Best Socratic Method Podcasts (2025)

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Becoming Wise: Why Knowing Nothing Changes Everything 26:22

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1d ago26:22

26:22

What if the first step to becoming wise is admitting you know nothing? In this episode, we discover how to think like Socrates and unlock the secrets of wisdom. We dive into the philosophy of questioning beliefs, challenging assumptions, and embracing curiosity — the core habits of truly wise people. Whether you’re curious about ancient philosophy …

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On Asking "What's a Podcast?" and Why it's Wasted Effort 16:38

3d ago16:38

16:38

Defining a "podcast" is seen as important to many, but often falls short. In this episode I explain why the definitions often fall short, how incentives drive our definitions, why the Platonic Realm of Forms gives us the essence we need, and how my previous job made the same mistake in defining sustainable remote work for its employees. Resource Me…

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Curiosity, YouTube and the Evolving Creator’s Mindset (DIALOGUE) 1:27:41

10d ago1:27:41

1:27:41

A few years ago, you never would have thought that talking to a YouTube professional would make sense for a podcast about podcasting. With many of us pivoting to video, all the YouTube stuff has become more relevant than ever. And who better than a YouTube expert AND podcaster to set our expectations, and our minds at ease, for this new direction. …

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BONUS: An AI Inquisition & What’s Important in Podcasting with Jesse McCune 1:34:35

14d ago1:34:35

1:34:35

I’ve got something a bit different for you today - a bonus, you might say! I get together with a lot of my peers in the podcasting space to create content outside of this show, and every so often I’d like to share that content with you. What I’m sharing here is the full audio from a livestream I did with Jesse McCune of Tansy Aster Creative on his …

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On the Harmful Obsession of Podcasting as a Discipline 20:37

17d ago20:37

20:37

I’ve been a Podcast Producer, and an expat in a foreign country, for over two years now. A necessary function of having a career in podcasting is that the discipline itself became the focus of my professional development. Getting great at podcasting… sounds awesome, right? However, over the last few months I’ve been thinking differently about how t…

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The Wolf King: The Forgotten Spanish Kingdom of Ibn Mardanish 58:18

23d ago58:18

58:18

Over the past few decades, archaeologists have excavated the remnants of a little-known Muslim kingdom from beneath hotels, parking lots, and even a convent in the Spanish city of Murcia. Cast into the shadows by the splendors of Granada, in its heyday Murcia was a flourishing kingdom that welcomed both Sufi mystics and Italian merchants. The main …

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On Armchair Analysis, a priori Deduction and Growth Mindset 16:34

24d ago16:34

16:34

Once you’ve made it as a podcaster, its easy to presume you know it all. An academic with tenure, sitting in a leather armchair by the fire, swirling a McCallen 24 in your hand, ready for any question that comes along. The truth is that theoretical deduction and inference doesn’t a good podcaster make. We’ve made podcasting so available and easy to…

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True to Oneself: Seven Ways Integrity Shapes Our Lives 33:36

29d ago33:36

33:36

What does it really mean to live with integrity? In this thought-provoking episode, we explore seven powerful ways integrity shapes our lives and why living by your principles and being true to oneself isn’t just noble, it’s the ultimate test of good character. Drawing on the timeless wisdom of history’s greatest philosophers, you will discover how…

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Parasocial Relationships, Trust, and the End of Algorithm Dependence (DIALOGUE) 34:25

1M ago34:25

34:25

There’s only one thing you can guarantee in the Podcasting Industry: change. Changes to the roles we see, the shows we create and how we communicate with our audiences. 2025 has been a massive year for change, and Richard Clark was right on the money. This week I’m joined, once again, by Richard Clark: Founder & Owner of Area Code Audio based in Ch…

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Overhyped A.I., Human Connection & Podcasting Newsletters (DIALOGUE) 45:32

1M ago45:32

45:32

Reflecting on the Podcasting Industry today, it’s easy to wonder how we got here. AI rollouts, Social App take-downs, video podcasting as the new-old trend… its easy to think we couldn’t have predicted it. And yet, we have experts like my guest today who has their finger on the pulse of podcasting to help give us a guiding light in times of uncerta…

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On Alive Internet Theory, and Actually Seeing Your Listeners 12:51

1M ago12:51

12:51

The online world is a different place, where in every interaction we’re second-guessing whether its actually a person, or if its a bot or algorithm trying to push some content on our plate. Dead Internet Theory seems the most apt to describe a world where we are connected, but not to other people, but there is a glimmer of optimism hidden in the de…

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Creativity, Sound Design and Podcasting for Joy (DIALOGUE) 1:03:09

2M ago1:03:09

1:03:09

When we begin as podcasters, its easy to become mired in the logistics, the admin, the perfection and optimisation of equipment, structure, distribution… It takes a unique individual like Mason Amadeus to remind us to ask, “Where has the creativity gone?” This week I’m joined by Mason Amadeus: Creative Director at 8th Layer Media, Expert Audio & Br…

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Pakistan’s Little Mecca: Architectural Marvels of Medieval Sindh 53:13

2M ago53:13

53:13

Everyone has heard of Mecca. But few people outside Pakistan have heard of Makli, or “Little Mecca,” the sacred cemetery that is both the holiest place in Sindh and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The site is actually huge, with up to a million people buried there, so the “little” reflects respect for Mecca rather than the size of Makli. More importa…

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On Podcast Failure, Toxic Positivity and How the Data Lies to us 14:49

2M ago14:49

14:49

As a podcaster, you’ve probably heard the term “PodFade” before. And if you’ve been doing a podcast for long enough, you’ve felt the inevitable scope-creep of the work and the fear that you’ll quit. But there’s a fundamental problem what the podcast industry describes as “failure”, and the data they use to support it is hurting podcasters more than…

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Should You Care What the Majority Think? Socrates’ Guide to Not Giving A Damn! 27:49

2M ago27:49

27:49

Should you care what other people think? Socrates says NO! In this episode, we explore what ancient philosophy can teach us about modern social pressure. Drawing from Socrates’ dialogue with Crito, we unpack why caring too much about public opinion can sabotage your clarity, confidence, and personal growth. You’ll learn how psychological traps like…

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Empathy, Introspection, and Rethinking your Podcast Branding (INTERVIEW) 1:00:16

2M ago1:00:16

1:00:16

This year, Aveline Clarke undertook a rebrand and relaunch of what was previously the 6Star Business and 6Star Leaders podcast after she took a break. I asked her about the impact of the rebrand on her podcast performance, and the process she undertook to reflect on her own by asking three questions. We also discuss her unique interview style that …

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UPDATE: Activations, Conversations & Submissions (What's coming for RTP!) 6:28

2M ago6:28

6:28

Hi, Matt here! This episode will tell you what to expect over the next few months with the podcast and, more importantly, how you can get in touch with me to respond to my ideas, and send your own through! Let's Start a Dialogue The Socratic Method is best done in dialogue, so if you'd like to respond to one of my episodes or send through an idea o…

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A Pivot, A Reality Check, and Why I'm Here (Foundational Episode 05) 14:26

2M ago14:26

14:26

Its easy to start your podcasting journey and feel far away from the top 1%. And if you feel like you can get there easily, you might find the journey harder than you thought. But the key is not to be stuck in the quagmire of the present, but build your grand vision of where podcasting can take you. This is the fifth and final foundational episode …

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Burnout, Freelance Editing and Finding Intrinsic Value (Foundation Ep04) 15:23

2M ago15:23

15:23

Many podcasters sharing their experiences talk about "Podfade" (otherwise known as "podcaster burnout") as something to avoid at all costs for fear of failure. Whatever failure could mean in podcasting, anyway. Burnout can also hit the podcast professionals as well, in a world where competing with AI means we have to keep adding more and more to ou…

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Socrates, Philosophy in Podcasting and Challenging the Status Quo (Foundation Episode 03) 13:19

2M ago13:19

13:19

Everyone says that we don't teach critical thinking anymore, and everywhere, collective group-think is dominating discussions. This is why philosophy, and particularly Plato's work featuring Socrates, is incredibly useful when we explore podcasting. Thinking and internal discussion is more important now than ever, and what we interrogate and unpack…

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My First Podcast, Fixing Poor-Quality Audio and a Blue Yeti (Foundation Episode 02) 13:57

3M ago13:57

13:57

It's easy to think that producing a great-quality podcast is only about the tech, but there is much more to it. An idea, some audio troubleshooting and acknowledging my unique path were the ways that I became a podcaster. And once I had laid the groundwork, I could realise my podcasting goals and become the Podcast Producer & Editor I am today. Thi…

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Early Beginnings, a Career in Tech & never becoming a Teacher (Foundation Episode 01) 13:08

3M ago13:08

13:08

This is the first of five episodes that will give you an introduction to me, Matthew Bliss, as the host of RE:Thinking Podcasting by sharing with you my career, a bit of my life and how my thinking has changed on my podcasting journey so far. If you've met me before, it's incredibly likely I haven't mentioned a lot of what you'll hear in these epis…

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Islam in the Land of Bilal: The Rich Heritage of Ethiopia’s Muslims 1:08:58

3M ago1:08:58

1:08:58

Today nearly a third of Ethiopians are Muslims. At around 37 million, that’s a larger Muslim population than many Middle Eastern countries. According to Islamic tradition, fourteen centuries ago the first person appointed by the Prophet Muhammad to call Muslims to prayer was an Ethiopian called Bilal ibn Rabbah. Moreover, some of the Prophet’s comp…

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On How this Podcast will Help You & Misinformation in the Podcasting World 12:27

3M ago12:27

12:27

Certainty in podcasting feels like a warm bed on a cold evening, but the truth is that there is more variability in the podcasting world than you know. You may have been sold this certainty in advice, but the only real way to find your path in podcasting is to create your own Podcasting Philosophy. In this episode of Rethinking Podcasting, I explai…

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Seneca’s Stoic Method for Mastering Anger and Averting Conflicts 30:01

4M ago30:01

30:01

Got a temper? So did the ancient Romans. But one of them, the Stoic philosopher Seneca, had a radically different approach to anger, and it still works today. In this episode, we explore how Stoicism teaches us to master our emotions, especially the most destructive one of all, anger. Seneca didn’t just preach calm. He gave practical advice on how …

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Mecca through Bosnian Eyes: Five Centuries of Pilgrimage Writing from Southeast Europe 56:42

4M ago56:42

56:42

The Muslims of Bosnia in southeast Europe treasure a centuries-long tradition of writing about the journey to Mecca. These treatises and travelogues help us trace the changing ways in which the hajj was experienced and described by these European Muslims who lived under the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires, then socialist Yugoslavia, before the…

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Socrates’ Path to Virtue: Ten Footsteps to Good Character 38:27

4M ago38:27

38:27

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle all believed that what you are matters far more than what you have. Good character is your most precious possession. In this episode, we dig deep into the ten unmistakable qualities of a person with good character, guided by the timeless wisdom of philosophy’s greatest minds. Socrates teaches that an examined life is …

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NEW PODCAST: Your Philosophical Approach to Podcast Flourishing 2:31

4M ago2:31

2:31

Imagine the Agora in Ancient Athens: a bustling marketplace of citizens and slaves living their lives. The chipping of ceramics echo across the square, the shuffling feet of crowds across cobbled streets, the tinkle of coins changing hands... and you may even hear Socrates, a philosopher known to walk the streets engaging in his infamous dialogic t…

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Islamic Occultism: The ‘Hidden’ Sciences of the Premodern Muslim World 1:04:15

5M ago1:04:15

1:04:15

Islam and the occult may seem like odd bedfellows. But during the medieval and early modern periods, Muslim thinkers wrote vast numbers of manuscripts on a panoply of occult sciences, ranging from numerology and astrology to alchemy and lettrism. Just as the English word occult derives from the Latin occultus (meaning ‘hidden’), so in Arabic were t…

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The Muslim World: The History of an Idea 1:00:39

6M ago1:00:39

1:00:39

Whether in newspaper articles, books, or conversations about Islam, the ‘Muslim world’ is a commonplace term. Yet it was only coined in the late nineteenth century, and didn’t gain wider currency till the 1920s. Moreover, the ‘Muslim world’ wasn’t even a Muslim invention. In this episode, we trace the history of this term which, over the course of …

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Apocalypse Now?: Philosophy and the Fallacy of Doom! 24:01

6M ago24:01

24:01

The sky is falling. Do you feel there is no hope for the future? Does everything you hold dear feel like it’s about to blow up? Stoking apocalyptic fears and dystopian visions of the future is a whole industry of doom merchants. Calm down! Philosophy can explain why doomsday is unlikely, why you feel the end of the world is near, and why you should…

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Memento Mori: Stoic Secrets to Transform Fear of Death into Fearless Living! 28:34

7M ago28:34

28:34

We live in terror of death. We cling to youth and claw at life, afraid to let go. Once we conquer the greater fear of death, our lesser fears lose their power over us, and every other adversity becomes so much easier to overcome. Ignorance is the cause of fear. Death is the other half of the bargain we make when we accept life. Death means returnin…

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The Muslim Veneration of Christian Saints: Arabic Accounts of the Excellence of Christians 59:31

7M ago59:31

59:31

As anyone will know who has so much has flicked through the pages of the Quran, the Islamic scripture contain many discussions of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. Yet Muslim tradition also venerates many Christian saints. The model was set by the Quran itself, in the chapter al-Kahf (‘The Cave’), which alludes to the Christian story of the Seven Sleepers…

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The Anatomy of Belief: Why Do Smart People Believe Stupid Things? 25:07

8M ago25:07

25:07

Smart people can be stupid and believe absurd, weird, and crazy things. We are remarkably poor at distinguishing truth from falsehood and even worse at detecting liars and deception. Truth has nothing to do with what we believe. A belief doesn’t need to be true to be believed. We believe as we do, not because we think our belief is true, but becaus…

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Plumbing the Depths of Existence: Ibn Arabi on Human and Divine Being 1:03:43

8M ago1:03:43

1:03:43

The influence of the great medieval mystic Ibn ‘Arabi is immeasurable, reaching from his home city of Murcia in Andalusia to Aceh in Indonesia and just about everywhere in between. His teachings similarly try to encompass, or at least articulate, the unfathomable depths of being, both human and divine, together with the links between God’s ultimate…

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Is It Really Just Lord of the Flies? 40:49

8M ago40:49

40:49

What does it take to truly foster self-governance in a learner-driven community? This episode dives deep into the essential skills of self-awareness, self-management, and ultimately, self-governance. We explore the transformative power of Town Hall—a critical, real-world mechanism where young heroes practice decision-making, leadership, and collect…

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How to Chase a Shadow 52:15

8M ago52:15

52:15

Do certain behaviors in others make you instantly see red? In today’s episode we dive into the fascinating world of button-pushing and shadows—those behaviors that trigger us most and what they reveal about ourselves. This episode unpacks why some things bother us so deeply, how to turn our frustrations into opportunities for growth, and what it me…

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Feedback Cafe: Recipes for Growth 29:53

8M ago29:53

29:53

What if feedback wasn’t a chore but a deliciously crafted experience? In this episode, we’re stepping into the Feedback Café, where feedback isn’t just given—it’s served. Drawing from our learner-driven community, we explore a menu of feedback recipes, from the "Cup o' Soup" to the "Challenge Sundae". Whether you’re guiding young heroes, coaching a…

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The Paradox of Likability: Why Do Other People Actually Like Us More Than We Think They Do? 25:15

9M ago25:15

25:15

People like us more than we think they do. Why are we so negative about ourselves? You didn’t develop that negative voice in your head all by yourself. We are socialized not to like ourselves and to strive for perfection. Perfection is a race with no finish line. What would a perfect life even look like? Be happy. Be perfectly imperfect. Be good. B…

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Feedback Cafe: Quality Ingredients 33:46

9M ago33:46

33:46

In this episode, we explore the art of giving and receiving qualitative feedback in a way that builds trust, clarity, and growth. Together, we unpack three key ingredients of delicious and nutritious feedback—Warm, Cool, and Challenge—and reflect on how they can create a powerful cycle of recognition, reflection, and action. From recognizing effort…

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The Swahili Poetry of Mozambique: A Muslim World Literature from Southeast Africa 56:31

9M ago56:31

56:31

Meaning ‘language of the coasts’ in Arabic, Swahili emerged in East Africa many centuries ago through contact with the wider Muslim world. Although the language is most often linked with Kenya and Tanzania, Swahili was also used as a lingua franca as far north as Somalia and as far south as Mozambique—a country whose name derives from that of a fif…

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Saturnian Greetings 25:58

9M ago25:58

25:58

Welcome to the new podcast! Master Saturn is thrilled to kick off our series, exploring intriguing topics and fostering meaningful discussions. Our aim is to inspire you to think differently and build a community of curious minds. Join us as we learn from diverse voices and grow together. Thanks for tuning in, and let's enjoy this new beginning!…

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What is a Challenge Donut? 28:00

9M ago28:00

28:00

What do donuts and personal growth have in common? In today’s episode, Andrew and I explore the Challenge Donut, a visual framework for navigating comfort, challenge, and panic zones in life. We break down the layers: the cozy comforts in the center, the sweet spot of growth in the challenge zone, and the often overwhelming edges of the panic zone.…

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What is a Constructive Critique? 26:34

9M ago26:34

26:34

I must say, I was surprised when Andrew told me he wanted to do an episode about Constructive Critique. This framework can be one of the hardest to master, because it often involves an uncomfortable challenge - giving a friend feedback about how their actions are negatively impacting how we feel or challenging them to keep a promise that they have …

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On Sacredness, Connection and Being Seen 43:15

9M ago43:15

43:15

What makes a space sacred? Is it the rituals we create, the history we honor, or the quiet moments of reflection we bring? In this episode, we delve into a family trip to Washington DC where we visited Arlington National Cemetery. It’s a place where the undulating hills of headstones spark profound questions about human connection and individuality…

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Challenging Our Instinct to Judge: Stoic Wisdom on Labeling Others and Ourselves 31:52

10M ago31:52

31:52

Normal and abnormal people do not exist. Sane and insane people do not exist. Conformists and nonconformists do not exist. The labels exist, but not the behaviors! So, how useful and reliable are our judgments of who is good and bad, who is moral and immoral, and who is wise and stupid? Labeling is easy. Getting it right is hard. Seneca recommends …

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On Being Human in the Age of AI 1:34:42

10M ago1:34:42

1:34:42

In this thought-provoking episode, we dive headfirst into the brave new world of artificial intelligence through the lens of Ethan Mollick’s Co-Intelligence. How does AI reshape creativity, relationships, and even the definition of mastery? From sleepless nights of discovery to ethical dilemmas and the concept of a "human in the loop," this convers…

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Apology part 1 19:54

10M ago19:54

19:54

More great books at LoyalBooks.comBy Plato

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The Muslims of Ukraine: Empires, Mystics, and Manuscripts 1:03:13

10M ago1:03:13

1:03:13

In libraries all across the Muslim world, old manuscripts survive by scholars whose names end with al-Qirimi: ‘The Crimean.’ Discussing all manner of religious topics, these texts form just part of the rich heritage of Muslims from regions in the east of Europe and to the north of the Black Sea that eventually became part of Ukraine. In this episod…

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Apology part 2 21:43

10M ago21:43

21:43

More great books at LoyalBooks.comBy Plato