Thought Architecture

Hosted by Justin Noppe

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May 2026

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Upgrade your brain, upgrade your life! becomingresilient.substack.com

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May 26, 202635 min

From Cursive to Rage Bait: The Radical Shift in How We Think and Feel Due to Digital Media

Your Brain Is Being Renovated — And You Didn’t Sign the PermitLet me ask you something. When was the last time you sat with a difficult idea — not scrolled past it, not hit pause and grabbed your phone — but actually sat with it? Turned it over. Let it challenge you. Felt a little uncomfortable and stayed anyway?If you had to think about that for more than five seconds, we need to talk.Because here’s what’s actually happening. Your brain is being renovated in real time, and the contractor is an algorithm that doesn’t care what the finished product looks like. It just cares that you stay on the job site.The Typographic Mind — And Why You Should Care About ItNeil Postman wrote about this in 1985. 1985!! His book Amusing Ourselves to Death introduced the concept of the typographic mind — a brain developed through reading. Not skimming. Not speed reading. Not glancing at captions. Reading.What Postman argued — and what the neuroscience is now catching up to — is that print culture built a specific kind of cognitive architecture. The ability to sustain focus over long periods of time. Linear, sequential reasoning. Tolerance for complexity and deferred gratification. And critically, the ability to hold an argument in your working memory and evaluate it.Now, that last one. Let’s slow down there for a second.The prefrontal cortex — the most evolutionarily advanced region of your brain — is your working memory manager. It’s the part of you that thinks before acting. That considers consequences. That regulates emotion. That empathizes. When we talk about what separates high performers from reactive people, we’re largely talking about how well they use this region of the brain.And working memory is built. It’s practiced. Through deep processing. Through reading. Through sitting with complexity.Maryanne Wolf, a cognitive neuroscientist out of UCLA, puts it plainly: reading is not born, it is built through practice. Your brain doesn’t have a reading circuit by default. You grow one. Which means, just as easily, you can lose one.The Reactive Mind — What Short Form Content Is Actually Doing to YouReady for the discomfort?A meta-study of nearly 100,000 people found that frequent short form video users scored measurably lower in three areas: attention, inhibitory control, and working memory.Let’s talk about inhibitory control specifically, because most people don’t know what that term means. Inhibitory control is your pause button. It’s the mechanism that allows you to suppress automatic urges, filter distractions, and choose a response instead of just reacting. Scratch that mosquito bite or don’t. Lose your temper or don’t. Engage with the rage bait or not.Oxford University Press named “rage bait” the word of the year for 2025. Let that sink in. A term for content that is deliberately engineered to trigger outrage became the defining word of a year. Not because people are getting angrier. Because platforms figured out that anger is the most reliable way to capture your attention. And the more disregulated you become, the better it works.When people are emotionally disregulated, blood flow shifts into the deeper limbic regions — the older, more instinctive parts of the brain. The amygdala takes over. Thinking becomes binary. Black and white. Us versus them. And the inhibitory control that keeps you sharp, measured, and socially intelligent? Gone.The brain you’re practicing is the brain you become.It’s Not Social Media AnymoreMark Manson made an observation recently that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. He said: it’s not social media anymore. It’s attention media.And he’s right.Think about it. When Facebook launched, you followed people you knew. Your cousin’s wedding photos. Your mate’s holiday. Maybe a group for your favorite TV show. You were suspicious of strangers trying to connect with you. That made sense. That was social.Now? I scroll Facebook and one out of every four posts is from someone I actually know. The other three are targeted ads, suggested influencers, and whatever the algorithm has decided will keep me engaged longest. That’s not a community feed. That’s a behavioral experiment you volunteered for without reading the terms and conditions.The goal of attention media is singular: maximize your time on the platform. More time equals more data equals better targeting equals more revenue. You are the product. This is the business model.And the result of that model, at scale, is the reactive mind. A mind trained on fragments. Conditioned for stimulation. Increasingly unable to sit with anything that doesn’t immediately reward it.What Deep Processing Actually Gives YouHere’s what I want you to understand. Working memory isn’t about being smart. It’s cognitive infrastructure.The quality of your decisions, the depth of your empathy, your ability to regulate emotion, follow through, and exert agency over your life — all of it runs on that infrastructure. And deep processing is how you build it.When you read a poem — really read it, not speed-read it — you’re not just comprehending words. You’re asking what the poet chose these words, what they were going through, what they’re asking you to feel. You’re building the capacity for inference. For reading between the lines. That’s the same capacity that lets you read a room, understand what someone isn’t saying, and make better decisions under pressure.A 2010 study found that students who listened to a podcast scored 28% lower on comprehension than those who read the same material. The literal facts were roughly the same. But inferential thinking — the ability to reason from information, not just recall it — that consistently favored reading. Critical thinking. Analysis. Insight. These things require time. They require slowdown. They require you to hold complexity long enough for it to actually reorganize something inside you.Reading is something you do. Listening is something that happens to you.That line. Sit with that one for a second.A Simple Hack — And An Honest AdmissionHere’s something practical. If you notice yourself reacting — emotionally flooding, getting pulled into a spiral, losing your capacity to think clearly — stop for 30 seconds. Not to distract yourself. Not to scroll something else. Just stop. Thirty seconds is enough for the thinking mind to come back online.Your prefrontal cortex doesn’t disappear when you’re in fight-or-flight. It just goes quiet. And you can call it back.And honestly? I had to look at my own habits here too. I used to spend 30 to 40 minutes on Instagram before bed. Puppy videos, fitness content, whatever. And without fail, the algorithm would work its way toward things that left me activated, frustrated, or watching some dash cam arrest video feeling morally superior about a stranger I’d never meet.How did I get there from puppy videos? I genuinely have no idea. But that’s the point. You don’t navigate the algorithm. It navigates you.So I got a Kindle. A basic one, soft backlight. And I read before bed now. Science fiction, mostly. Some classics I’d never gotten around to. Nothing prescriptive. Just reading. And the difference to how I feel — cognitively, emotionally, in conversation with people — is noticeable.I’m not saying delete everything and move to a cabin. I’m saying: be deliberate about what you’re practicing. Because your brain is adapting to whatever you expose it to, every single day. Whether you intended it or not.The question is just whether you’re the one choosing the stimulus — or whether the algorithm is.Your thoughts. Drop them in the comments. I read everything.Justin Noppe is the founder of Neuro Resilience LLC. He works with leaders and high performers on the intersection of cognitive neuroscience, emotional regulation, and transformational leadership. His book on the Human Operating System is coming soon — drop a comment if you want early access.Interested in being involved in the book process?Sign up here to be an early bird and a participator!This post is based on a recent episode of the show. If you prefer to listen, the full episode is available on Spotifyor Youtube.Chapters0:01 - Introduction to the Brain and Social Media1:31 - The Typographic Mind and Cognitive Architecture8:14 - Reading vs. Short Form Content10:34 - Emotional Regulation and Rage Bait12:25 - The Evolution of Social Media24:39 - Long Form vs. Short Form Content on YouTube29:26 - The Importance of Deep Reading34:56 - Conclusion and Upcoming ProjectsOther links: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit becomingresilient.substack.com

February 19, 202630 min

Trans-humanism: A New Era of Evolution

Are You Ready to Upgrade Yourself? A Deep Dive into TranshumanismWhere do you sit on the spectrum between “I’ll sleep on it” and “inject me now”?It started with a TV show.Back around 2013, I stumbled across Orphan Black — a series about a woman who witnesses her exact double commit suicide on a subway platform, assumes her identity, and discovers she’s one of several human clones. Within a few episodes, my mind was completely blown. Not just by the storytelling, but by the questions it forced me to sit with: How far are we willing to go as a species? What parts of ourselves are worth keeping? What does it even mean to be human?That show introduced me properly to the concept of transhumanism — the idea of modifying our species to become more than what we are naturally. And I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since.Two Flavours of the Same QuestionWithin transhumanism, there are two broad camps worth distinguishing:Biotranshumanism — changes to our biology. Gene editing, hormone therapy, peptides, pharmaceuticals. Modifications that work from the inside out.Technotranshumanism — the addition of machinery to our organism. The cybernetic meeting the bioorganic. Think Neuralink, implanted chips, augmented reality overlays.But here’s where it gets interesting. It’s not just about what kind of modification we’re talking about. It’s about where each of us personally draws the line — and why.The Agreeability SpectrumI want you to picture a scale from 0 to 10.At zero, you’re behaviour-first, all the way. Sleep. Food. Movement. Emotional regulation. You believe the body’s natural systems, when respected and trained properly, are the greatest technology ever designed. Tradition matters to you. Maybe faith does too. You see beauty in natural limits.At ten, you’re chomping at the bit for gene edits and brain chips. You want to see the evolution of the species. You’d sign up to have your DNA rewritten to breathe methane and live on Titan if it meant expanding what humanity could become.Most of us — if we’re honest — are somewhere in between. And understanding where we sit, and why, tells us a lot about what we actually value.Two Axes to Help You ThinkHere’s a framework I find useful. Picture two axes:* Internal vs. External — Is the modification happening inside your body or outside it?* Reversible vs. Transformative — Can you undo it, or is it a permanent change?An exoskeleton? External and reversible. You take it off, it’s gone.Steroids or hormone therapy? Internal and transformative. The tissue changes. Your body’s processes change. Even when you stop, the impact remains.LASIK? Internal, largely permanent. Cosmetic surgery? Same category.Your phone? Technically a techno augmentation — you’re outsourcing cognitive function to an external device. You do it every time you open the calculator instead of doing the maths in your head.The point is: transhumanism isn’t some futuristic concept. It’s already woven into how we live. The question is just how far down the path you’re willing to walk.What the Data Actually SaysA large Japanese survey on enhancement technologies found that only 20% of respondents said they’d personally use them. 80% wouldn’t — but 80% were also tolerant of others who did. Not for me, but you do you.In the US, an AARP survey found that 43% of adults were interested in a medical intervention to boost cognition beyond normal capacity. But that number dropped to 34% when the same enhancement involved an implantable device.The takeaway? People are far more open to biotranshumanism than technotranshumanism. They’ll consider the molecule before they’ll consider the machine.And there’s something else that came up in the data that I find genuinely fascinating: the majority of people want to try behaviour first. Even in clinical settings, there’s a preference for changing habits before changing biology. We want to earn it. We want to know we’ve done the hard work first.That resonates with me deeply.Where I Stand (And Why I’m Saying It Out Loud)I’m a behaviour-first person. Full stop.I believe the human body is the greatest technology ever made. We still don’t fully understand it. We understand inputs and outputs — we just don’t understand all the mechanisms. And to me, that’s not a limitation. That’s the invitation to get curious about it.I’m not against interventions that allow kids to fulfil their potential, or that allow adults to continue contributing and creating. But I am — and I’ll own this — resistant to the concept of engineering a human to live forever.Here’s my thinking: a lot of purpose and meaning comes from our limited spectrum. Death isn’t the enemy of a good life. It might actually be part of what gives a good life its shape.There was an episode of Love, Death and Robots that put this beautifully: if all humans develop the technology to live forever, you eventually hit a population cap. Let’s say 100 billion people. Once you’re there, you plateau. And to maintain it — you outlaw having children. A policeman literally goes around controlling who’s allowed to reproduce.That scenario is a serious problem. And it’s not science fiction — it’s the logical downstream consequence of a world that decides death is optional.The CRISPR QuestionNo conversation about transhumanism is complete without the ethical shrapnel of CRISPR gene editing.Here’s a scenario. Your baby in the womb has a debilitating, life-altering disease. It’s not going to kill them — they’ll live a full life — but it’s going to be a hard one. CRISPR can edit it out. Do you do it?Most people say yes. That one feels clear.Now the same technology, different scenario: you want your child to have blue eyes. More muscle mass. Lower predisposition to type 2 diabetes. Same tool, completely different moral weight.Where is the line between my child needs this and I want this for my child?That’s not a question with an easy answer. But it’s the question we need to be asking loudly and often, because the technology is already here. Brian Johnson — the most measured man alive, Mr Blueprint himself — went to a jurisdiction with lax regulations and had CRISPR-based gene therapy done on himself. This isn’t theoretical anymore.The Biohacker ProblemSomething I keep noticing in the world around me: a lot of people are far more willing to take a pill than to change a habit.Unregulated peptide use has exploded — particularly among younger, tech-adjacent men chasing weight loss, productivity, recovery, or longevity. The New York Times has covered it. The FDA warns of serious safety risks. And yet the subculture thrives, fuelled by distrust of traditional medicine and amplified by influencers.I know people who’ll spend hundreds on supplements rather than getting seven hours of sleep, moving their body, and eating food that doesn’t come in a packet.I get the appeal. Behaviour change is hard. But the philosophy behind it matters. When you learn to regulate yourself — emotionally, physically, cognitively — you’re essentially learning the operator’s manual for your own machine. That’s the foundation. The molecule should come after you’ve maxed out what the behaviour can give you, not instead of it.Transhumanism You’re Already DoingBefore you decide where you sit on this spectrum, consider what you’re already doing:* Taking caffeine for cognitive or physical performance* Using creatine or protein supplements to train beyond your natural baseline* Vaccines as preventative immune enhancement* Beta blockers to control a stress response* Laser eye surgery* Cosmetic or functional surgery* Fillers. Botox. Injecting a toxin derived from botulism into your face to look youngerAll of it is transhumanism. The question isn’t whether you’re on the spectrum. You already are. The question is: how far are you willing to go, and have you thought about why?What Does Being Human Mean to You?At the core of all of this is a values question, not a technology question.Research shows that positive attitudes toward enhancement correlate with achievement orientation, scientific worldview, and evolutionary humanism. They correlate negatively with tradition-oriented values.Neither side is wrong. They’re just operating from different answers to the same fundamental question.On one end: the beauty of the natural human form. The meaning that comes from limitation. The sense that messing with what we were given creates more problems than it solves.On the other: advancement, adaptation, growth. The idea that becoming something greater is the most human thing of all.I know where I sit. But I’m genuinely curious where you do.So tell me: where are you on the agreeability spectrum?Are you behaviour-first, selectively bio-curious, or fully techno-enthusiastic? Are you in the camp of nature is sacred, or are you already booking a consultation for your first enhancement?I want to hear from you. Drop it in the comments — and if you’ve got a compelling argument for why living forever is actually a good idea, I’m listening. So far, no one’s sold me.But I’m open to being convinced.This post is based on a recent episode of the show. If you prefer to listen, the full episode is available on Spotify or Youtube.Chapters00:00 Exploring the Nature of Humanity02:55 Transhumanism: The Future of Human Evolution06:12 Bio vs. Tech: The Transhumanism Spectrum09:00 The Ethics of Genetic Modification12:12 Behavior vs. Technology: The Human Experience14:59 The Role of Traditional Values in Transhumanism17:47 The Future of Human Enhancement21:09 The Balance of Nature and Technology24:02 The Implications of Living Forever26:49 Current Trends in Transhumanism This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit becomingresilient.substack.com

October 27, 202522 min

Cut the Noise: Why You Need Philosophical Razors

“A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence.” — David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human UnderstandingIf you feel dragged into debates that go nowhere, or find yourself thinking about ideas that never touch reality, you’re leaking energy. Philosophical razors are the tools to stop the bleed. They’re not about “winning arguments”; they’re about refusing to waste attention on claims that have no consequences, no evidence, or no path to action.Razors do three things for you:* Protect your focus. They filter out topics that are unfalsifiable, untestable, or irrelevant to your goals—so you spend time where outcomes actually change.* Reduce frustration. Instead of wrestling with every hypothetical, you set rules of engagement: what must be shown, what can be ignored, and when to simply move on.* Speed decisions. By pre-committing to standards of evidence and utility, you cut hours of circular thinking down to minutes.In this episode I show how a few simple rules prevent common traps: arguing over unfalsifiable “what ifs,” mistaking complexity for credibility, and giving equal weight to unequally supported ideas. I also cover when not to use a razor—because over-pruning can blind you to real signals.The goal isn’t to be cynical; it’s to be effective. Keep your curiosity. Just stop paying attention tax to ideas that won’t pay you back.RESOURCES:* List of Philosophical Razors* Mind Valley Founder Says He Can Read a Book by Touching It* Wife Not Caring About Conspiracy Theories🔊 Listen to the episode on Spotify or ItunesReady to upgrade your mental OS?Join my 6-week cohort to boost confidence, cut catabolic stress, and build durable, anabolic emotions. Spots are limited—apply here This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit becomingresilient.substack.com

October 6, 202522 min

Misogi: Why You Need One Impossible Challenge Per Year

It’s 5 o’clock in the morning. I’m sitting in a van with twenty other teenagers, and none of us know where we’re going.The instructors haven’t said a word for the last hour. When the van finally stops in the middle of nowhere and the door slides open, we hear: “You have a map. You have a compass. Your destination is marked. You need to be there by tomorrow morning. Good luck.”And then they’re gone.I was 14 years old, standing in the dark with no food, no real supplies, and 36 hours of hiking ahead of me. I had no idea this experience would give me a framework for understanding challenge and growth that I’d carry for decades.What I didn’t know then was that I was experiencing something called Misogi - and in this episode, I’m exploring why we all need this practice in our lives.What You’ll Discover in This Episode:The Story That Started Everything* My detailed account of being dropped in the middle of nowhere at 14* The misery, the arguments, the midnight shift that changed everything* What that experience taught me about my actual limits (versus what I thought they were)What Misogi Really Means* The Japanese Shinto purification ritual and its core principle: do something very difficult* How the West has evolved it into a transformative annual challenge* Michael Easter’s framework: Make it really hard. Don’t die.The Three Zones Framework* Your comfort zone and why staying there shrinks your capacity* The eustress zone - where positive stress creates growth* The distress zone - where challenge becomes destructive* How spending time in eustress expands what becomes comfortableWhy Modern Life Is Failing Us* The hedonic adaptation trap: how excitement becomes normal and comfort becomes baseline* Why we’ve eliminated genuine testing of ourselves along with danger* What we’re craving when we sign up for ultramarathons and ice bathsThe Two Gifts of Misogi* Pride of Accomplishment - the quiet pride that can’t be faked or bought, only earned* Perspective - your most powerful tool for stress resilience (with concrete examples)Macro vs Micro Misogi* Macro Misogi: Your annual impossible challenge that shifts everything* Micro Misogi: Daily practice of stepping into discomfort (one more rep, one scary conversation, one vulnerable post)* How the daily practice trains you for the annual test* Applying “don’t die” to both levelsReal Examples You Can Use* Physical challenges: multi-day hikes, marathons, learning to swim then doing a triathlon* Creative challenges: writing a book, recording music, showing your art publicly* Social challenges: public speaking, standup comedy, teaching workshops* Personal challenges: difficult conversations, confronting fears, traveling aloneThe Core InsightWe spend our lives running away from stress. Seeking comfort. Escaping to the beach. But we’ve lost something by only moving away from stress and never toward it.When you voluntarily put yourself through something extremely difficult - when you push yourself to a place where you genuinely don’t know if you’ll make it - everything else in your life becomes contextual.That difficult conversation? You’ve been through worse. That presentation making you anxious? You’ve faced bigger challenges. That conflict stressing you out? You know what real hardship feels like.You’re not minimizing these things. You’re seeing them in proportion. And that perspective is incredibly valuable for building stress resilience.The Question That MattersWhat’s your Misogi going to be this year?Not someday. Not eventually. This year.What’s one challenge that would be hard enough that you’re not certain you’ll succeed? Because if you know you can do it, it’s not a Misogi - it’s just a goal. Misogi lives in that space of “I think I can do this, but I’m not sure.”That uncertainty is what makes it transformative.And while you’re planning your annual Macro Misogi, what’s your daily Micro Misogi practice? What’s one thing you can do today that puts you in that eustress zone? That stretches you just beyond comfortable?Listen to the full episode to hear:* The complete story of my 36-hour ordeal at age 14* Detailed exploration of the eustress zone and how to use it* Specific examples of both Macro and Micro Misogi practices* How this practice counters hedonic adaptation and expands your capacity* Why this isn’t about Instagram or proving anything to anyone elseReflection Questions:* What’s a Misogi you’ve done recently, or are thinking of doing?* When was the last time you voluntarily chose discomfort when you didn’t have to?* What’s one daily practice that could become your Micro Misogi?* What’s the big challenge that scares and excites you in equal measure?Drop your answers in the comments - I’d love to hear what your Misogi practice looks like. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit becomingresilient.substack.com

September 12, 202520 min

Your Brain Is Running Old Software. Time to Upgrade.

⚡️ 5-second gist* 🧠 You’re often running V1 Safety or V2 Approval on adult problems.* ⚠️ Under stress, the most-practiced code hijacks you.* 🎯 The upgrade is V3 Values—calmer, clearer choices.👉 Listen to the episode for the quick “upgrade drill.”😬 The quiet pain* Rejection of your work feels like rejection of you.* You people-please, overexplain, then regret it.* Logic vows collapse the moment emotions spike.🎛 The black-box truthWe don’t control the mechanism—only inputs and outputs. Keep feeding fear/validation and you’ll keep getting reactivity and rumination. Change the inputs, change the day.🧩 The Human OS (the 3 versions)* V1: Safety (0–10) → hide/appease.* V2: Approval (10–25) → perform/belong.* V3: Values (optional) → chosen principles > mood or optics.Under pressure you won’t rise to goals—you’ll sink to defaults.👀 Spot it (don’t solve it yet)* Am I chasing safety or approval? (V1/V2)* Would I do this if nobody saw it? (V3)That’s enough to start catching the hijack.🧭 Why V3 feels betterWhen actions match values, stress drops and decisions simplify. Identity stops riding the rollercoaster of other people’s reactions.🎧 What’s in the episode (teaser)* A 3-second pattern breaker you can use mid-conversation.* A pocket test to separate Participant vs Observer.* Real examples of shifting from V2 to V3 in work and relationships.Reply: Where does V2 hijack you most—work, relationships, or health?🔊 Listen to the episode on Spotify or Itunes This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit becomingresilient.substack.com

February 2, 20251 hr 21 min

🔥 Unlock Your Inner Strength with Mike Salemi! 🔥

In this powerful episode of Becoming Resilient, I sit down with kettlebell master, men's work specialist, and all-around wisdom powerhouse, Mike Salemi! 🏋️‍♂️💡 Together, we dive deep into the struggles many men face—feeling stuck, disconnected, and unsure of their purpose. We break down how shifting your mindset, understanding your relationship with money, and stepping into your own power can create real, lasting transformation. 🚀If you're ready to lead yourself with confidence, own your space, and break free from old patterns, this episode is for you. Plus, Mike shares insights on his Vital Man Collective, an ongoing program designed to support men in reclaiming their vitality, purpose, and strength. 🌿🔥🔊 Listen to the episode on Spotify or ItunesWhat You’ll Take Away* 🏋️ Why true strength starts with internal alignment—and how focusing on your body, breath, mindset, and relationships creates a solid foundation for lasting change.* ⚡ Simple, everyday steps that help you break out of autopilot and boost your energy—without overcomplicating your life.* 🤝 How conscious community fuels real growth—no man thrives alone, and sharing challenges in a supportive circle can spark breakthroughs you never saw coming.Curious yet?Here’s a question to ponder before you listen: Which area of your life—fitness, family, or mindset—needs you to show up bigger? And what if the key is leaning on others instead of going it alone?Hit reply and let me know your thoughts—I’d love to hear your story!Mike Salemi’s “Vital Man Collective” The Vital Man Collective is for men ready to step into authentic power with integrity and alignment—free from burnout and the constant need for external validation.This NEW offering is unique blend of a deep, supportive community, a men's group, access to all of Mike’s past work (programs, workshops, etc.), and everything he creates moving forward!The first call workshop is FREE and open to ALL MEN on Tuesday, February 4th from 5-7pm PST.Whether you sign up for the program or not, you will walk away from this workshop with something valuable if you show up with an open mind and heart.In this first workshop, Mike will lead powerful group breathwork practices and guide a process called “Storywork” to help men let go of the heavy packs they so often carry.Link for Workshop on Feb 4th: https://orchid-camelotia-b51.notion.site/18851d66bdc1818f96bde9e647ba844cEmail Mike@mikesalemi.io with the word “VITAL”if you’d like more details on the Vital Man Collective.Talk soon,Justin This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit becomingresilient.substack.com

January 26, 202531 min

The Number 1 Issue With Language Learning!!

Have you ever wondered why learning a language feels effortless for some and frustratingly slow for others? What if the key isn’t just about practice, but how your brain is wired to learn?In this week’s Becoming Resilient podcast episode, I dive deep into:✅ The #1 challenge holding language learners back (hint: it’s not just about vocabulary).✅ How your brain’s fast and slow thinking systems impact fluency.✅ The hidden flaws of traditional language learning methods—and what actually works.✅ 3 powerful techniques to accelerate your language journey.Whether you’re actively learning a new language or just fascinated by the way our brains work, this episode has something for you.Why tune in?Because we’re not just talking about language—we’re uncovering how understanding your brain can unlock resilience, adaptability, and faster learning in every area of life.🔊 Listen to the episode on Spotify or ItunesWhat You’ll Take Away:🌍 A fresh perspective on language learning that flips the traditional methods on their head.🧠 Simple but powerful ways to retrain your brain for faster fluency.✨ How to balance rigidity and adaptability for long-term success.Curious yet?Here’s a question to ponder before you listen: What’s the one thing holding you back from feeling fluent? And what if there’s a smarter, easier way to get there?Hit reply and let me know your thoughts—I’d love to hear your story!Talk soon,JustinP.S. I’m also giving away free resources in the show notes, including links to my exclusive language learning tools. Check them out!Watch the replay here:Check out the Chat GPT:Get your $10 credit for Italki here: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit becomingresilient.substack.com

January 9, 202526 min

Think Smarter, Not Harder

Discover the two powerful systems that drive your thinking: fast and slow. Based on Daniel Kahneman's groundbreaking work, this podcast explores how understanding these brain modes can unlock your peak performance, enhance strategic decision-making, and boost your overall success. Learn practical strategies to harness the power of slow thinking for deeper focus, improved learning, and achieving your personal and professional goals. Perfect for driven professionals seeking to optimize their minds and maximize their potential. Explore mental models, emotional intelligence, and the 'slow movement' for a more fulfilling and impactful life.In this episode, we explore how understanding these modes can transform the way you learn, grow, and approach life.📚 Chapters⏩ 1. The Two Modes of the BrainLearn about the brain's fast, automated System 1 and slow, deliberate System 2—and why balancing these modes is key to thriving.⚡ 2. Stress and the Brain – Fight or FlightFind out how stress narrows your perspective, limits creativity, and makes you react defensively, plus tips to break free.📖 3. The Reading MetaphorDiscover why slow reading helps you think deeply and how fast reading works best for familiar content.🧠 4. Intelligence vs. KnowledgeExplore the difference between fluid and crystallized intelligence and why challenging your brain is crucial for growth.🌟 5. Fear, the Unknown, and Mental ModelsLearn how tackling the unfamiliar builds new mental models and unlocks your potential to grow.❤️ 6. The Role of Emotions in LearningSee how emotions supercharge your brain’s ability to retain information and deepen your understanding.🔄 7. Alternate Between Fast and Slow ThinkingFind out how to master both systems to optimize your learning, productivity, and adaptability.(Post advertising the Live Accelerated Language Learning Workshop)🌟 What’s the #1 Key to Unlocking Fluency in a New Language?When I moved to Argentina, I was determined to learn Spanish faster than anyone else. I threw myself into 🎥 videos, 📖 grammar lessons, 🗂️ vocabulary drills, and even 📚 comic books in Spanish. I thought I had all the tools I needed.But then, reality hit.One day, while doing laundry 🧺, my neighbor stopped by to chat. This was my moment—my chance to show off everything I’d been learning.Instead? 😳 My mouth went dry. My brain froze. I fumbled for words.None of my “knowledge” came out.Over the years, as both a language learner and a teacher of over 15 years, I’ve heard this same story from countless people:"My reading and writing are fine, but when it comes to speaking and listening, I feel completely lost."Sound familiar? 🤔If you’re nodding along, here’s the truth: it doesn’t have to be this way.The problem isn’t just about practice—it’s about the way we’ve been taught to think about language learning. The traditional focus on grammar, rote memorization, and passive learning only gets you so far.But there’s a better way. 🚀In my FREE live workshop, I’ll reveal the 3 essential shifts that completely transformed the way I—and my clients—approach language learning. You’ll learn how to:✔️ Speak and understand effortlessly, without endless mental translation.✔️ Build true confidence in real-life conversations.✔️ Unlock your brain’s natural ability to acquire language faster.The solution isn’t just about speaking more—it’s about rewiring your approach. 🔑If you’re ready to finally break through the barriers holding you back, check out the link in the comments to join the workshop.✨ Oh, and one more thing—I’ll also be sharing client success stories and exercises that have helped people just like you turn their struggles into breakthroughs.What’s been your biggest challenge with speaking and listening? 🤷‍♂️ Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear your story!Thanks for reading Becoming Resilient! This post is public so feel free to share it.🔊 Listen to the podcast on Spotify or Itunes🎥 Check out the youtube channel📸 Connect with me on linkedin This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit becomingresilient.substack.com

September 9, 202424 min

How To "Hack" Your Cardio

I kept reading study after study about the benefits of cardio for your health, longevity, and brain function. Just one problem: I HATED CARDIO!!Thanks to sheer willpower I spent the last 3 years trying stuff out to see what stuck!* 1 year of 80/20 approach (80% of the time in zone 2 on a stationary bike, 20% of the time getting into zone 5). No significant result.* 1 year of running. outside. a lot (by my standards). about 20kms per week. An average of 3-5kms per run. Mostly trying to stay in zone 2 and occasionally taking it to zone 3. No significant result.* About 6 months of HIIT training. Specifically on the assault bike doing the Norwegian 4x4 method (4 rounds of 4 mins on, 4 mins off, at the highest intensity possible). Vo2 Max result of 50.8(my apple watch reading for this exact same workout was not as gracious)So I made a video about it too. Check it out here. A slight complication happens when you consider that zones aren’t a thing!There are a few ways to determine your heart rate (HR) zones, including: * Karvonen formulaThis formula is [Maximum heart rate – resting heart rate] x % intensity + resting heart rate = training zone. * HRR percentagesThis method calculates your HR training zones using percentages of your heart rate reserve (HRR). There are typically five zones, each representing a different intensity level. * Age-based formulaThis classic formula is 220 - your age, but it may be inaccurate for older people. A revised formula is 208 - 0.7 x your age. * Maximal exercise stress testThis is a more accurate way to determine your maximum heart rate (MHR) by undergoing a test with a healthcare provider. “Your body and your heart couldn't care less about minor variances between calculators or formulas. Forget what those things tell you or what "some say." Do whatever feels right to you.” - Reddit Userzone 1: You could be talking on the phone and the person on the other end wouldn't know that you were exercising.zone 2: You can converse mostly normally on the phone but the other person would be able to tell that you were exercising.zone 3: You can't converse without really obvious breaks in talking.The unfortunate thing about this is that I can, under my current routine, be in zone 4 according to my max heart rate test results, and still speak like the zone 3 listed above, but also be in zone 2 according to the calculation methods above. My Current RoutineBased off this youtube video, I decided to make some changes.The basic idea is that we have only 2 things to truly train: delivery and utilization of O2. Below are the intervals. So of course you need to know your threshold! When do you flip from burning fat and using aerobic respiration to burning carbs as fuel and anaerobic respiration? Well, according to my assessment, it is 153bpm for me!Therefore, I now do 3x 30 minute sessions per week. All on the assault bike. Twice a week I do:30 mins of 5 mins on, 2.5 mins off (ratio of 2:1), typically between 129bpm - 152bpm.Once a week I do30 mins of 20 secs on, 200 secs (3min20s) off (ratio of 1:10), typically pushing my HR above 162. Results?Recently, my apple watch rated me at 52.8!!I’ll keep going and in October, I’ll do another metabolic assessment to see if it agrees with my apple watch. I’ll also do another garmin watch test (minimum of 10 mins of running outside to get a measurement). I’ll also do vo2 max tests with walking and running to see what each of them estimates my vo2 max to be. Thank you for subscribing, a bit of an unusual post today as I don’t normal like to talk about physical training too much, but I’m really enjoying myself at the moment.As you can see, I have started uploading Premium Audio Courses to this substack, these are courses available on Insight Timer too, under the premium membership, but I decided that I wanted to make sure they are here too. Feel free to start a FREE 7 DAY TRIAL and check them out to see if they are helpful. I will potentially open up the premium subscription here to also include monthly coaching calls, and also add an option for 1-2-1 coaching calls.Check out the Premium Courses hereIndex Of Our Premium Courses8 full Premium Audio Courses now available with more coming soon! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit becomingresilient.substack.com

August 29, 202422 min

The Secret Hack To Incredible Weight Loss

DISCLAIMER: this is me sharing what I have found. Nowhere in this is advice for you. I’m not pretending to be an expert here, I am just sharing my thoughts. I’m sure at one point or another we have all wanted to lose weight and everyone has heard the same boring crap. Eat less, move more. Although it is much more complex than that… (Basal Metabolic Rate accounts for almost all our calories and just eating less is the jam, providing we can avoid eating disorders). I’ve heard these all:* cut your carb intake* fasted cardio* don’t eat with a screen* eat slower* don’t eat junk food* you can eat junk food as long as its within your calories* portion sizes* plate sizesHave I missed any?Now the main issue for me is always my hunger! Maybe I was born with an appetite or maybe I’m a glutton but I always have seconds, I always want more and I always have room for dessert.My wife’s parents literally call me “Fan tong” which is Cantonese for “rice bucket” 😂 based on how much I eat when I go to their house.SOooooo, the issue was always:How do I eat a calorie deficit without feeling hungry?When I did a cut last year, it was hell, it was long and it was minimal in terms of results. I cut for 3 months! 500 calories a day and some days felt like I would die of hunger. Who wants that?The Secret HackWhilst watching a video of Mitchell Hooper, a strongman competitor, he mentioned something so quickly in passing that I almost missed it. BUT I got it and I reversed it. and that’s when the weight loss started.Here are the 2 most important points1 - XXXXXXXXXXXXXand 2 - XXXXXXXXXXXXXWhat? I’m gonna give it away in the post? Listen to the audio! This is a primarily audio thing dammit. Ok, I’ll give it up. But only coz I like you.Number 1 is to chew your food until it’s a paste. Increasing the chewing means the signaling to your system to turn down the hunger signaling hormone (ghrelin) and turning up the satiety signaling hormone (leptin). It is all controlled through chewing, nothing to do with being distracted by screens, or managing plate and portion sizes. It’s all bollocks I’d say. Chewing more. Chew your food until it is a paste. Number 2 is that it introduces a “chew-ability scale” or how many chews and calorie load per bite. If you eat a cookie, one bite may contain, let’s say 30 calories, but the chews-per-bite metric is low, perhaps a max of 10 chews before it is paste. Therefore, many calories, few chews results in still feeling hungry with a lot of calories consumed. Let’s say we have chicken with some kind of vegetable, depending on how you cook them, you will change how many chews-per-bite they require. Generally, it will take about 30-50 chews-per-bite in order to chew it to a paste. For the amount of calories in the bite, let’s assume the same, perhaps even more than the cookie, you are sending the signal to the body to turn down hunger and turn up satiety. However, any kind of ultra-processed food is usually fewer chews-per-bite, and more calories-per-bite, making it a poor trade-off. Whereas whole foods tend to be more hews-per-bite, and fewer calories-per-bite, also more nutrients-per-bite. You get the picture. Hacking these ultimately led to my weight loss. What I’m tracking and doingI do 3 things…1 - I track my calories using the myfitnesspal app. This way I control CALORIES IN. This eventually becomes easy as you get the hang of it. This is as tough as it gets, it’s downhill from here on out. 2 - I wear an apple watch which, through the app Athlytic, I can see my burned vs consumed calories. This way I also see CALORIES OUT. Literally don’t need to do anything. It is all collected automatically and is there for me to see whenever I want.3 - I measure myself on the fitindex electronic scale every morning, this way I can keep an eye on the effect of my previous day’s efforts. This is how I see the RESULTS. Once again, I literally just stand on the scale in the morning with the app connected and it logs everything for me. I’m so lazy 😄CALORIES IN - CALORIES OUT = RESULTS?Muscle loss avoidance: Losing weight could mean both muscle and fat, this is true. Looking at all the advice, there are some things to ensure I am keeping the good stuff and shedding the unwanted stuff. Firstly, consuming enough protein. Menno Henselmans is the pro that I’d cite here, saying 1.6g/kg of bodyweight (at the high end, just to be sure)Secondly, using the muscles. When you do strength training, it doesn’t burn quite as many calories as cardio however using your muscles signals your body that you still need them and therefore the body doesn’t break them down. That is the concept, and this is advice given by many pros in the space who see clients who only do cardio and neglect resistance training during a cut, losing as much muscle as fat. Thank you for subscribing, a bit of an unusual post today as I don’t normal like to talk about physical training too much, but I’m really enjoying myself at the moment. As you can see, I have started uploading Premium Audio Courses to this substack, these are courses available on Insight Timer too, under the premium membership, but I decided that I wanted to make sure they are here too. Feel free to start a FREE 7 DAY TRIAL and check them out to see if they are helpful. I will potentially open up the premium subscription here to also include monthly coaching calls, and also add an option for 1-2-1 coaching calls. Check out the Premium Courses here This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit becomingresilient.substack.com