Power, happiness, and influence, explained by philosophy - Jonny Thomson

Power, happiness, and influence, explained by philosophy - Jonny Thomson

From The Francesca Psychology Podcast by Francesca Tighinean

February 9, 2026 · 1h 33m

About this episode

Jonny Thomson discusses the practical applications of philosophy in everyday life, focusing on power, happiness, and influence.

Jonny Thomson is a British philosopher, author, and educator known for making philosophy practical and accessible. He is the founder of Mini Philosophy, a popular platform that breaks down complex philosophical ideas into clear, relatable insights for everyday life. Check him out: https://miniphilosophy.substack.com/ 00:00 Intro 02:20 What inspired you to study philosophy 05:20 How philosophy shows up in our daily lives 08:50 Philosophical issues in the modern world1 3:05 What is power? 15:20 How to change someone's mind 22:17 4 rules of a good debate 34:20 The dizziness of freedom 41:22 How to have transformational conversations 47:55 How to spot intelligent people 53:16 How someone can manipulate you 56:30 The dead cat theory 58:55 How to make hard choices 01:06:45 The serious man 01:13:05 The Fig Tree Theory 01:16:55 The 3 pillars of happiness 01:19:55 The hedonic treadmill 01:2315 How to increase your happiness baseline 01:16:55 The 3 pillars of happiness 01:2315 How to increase your happiness baseline 01:25:48 Gratitude Exercise 01:26:53 How to cultivate creativity

People in this episode

Host: Francesca Tighinean

Guest: Jonny Thomson

Topics covered

  • philosophy
  • happiness
  • influence
  • power
  • debate
  • creativity

Keywords

  • philosophy
  • happiness
  • influence
  • power
  • debate
  • creativity
  • modern world
  • transformational conversations

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mini Philosophy

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