Modern WisdomHow To Survive The 21st Century | Jason Stapleton | Modern Wisdom Podcast 148
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:01
Thrive by tuning out political noise and focusing on individual change
Jason frames the episode’s core thesis: the next decades will reward people who stop outsourcing their wellbeing to politics and start upgrading themselves. He argues that “the noise” distracts, keeps people dependent, and doesn’t increase safety or prosperity.
- •Wellbeing improves more through individual change than political change
- •News/political cycles create distraction, not wealth or security
- •The goal is to thrive over the next 20 years, not merely survive
- 1:01 – 2:02
The unglamorous work behind success: funnels, copy, and the unseen grind
Jason and Chris discuss how success is built in the boring, repetitive work that happens off-camera. Jason explains his day-to-day reality: marketing analysis, writing sales copy, and building sales funnels.
- •Most “successful-looking” careers are mostly unsexy execution
- •Marketing metrics, copywriting, and funnel-building drive results
- •“Success happens when nobody’s watching”
- 2:02 – 5:36
Conor McGregor as a model for belief, branding, and ‘leading with confidence’
They use Conor McGregor to explore conviction before evidence—believing in a future identity and acting accordingly. Jason emphasizes brand-building and influence as a craft, not an accident.
- •McGregor’s identity and confidence predated achievements
- •Self-belief is a prerequisite for others believing in you
- •Brand building and influence can be studied and engineered
- 5:36 – 9:35
Vision, ‘productive self-deception,’ and escaping negative feedback loops
Jason outlines how mindset and small daily wins can break discouraging cycles, especially for new entrepreneurs facing repeated failure. He shares his own long runway of failure before rapid financial growth.
- •Change starts with a clear mental vision and destination
- •Entrepreneurship often looks like years of failure then sudden acceleration
- •Use tiny wins (wake up on alarm, gratitude basics) to rebuild momentum
- 9:35 – 20:57
Timeless ideas, Lindy thinking, and why marketing patterns get stale
Chris and Jason discuss why durable ideas and books (like Atomic Habits) endure because human nature doesn’t change. They connect this to advertising: agencies copy templates, avoid risk, and creativity declines.
- •Lindy Effect: older, proven content is often more reliable
- •Human psychology stays stable; tactics change but principles persist
- •Ad culture trends toward ‘fail safely’ by copying what competitors do
- •Winning requires testing and doing the opposite of the saturated norm
- 20:57 – 26:35
What high performers share: long horizons, paying to learn, and making it a game
Jason answers what distinguishes people who take responsibility and succeed across life domains. He emphasizes long-term time horizons, investing in coaching to compress learning, and approaching business with joy rather than warfare.
- •Long time horizons (10–20 years) enable endurance through hardship
- •Write checks to buy speed: coaching beats ‘hard knocks’ learning
- •Treat business like a game of weekly improvement, not constant battle
- •Enjoyment and curiosity sustain consistency over decades
- 26:35 – 31:18
How to choose coaches and courses in a world full of ‘gurus’
They tackle the difficulty of finding legitimate education products amid aggressive marketing. Jason shares his practical method: compare multiple webinars, evaluate professionalism, and use refunds ethically when promises aren’t met.
- •Experience helps you spot sales tricks and empty promises
- •Watch multiple trainings/webinars before buying a program
- •Refund only when the product isn’t as promised—not due to non-execution
- •Most failures come from lack of compliance, not course quality
- 31:18 – 36:44
WallStreetBets, pump-and-dumps, and the danger of ‘get rich quick’ trading
Chris introduces the WallStreetBets phenomenon; Jason connects it to long-standing penny stock manipulation and hype cycles. Jason warns that without a proven plan and discipline, traders often give back wins and destroy capital.
- •Online crowds can amplify speculation and market manipulation
- •Penny-stock pump-and-dump patterns are longstanding
- •A proven trading plan and consistent execution are non-negotiable
- •People publicize wins while hiding losses, distorting perceived success
- 36:44 – 43:40
Zooming out: why coronavirus and elections are ‘noise’ vs. the real 20-year shift
Jason argues that most headline events are short-term distraction compared to structural technology changes. He explains accelerating economic revolutions and predicts massive job obsolescence driven by automation and applied AI.
- •Market/news cycles often matter less than people think
- •Economic transitions are happening faster and with greater intensity
- •Automation and AI will eliminate many repetitive and middle-skill jobs
- •Self-driving cars are an example of practical AI reshaping work and life
- 43:40 – 45:59
Adaptation vs. denial: the assembly-line lesson and why preparation must start early
Jason uses the auto industry as a case study: workers had decades of warning but relied on institutions instead of reskilling. He stresses that the time to prepare is before the pink slip arrives, not after.
- •Workers ignored long-term signals and outsourced protection to unions
- •Reskilling must happen during stability, not during crisis
- •The coming transition hits many industries simultaneously
- •Opportunity expands for creatives—but only for those who adapt early
- 45:59 – 49:08
Future-proof skills: coding, creativity, and the knowledge/consulting business
Asked what skills will be robust, Jason prioritizes coding and creative, non-repetitive work that resists automation. He argues the information/coaching business will grow as colleges fall behind rapidly changing market needs.
- •Learn to code as a modern ‘language’ with creative leverage
- •Creative fields (writing, marketing, photography, art/science) remain resilient
- •Knowledge/consulting/coaching offers low overhead and high margins
- •Hiring shifts from credentialism to skill, drive, and proof of ability
- 49:08 – 54:42
Simple finance rules and ‘wealth measured in time’: build human capital first
Jason distills personal finance to spending less than you make and investing in what you understand. If you don’t understand investments, he argues, invest in yourself—skills and reputation create durable security.
- •Spend less than you earn; invest the difference intelligently
- •If you can’t evaluate investments, invest in your own skills
- •Worker security comes from market demand—multiple employers wanting you
- •Wealth is ‘runway’: how long you can live if income stops
- 54:42 – 1:00:12
Wealth as freedom, mobility, and agency—and the people you want around you
Jason ties the entire framework to liberty: wealth enables movement and options when environments deteriorate. Chris adds an ‘agency’ heuristic (who you’d call to get you out of jail), and they emphasize surrounding yourself with capable, high-agency peers.
- •Wealth provides mobility and protection more than politics does
- •Build transferable income and skills so you can relocate if needed
- •Agency is the capacity to act effectively under constraint
- •Choose a circle of industrious people you can learn from and support
- 1:00:12 – 1:01:52
Wrap-up: where to find Jason’s work and further resources
They close with Jason sharing where listeners can learn more, including his podcast and a longer presentation meant to help with mindset loops and identifying personal strengths. Chris signs off and points to show notes.
- •Jason’s podcast: Wealth, Power, and Influence
- •Resource: controlthesource.com presentation for direction and self-assessment
- •Emphasis on identifying existing skills and creative strengths
- •Episode conclusion and links in show notes
