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The Knowledge with David Elikwu

The Knowledge with David Elikwu

Written by: David Elikwu
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On The Knowledge Podcast, you’ll hear from the best and brightest minds in business, entrepreneurship, and beyond. Hosted by writer and entrepreneur David Elikwu, each episode features in-depth interviews with makers, thinkers, and innovators from a variety of backgrounds.

The Knowledge is a weekly newsletter for people who want to get more out of life. In every issue, David shares stories, ideas and frameworks from psychology, philosophy, productivity and business. With insights that are both practical and thought-provoking, The Knowledge will help you think more deeply and get more done.

Follow David's newsletter at: theknowledge.io / Keep the conversation going on Twitter at @Delikwu using the hashtag #TheKnowledge

Copyright David Elikwu Careers Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Success Self-Help Social Sciences Success
Episodes
  • 151: Rising ADHD and the Corruption of Your Attention

    151: Rising ADHD and the Corruption of Your Attention
    Sep 12 2025

    Is Modern ADHD a Crisis of Environment? An Exploration of Attention in the Digital Age

    I confess to having been sceptical about the rising ADHD diagnoses, suspecting it to be a fad. However, after watching people describe their everyday distractions, my view shifted. The explosion of ADHD-like behaviours seems more about the environment we've created rather than individual faults. This episode explores whether our digital society is an attentional pathogen, meticulously designed to fragment our focus for profit. We debate two paths: whether this crisis is a tragic accident or a deliberate byproduct of the attention economy. We also contemplate two possible responses—personal monasticism and public reform. I challenge you to rethink how we manage our attention and the future direction we want to take.


    00:00 Confession and Initial Scepticism

    00:44 Do we all have ADHD now?

    02:05 The Digital Society as an Attentional Pathogen

    02:41 Exploring the Nature of the Pathogen

    03:19 Path A: The Accidental Crisis

    05:36 Cognitive Artefacts: Complementary vs. Competitive

    09:46 Path B: The Deliberate Machine

    12:16 Consequences of Fragmented Attention

    18:23 Solutions: Personal Monasticism vs. Public Reform

    24:21 Conclusion: Balancing Personal and Public Responses

    26:04 Final Thoughts and Call to Action



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theknowledge/donations
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    27 mins
  • 150: Why You Feel Stuck - The Trap of Complexity

    150: Why You Feel Stuck - The Trap of Complexity
    Sep 4 2025
    In this episode, David explores why modern life feels so complicated, how our quest for optimisation can make us fragile, and what it means to rediscover simplicity and practical wisdom. Through personal anecdotes, historical stories, and philosophical insights, David unpacks the hidden costs of complexity and offers a path back to clarity.Key Topics & Timestamps:[0:00] Introduction: The Complexity of Modern LifeWhy life feels more complicated than ever, and how simple acts become complex puzzles.[1:30] The Running MetaphorHow tracking and optimising a simple run can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction.[2:40] The Age of Hyper-OptimisationFrom fitness trackers to gene-editing startups—how technology fuels our obsession with control.[4:00] The Challenger Disaster & Normal Accident TheoryThe story of the 1986 Challenger explosion as a lesson in how complexity creates fragility.[6:50] Why We Choose ComplexityThe illusion of control and the quest for a sophisticated identity.[8:10] Gnosticism, Biohacking, and StatusHow secret knowledge and complex routines become modern status symbols.[10:00] Losing Sight of the TelosWhen metrics and routines overshadow our true goals and desires.[12:00] The Art of Effortless Mastery (Spezzatura)Lessons from the Renaissance and modern culture’s obsession with visible effort.[14:00] Escaping the Trap: Practical Wisdom & HeuristicsThe OODA loop, the limits of data, and why simple rules often outperform complex systems.[19:00] Final Thoughts & Call to ActionReconnecting with your ultimate aims, favouring heuristics over algorithms, and living with practical wisdom.Notable Quotes:“Complexity creates fragility.”“We are drowning in data and routines and starving for practical wisdom.”“The map becomes more important than the destination.”“Simple heuristics often outperform complex algorithms.”Resources & Mentions:Richard Feynman & the Challenger disasterCharles Perrow’s Normal Accident TheoryEpictetus and Stoic philosophyGnosticism and the pursuit of secret knowledgeBryan Johnson and the biohacking movementThe OODA loop (John Boyd)Gerd Gigerenzer on heuristicsBook: Food Rules by Michael Pollan👨🏾‍💻 About David Elikwu:David Elikwu FRSA is a serial entrepreneur, strategist, and writer. David is the founder of The Knowledge, a platform helping people think deeper and work smarter.📖 My Book: Sovereign by David Elikwu https://becomesovereign.com🐣 Twitter: @Delikwu / @itstheknowledge🌐 Website: https://www.davidelikwu.com📽️ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/davidelikwu📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delikwu/🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@delikwu🎙️ Podcast: http://plnk.to/theknowledgeMy Online Course🖥️ Decision Hacker: http://www.decisionhacker.io/Decision Hacker will help you hack your default patterns and become an intentional architect of your life. You’ll learn everything you need to transform your decisions, your habits, and your outcomes.The Knowledge📩 Newsletter: https://theknowledge.ioThe Knowledge is a weekly newsletter for people who want to get more out of life. It's full of insights from psychology, philosophy, productivity, and business, all designed to make you more productive, creative, and decisive.My Favourite Tools🎞️ Descript: https://bit.ly/descript-de📨 Convertkit: https://bit.ly/convertkit-de🔰 NordVPN: https://bit.ly/nordvpn-de💹 Nutmeg: http://bit.ly/nutmegde🎧 Audible: https://bit.ly/audibledeEnjoyed the episode?Subscribe, share, and leave a review!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theknowledge/donations
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    22 mins
  • 149: Go all in - the case for 100% commitment

    149: Go all in - the case for 100% commitment
    Aug 28 2025

    (Embracing Total Engagement: Overcoming Life's Hesitations) –

    In this episode, David Elikwu explains the pervasive state of hesitation many people experience in life. Drawing upon philosophers Henry David Thoreau and Soren Kierkegaard, David explores the concept of living in a foggy state of quiet desperation, paralysed by the fear of finality and the countless possibilities life offers. He discusses the modern parallel of FOMO (fear of missing out), and how this keeps people from fully committing to their choices. David suggests a vow of total engagement as the cure, advocating for complete dedication and passion in every action, much like a focused bonfire. He shares wisdom from Zen master Shunryu Suzuki and Michelangelo's approach to sculpting as metaphors for living a fully committed life. David challenges listeners to engage fully in one task today, emphasising the importance of closing the gap between potential and action to achieve inner integrity. David also promotes his book, 'Sovereign', and invites listeners to pre-order and attend upcoming events in London.

    00:00 The Foggy State Between Sleep and Wakefulness

    00:27 Living in Quiet Desperation

    01:49 The Fear of Finality and Hesitation

    03:03 The Modern Dilemma: FOMO and Optionality

    04:25 The Paradox of Choice and Its Impact

    05:19 The Art of Total Engagement

    06:43 The Power of Passion and Commitment

    10:13 The Challenge of Being Present

    14:46 A Simple Challenge for Today

    15:46 Conclusion and Upcoming Events



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theknowledge/donations
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    17 mins
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