Nick Riggle (Ex-pro skater, philosophy professor at the University of California, YOLO expert) has become known for dissecting contemporary phenomena in a distinctly Socratic manner.
In this chat, we delve into the philosophical significance of awesomeness (and its antonym, suckiness), the existential imperative of YOLO (!) and the aetiology of the high five. Nick’s theses on these cliched expressions ultimately lead to a wonderfully wild answer to the quandary of what makes life worth living in such a fraught era. To flesh it all out we draw on sporting analogies, the poetry of Mary Oliver and each other’s really rather near-death experiences.
We mention philosopher Kieran Setiya, here you can listen to Kieran’s Wild episode featuring his take on how to love living a hard life.
You can read more about Nick via his website and follow him on Twitter
Nicks books can be purchased via the below links:
On Being Awesome
This Beauty: A Philosophy of Being Alive
If you need to know a bit more about me… head to my "about" page
Subscribe to my Substack newsletter for more such conversation
Get your copy of my book, This One Wild and Precious Life
Let’s connect on Instagram! It’s where I interact the most
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AMA: How do you manage information overload PLUS should white women activists get out of the arena?
JOHANN HARI: Is Ozempic a miracle drug or something darker?
AMA: How do you plan your life financially in a collapsing world? Do you bother?
ANNABEL ABBS: The subversive, creative upside of insomnia (oh joy!)
The “Uncles” climate case that could change EVERYTHING
ANNA FUNDER: On Wifedom (and calling out Orwellian “doublethink”)
A FUN BACKSTORY: Because I promised it…
HELEN LEWIS: A heterodox update from TERF island
A PALESTINIAN AND AN ISRAELI FATHER: “We must all stop being victims; victimhood causes the violence!”
LIV BOEREE: Explaining Moloch, the mysterious game theory force breaking the world (plus a fix!)
AMA: How do you, Sarah, deal with a broken heart?
PROF JOEL PEARSON: Gut feeling is (scientifically) real; this is how to use it
PETER FRANKOPAN: How climate collapsed civilisations (and will it ours?)
AMA with a Palestinian peace broker: What should we be doing to help, not hinder, the crisis? Does posting on social media do ANYTHING?
KELLY WEINERSMITH: Why settling Mars is a really dumb idea
DEVIN MOSS: An atheist death row chaplain on how to die without God
AMA: Do we create art in the apocalypse?
MAGGIE JACKSON: Why “not knowing” is 2024’s survival superpower
AMA: Why does hiking “work”?
MAGGIE DENT: What to do about boys (‘cos you asked)
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