SOLVED with Mark Manson

It's been one year of SOLVED. 20 episodes, 20 million downloads, 3 million YouTube subscribers, and a truly unreasonable number of poop jokes. To celebrate, I sat down with over 200 of your questions and picked the ones that hit the hardest.

We get into why most people fail at quitting addictions (hint: the problem isn't the feelings, it's that you never planned for them). I explain why, if you have ADHD and can't stop procrastinating, you need to treat yourself like a dog that shits on the carpet. We talk about the real science behind manifestation, why it sort of works but not for the reason TikTok thinks it does. I break down the difference between trait confidence and state confidence, and why "build evidence" is only half the equation. We cover how to handle panic attacks, getting over a "perfect" ex (spoiler: they're not perfect, and thinking they are is the problem), the uncomfortable truth about self-love, the difference between a boring relationship and being bored in a relationship, the purpose vs. money question, what FIRE retirees never tell you, and what I'd reincarnate as. Plus some big announcements: we're going back to the mega episode format in June, the PDF guides are returning, and our first topic is going to be how to actually change your life.

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• Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get 7 days free at ⁨https://www.purpose.app⁩

Chapters:

0:00: One-Year Anniversary and Show Announcements

4:37: Overcoming Addiction and Relapse

8:18: Procrastination and ADHD

11:30: The Science of Manifestation

16:11: Panic Attacks, Siblings, and Getting Over a "Perfect" Ex

20:18: Self-Love, Gratitude, and Religion

27:12: Relationships, Purpose, and Money

36:07: Maladaptive Daydreaming, Personality, and Growing with Friends

39:59: Nomadic Living, FIRE Retirement, Purpose Anxiety, and Reincarnation

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Nearly 60% of American workers are checked out at their jobs. Meanwhile, every graduation speech in history tells you to follow your passion and you'll never work a day in your life. So which is it?

In this episode, Drew and I debate both sides. I argue for passion. He argues for practicality. And what we discover along the way is that the whole question is kind of a false dichotomy. We get into the psychology of harmonious vs. obsessive passion (and why one leads to fulfillment while the other led Kurt Cobain to write "I don't have the passion anymore" in his suicide note). We talk survivorship bias, Maslow's hierarchy, and why financial stress literally impairs your ability to think creatively. I share the story of quitting my investment bank job at 24, living on a friend's futon, and knowing within a month that I was never going back. We look at how Jane Goodall took a secretarial job and stumbled into becoming the world's preeminent primatologist. And we land on a phrase I think is way more useful than "follow your passion": develop your passion... because passion isn't something you find, it's something you grow.

Get your free episode guide: https://solvedpodcast.com/passion/

• Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩

• Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get 7 days free at ⁨https://www.purpose.app⁩

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• Factor: Get 50% off and free breakfast for a year at https://www.factormeal.com/solved CODE: solved202650off.

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Chapters:

0:00 CHAPTER 1: Introduction

5:15 CHAPTER 2: Round One – The Case for Passion

12:49 CHAPTER 3: Rebuttal – Obsessive vs. Harmonious Passion

24:09 CHAPTER 4: Round Two – Financial Stability and Survivorship Bias

39:03 CHAPTER 5: Rebuttal – Regret Minimization and Turning Pro

1:00:48 CHAPTER 6: Round Three – Passion Is Fluid, Not Fixed

1:18:39 CHAPTER 7: Rebuttal – Career Capital and Getting So Good They Can't Ignore You

1:31:23 CHAPTER 8: Round Four – What Actually Causes Passion?

1:47:09 CHAPTER 9: Synthesis – Develop Your Passion

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So here's the thing about happiness: the harder you chase it, the faster it runs. That's not some bumper sticker wisdom. It's basically the core finding of decades of research.

In this highlight, Drew and I get into the stuff from our original happiness episode that I think people need to hear the most. We talk about Schopenhauer's idea that happiness is less like finding a treasure and more like removing a rock from your shoe. We dig into why social comparison doesn't have to destroy you (if you compare yourself to the right people for the right reasons). We cover the paradox of choice, why the maximizer mentality is a trap, and why Jeff Bezos says 70% certainty is the sweet spot for decisions.

Then we get into the U-shaped curve of happiness across your lifespan. Your 20s are intense, your 40s can be brutal, and your 70s might actually be the best decade of your life. We talk about why, and what to do about wherever you currently are on that curve.

If you listened to the original episode, this is the part that ties it all together. If you didn't, start here.

Vote for Solved for Best Indie Podcast in the 2026 Webby Awards: ⁠https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2026/podcasts/features/best-indie-podcast

• Get your free episode guide: https://solvedpodcast.com/happiness/

• Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough

• Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get 7 days free at https://www.purpose.app

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We pulled over 2,600 studies and ranked 19 of the most common self-improvement techniques across three dimensions: research quality, consistency of results, and actual effect size. Then we sorted them into four tiers: legitimately works, works sometimes, probably not helping, and straight up bullshit. Microdosing landed in the bullshit tier. Crystal healing outperformed several "serious" techniques. And the number one most effective strategy is something so stupidly simple it's almost annoying.

We also get into why everything at the bottom of the list shares one thing in common, why the middle of the list is mostly a fancy placebo, and why nearly everything at the top has been around for thousands of years.

Get your free episode guide: https://solvedpodcast.com/self-help/

Vote for Solved for Best Indie Podcast in the 2026 Webby Awards: ⁠https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2026/podcasts/features/best-indie-podcast

Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough

Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get 7 days free at https://www.purpose.app

Check out our sponsors:

Henson Shaving: Get 100 free blades (a two-year supply) with the purchase of a razor. Head to hensonshaving.com/solved and use code SOLVED at checkout.

Brain FM: Neuroscience-backed music engineered to shift your brain into focus, relaxation, or sleep. Get 30 days of unlimited access for free at https://go.brain.fm/solved.

Chapters:

0:06:02 CHAPTER 1: Category 4: Bullsh*t

0:27:29 CHAPTER 2: Category 3: Probably Not Helping

0:51:37 CHAPTER 3: Category 2: Works Sometimes

1:23:50 CHAPTER 4: Category 1: Legitimately Works

1:59:19 CHAPTER 5: Conclusion

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This book has sold over a hundred million copies, billionaires swear by it. But what if it's a lie? Does the effectiveness of the book change if we find out that the author is a huge scammer and quite possibly made up the whole story that spearheaded the book?

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Written & Directed by Mark Manson
Edited by Michelle Hsieh
Director of Photography Jess Choi
Thumbnail by Jonathan Sippel

Follow Mark

Mark’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/markmanson

Solved IG: https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/

Twitter: https://x.com/markmanson

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson
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