• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

A Grown Man’s Guide to Living Well

The Distilled Man

Actionable Advice for the Everyday Gentleman

SubscribeShow Subscription Opt-In
Hide Offscreen Opt-In Content
Hide Offscreen Search Content
  • Start Here
  • Social Savvy
  • Motivation
  • Style & Grooming
  • Career
  • Gentlemanly Skills
  • More
    • Relationships
    • Food & Drink
    • Living Well
    • Manly Know-How
    • Videos
    • Podcasts

004: The Science of Success | Eric Barker

June 28, 2017 | By Kyle Ingham | May contain affiliate links (What's this?)


Share
Tweet
Pin

The Science of Success with Eric Barker podcast interview

http://traffic.libsyn.com/thedistilledman/DM004.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS

If you want to be more successful in life, there’s no shortage of advice out there. Unfortunately, much of that advice persists simply because it sounds good—not because it actually works. When you really look at the research, most of those catchy maxims about how to get ahead or live a fuller life don’t hold up

My guest today, Eric Barker, has spent the last 8 years tracking down science-based answers to some of the biggest questions around success and life. Eric talks with us about the widely accepted myths about success and also shares some real, proven ways to be more successful in life.

Eric Barker Podcast interviewGuys, I’m really excited to bring you today’s guest, I’ve been reading his blog for about 2 years. Once again, his name Eric Barker. He is the head honcho over at the blog Barking up The Wrong Tree, which presents science-based answers and expert insights on how to be awesome at life. His work has been mentioned in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic Monthly, TIME Magazine, The Week, and Business Insider. He is also a former Hollywood screenwriter having worked on projects for Walt Disney Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, and Revolution Studios. He’s also just written a book called Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success is (Mostly) Wrong.

Eric is not only a ridiculously smart guy, but he’s got a great sense of humor, and I think you’ll appreciate his perspective on the true nature of success.

Episode Highlights

  • Why playing by the rules is often not in your best interest (and why valedictorians rarely become millionaires)
  • Why your worst quality can often be your greatest asset depending on the context
  • The critical importance of knowing yourself and “picking the right pond”
  • Why the paradigm of confidence is flawed, and what to do instead
  • What research on Batman can teach you about failure
  • How the “WOOP” system can work better than simply wishing to achieve your goals
  • The surprising research insight that changed how Eric sees his own life
  • What neuroscience tells us about the role of emotion in decision-making

Resources Mentioned

  • Gautam Mukunda and Intensifiers
  • Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, by Kristin Neff
  • Gabriele Oettingen and WOOP
  • Bob Sutton, Stanford Business School
  • Laura Carstensen, “Why Older People are Happier“
  • How We Decide, by Jonah Lehrer

Connect With Eric Barker

  • Barking Up the Wrong Tree Blog
  • Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success is (Mostly) Wrong
Share
Tweet
Pin

You might also like...

Paul Churchill: Recovery ElevatorPaul Churchill: Recovery Elevator
How to Stop Saying “Um”, “Like”, and Other Filler WordsHow to Stop Saying “Um”, “Like”, and Other Filler Words
11 Signs You Are (Finally) A Grown Man11 Signs You Are (Finally) A Grown Man

About Kyle Ingham

Kyle Ingham is the Founder and Editor of The Distilled Man, an online channel that helps everyday guys become well-rounded gentlemen. Kyle is a husband, new father, blogger, podcaster, and a recovering advertising executive. For the past 7 years, he's been helping men learn the essential skills and knowledge they need to become better, more confident men. Kyle enjoys Bourbon, burritos and the occasional pirate joke. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and son.
 
About The Distilled Man | Listen to the Podcast | Featured Posts

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to the Podcast

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSS

Recent Posts

  • Career Second-Acts and Living Your Purpose | Paul Ollinger
  • How to Build a Stronger Marriage | Laura Heck
  • 2000 Books With Mani Vaya
  • Dating Essentials for Men | Dr. Robert Glover
  • How to Tame Your Anxiety | Dr. Loretta Breuning

Stay Connected

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Contact
  • Legal Stuff

Copyright © 2011-2022 · The Distilled Man, LLC