The Best Comments on Two Percent (Summer 2025 Edition)
Wisdom from the Two Percent community. I.e., You.
Post Summary
We’ve rounded up the top comments on Two Percent posts since March.
Magic happens in the comments, where additional information, insight, and inspiration come to light.
I’ve highlighted some of the best comments and given some extra thoughts/information you can use.
Your wisdom can help us all live better, think differently, and much more.
We’ll cover:
The best book about the impact of digital life.
The importance of mentorship and the best “advice” I ever got from a mentor.
The amazing ways the Two Percent community is finding community and belonging.
What sleep tells us about the limitations of science, and how we can use that to our advantage.
The power of a good sleep divorce.
The problem with goals and a better approach.
Gear lessons from my 850-mile hike.
Wise words about how we should use our time.
When to eat during a workout (before, during, or after) for optimal performance.
Why health is like gambling and the limits of healthy habits.
The downsides of trauma training.
Amazing ways the Two Percent community practices mindfulness.
Confounders in the science of saunas.
When exercise backfires.
Why red meat may hurt heart health and whether we should eat it.
Housekeeping
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Audio version
It’s located at the bottom of the post.
The Post
I love our comment sections. They’re the heart of Two Percent—the place where the community gathers to weigh in, exchange ideas, and help each other.
I recently spent some time reading the comments from the past three months. Let me say: We have a wonderful group of humans making each other better here.
I’ve rounded up some of the best comments on Two Percent posts and run them with some commentary.
There isn’t a singular theme to these comments.
Some are inspiring.
Some are informative.
Some ask wise questions that I answer.
Three Notes:
I’ve lightly edited and shortened some of these comments for the sake of brevity.
This post is long. Skim it and look for topics that interest you. Then dive in.
Each story title links to the story.
The post: Call The F**king Vatican
This post covered an exchange I had while working at Esquire magazine in my early 20s.
It shaped how I think about finding and understanding information in a world where it’s easier than ever to find nonsense.
The comment
Back in college, I read Neal Postman's Amusing Ourselves To Death. Amazing book that was written in 1985. Neal was concerned we were suffering from information glut when we had multiple TVs in the house. He'd die in today's world... -Mike Wiseman
Michael’s take
If you haven’t, read Amusing Ourselves to Death. Postman argues that television (and now digital media) shapes public thought and discourse. Television has transformed serious topics like politics, religion, and education into entertainment, which hurts our ability to think critically. The book is more relevant than ever today. Read it.
The post: Beyond Limits: Lessons from Mountaineering with Melissa Arnot Reid
I spoke to Melissa Arnot Reid, the first American woman to summit Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. She had a wealth of amazing information.
The comment
The idea that one person can make the difference for someone struggling: Yes! I’ve found that to be true over and over again. This is why relationships, communities, and mentorship is so important. Our young people need proximity to invested people to find that one person who can lift them up. -Dawn Smith
Michael’s reply
Fun story: Over a decade ago, I hinged all my hopes on a job. The job had an extensive, year-long interview and recruitment process. I basically planned my future around getting this job.
I didn’t get the job. Afterward, I was lost and had no idea what to do with my life.
I had a wise older friend. His IQ was off the chart, and he’d spit philosophical wisdom while quoting Russian literature. No one gave better advice.
We were sitting at a diner in Pennsylvania when I told them I hadn’t gotten job, had no idea what I was going to do with myself, and (insert all sorts of other wallowing).
I expected some long, insightful soliloquy.