Oliver Burkeman
British author of Four Thousand Weeks and Meditations for Mortals
Oliver Burkeman (British author of Four Thousand Weeks and Meditations for Mortals) has appeared as a guest on 1 episode in TMT. Topics they speak about most include Zen Buddhism, Decision fatigue, Minimalism.
In their words
Positions and remarks grouped by topic, each with the exact quote and where it was said.
Zen Buddhism
Burkeman concludes, drawing on Zen Buddhism, that genuine simplicity is a non-clinging attitude toward reality rather than a technique.
“true simplicity, the simplicity that actually practically helped me in life, is not a question of techniques. It is an attitude”
The Tim Ferriss Show: #885: How to Simplify Your Life — Tips from Oliver Burkeman, Chip Conley, Elizabeth Gilbert, and More (Oct 2, 2026) · Listen from 38:54
Decision fatigue
Burkeman argues Barack Obama's limited suit wardrobe worked partly because he had staff to maintain it, unlike most people.
“Barack Obama was president and he had a team of people to keep his wardrobe of suits in perfect condition”
The Tim Ferriss Show: #885: How to Simplify Your Life — Tips from Oliver Burkeman, Chip Conley, Elizabeth Gilbert, and More (Oct 2, 2026) · Listen from 36:37
Minimalism
Burkeman argues that simplification systems often backfire because they create their own maintenance overhead.
“pretty much any system, as we all know, creates overheads to maintain”
The Tim Ferriss Show: #885: How to Simplify Your Life — Tips from Oliver Burkeman, Chip Conley, Elizabeth Gilbert, and More (Oct 2, 2026) · Listen from 37:12
Appearances
#885: How to Simplify Your Life — Tips from Oliver Burkeman, Chip Conley, Elizabeth Gilbert, and MoreThe Tim Ferriss Show · Oct 2, 2026 · 47 min
Tim Ferriss compiles advice from Chip Conley, Greg McKeown, David Allen, Elizabeth Gilbert and Oliver Burkeman on decisions that simplify life.
Often appears with
- Tim Ferriss · 1 shared episode
- Chip Conley · 1 shared episode
- Greg McKeown · 1 shared episode
- David Allen · 1 shared episode
- Elizabeth Gilbert · 1 shared episode