Meaningless Problems

In the near future, it is widely agreed that children would be better off if they never learnt how to speak. 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

Would you sacrifice your ability to speak if it meant never having another negative or stressful thought? 

Written and performed by Doe Wilmann

Thanks to Katie Empett and Ross Hindle for reading early versions of this episode and providing notes. 

Artwork by Katie Emp...

If life is a game, Harvey Rain is determined to win. But what does winning actually look like? And what does this mean for the other players?

Something to consider when reading/listening:

Is it true that the only thing worse than not getting what you want is getting it?

You might enjoy this episode if you like:

Sum:...

When Poppy announces she wants to kill herself, her playwright husband employs a peculiar coping technique. 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

To what extent does negative visualisation make you grateful for what you have? 

Comedy - Philosophy - Stoicism  

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe-wilmann/ 

You might enjoy this episode if you like:

Sum: F...

Having spent a year writing short stories for a podcast, the writer wonders what was the point. 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

What was the point of this short story podcast? 

Comedy - Philosophy - Plumbing 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe-wilmann/ 

You might enjoy this episode if you like:

Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagle...

Lost in thought at a funeral, our narrator sets out a compelling case for why we should never ask anyone what they do for a living. 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

To what extent does your job define who you are? 

What Do You Do is an original short story by Doe Wilmann 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe-wilmann/ 

For information about upcoming s...

Businessman Nathan Norrie calls upon a spiritual guide to help improve the atmosphere among his work colleagues. The guide offers three peals of wisdom. 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

If a message is true, does it matter if the messenger is dishonest? 

It Might as Well Be is an original short story by Doe Wilmann 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe...

The prime minister is facing the biggest strike in British history. But the strikers are the last people she’d expect to strike. And their reason for striking is even more surprising. 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

Can you truly be rich if your life lacks meaning? 

The Meaning of Work is an original short story by Doe Wilmann 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.c...

Tony’s tried everything to make himself more employable, more dateable, more popular. He’s tried life coaches, elocution coaches, therapists, personal trainers but he’s looking in the wrong place. He’s not the problem. I am. I am Tony’s vibe. 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

To what extent can a person be aware of their own vibe? 

Comedy - Philosophy - Politics 

If you’d like to read the script of this episod...

Member of Parliament Lawrence Sitwell is frustrated by the failure of his political career. A conversation with an old friend causes him to rethink everything. 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

When politicians try to make something better, are they more likely to make it worse? 

Comedy - Philosophy - Politics 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe-wilma...

In Bernard’s local pub, everyone carries their life’s achievements with them in a big black bag. 

Philosophy - Spirituality - Absurdism 

The Weight of Achievement is an original short story by Doe Wilmann

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

If you were never allowed to tell anyone about your successes, which of your current goals would you continue to pursue? 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go...

A writer is slightly concerned about his short story podcast. He shares these concerns with a plumber and is surprised by his response. 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

How do you know for certain that you are not a fictional creation dreamt up by somebody else? 

Comedy - Philosophy - Plumbing 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe-wilmann/ 

You might...

The top five short stories from 2023. If you’re new to Meaningless Problems, this might be a good place to start.

These are the stories with the timestamps for each:

1. It Wasn’t Me - 1.30 - Kimi is delighted with Su-Z, a new personal assistant software that can send and respond to emails on her behalf. But her delight is punctured when her boyfriend receives a message from one of her email contacts claiming that he and Kimi h...

A silly story, especially for Christmas. Working the early-turn Christmas Eve shift, Sergeant Rod just wants to finish at five, collect his daughter’s bizarre choice of present and go home. But his boss, the local drug lord and south London’s canine population have other ideas. 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

Are you feeling Christmassy? 

Comedy - Family - Christmas 

A Wise Man is an original short story by ...

Thanks to developments in AI and VR, every voter now has the right to meet their political candidates one-on-one. These hyper-realistic chat bots look and sound exactly like their real-life equivalents and they answer questions with 99.9% accuracy. So what happens when the British primer minister’s chat bot starts making some very provocative statements? 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

Would this type of hyper r...

A new medical procedure will remove anxiety and allow you to live perfectly in the moment. The only downside? You have to give up your ability to comprehend language. 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

What would you be prepared to give up in exchange for perfect peace of mind?

No Words is an original short story by Doe Wilmann 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com...

Like most of his friends, Burt hates his job and lives for the weekend. And when his friends start installing modules into their brains that make them enjoy their work, Burt is furious with them. What’s the point of escapism if there’s nothing to escape? 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

Could you live a good life if you enjoyed every part of it? 

The Meaning of Love is an original short story by Doe Wilmann 

...

After a mental breakdown, Michael reconsiders his entire perception of the world. 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

Are there any narratives in your own life that you’d be better off without?

Losing the Plot is an original short story by Doe Wilmann 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe-wilmann/ 

You might enjoy this episode if you like:

Alan Bennet...

On your deathbed, in agonising pain, you are given the chance to reduce your suffering. But in order to do so, you must reduce your worldly success by the same amount. 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

Would you sacrifice the present for the sake of the past? 

Your Final Ambition is an original short story by Doe Wilmann 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/autho...

In the near future, virtual reality allows couples to meet their potential children before they’ve been conceived. 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

Does having more options make us more free? 

Don’t Blame The Children is an original short story by Doe Wilmann 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe-wilmann/ 

For information about upcoming stories and l...