Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL Interviews the world's leading thinkers, and the people shaping the century.

In this interview I speak to Seth Maxwell, Founder of the Thirst Project & Legacy Youth Leadership. Seth is one of the world’s most successful campaigners and activators of youth leadership & advocacy. His work has mobilised millions of young people to create change, and in this discussion I speak…

 

In this interview, I speak to Impa “Tshilobo” Kasanganay on his incredible journey from facing homelessness to becoming the PFL’s Light Heavyweight Champion MMA fighter. We discuss the mental and physical resilience needed to be a world champion combat sports athlete, together with how to build the mindset for success.

 

In this interview, I speak to Stef Reid, a British Paralympic long jumper and sprinter. She is a World Champion, four-time Paralympian, triple Paralympic medallist, and five-time world record holder. Stef has a degree in biochemistry, and her adventures off the track include acting, modelling (including being the first amputee to walk…

 

In this interview I speak to Dakota Ditcheva, mixed martial artist & PFL European flyweight champion. Hailing from Manchester, Dakota is one of the world’s most sought-after professional fighters, having risen to prominence as an amateur kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter, winning numerous championships in both disciplines, the pinnacle being…

 

In this conversation, I speak to Dr. Serge Brammertz, Chief Prosecutor of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Trials. Dr. Brammertz is one of the world’s foremost experts on international criminal law, and we discuss the role & purpose of international courts, and the role of justice in…

 

In this interview, I speak to Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg, dubbed “the world’s leading megaproject expert.” We discuss the findings from his recent book How Big Things Get Done, and the tools, techniques, principles and models we can use to lead projects at all scales. He has 30 years of…

 

Explore an archive of more than 3,000 quotes.

Power is seized with the gun and maintained with the pen. Controlling public opinion through propaganda and misinformation is the most critical task of an authoritarian power.

— Ai Weiwei
Chinese Artist & Dissident; Prominent Human Rights Activist and Political Critic

When I talk about happiness, envision yourself at the ripe age of 85, comfortably seated on that metaphorical porch, reflecting upon your life. You're thinking, 'Good heavens, I've genuinely led a fulfilling life. I've established a loving family, spent my life with an extraordinary partner, and devoted myself to a profession that's injected an immense sense of purpose into my existence. I have minimal regrets and have maintained a light-hearted, playful approach to life.' This, to me, is what I would categorise as a profound sense of existential happiness.

— Gad Saad
Evolutionary Psychologist & Author Known for Consumer Behavior Research

Seventeen of the top twenty universities in the world are in the USA, one third of all students who leave their countries to study in another come to the USA. There are only a handful of countries who spend relatively more on R&D than the USA.

— Marc Chandler
Chief Strategist & Senior Currency Strategist at Bannockburn Global Forex

By consciously and regularly going into the cold- I've learned how to tap into this primordial part of the brain; an area we've lost access to because of our destimulative behaviour. We need to get out into the cold, into the heat, and allow our brain to reconnect to these lost areas which simply are not activated or developed in our daily lives.

— Wim Hof
Extreme athlete known for ice exposure & breathing technique methods

The average is the enemy of the marketer, because it actually disguises what you really need to know, which is the outliers, the unusual use cases, the anecdotal eccentricity, where most of the really valuable information lies.

— Rory Sutherland
Vice Chairman of Ogilvy & advertising strategist and behavioral economist

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Long-form Interviews with the World's Leading Thinkers — Thought Economics


The Wisdom Series

Ten in-depth articles distilling insights from over 550 interviews with the world's leading thinkers, creators, and changemakers.

The Wisdom of Leadership The Wisdom of Entrepreneurship The Wisdom of Creativity The Wisdom of Technology The Wisdom of Meaning The Wisdom of the Mind The Wisdom of Justice The Wisdom of Science The Wisdom of Geopolitics The Wisdom of Health
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