The older I get, the fewer New Year’s resolutions I have. What used to be an exciting time of the year to start fresh and set incentives for a new you has rather become an internal process of reflecting and learning, without the need to achieve anything else the next year. However, last year I did set a goal, and it was to listen to every single episode of the podcast The Great Simplification, provided by Nate Hagens.
I came across Nate Hagens’ work probably about two or three years ago. It was a simple Google search that had me landing on his YouTube channel. What I was searching for was a systems perspective on economics, sustainability, and inner wellbeing. I had been thinking about how the challenges I’ve studied and worked with for so many years often were presented in their own settings and formats, creating silos of knowledge, research, policy, and activities. Hasn’t anyone thought about how they are all interconnected? And especially for me, coming from a background in economics and welfare measures, what about the role of our economy as a system intertwined and interdependent with other systems?
Since then, I’ve shared The Great Simplification and Nate Hagens’ work with friends, in panels, and across my own platforms, especially in Sweden, where I feel that even though sustainability is high on the agenda, the unsustainability of our current system is completely lacking in the debate.
So how did it go with my wow? Well, it wasn’t that hard to manage. I’m a big receiver of information, mainly from documentaries, reports, and podcasts. Nate Hagens’ podcast might have been prioritised above other channels that speak about similar topics, but in general, I think I probably absorb more information than is healthy for my brain. I can listen to a podcast while cooking, cleaning, exercising, taking a walk, etc., so on weekends, that can be five hours of content per day in my case. And yes, the music part is not as present (which maybe should be a new wow for this year?).
What did I learn then? First, I have to say that I’ve been listening and not watching, except for some episodes where I take screenshots of graphs and tables (especially if related to economics). I’ve also listened, as you probably have understood, while doing other tasks with my hands. As such, no notes or a 100 per cent focus. I believe this, of course, impacts how much I remember, and since I’m a visual person, I know that images stay with me.
But X minutes later (to be calculated), there are a few things I take with me.
My perception of the future is less optimistic and, on some days, very pessimistic. I know Nate might not like to hear this, but it’s true. I wasn’t very positive before I started listening to the podcast, but it has definitely, in many cases, confirmed my worries in certain areas. And when an expert confirms the trajectory, you can’t help but feel down and depressed.
My understanding of the role of inner resilience has been strengthened. Since Nate started his podcast, I can see that more content is related to the inner landscape and what it means to be human, in general, but also in the context of being aware of the metacrisis. I found this very refreshing and actually hopeful. I’ve personally suffered from mental health issues and have integrated inner sustainability into my work for many years. I believe a big driver of the crisis has to do with our traumas and feelings of inadequacy, but also that our greatest agency is to work on our inner wellbeing. The world is far away from where I want it to be, but the peace within is something that has grown because I’ve consciously cultivated it.
Factually, I know more about energy, AI, and carbon capture. These are all very relevant topics for systems transformation (that I hope we’re able to journey on), but they are highly complex if you want them to work within planetary boundaries. It requires proper policy-making with the understanding that total material and energy input needs to decrease globally. Even though this systems perspective is not always part of the discussions, hearing experts in their own fields looking at opportunities and problems is rewarding. Not that I always agree, and neither do I think Nate does, but we need these conversations.
People are making a difference and creating change now; those are reasons to be hopeful. Despite my overall feeling of despair, there are several guests who have presented their work and ideas for a better future. I personally believe many of these need to be local and regional, that if we can see and witness change in an area, it can spark visions and hope in others. An example would be the episode about digital democracy, where AI is actually used to strengthen democracy in Taiwan. I also think the historian Rutger Bregman, with his work on Moral Ambition, can reach a wider audience and an entrepreneur-friendly crowd to consider what their legacies truly are. There are many examples like this across the podcast and across the world, and sometimes we need to see that it is many actions, by many people, in many areas and regions, that will change the world.
Strengthened insights on economics. I know I’m biased here, but our economic system is my passion. I know it might sound strange, but I’m honestly curious and excited when it comes to economics, and I truly believe it’s one of the keys to changing the trajectory of humanity on planet Earth. It just has to change. Nate often brings up the role of economics; some episodes clearly focus on it, while in others, he might include a few points in his Franklys. It was through Nate that I found the facts I was looking for a few years ago, namely, the role of energy and materials, which is overlooked by today’s economic models, theories, and practices. To get some updates now might not in itself be new information for me, but to hear about the role of the US dollar, the geopolitics around it, and US debt, etc., are realities shaping all of our lives, and I’m glad it’s included and that I can update myself on some of the latest developments.
Otherwise, it’s hard to say how you are shaped by a podcast or by listening to something for so many hours. I’m not sure the quantity is essential, since it’s the topics I’m more interested in that I’m more prone to concentrate on and remember. At the same time, I do find it healthy to expose oneself to topics or areas that wouldn’t naturally be part of one’s interests, and as such, I might not have come across them otherwise. I guess the second point is what one does with the information..
Yesterday, I watched a conference online where the role of education was debated. Some argued for the promoted role of education as a prerequisite for people’s understanding, approval, and participation in reform. Others suggested this is a weakness of the privileged few of us who then become the “educators”, which might be disempowering to those “who need to be educated”. Education, despite being seen as a tool for agency, can actually have the opposite effect. But maybe podcasts like Nate’s are for the few of us who are interested in complexities, who are more prone to learning about different realities, perspectives, and research than leaning into a comfortable worldview (not that this might be the case for everyone not engaged in the topics of systems and the metacrisis). It might be more important to ask: what does this say about us?
Overall, I enjoy listening to The Great Simplification. Nate is a great host, asks relevant questions, and brings in a vast field of relevant experts and guests. The Franklys are normally timely and very often, in an almost magical way, reflect what’s on my own mind. Maybe a full year of listening doesn’t have to result in any new actions on my behalf or a long list of newly gained knowledge. Maybe it’s more than enough to say it has provided me with fulfilment, joy, and connection. Despite the topics and themes, I feel less alone in my way of seeing the world and more connected to fellow podcast listeners.
When I meet someone who listens to the podcast, it’s like I know we share a similar worldview and probably similar values too. I don’t have to explain how I see things. And when everyday choices in life, such as what to work with, where to live, and what to prioritise, can feel hard (with AI, climate, war, food risks, etc. around the corner), people understand without me explaining. You’re not the black sheep in a white-crowded room, but rather one of many.
We know the chances of facing a great simplification, and we know humanity is not ready for it. We can be in fear, uncertainty, and despair together, and through community, there is a sense of peace and acceptance. I do believe each one of us tries to serve as best we can in our own capacity. If it’s enough to change the trajectory, we don’t know, but we have chosen to be aware, awake and together. Below you can find a list of all the episodes. Enjoy!
The Great Simplification – Episodes 2025
*I’ve tried with the help of AI to generate a full list of all the episodes, guest names, length and date and have failed over and over again to create this comprehensive list. It’s taken me hours to do this, and the list below is still not accurate, but gives you a hint of some subjects.
January
Ep 155 – The Meaning Crisis: Wisdom, Purpose, and the Search for Coherence (with John Vervaeke) — 1 hr 37 min — 8 Jan 2025
Ep 156 – Reality and Perseverance in India: Pollution, Poverty, and Policy (with Sunita Narain) — 1 hr 12 min — 15 Jan 2025
Ep 157 – The Future Is Local: Bioregioning 101 — 1 hr 28 min — 19 Jan 2025
Ep 158 – Navigating International Crises: The Evolving Challenges for Humanitarian Organisations — 1 hr 13 min — 22 Jan 2025
Frankly 82 – Power vs Life: Towards Wide Boundary Sovereignty — 40 min — 24 Jan 2025
Ep 159 – The Uncertain Future of Oil: Energy Poverty, Depletion, and ‘Green’ Ambitions (with Scott Tinker) — 1 hr 44 min — 29 Jan 2025
Frankly 83 – Artificial Intelligence and the Lost Ark — 25 min — 31 Jan 2025
February 2025
Ep 160 – Always Adding More: The Unpopular Reality About Energy Transitions (with Jean-Baptiste Fressoz) — 1 hr 15 min — 5 Feb 2025
Frankly 84 – Share Your Story: A Call for Responses to The Great Simplification — 4 min — 7 Feb 2025
Ep 161 – The Plastic Crisis: A Health and Environmental Emergency — 1 hr 39 min — 10 Feb 2025
Ep 162 – Reimagining the Cultural Narrative: Art and Storytelling for Systemic Change (with Dougald Hine) — 1 hr 36 min — 12 Feb 2025
Frankly 85 – The Light Triad — 15 min — 14 Feb 2025
Ep 163 – The ‘Decline’ of Nations: How Elite Surplus and Inequality Lead to Societal Upheaval (with Peter Turchin) — 1 hr 5 min — 19 Feb 2025
Frankly 86 – What Is Wealth? — 16 min — 21 Feb 2025
Ep 164 – Wisdom Over Power: Why Contemplation & Wonder Are Essential for the Future (with Iain McGilchrist) — 1 hr 59 min — 26 Feb 2025
Frankly 87 – (Some of) The Central Questions of Our Time — 17 min — 28 Feb 2025
March 2025
Ep 165 – 2000-Watt Society: The Realities of Living a Low(er) Energy Lifestyle (with Peter Strack) — 1 hr 17 min — 5 Mar 2025
Frankly 88 – Snow, the Singularity, and Rocks in the River — 14 min — 7 Mar 2025
Ep 166 – The Lost Art of Grieving: Grief as Ritual, Resistance, and Resilience (with Francis Weller) — 1 hr 38 min — 12 Mar 2025
Ep 167 – Threats to U.S. Security: Aging Infrastructure, Fragile Systems, and Information Warfare (with Dan O’Connor) — 1 hr 25 min — 19 Mar 2025
Frankly 89 – Thinking and Feeling — 10 min — 21 Mar 2025
Ep 168 – The Mad Scramble for Power: Global Superpowers’ Strategies for Energy and Economy — 1 hr 29 min— 23 Mar 2025
Ep 169 – Digital Democracy: Moving Beyond ‘Big Tech’ to Save Open Societies (with Audrey Tang) — 1 hr 24 min— 26 Mar 2025
April 2025
Ep 170 – Rewilding 15 Million Acres: Why True Wealth Means More Than Money (with Kristine Tompkins) — 1 hr 12 min — 2 Apr 2025
Frankly – Net Zero and Other Delusions: What Can’t, Won’t and Might Happen — 20 min — 4 Apr 2025
Ep 171 – Living Without Fossil Fuels: How Living Energy Farm Created a Comfortable Off-Grid Life (with Alexis Zeigler) — duration not listed — 9 Apr 2025
Ep 172 – Living the Change: How TGS Viewers Are Transforming Their Lives and Communities — 30 min — 11 Apr 2025
May 2025
Ep 173 – Planetary Insights (with Will Marshall) — 14 min 32 sec — 16 May 2025
Ep 174 – The Neuroscience of Good Journalism (with Maren Urner) — 1 hr 2 min — 21 May 2025
Ep 175 – Sobriété vs Poverty (with Jean-Marc Jancovici) — 13 min 1 sec — 23 May 2025
Ep 176 – Fragile Electric Grids (with Pedro Prieto) — 1 hr 4 min — 28 May 2025
Ep 177 – No Economies Without Biodiversity (with Thomas Crowther) — 14 min 45 sec — 30 May 2025
June 2025
Ep 178 – Restoring Global Ecology (with Andrew Millison) — 1 hr 49 min — 4 Jun 2025
Ep 179 – The Fish Are Fleeing (with Malin Pinsky) — 20 min 20 sec — 6 Jun 2025
Ep 180 – AI’s Unseen Risks (with Zak Stein) — 1 hr 18 min — 11 Jun 2025
Ep 181 – Globalization End Game (with Helena Norberg-Hodge) — 1 min 50 sec — 13 Jun 2025
Ep 182 – The Systems Science Behind Our Global Crises (with Nate Hagens) — 58 min 53 sec — 18 Jun 2025
Ep 183 – The National Security Risks We’re Not Prepared For (with Rod Schoonover) — 43 min 22 sec — 20 Jun 2025
Ep 184 – Algorithmic Cancer (with Connor Leahy) — 1 hr 37 min — 25 Jun 2025
July 2025
Ep 186 – The Packaging Revolution (with Wes Carter) — 21 min 33 sec — 3 Jul 2025
Ep 187 – Towards Individual Wisdom & Restraint (with Nate Hagens) — 1 hr 24 min — 8 Jul 2025
Ep 188 – Nothing Can Stop This Train (with Lyn Alden) — 1 hr 29 min — 15 Jul 2025
Ep 189 – The Silent Collapse (with Oliver Milman) — 17 min 49 sec — 17 Jul 2025
Ep 190 – The Forgotten Skills of Dying and Grieving Well (with Stephen Jenkinson) — 1 hr 27 min — 22 Jul 2025
Ep 191 – How Do You Become Who You Want to Be? (with Taylor Guthrie) — 26 min 29 sec — 24 Jul 2025
Ep 192 – Where Will Humanity Move When the World Gets Too Hot? (with Sunil Amrith) — 1 hr 46 min — 29 Jul 2025
August 2025
Ep 179 – The Fish Are Fleeing (with Malin Pinsky) — 20 min 20 sec — 6 Aug 2025
Ep 180 – AI’s Unseen Risks (with Zak Stein) — 1 hr 18 min — 11 Aug 2025
Ep 181 – Globalization End Game (with Helena Norberg-Hodge) — 1 min 50 sec — 13 Aug 2025
Ep 178 – Restoring Global Ecology (with Andrew Millison) — 1 hr 49 min — 4 Aug 2025
Ep 177 – No Economies Without Biodiversity (with Thomas Crowther) — 14 min 45 sec — 30 Aug 2025
October 2025
Ep 185 – The Myths Shaping Our Economies (with Josh Farley) — 1 hr 15 min — 1 Oct 2025
Ep 186 – The Packaging Revolution (with Wes Carter) — 21 min 33 sec — 3 Oct 2025
Ep 187 – Towards Individual Wisdom & Restraint (with Nate Hagens) — 1 hr 24 min — 8 Oct 2025
Ep 188 – Nothing Can Stop This Train (with Lyn Alden) — 1 hr 29 min — 15 Oct 2025
Ep 189 – The Silent Collapse (with Oliver Milman) — 17 min 49 sec — 17 Oct 2025
Ep 190 – The Forgotten Skills of Dying and Grieving Well (with Stephen Jenkinson) — 1 hr 27 min — 22 Oct 2025
Ep 191 – How Do You Become Who You Want to Be? (with Taylor Guthrie) — 26 min 29 sec — 24 Oct 2025
Ep 192 – Where Will Humanity Move When the World Gets Too Hot? (with Sunil Amrith) — 1 hr 46 min — 29 Oct 2025
Ep 193 – Why We Need Forests (with Anastassia Makarieva) — 22 min 45 sec — 31 Oct 2025
November 2025
Ep 194 – The Past and Future of Societal Collapse (with Luke Kemp) — 1 hr 52 min — 5 Nov 2025
Ep 195 – Moral Ambition (with Rutger Bregman) — 1 hr 21 min — 12 Nov 2025
Ep 196 – Is the U.S. Electric Grid Stable? (with Meredith Angwin) — 37 min 40 sec — 14 Nov 2025
Ep 197 – Will Coral Reefs Be Gone by 2050? (with Ove Hoegh-Guldberg) — 1 hr 22 min — 19 Nov 2025
Ep 198 – Challenging Monopoly Power (with Stacy Mitchell) — 40 min 16 sec — 22 Nov 2025
Ep 199 – Terror Management Theory (with Sheldon Solomon) — 1 hr 32 min — 24 Nov 2025
Ep 200 – Will We Artificially Cool the Planet? (with Ted Parson) — 1 hr 21 min — 12 Nov 2025
Ep 201 – Two Ways of Knowing (with Rosa Vásquez Espinoza) — 1 hr 22 min — 19 Nov 2025
Ep 202 – Reimagining Ourselves at the End of the World (with Samantha Sweetwater) — 1 hr 32 min — 24 Nov 2025
December 2025
Ep 203 – If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies (with Nate Soares) — 1 hr 40 min — 3 Dec 2025
Frankly- 115 - Inflation, Deflation, & Simplification: The 8 Things That Influence Prices (with Nate Hagens) -26 m - 5 dec 2025
Ep 204 – Fighting for a Livable Future (with Kelly Erhart) — 1 hr 6 min — 10 Dec 2025
Frankly- 116 Sunk Cost and the Superorganism (with Nate Hagens) - 23 m - 12 dec 2025
Ep 205 – End of Year Reflections (with Nate Hagens) — 30 min 48 sec — 17 Dec 2025
Ep 205 - Behavioural Thermodynamics Part 1: Beyond the 4th Law? (with Nate Hagens) - 30 min - 19 dec 2025