The James Kennedy Podcast

How to Find Meaning in the Second Half of Life | Frank Tallis on Death, Purpose & Overcoming NihilismWhat happens when we reach the midpoint of life and begin to confront mortality, ageing, lost possibilities and the question of whether our lives have meaning?In this wide-ranging conversation, psychologist, novelist and author Frank Tallis joins the James Kennedy Podcast to discuss the ideas explored in his new book, Wise: How to Find Meaning in the Second Half of Life.We explore death and the human desire for immortality, why the pursuit of purpose may be more important than the pursuit of happiness, how meaning can support wellbeing and longevity, and how we can move beyond nihilism towards a greater sense of wholeness.Drawing on the work of Ernest Becker, Albert Camus, Carl Jung, Viktor Frankl and Joseph Campbell, we discuss existential anxiety, depression, the hero’s journey, the monomyth, the myth of Sisyphus, mortality, spirituality, identity and what it means to live a psychologically complete life.Can we overcome the fear of death? Is happiness really the ultimate goal? Why do so many people experience an existential crisis in midlife? And how do we find meaning when life feels uncertain, absurd or finite?Support the podcast at : https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jameskennedyukMore about me at : ⁠https://www.jameskennedyofficial.comAnd check out my music page at: https://www.youtube.com/@jameskennedyofficialJoin the Secret Society at : https://james-kennedy.kit.com/628554dc8b Topics discussed include:• Finding meaning in the second half of life• Death anxiety and the fear of mortality• Humanity’s search for immortality• Why purpose may be better than happiness• Purpose, meaning and longevity• Overcoming nihilism and existential despair• Midlife crisis, ageing and personal growth• Depression and the search for meaning• Ernest Becker and The Denial of Death• Albert Camus and the myth of Sisyphus• Carl Jung, individuation and achieving wholeness• Viktor Frankl and the importance of meaning• Joseph Campbell, the hero’s journey and the monomyth• Existential psychology and the human condition• How to live a meaningful and fulfilled lifeFrank Tallis is a psychologist, novelist and the author of Wise: How to Find Meaning in the Second Half of Life.If you enjoy conversations about psychology, philosophy, mental health, existentialism, meaning, purpose, mortality and personal growth, subscribe for more in-depth interviews.

Dr Rowan Hooper is an evolutionary biologist, journalist, author and the editor of the New Scientist podcast. Here we chat about his new book, 'Togetherness' and how Symbiosis made our world. Rowan explains how Symbiosis drives evolution and maintains our ecosystems, we chat about Darwin and Dawkins and how their work has been misused, fascinating facts about Lichen, the gut microbiome, mycelium, leafcutter ants and lots more! Rowan also shares his thoughts on how humans can reach a better state of 'Togetherness' with nature. His book can be found at: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/459006/togetherness-by-hooper-rowan/9781911717140Support the podcast at : https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jameskennedyukMore about me at : ⁠https://www.jameskennedyofficial.comAnd check out my music page at: ‪https://www.youtube.com/@jameskennedyofficialJoin the Secret Society at : https://james-kennedy.kit.com/628554dc8b And don't forget to subscribe!

Dr. Joseph Jebelli is a British neuroscientist and author known for his work on Alzheimer’s disease, human brain evolution, and the importance of cognitive rest. He earned his PhD in neuroscience from University College London and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Washington, Seattle. Here we chat about his book, The Brain at Rest and the long list of benefits to our memory, brain health, brain size, mental heath and physical health that we gain by simply resting our brains more often. Joseph explains what 'rest' in this sense means and how often we need it and he also warns of the detrimental effects that an over-worked, un-rested brain can have on our health, wellbeing and longevity. A fascinating and important conversation. Joseph can be found at:https://drjosephjebelli.comSupport the podcast at : https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jameskennedyukMore about me at : ⁠https://linktr.ee/jameskennedyukAnd check out my music page at: https://www.youtube.com/@jameskennedyofficialJoin the Secret Society at : https://james-kennedy.kit.com/628554dc8b

Robben Ford is a legendary Blues, Jazz and Rock guitarist, considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of the 20th century. Throughout his 50 year career he has played with Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Kiss alongside his own groups and solo work. We chat about Robben's incredible career and he shares wisdom on life, musicianship, staying inspired, the music industry, spirituality and his new album 'Two Shades of Blue'. Robben can be found at:www.robbenford.comSupport the podcast at : https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jameskennedyukMore about me at : ⁠https://linktr.ee/jameskennedyukAnd check out my music page at: https://www.youtube.com/@jameskennedyofficialJoin the Secret Society at : http://www.jameskennedystuff.com/tribe

Paul Gilbert is widely considered to be one of the best guitarists of all time. He found global success in the bands Mr Big and Racer X and has released or featured on countless recordings since. We chat about his latest solo album, 'WROC', how he stays inspired and challenged, his thoughts on the music industry, advice for young musicians, his desert island guitar pedals and why you should always be careful when accepting gifts from him. WROC is out on February 27th 2026 and Paul can be followed at: www.instagram.com/paulgilbert_officialSupport the podcast at : https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jameskennedyukMore about me at : ⁠https://linktr.ee/jameskennedyukAnd check out my music page at : ‪‪‪‪‪www.youtube.com/@jameskennedystuffJoin the Secret Society at : http://www.jameskennedystuff.com/tribe

George Bell is a writer, co-founder of the popular online community for men's issues 'JACK' and the author of a brand new book, 'BE A MAN ABOUT IT - BUILDING A HEALTHIER IDEA OF MASCULINITY'. We chat about Georges personal journey with mental health, therapy and treatment and we discuss issues around modern masculinity, men's mental health and some possible paths forward. George can be found at: https://www.instagram.com/georgeybellSupport the podcast at : https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jameskennedyukMore about me at : ⁠https://linktr.ee/jameskennedyukAnd check out my music page at : ‪‪‪‪https://www.youtube.com/@jameskennedystuffJoin the Secret Society at : http://www.jameskennedystuff.com/tribe

Professor Mark Galeotti is a historian, lecturer, a prolific writer and one of the worlds leading experts on Russia, security and organised crime. We chat about his latest book, 'Homo Criminalis - How Crime Organises Our World' and Mark explains how organised crime runs through our everyday life, our political systems, our economy and may even have been the foundation to our governments and monarchies. Along the way we discuss money laundering, social media, geopolitics, Putin, Venezuela, Trump, Brexit and lots more. Mark can be found at: https://inmoscowsshadows.wordpress.comSupport the podcast at : https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jameskennedyukMore about me at : ⁠https://linktr.ee/jameskennedyukAnd check out my music page at : ‪‪‪https://www.youtube.com/@jameskennedystuffJoin the Secret Society at : http://www.jameskennedystuff.com/tribe

Mark Thomas is a stand up comedian, author, playwright and political activist from the UK. He was the host of the legendary TV show, 'The Mark Thomas Comedy Product' where he mixed stand up comedy with political reporting and used pranks, stunts and undercover work to expose government and corporate crimes around the world. He is a prominent and much respected figure amongst UK political activists for his decades of investigative journalism, comedy and activism. Here we chat about his current play 'Ordinary Decent Criminal', his thoughts on the current political landscape, how we make positive change, the power of comedy and why the solution to many of our social problems might just be on our doorstep. More on Mark can be found at:https://markthomasinfo.co.ukSupport the podcast at : https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jameskennedyukMore about me at : ⁠https://linktr.ee/jameskennedyukAnd check out my music page at : ‪‪www.youtube.com/user/jameskennedystuffJoin the Secret Society at : http://www.jameskennedystuff.com/tribe

Dr Susan Hawley is an anti-corruption expert who has researched and campaigned against the UK's role in facilitating global corruption for over 20 years. Working formerly at Corruption Watch, she is now the Executive Director of Spotlight on Corruption. Here she explains the different ways that corruption affects our governments, why it's gotten worse, what we can do about it and more. Spotlight on Corruption can be found at:www.spotlightcorruption.orgSupport the podcast at : https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jameskennedyukMore about me at : ⁠https://linktr.ee/jameskennedyukAnd check out my music page at : ‪https://www.youtube.com/@jameskennedystuffJoin the Secret Society at : http://www.jameskennedystuff.com/tribe