AUBREY MARCUS | What Makes A Good Life? | Modern Wisdom Podcast 117

Aubrey Marcus is a podcaster, author and CEO. I wanted to find out how Aubrey defines living a good life, and how he structures his world to ensure that he's pointing in the right direction... As you might be able to guess, this episode is jam packed with amazing stuff. Aubrey is someone who contemplates the finer elements of exactly how to make his mind and body a little better every day. Enjoy this insight into the life of someone who is unashamedly working to uncover all his weaknesses and turn them into strengths. This episode is brought to you by The Protein Works. Head to https://bit.ly/TPWChrisWillx to check out their awesome range. Extra Stuff: Follow Aubrey on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/aubreymarcus Buy Own The Day - https://amzn.to/326Ijmq Check out Onnit - https://www.onnit.com/ Check out everything I recommend from books to products and help support the podcast at no extra cost to you by shopping through this link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/modernwisdom #aubreymarcus #onnit #mindfulness - Listen to all episodes online. Search "Modern Wisdom" on any Podcast App or click here: iTunes: https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/modern-wisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: modernwisdompodcast@gmail.com

Aubrey MarcusguestChris Williamsonhost

Nov 4, 201951mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Chasing Achievement, Facing Fear, And Designing A Truly Good Life

Chris Williamson and Aubrey Marcus explore what actually makes a good life, contrasting external achievement with inner fulfillment and integrity. They discuss how many people must first attain their goals—money, status, success—before realizing these alone don’t create lasting happiness. Aubrey outlines his philosophy of living fully in both the physical and spiritual realms, while continually moving toward fears, telling the truth, and serving others. The conversation also covers non‑monogamy as a brutal but powerful teacher, the importance of community, and concrete practices for caring for the body and mind.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

External goals are best transcended by actually achieving them.

Aubrey argues that people rarely let go of the illusion that money, status, or big achievements will make them happy until they’ve actually attained them and felt the inevitable letdown—only then does the deeper work of finding inner fulfillment become truly possible.

Personas attract praise, but only vulnerability allows you to feel love.

When you present a curated character to the world, any admiration is directed at that mask, not at you; real connection and the felt sense of being loved require leading with vulnerability and authenticity.

A ‘good life’ combines rich experience, spiritual connection, and service.

For Aubrey, living well means fully engaging with earthly pleasures and adventures, cultivating a spiritual relationship with life or ‘source,’ and consistently leaving people and places better than you found them.

Most people hide behind ‘not wanting’ because they’re afraid to fail.

He suggests many who claim they’re satisfied with very little or ‘don’t care about money or experiences’ are often avoiding the risk of going after what they truly want, changing their value system so their ego can still “win.”

Facing fear directly is a core life ethos, not a slogan.

Aubrey’s personal rule is to move toward emotional fears and discomfort—whether in relationships or practices like potential celibacy—rather than away from them, because un-faced fears eventually ‘chase you down’ and cause greater suffering.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

The persona is incapable of actually receiving love. It can receive praise, but you're not gonna feel it because it's not you.

— Aubrey Marcus

If you think that writing a bestselling book is gonna make you happy, the best way to realize that it's not gonna make you happy is to get it.

— Aubrey Marcus

Get out there and live—really live—especially before you get in a situation that's going to restrict your ability to do that.

— Aubrey Marcus

We do not rise to the level of our goals. We fall to the level of our systems.

— Chris Williamson (quoting James Clear)

To be of service, you have to be fit for service.

— Aubrey Marcus (quoting Don Howard)

The limits of external achievement for creating lasting happinessAuthenticity vs. persona and the inability of a persona to receive loveDefining a ‘good life’: experience, spirituality, service, and agencyDesire, spiritual bypassing, and why you may need to ‘get’ what you wantOpen relationships, jealousy, and non‑monogamy as a path of growthTruth-telling, self-honesty, and dismantling layers of ego and shamePractical pillars: body care, mindset, community, and systems for living

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