Stephen West is a father, husband, and host of the Philosophize This! podcast.Sponsors:Gusto simple and easy payroll, HR, and benefits platform used by 400,000+ businesses: https://gusto.com/tim (three months free) Momentous high-quality supplements: https://livemomentous.com/tim (code TIM for up to 35% off)Eight Sleep’s Pod 4 Ultra sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating: https://eightsleep.com/tim (save $350 on the Pod 4 Ultra)Timestamps:[00:00:00] So it begins.[00:06:11] Stephen’s challenging childhood — from San Diego to Child Protective Services.[00:07:55] How Stephen supported himself after dropping out of school at 16.[00:09:37] The physical wear and tear of warehouse work (and unexpected upsides of the job).[00:11:48] How Stephen discovered philosophy through googling “wisest person in history.”[00:14:07] Defining philosophy as a “disruption of common sense” and “gym for rethinking.”[00:16:06] The 4-Hour Workweek as a philosophical text.[00:19:27] A philosophical shift around Ralph Waldo Emerson.[00:22:18] The transition from warehouse work to starting Philosophize This! with friendly encouragement.[00:27:47] Authenticity as the secret sauce to Philosophize This![00:32:24] The discomfort of comparing old episodes with new.[00:34:15] The current state of Philosophize This!: 225 episodes, Patreon, ads, upcoming book deal.[00:37:18] The value of focusing on content quality before monetization.[00:38:44] Most popular Philosophize This! episodes thus far.[00:40:00] Philosophize This! episodes I’d like to hear.[00:41:20] Thinking of philosophy as a verb, not a noun.[00:46:44] The concept of amor fati (love of fate) and its practical application.[00:48:41] Wittgenstein’s ladder as a metaphor for philosophical growth.[00:51:36] Stephen’s perspective on philosophy as a process rather than a set of protocols.[00:54:43] Philosophies that have personal meaning to Stephen: Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Simone Weil.[00:56:40] Simone Weil’s concept of attention and self-emptying.[00:59:26] Stephen’s approach to simplicity and sacrificing efficiency for meaning.[01:04:07] Valuing time and playing the long game.[01:06:01] How philosophy lives “in the shadow” of what we give credit to (science, psychology).[01:08:31] The value of philosophy in generating better questions.[01:10:06] Stephen’s future plans: possibly writing philosophical fiction.[01:19:05] Stephen’s billboard.[01:21:41] Recommendations for getting started with philosophy.[01:24:29] Gilles Deleuze and concepts as machines.[01:26:55] Why do we believe what we believe?[01:30:40] Stephen’s evolving relationship with religion after starting as a New Atheist.[01:32:33] Exploring mysticism and religious phenomenology.[01:37:51] Parting thoughts.*For show notes and past guests on