young age
Shooting his first video, attending civil service and going to Train the Trainer classes
Studying physics and launching his first company
First real trouble: going almost bankrupt
Receiving support from his network and founding two more businesses
Working to make the world less polarized
Links:
Trailer
Listen on: Spotify - Apple Podcasts - Web
The podcast for people who want the world to slow down and become more human. Josh Levent creates a space for empathetic connections to people on the other side of the planet through biographical interviews of ordinary people. Take a moment to catch your breath, hit pause on life and curl up on a sofa with Humans in your earbuds. We all need to take a moment to nurture our inner child, heal our wounds and enjoy the real-life stories of others. With his break-out podcast, Josh creates a Gezelligheid (sense of cozy togetherness) for all of us. If you’ve ever felt a sense of sonder (the sudden realisation that every stranger has a life as complex as your own) you’ll find that Humans makes you feel less alone.
