Two Percent with Michael Easter

A lot of us think of quitting as a path to failure. Michael speaks with Lindsay Crouse, the former New York Times writer, editor and producer, lifelong distance runner and author of The Case for Quitting, about when perseverance backfires, how to tell meaningful suffering from the pointless kind, and the signs it's time to walk away. They discuss:

(00:00) Cold open(00:54) Good sisu and bad sisu(06:30) The Olympic Trials goal she missed(13:12) When perseverance backfires(20:54) Where quitting pays off(24:22) Should you quit your job?(27:24) Type A minds and never enough(32:05) Where we quit too much(35:08) Who pays when you quit?(37:09) Bill Withers' golden toilet seat(42:23) Do we all need a rumspringa?(46:55) Why Lindsay left the Times(49:25) Signs it's time to quit

Get Lindsay's book, The Case for Quitting: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-case-for-quitting-the-surprising-benefits-of-opting-out-lindsay-crouse/5d08b49f272f6816Find Lindsay: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaycrouse/

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Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips

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Michael speaks with Tim Wu, the Columbia law professor and author of The Age of Extraction, about how media and tech platforms learned to harvest our attention, why convenience is among the most powerful forces of our time, and what the easy option can take from us. They discuss:

(00:00) Cold open(01:12) Selling attention, from 1833 to now(07:46) Why phones are changing human evolution(16:20) Why ads adapt to every backlash(18:00) Attention merchants vs. extractors(25:48) Easiest wins: the power of convenience(28:01) What convenience takes from us(34:17) Can tech serve more than profit?(39:45) What makes a good life(44:42) Is there an ethical way to fund media?(48:51) Social media, kids and age limits(53:51) Why reality TV casts difficult people(57:17) Tim's own media diet

Get Tim's book, The Age of Extraction: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691177/the-age-of-extraction-by-tim-wu/Find Tim: https://x.com/superwuster

Sponsors:MacroFactor: Download MacroFactor in the app store and use code TWOPCT for 14 days free.Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.

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Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6

Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips

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Michael speaks with Brady Holmer, the exercise scientist and 2:24 marathoner behind the Substack Physiologically Speaking, about which fitness trends hold up. Brady explains why he stopped taking creatine, which numbers on your wearable to ignore, and why endurance athletes now eat the carbs of three Cokes an hour. They discuss:

(00:00) Preview(00:35) Why Brady stopped taking creatine(03:26) Creatine is oversold for the brain(09:14) The wearable numbers to ignore(12:47) The problem with HRV(16:14) What wearables get right(18:49) Carb maxing: three Cokes an hour(24:56) What Lance Armstrong said about carbs(28:11) Race weight and eating enough(32:57) Why carb timing matters(36:33) Why Brady is eating less protein(38:57) Mile record or two-hour marathon?(41:35) The second running boom(45:58) More strength or more cardio?(48:15) Training with a newborn

Subscribe to Brady's Substack, Physiologically Speaking: https://www.physiologicallyspeaking.comFind Brady: https://www.instagram.com/brady.j.holmer/

Sponsors:Lagoon: Go to lagoonsleep.com/TWOPCT and take the 60-second sleep quiz to find your perfect pillow. Use code TWOPCT for 15% off any pillow.MacroFactor: Download MacroFactor in the app store and use code TWOPCT for 14 days free.Vuori: Get 20% off your first purchase at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6

Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips

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Heather Gay, star of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and author of Bad Mormon, tells Michael why she left the Mormon faith, what that decision cost, and how she rebuilt a sense of self and community. They also discussed her role on the show, and:

(00:00) Preview(00:46) Why Heather left her faith(03:01) The choice that changed her life(05:35) Why she stayed Mormon for so long(11:15) The cost of trying to be perfect(15:52) Finding belonging after leaving a faith(22:00) Why most people live a double life(24:30) When reinvention works and when it fails(30:20) The stages of leaving a high-demand group(33:41) Finding a new community(38:36) Sales lessons from her Mormon mission(43:48) Choosing to be on Real Housewives despite pushback(50:10) Writing fiction: Eternal Glow(52:28) A Housewives rapid fire: takes on Jen, Lisa, and Meredith(57:47) Why the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City resonates

Get Heather's book, Bad Mormon: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Bad-Mormon/Heather-Gay/9781982199548

Sponsors:MacroFactor: Try MacroFactor free for 14 days in the Apple or Android app store with code TWOPCT.

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Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6

Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips

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Michael speaks with Tamar Haspel, The Washington Post's Unearthed columnist and author of To Boldly Grow, about her case for why we should stop eating lettuce. Starting with the explosive diarrhea story behind her column, they examine lettuce's food-safety risks, the healthy reputation of salads, and how to eat well when nutrition advice conflicts. They discuss:

(00:00) Preview(00:52) Lettuce and foodborne illness(05:11) Lettuce, water and food waste(09:07) The salad health halo(12:39) Lettuce backlash and staple crops(20:51) Potatoes, corn and other staples(26:34) What food policy can change(31:00) Restaurant portions and home cooking(33:46) Italy's meals versus American snacking(39:54) Dietary guidelines and protein(44:34) The case for diet soda(47:37) The blind egg taste test(51:20) Food dyes and food beliefs(55:42) Eating well with uncertain science

Get Tamar's book, To Boldly Grow: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/688423/to-boldly-grow-by-tamar-haspel/Find Tamar: https://www.tamarhaspel.com

Download MacroFactor in the Apple or Google app store. Get 14 days free with code TWOPCT.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6

Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips

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