The Knowledge with David Elikwu
David Elikwu
Podcast
Episodes
Listen, download, subscribe
150: Why You Feel Stuck - The Trap of Complexity
In this episode, David explores why modern life feels so complicated, how our quest for optimisation can make us fragile, and what it means to rediscover simplicity and practical wisdom. Through personal anecdotes, historical stories, and philosophical insights, David unpacks the hidden costs of complexity and offers a path back to clarity. Key Topics & Timestamps: [0:00] Introduction: The Complexity of Modern LifeWhy life feels more complicated than ever, and how simple acts become complex puzzles.[1:30] The Running MetaphorHow tracking and optimising a simple run can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction.[2:40] The Age of Hyper-OptimisationFrom fitness trackers to gene-editing startups—how technology fuels our obsession with control.[4:00] The Challenger Disaster & Normal Accident TheoryThe story of the 1986 Challenger explosion as a lesson in how complexity creates fragility.[6:50] Why We Choose ComplexityThe illusion of control and the quest for a sophisticated identity.[8:10] Gnosticism, Biohacking, and StatusHow secret knowledge and complex routines become modern status symbols.[10:00] Losing Sight of the TelosWhen metrics and routines overshadow our true goals and desires.[12:00] The Art of Effortless Mastery (Spezzatura)Lessons from the Renaissance and modern culture’s obsession with visible effort.[14:00] Escaping the Trap: Practical Wisdom & HeuristicsThe OODA loop, the limits of data, and why simple rules often outperform complex systems.[19:00] Final Thoughts & Call to ActionReconnecting with your ultimate aims, favouring heuristics over algorithms, and living with practical wisdom.Notable Quotes: “Complexity creates fragility.”“We are drowning in data and routines and starving for practical wisdom.”“The map becomes more important than the destination.”“Simple heuristics often outperform complex algorithms.”Resources & Mentions: Richard Feynman & the Challenger disasterCharles Perrow’s Normal Accident TheoryEpictetus and Stoic philosophyGnosticism and the pursuit of secret knowledgeBryan Johnson and the biohacking movementThe OODA loop (John Boyd)Gerd Gigerenzer on heuristicsBook: Food Rules by Michael Pollan👨🏾💻 About David Elikwu:David Elikwu FRSA is a serial entrepreneur, strategist, and writer. David is the founder of The Knowledge, a platform helping people think deeper and work smarter. 📖 My Book: Sovereign by David Elikwu https://becomesovereign.com 🐣 Twitter: @Delikwu / @itstheknowledge 🌐 Website: https://www.davidelikwu.com 📽️ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/davidelikwu 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delikwu/ 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@delikwu 🎙️ Podcast: http://plnk.to/theknowledge My Online Course 🖥️ Decision Hacker: http://www.decisionhacker.io/ Decision Hacker will help you hack your default patterns and become an intentional architect of your life. You’ll learn everything you need to transform your decisions, your habits, and your outcomes. The Knowledge 📩 Newsletter: https://theknowledge.io The Knowledge is a weekly newsletter for people who want to get more out of life. It's full of insights from psychology, philosophy, productivity, and business, all designed to make you more productive, creative, and decisive. My Favourite Tools 🎞️ Descript: https://bit.ly/descript-de 📨 Convertkit: https://bit.ly/convertkit-de 🔰 NordVPN: https://bit.ly/nordvpn-de 💹 Nutmeg: http://bit.ly/nutmegde 🎧 Audible: https://bit.ly/audiblede Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, share, and leave a review! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theknowledge/donations
The Knowledge with David Elikwu RSS Feed
