Coming April 7: Two Percent with Michael Easter

From New York Times bestselling author and journalist Michael Easter comes a twice-weekly deep dive into the science of living better by doing things the hard way. Building on the insights of his #1 Substack and acclaimed books, Easter balances rigorous evidence with a healthy dose of skepticism to cut through the noise of the modern wellness industry. Whether he’s interviewing elite explorers and Harvard biologists or deconstructing the truth about longevity and metabolic health, this isn't a show for "biohacking" perfectionists—it’s a grounded, often humorous guide for real people looking to build resilience and agency in an increasingly comfortable world. From ancient wisdom to cutting-edge research, listen to Two Percent to discover why the antidote to modern malaise is often found in the challenges we’ve been taught to avoid.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Two percent. That is the number of people who choose
to take the stairs when there's also an escalator available,
only two percent. Now, I would argue that one hundred
percent of people know that taking the stairs would be
better for them, yet ninety eight percent of people choose
to do the easier, more effortless thing that could actually

(00:20):
harm them in the long run. Now, the thing is
that statistic. It's not really about taking the stairs. It
is a mindset for living. Every single day, we face
simple decisions, perhaps when you're commuting to work, we're shopping
for groceries, where we have to decide whether we'll do

(00:41):
the slightly harder thing that helps us in the long
run or the easy thing that gives us nothing but
short term comfort. And it turns out those simple decisions
are the best long term predictor of your physical health,
your mental health, and how resilient you'll be in the
face of life's challenges. I'm Michael Easter. I'm a best

(01:02):
selling author of the books The Comfort Crisis and Scarcy
Do Brain, and on my podcast two Percent, I break
down the science behind mental toughness, fitness, ancient wisdom, and
modern stress. On this show, each week, I'll be speaking
with experts and some of the great friends I've made
during my travels out to the edge, elite athletes, adventurers,

(01:23):
wilderness experts, nutritionists, scientists, and writers to look past the
snake oil pseudoscience and uncover advice that actually works for
real people in the real world with busy lives.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
The nutrition sphere is just so toxic, but exercise catching up,
we're getting just as toxic. There is an entire segment
of our economy devoted to creating the tendency for addiction.
Many of the problems that we are freaked out about
in the world are the result of stress in the
human heart, and all of that stress is driving a

(01:58):
lot of behavior that's harmful.

Speaker 3 (02:00):
Do you want to experience fantastic things shifts? Put yourself
in fantastic places, put yourself through some hardships, and you
will come out on the other side a happier, more fulfilled,
healthier person.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
On two percent, you'll get practical information that will help
you live a bolder, better and more meaningful life, one
uncomfortable idea at a time. Listen to two percent starting
April seventh on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your podcasts,