Best Difficulty Class Podcasts (2025)

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46. Should we be worried about words changing their meaning? With Robbie Morgan 46:39

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24h ago46:39

46:39

Words such as 'woke', 'emotional labour' and 'gaslighting' get bandied around a lot, especially in online discourse. And as they get bandied around, their meaning can change over time. Of course, changes in the meaning of words are natural, inevitable and, usually harmless. However, Robbie Morgan, back for his record-setting third appearance on Eth…

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Ep. 172: Plot Twists 2: What a Twist! 1:05:07

4d ago1:05:07

1:05:07

This week Erin M. Evans, B. Dave Walters, and Treavor Bettis are joined by Melissa Caruso! Together they talk about a fan favorite topic–Plot Twists! Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Special Guest: Melissa Caruso (The Last Hour Between Worlds, The Obsidian Tower) https://melissacaruso.net/ Starring: Erin M Evans (Empire…

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Is Self-Improvement Just Making Us More Selfish? 33:48

5d ago33:48

33:48

Is personal development and self-improvement making us better—or just more self-absorbed? In today's episode, we wade into the debate sparked by a recent New York Times article (link below) about whether the world of betterment is actually helping with personal growth, or just creating inward navel-gazing? We discuss how to think about the role of …

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It's Time to Move Past Bullsh*t "Toughness" 37:54

12d ago37:54

37:54

Forget everything you’ve been told about toughness. On today's episode, we're taking on many of the macho myths that dominate sports, business, and social media. Is “pushing through the pain” just stupidity in disguise? Are Instagram’s chest-thumping “tough guys” actually the weakest of all? We'll unpack the lies we tell ourselves about grit, revea…

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Ep. 171: Finding Your Arc 1:06:55

18d ago1:06:55

1:06:55

This week Erin M. Evans, B. Dave Walters, and Treavor Bettis revisit Character Arcs and answer a connected listener question! Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Starring: Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, Brimstone Angels) https://bsky.app/profile/erinmevans.bsky.social B. Dave Walters (A Darkened Wish, Black Dice Society) …

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The Sports Psychologist Who Taught MJ and Kobe How to "Manage the Moment" 41:37

19d ago41:37

41:37

Before the 1993-1994 NBA season, coach Phil Jackson wanted to get his Chicago Bulls some help. They'd won the championship the previous year, but right before the season, Michael Jordan made a surprise retirement announcement. So Jackson called George Mumford—a meditation practitioner who was then teaching mindfulness in hospitals, clinics, and pri…

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45. Are ethicists paying enough attention to social class? With Orla Carlin 45:23

22d ago45:23

45:23

Epistemic injustice is a broad category of injustice relating to knowledge. It can involve people from marginalised or oppressed groups being excluded, silenced, misrepresented, or not taken seriously — in conversations, education, or professional settings — because of their membership to that group. In academic contexts, this kind of injustice can…

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Ep. 170: Drunken First Draft 1:01:09

23d ago1:01:09

1:01:09

This week Erin M. Evans, B. Dave Walters, and Treavor Bettis answer try something new and revisit an old topic! Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Starring: Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, Brimstone Angels) https://bsky.app/profile/erinmevans.bsky.social B. Dave Walters (A Darkened Wish, Black Dice Society) https://bsky.a…

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Fall Performance Syllabus: 3 Ideas to Help You Thrive 38:35

26d ago38:35

38:35

As we transition into Fall, we've got a few ideas and strategies that we're trying to implement into our lives. Today we're sharing those with you, with the hope that they might also help give you some good momentum heading into the last quarter of the year. You can think of it as your Fall Performance Syllabus. We'll break down the importance of t…

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How Hard Should You Be Working? 38:49

1M ago38:49

38:49

What role should work play in your life? How hard should you be working? And how can you do it in a way that's sustainable over years, or even decades? These aren't simple questions to answer, even if both the "grind like crazy to get ahead" and the "find your bliss" sets tell you that they are. Today, we've enlisted the help of Cal Newport to disc…

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44. Do large language models gossip? With Lucy Osler 41:23

1M ago41:23

41:23

Gossip is an ethically interesting phenomenon when humans do it. It creates a bond between the people doing the gossiping, but it does so by implicitly excluding the person being gossiped about, and can cause harm, especially when the gossip is malicious, or simply isn't true. What I hadn't realised until I spoke to Lucy Osler, a Lecturer in Philos…

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Ep. 169: Back in the Day 1:14:22

1M ago1:14:22

1:14:22

This week Erin M. Evans, B. Dave Walters, and Treavor Bettis answer questions about Web Comics, TV/Movie Scripts, Making Monsters, and more! Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Starring: Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, Brimstone Angels) https://bsky.app/profile/erinmevans.bsky.social B. Dave Walters (A Darkened Wish, Black…

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How "Narrative Values" Can Change Your Psychology & Biology 42:30

1M ago42:30

42:30

The stories we tell ourselves shape our reality, heavily influencing our decision-making, behavior, and ability to bounce back from challenges. Which is why it's important to identify the "narrative values" that help frame the story of your life. These are the words that will impact how we show up in the world, and how we interpret what happens to …

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Ep. 168: Spice to Plot Ration 55:48

2M ago55:48

55:48

This week Erin M. Evans, B. Dave Walters, and Treavor Bettis answer questions about Childhood Writing, D&D Fanfics, and Spice to Plot Ration. Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Starring: Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, Brimstone Angels) https://bsky.app/profile/erinmevans.bsky.social B. Dave Walters (A Darkened Wish, Blac…

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From Success to Mastery: The Art of Sustained Excellence 41:28

2M ago41:28

41:28

We spend a lot of time on this podcast talking about how to achieve success in your own personal pursuit of excellence, but we don't spend all that much time talking about what happens after that: how do you sustain it? That's the question facing Cooper Lutkenhaus, a 16-year-old who recently ran a blazing 1:42 in the 800-meter race at the USA Outdo…

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OMITTED REVELATIONS 1:10

2M ago1:10

1:10

The Omitted Revelation, is a beacon of curiosity engagement to discuss The Ignored, The Forgotten, The Un-Talked about People, Places, Things, and Ideas.By theomittedtea

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Ep. 167: What’s My Hook? 58:02

2M ago58:02

58:02

This week Erin M. Evans, B. Dave Walters, and Treavor Bettis answer questions about Writing Hooks, Musicals, Unexpected Success, and Talking to Authors. Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Starring: Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, Brimstone Angels) https://bsky.app/profile/erinmevans.bsky.social B. Dave Walters (A Darkened…

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Build Better Work Habits, Manage Anxiety, & Quit Leaking Energy 36:45

2M ago36:45

36:45

Since we launched "excellence, actually," we've gotten a bunch of questions from listeners and members of The Growth Equation Academy. So today we're answering four of your most pressing questions. (1) Where is the line between productive preparation and preparation that is done purely to curb anxiety about an upcoming event? (2) How should we tran…

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Ep. 166: Are My Heroes Villains? 1:05:45

2M ago1:05:45

1:05:45

This week Erin M. Evans, B. Dave Walters, and Treavor Bettis answer questions about Heroes Being Villains, POV Mechanics, MORE Burnout, and Querying. Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Starring: Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, Brimstone Angels) https://bsky.app/profile/erinmevans.bsky.social B. Dave Walters (A Darkened Wi…

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Restless Exhaustion: What to Do When You Just Can't Turn Off 37:46

2M ago37:46

37:46

It's the end of the day and you're finally ready to shut down, unplug from work, relax, or go to sleep—except your mind won't stop racing. You're wiped, but your brain and body are still vibrating. Maybe this doesn't just happen at the end of the day, but during breaks throughout it, or maybe you notice it when you've finally gotten to the weekend …

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Ep. 165: Writing Failure 58:43

2M ago58:43

58:43

This week Erin M. Evans, B. Dave Walters, and Treavor Bettis talk about Writing Failure, Writing Bios, Freewriting, and Who Gets POV Chapters. Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Starring: Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, Brimstone Angels) https://bsky.app/profile/erinmevans.bsky.social B. Dave Walters (A Darkened Wish, Bla…

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Tools for Navigating Discomfort and Difficulty 43:14

2M ago43:14

43:14

At some point, we will all face discomfort, be it psychological or physical, at work or in a workout. But we do often get to choose how to handle that difficulty: Can we work through it? And if so, how? Or is it a case where fighting it actually makes it worse? If we can’t work through it, can we continue to perform at a high level despite the disc…

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Ep. 164: An Amish Paradise 1:05:36

2M ago1:05:36

1:05:36

This week Erin M. Evans, B. Dave Walters, and Treavor Bettis talk about Amish Romance for a surprising amount of time and then answer questions about Getting Characters to Kiss and Tension in Genres. Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Starring: Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, Brimstone Angels) https://bsky.app/profile/eri…

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How to Avoid the Achievement Trap and Find Lasting Fulfillment 38:20

3M ago38:20

38:20

Just about everyone has been caught thinking that some big achievement would fulfill them—only to get there and realize it didn't. This is the Achievement Trap, and it's so sticky that even those who are well-versed in its trickery still find themselves following into its clutches. But there's another way, one that was exemplified by golf's #1 rank…

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43. How do you assure AI for bias and accessibility in the NHS? With Adam Byfield 48:09

3M ago48:09

48:09

Adam Byfield is a Principal Technical Assurance Specialist at NHS England. After his previous appearance on the podcast, discussing providing ethical assurance for AI applications in healthcare, we were keen to get him back to dive into some more specific issues. We chose bias and accessibility, two related issues that are clearly central for anyon…

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Ep. 163: Does an MFA Help? 1:03:18

3M ago1:03:18

1:03:18

This week Erin M. Evans, B. Dave Walters, and Treavor Bettis answer questions about MFAs, Difference Between Drafts, and Genre Conventions. Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Starring: Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, Brimstone Angels) https://bsky.app/profile/erinmevans.bsky.social B. Dave Walters (A Darkened Wish, Black …

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The Art of Doing Hard Things: Meaningful Challenge vs. Useless Suffering 32:42

3M ago32:42

32:42

We believe it's important to do hard things. In fact, as your may know, Steve wrote a book with that very title. But there's a difference between taking on challenges that lead to meaningful growth, and meaningless suffering for likes and validation. That difference is often lost in the performative world of social media. Today's episode is about g…

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Ep. 162: What We Love About Writing 1:01:04

3M ago1:01:04

1:01:04

This week Erin M. Evans and Treavor Bettis answer questions about What We Love About Writing, Reader Expectations, and Bettering Prose! Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Starring: Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, Brimstone Angels) https://bsky.app/profile/erinmevans.bsky.social B. Dave Walters (A Darkened Wish, Black Dice…

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Balance is a Myth: How to Build Healthy Obsession 43:58

3M ago43:58

43:58

Today, we're taking exception with a couple ideas you often see passed around in the health and wellness space: that balance is achievable (or even desirable), and that obsession is unhealthy. To be truly excellent in a pursuit, it's going to require a level of hyper fixation or single-mindedness that is often maligned, and that will draw energy fr…

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42. How should clinicians communicate with young people experiencing mental health difficulties? With Lisa Bortolotti 49:54

3M ago49:54

49:54

Professor Lisa Bortolotti is a philosopher at the University of Birmingham, who has been working on a fascinating interdisciplinary project looking at what happens when young people experiencing mental health difficulties talk to clinicians about those difficulties. The project has involved closely examining hours of audio and video material of the…

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Ep. 161: Sometimes It’s Just Spartacus 1:02:59

3M ago1:02:59

1:02:59

This week Erin M. Evans and Treavor Bettis answer questions about Querying, Pet Companions, and Chapter Titles. Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Starring: Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, Brimstone Angels) https://bsky.app/profile/erinmevans.bsky.social B. Dave Walters (A Darkened Wish, Black Dice Society) https://bsky.a…

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How to Build a Meaningful Identity in a Status-Driven World 40:51

3M ago40:51

40:51

Here's a phrase we often come across: “Comparison is the thief of joy.” This is absolutely true! Unfortunately, we’re biologically wired to seek status and recognition, and with that evolutionary need comes comparison. It’s inevitable. So today, instead of telling you not to compare, we’re giving you the practical tools that will allow you to do it…

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What’s Up With Your Output? 38:52

3M ago38:52

38:52

This week a different sort of episode. During the last Tangents episode B. Dave wanted to check-in with Treavor about his writing and we wanted you to hear it.

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How to Be Excellent, Actually 47:35

3M ago47:35

47:35

On the inaugural episode of our rebranded podcast "excellence, actually," Steve Magness, Brad Stulberg, and Clay Skipper discuss the rebrand of the show (previously FAREWELL), define what they mean by excellence, and show how it's available to all of us—starting with three counter-intuitive but significant mindset shifts that will help you in the p…

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Ep. 160: Burnout with Dr. Ben J. Searle 1:12:25

4M ago1:12:25

1:12:25

This week Erin M. Evans B. Dave Walters and Treavor Bettis are joined by Dr. Ben J. Searle! Together they talk about Burnout - what it is and what it does to us - as well as Dr. Searle’s book about the subject! Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Special Guest: Dr. Ben J. Searle (https://mindonthejob.com/) Experiences of B…

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How to Take Better Breaks: Mastering Rest & Recovery 47:59

4M ago47:59

47:59

We all know we need to take breaks to allow ourselves to rest and recover, both physically and cognitively. But it can be especially hard to do when we feel like we need to keep pushing. So today, we're tackling that problem: What would it look like to design our days around sustainable rhythms rather than maximum output—and how do we do this while…

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41. How should we rebuild trust in journalism? With Tim Watkin 47:05

4M ago47:05

47:05

Tim Watkin is a journalist and media manager. He works as executive editor for audio at Radio New Zealand, but is currently on sabbatical at the University of Glasgow, studying how to rebuild trust in journalism as part of a project on Epistemic Autonomy. In this interview we discuss the nature of trust, why it's important, why journalists seem to …

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How to Know When to Grit vs. When to Quit 48:41

4M ago48:41

48:41

How do you know when to persevere through a rough patch—and when to give up entirely? And if you do decide to push through, what are the most effective tools to bolster your resilience and get you through to the other side? That's what we're breaking down on today's episode. We'll help you recognize when to continue striving despite setbacks and wh…

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Ep. 159: Unlikable Characters & Foreshadowing Timing 1:07:17

4M ago1:07:17

1:07:17

This week Erin M. Evans B. Dave Walters and Treavor Bettis talk about Unlikable Characters and Foreshadowing Timing! Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Starring: Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, Brimstone Angels) https://bsky.app/profile/erinmevans.bsky.social B. Dave Walters (A Darkened Wish, Black Dice Society) https://b…

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9 Important Life Lessons We've Learned from Exercise 40:55

4M ago40:55

40:55

Exercise isn't just a way to better yourself physically. In fact, through our years of running, competing, and working out, we've found some of exercise's greatest gifts to be the lessons it teaches us about ourselves and about life. Here we are sharing nine of our favorites that you'll find useful whether you exercise or not: how to stay patient, …

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40. How do you decide whether law enforcement and national security operations are ethically justified? With Joe Fogarty 49:43

4M ago49:43

49:43

Joe Fogarty has spent over 30 years working in national security and law enforcement, in the UK and elsewhere. He's currently working on cyber-security risks and organised crime for the UK's central government, as the Head of the Government's Cyber Resilience Centre. Recently, he's been looking at security and law enforcement through a philosophica…

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Ep. 158: Spilling the Tea with Ben Riggs 1:02:59

4M ago1:02:59

1:02:59

This week Erin M. Evans B. Dave Walters and Treavor Bettis are joined by Ben Riggs and they spill some very interesting tea! Special Guest: Ben Riggs: https://www.writerbenriggs.com/ Slay the Dragon: https://read.macmillan.com/lp/slaying-the-dragon/ Reading D&D Aloud!: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GtE2uO2hymGV0ySDMKT4d Join our Patreon: https://w…

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120 - A 66-Year-Old Powerlifter with 71 World Records on the Secrets to Long-Term Success (with David Ricks) 36:50

4M ago36:50

36:50

David Ricks first competed in a powerlifting competition in 1981, when he was 21 years old. At 66, he is still competing. Along the way, he's won 13 world championships, 32 national championships, and 71 world records. You might say he knows a thing or two about mastery, excellence, and sustaining both over a long period of time. Today, he shares h…

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Ep. 157: Tie-in with Delilah S. Dawson 1:02:08

5M ago1:02:08

1:02:08

This week Erin M. Evans B. Dave Walters and Treavor Bettis are joined by Delilah S. Dawson! Together writing tie-in fiction! Special Guest: Delilah S. Dawson: https://bsky.app/profile/delilahsdawson.bsky.social Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Starring: Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, Brimstone Angels) https://bsky.app/…

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119 - How to Turn Your Inner Critic Into a Coach 44:54

5M ago44:54

44:54

By some estimates, the voice in your head can spew up to 4000 words per minute, making it all the more important that we learn how to live with it. This can be especially hard when it's loud and critical, which (maybe you've noticed) it has a tendency to be at some of the most inopportune times: right before an important event. Today we discuss str…

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39. How should we motivate cosmopolitanism? With Luke Ulas and Josh Hobbs 46:08

5M ago46:08

46:08

Luke Ulas from the University of Sheffield and Josh Hobbs from the University of Leeds are both interested in cosmopolitanism. Cosmopolitanism is a name used for a few different political ideas, but the core thought, according to the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, is "the idea that all human beings, regardless of their political affiliation,…

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Ep. 156: Literary Agents with Bridget Smith 1:11:18

5M ago1:11:18

1:11:18

This week Erin M. Evans B. Dave Walters and Treavor Bettis are joined by Erin’s agent - Bridget Smith! Together they talk about the Publishing Industry and Query Letters. Special Guest: Bridget Smith: https://awfulagent.com/agents/bridget-smith/ Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Starring: Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, …

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118 - How to Build Discipline 43:18

5M ago43:18

43:18

Why are some people disciplined and others aren’t? It’s not because of an innate character trait, but because disciplined people have simply trained the skill of being disciplined. Today we break down how to do that by discussing how motivation and inspiration can (and often do) get in the way of discipline, the power of routines and constraints, s…

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Ep. 155: Trusting Yourself with Coral Moore 1:11:22

5M ago1:11:22

1:11:22

This week Erin M. Evans B. Dave Walters and Treavor Bettis are joined by Coral Alejandra Moore! Together they talk about Trusting Yourself as a Writer and a totally don’t tangent left and right the whole time. Special Guest: Coral Alejandra Moore: https://www.coralmoore.com/ Get her next book here! https://www.coralmoore.com/collections/books/produ…

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117 - The Masculinity Crisis, and Why It Matters for All of Us (Part 2) 56:08

5M ago56:08

56:08

This is the second of two episodes we're devoting to the topic of masculinity. Last week, in part one, we spoke with Richard Reeves about how changing ideas of what it means to be a man have left many men feeling adrift. Today, Brad, Steve, and Clay discuss that episode, reflect on some clips from a few other voices who've thought deeply about this…