319 | A.J. Jacobs | The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning

The Greatness Machine

What if you could spend an entire year living as if your actions could change the world? How would that shape your perspective on life, purpose, and the people around you?

It is easy to feel like we are too small to make a real difference, but sometimes it just takes one person with the right mindset to start a ripple effect. When we shift our focus to living with intention and connecting deeply with the people around us, even the smallest actions can lead to something bigger.

AJ Jacobs, bestselling author, journalist, and master of personal experiments, joins us to share stories from his fascinating life experiments. Known for his books “The Year of Living Biblically” and “The Year of Living Constitutionally,” AJ dives into experiments that challenge his worldview and reveal how gratitude, curiosity, and small acts of kindness can make a profound impact–not just on our own lives, but on the world at large.

In this episode of The Greatness Machine, AJ Jacobs joins Darius to talk about his fascinating journey exploring the Bible for his book “The Year of Living Biblically.” AJ emphasizes the importance of thorough research, collaboration, and fully immersing oneself in a belief system to truly understand it. He reflects on how cherry-picking information can lead to a skewed perspective and discusses the power of gratitude in shifting our mindset. AJ also shares insights from his “Year of Living Constitutionally” and the lessons he learned from both projects, highlighting how they transformed his thinking and approach to life.

Topics include:

• AJ reflects on exploring the Bible for his book The Year of Living Biblically
• The importance of research and collaboration in bookwriting process
• The need for immersion in understanding beliefs and systems
• The dangers of cherry-picking information to support one’s argument
• How gratitude can counteract negative bias and enhance one's perspective on life
• The lessons AJ learned during his “Year of Living Constitutionally”
• And other topics…

Connect with AJ:

Website: https://ajjacobs.com/

Substack: https://substack.com/@experimentalliving

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajjacobsinc/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ajjacobs/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-puzzler-with-a-j-jacobs/id1709071922

Connect with Darius:

Website: https://therealdarius.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/

YouTube: https://therealdarius.com/youtube

Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708

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