Rephonic
Artwork for Clearer Thinking

Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg

Spencer Greenberg
Mental Health
Artificial Intelligence
Psychology
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Climate Change
Critical Thinking
Effective Altruism
Education
Replication Crisis
Cash Transfers
Therapy
Innovation
Democracy
Happiness
Empathy
Universal Basic Income
Environmental Policy
Burnout
Personal Development
Charitable Giving

Clearer Thinking is a podcast about ideas that truly matter. If you enjoy learning about powerful, practical concepts and frameworks, wish you had more deep, intellectual conversations in your life, or are looking for non-BS self-improvement, then we think you'll love this podcast! Each week we invite a brilliant guest to bring four important ideas to discuss for an in-depth conversation. Topics i... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes320Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Social SciencesScience

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Clearer Thinking

Latest Episodes

Read the full transcript here.

How large is the housing crisis, and why does it impose trillions of dollars in economic costs? Why has housing become especially unaffordable across English speaking countries and an expanding number of American citie... more

Read the full transcript here.

Why can the same meditation technique produce emotional openness in one person and dissociation in another? How can meditators tell whether they are cultivating equanimity or merely numbing themselves? Why is meditatio... more

Read the full transcript here.

What happens to a community when no one has the formally recognized authority to punish, exclude, or forgive? Are written rules a constraint on freedom, or are they sometimes the very condition that lets unusual people... more

Read the full transcript here.

What changes when we stop imagining transformation as a single breakthrough and start seeing it as thousands of small, low-resistance actions? How do we know whether a small action is genuinely sustainable or merely an... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Dwarkesh Podcast
Dwarkesh PodcastDwarkesh Patel
Conversations with Tyler
Conversations with TylerMercatus Center at George Mason University
Manifold
ManifoldSteve Hsu

Recent Guests

Alex Armlovich
Urban economist and housing policy expert
Episode: Why housing costs so much and what can be done about it (with Alex Armlovich)
Stephen Zerfas
Guest on the episode discussing meditation and performance
Journey (meditation program)
Episode: How To Pursue Goals without Striving (with Stephen Zerfas)
Tor Parsons
Creator of Tor's Cabinet of Curiosities, YouTube host
Tor's Cabinet of Curiosities
Episode: Bicameral Minds and Leaderless Tribes (with Tor Parsons)
Eric Zimmer
Author and podcaster, expert on behavioral change and recovery
Author of How a Little Becomes a Lot
Episode: How Small Actions Rewrite Identity (with Eric Zimmer)
Jeremy Stevenson
Co-author of The Twelve Levers
The Twelve Levers (book)
Episode: The Twelve Levers for a better life (with Jeremy Stevenson)
Helen Pearson
Author of Beyond Belief; journalist who researches evidence and science communication
Author, Journalist
Episode: The Hidden History of Evidence-Based Everything (with Helen Pearson)
Nick Allardice
CEO of GiveDirectly, former CEO of Change.org
GiveDirectly / Change.org
Episode: Is cash a better form of charitable aid? (with Nick Allardice)
Christine Padesky
Therapist, author of Mind Over Mood
Mind Over Mood / CBT author
Episode: When painful thoughts feel true but aren't (with Christine Padesky)
Malo Bourgon
AI policy and governance researcher; affiliated with the MIRI governance and comms efforts
MIRI
Episode: Could an international agreement protect us from dangerous AI? (with Malo Bourgon)

Host

Spencer Greenberg
Host of Clearer Thinking Podcast

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 499 ratings
  • Spencer gives very unique and insightful interviews of his guests. Topics vary, but are always fascinating.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    chiefthe
    6 months ago
  • Many interesting guests with different backgrounds and ideas, with an intelligent host that asks smart questions!

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Kevin Lalumiere
    7 months ago
  • New Listener

    I’m a new listener but so far so good. I appreciate discussions where the purpose is to communicate ideas and generate understanding and that is what I’m seeing here so far. I do feel like a little bit of background or context at the opening would be useful. Just listened to an entire episode without knowing who the guest was (I wasn’t able to read the title as I was driving). Other than that, and the dash of pretentiousness from the host, I found it enjoyable and informative. Thank you for prov... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Who Writes Reviews, Anyway?
    United States7 months ago
  • Interesting idea for a podcast, but the first episode I listened to involved pretending to solve pretend problems. Sadly, a waste of time, unfortunately. (Climate change)

    Podcast Addict
    2
    Whitaker
    a year ago
  • Illuminating, insightful, incisive, inspiring!

    Clearer Thinking is one of the most consistently valuable podcasts I’ve ever listened to. Spencer Greenberg is a masterful host — thoughtful, respectful, and endlessly curious. He asks questions that cut right to the heart of the topic, and his guests always bring fresh, evidence-based ideas that make me really hopeful about the growth of human knowledge and understanding wide ranges of the human experience.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SydneyApted
    Canadaa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some reviews mention the host can dominate discussions at times and benefits from sharper guest question balance.
Listeners praise the host's thoughtful, curious interviewing style and the high quality of guests.
Audience notes the shows are intellectually rigorous yet accessible, with practical takeaways.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How To Pursue Goals without Striving (with Stephen Zerfas)
Q: How do you describe clean fuel in meditation and its impact on daily life?
Clean fuel refers to mental habits that nurture self-compassion, play, and ease; when applied to goal pursuit, they enable flow, better sleep, more creative decisions, and sustainable motivation rather than burnout.
How To Pursue Goals without Striving (with Stephen Zerfas)
Q: What is the practical approach to meditation that avoids self-abuse while pursuing goals?
Move toward explicit goals but relate to them with self-compassion, use feedback-rich instruction, and practice 'clean fuel' habits to reduce self-criticism and burnout while maintaining progress toward goals.
How To Pursue Goals without Striving (with Stephen Zerfas)
Q: Do you think that high achievers are often unhappy?
There's evidence that elite performers may experience lower inner ease; however, by shifting to cleaner mental habits and embracing flow rather than grit-driven striving, it's possible to maintain happiness while achieving high performance.
Bicameral Minds and Leaderless Tribes (with Tor Parsons)
Q: Can you tell us what was it like then? Elaborate on what it was like. Did you have two voices in your mind?
There was one voice in my mind, and it was the other Tor guiding me; I carried out what the other mind did, which resembled Jaynes' idea but with my own interpretation, and I later realized I had merged with that other voice rather than it being a separate entity.
When painful thoughts feel true but aren't (with Christine Padesky)
Q: When should someone pursue self-help versus seeing a therapist?
Self-help is appropriate for ongoing self-awareness and modest mood issues; if mood declines or daily functioning is impaired, or there are serious conditions, seeking a therapist is advisable, with the best results often coming from a blend of self-help and professional guidance.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Clearer Thinking

What is Clearer Thinking about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on big ideas that are both intellectually rigorous and practically applicable, spanning psychology, philosophy, science, economics, and technology. Guests routinely bring structured frameworks and evidence-based insights, from AI governance and trauma research to string theory, honesty ethics, and effective altruism, with discussions often unpacking how to think clearly, make better decisions, and improve real-world outcomes. A recurring strength is the ability to translate complex topics into usable tools for personal growth, policy considerations, and professional strategy, aided by a thoughtful, probing host who guides conversations toward actionable takeaways. A few episodes stand out for tackling highly consequential t... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Clearer Thinking?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Clearer Thinking. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Clearer Thinking and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Clearer Thinking get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Clearer Thinking, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Clearer Thinking?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Clearer Thinking, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Clearer Thinking have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Clearer Thinking has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Clearer Thinking?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Clearer Thinking:

1. Dwarkesh Podcast
2. Conversations with Tyler
3. Making Sense with Sam Harris
4. Manifold
5. Philosophy For Our Times

How many episodes of Clearer Thinking are there?

Clearer Thinking launched 6 years ago and published 320 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Clearer Thinking?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Clearer Thinking?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Clearer Thinking from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Clearer Thinking?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Clearer Thinking. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Clearer Thinking?

Recent guests on Clearer Thinking include:

1. Alex Armlovich
2. Stephen Zerfas
3. Tor Parsons
4. Eric Zimmer
5. Jeremy Stevenson
6. Helen Pearson
7. Nick Allardice
8. Christine Padesky

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days