#808: Stephen West — From High School Dropout to Hit Podcast, and from Stocking Groceries to Reading Philosophy for a Living

Stephen West is a father, husband, and host of the Philosophize This! podcast. Sponsors: Gusto simple and easy payroll, HR, and benefits platform used by 400,000+ businesses: https://gusto.com/tim (three months free) Momentous high-quality supplements: https://livemomentous.com/tim (code TIM for up to 35% off) Eight Sleep’s Pod 4 Ultra sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating: https://eightsleep.com/tim (save $350 on the Pod 4 Ultra) Timestamps: [00:00:00] So it begins. [00:06:11] Stephen’s challenging childhood — from San Diego to Child Protective Services. [00:07:55] How Stephen supported himself after dropping out of school at 16. [00:09:37] The physical wear and tear of warehouse work (and unexpected upsides of the job). [00:11:48] How Stephen discovered philosophy through googling “wisest person in history.” [00:14:07] Defining philosophy as a “disruption of common sense” and “gym for rethinking.” [00:16:06] The 4-Hour Workweek as a philosophical text. [00:19:27] A philosophical shift around Ralph Waldo Emerson. [00:22:18] The transition from warehouse work to starting Philosophize This! with friendly encouragement. [00:27:47] Authenticity as the secret sauce to Philosophize This! [00:32:24] The discomfort of comparing old episodes with new. [00:34:15] The current state of Philosophize This!: 225 episodes, Patreon, ads, upcoming book deal. [00:37:18] The value of focusing on content quality before monetization. [00:38:44] Most popular Philosophize This! episodes thus far. [00:40:00] Philosophize This! episodes I’d like to hear. [00:41:20] Thinking of philosophy as a verb, not a noun. [00:46:44] The concept of amor fati (love of fate) and its practical application. [00:48:41] Wittgenstein’s ladder as a metaphor for philosophical growth. [00:51:36] Stephen’s perspective on philosophy as a process rather than a set of protocols. [00:54:43] Philosophies that have personal meaning to Stephen: Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Simone Weil. [