“If you want to try and be your version of someone else, the best that you can hope for is being second best in the world at it.” – Chris Williamson

Chris Williamson is a club promoter, TEDx Speaker, YouTuber and Podcaster. His podcast ‘Modern Wisdom’ shares life lessons from the smartest people on the planet including the likes of Jordan Peterson, Ryan Holiday and James Clear and was born out of Chris’ curiosity for self-discovery and post his existential crisis after appearing on Love Island. In the episode Chris tells Ali how he shed the party-boy persona in favour of intellect and meaning before discussing topics like masculinity, role models and the dating market.

✨ Highlights from the conversation

“The manopause is when you get to the end of your 20s and you realise the values you had aren’t serving you…” – Chris Williamson [36:12]

“There are modes of existing that we get in our early 20s most of which are the lowest common denominator route to success…” – Chris Williamson [53:02]

“I’d spent a long time playing a persona…I was being the person I thought other people wanted me to be…” – Chris Williamson [57:03]

“If you attach your sense of self to the success of the business you are on a path to misery…” – Chris Williamson [01:04:29]

“If you’re playing a persona you don’t feel like your achievements are yours, you feel like people are applauding a character you’re playing…” – Chris Williamson [01:10:14]

“I think it is very difficult to have a wholesome role model, I think young men don’t have anyone to look up to…” – Chris Williamson [01:13:10]

“Women being encouraged to have careers over families is something that should be a choice for them…” -Chris Williamson [01:18:32]

“Almost two thirds of women say they wouldn’t be in a relationship with someone that’s less educated, less wealthy and lower in status than them…” – Chris Williamson [01:20:08]

“I believe your life should be lived by design not by default” – Chris Williamson [01:38:00]