The Overthinkers

What is Looksmaxxing? (With Josh Murray)

Nathan Clarkson and Joseph Holmes bring actor, producer, and health and fitness advocate Joshua Murray on the show to discuss the new phenomenon of "looksmaxxing". What is it? What makes it different from other health trends? And what is wrong with it? Nathan, Joseph, and Josh discuss, along with Josh's new film "Gym Rat".References and resourcesLooksmaxxing definitions and analysis:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/slang/looksmaxxing
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240326-inside-looksmaxxing-the-extreme-cosmetic-social-media-trend
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/looksmaxxing-may-point-to-deeper-body-image-issues-in-young-men-mental-health-expert-saysSocial media causes looksmaxxing https://www.freyaindia.co.uk/p/how-social-media-feminised-us-all
Men falling behind drives looksmaxxing: https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-today/article/braden-eric-peters-clavicular-manosphere-looksmaxxing-masculine-ick-0h7hzhf0sWebsitesThe Overthinkers.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: linktr.ee.com/josephholmesJosh Murray: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3394219/

Why Do We Feel So Behind in Life?

Millennials and Gen Z often feel more behind in life than previous generations did. They call this "milestone anxiety". But should we? And what should we do about it? Millennials Nathan Clarkson and Joseph Holmes discuss the ways they have--and continue to--feel behind and how they deal with it.
References and resourcesMilestone anxiety: https://www.relate.org.uk/get-help/milestone-anxiety-rise-among-millennials-and-gen-zLate bloomers: https://www.vox.com/advice/492291/late-bloomer-envy-milestonesGen Z putting off milestones to buy a home:  https://fortune.com/2025/11/10/gen-z-delaying-milestones-housing-affordability-crisis-no-single-fixReligious and conservatives way more likely to be married and have kids: https://ifstudies.org/report-brief/the-ideological-fertility-divide
https://ifstudies.org/blog/americas-growing-religious-secular-fertility-divideWebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.comNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: linktr.ee/josephholmes

How Should We Define Success? (With Grammy-Winning Kevin Olusola and Donovan Dee Donnell)

Everyone dreams of being a success. But how should we define success? Is it by external or internal standards? And what standards? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson welcome Grammy-Winning musical artist  Kevin Olusola and life coach Donovan Dee Donnell to discuss their new book "Designed to Succeed".References and resourcesSuccess definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/successWhy you should define success for yourself: https://www.stjohns.edu/news-media/johnnies-blog/how-do-you-define-success-tips-tricksProblems with external success: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/everyday-resilience/202406/defining-success-on-your-own-termsWebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: linktr.ee.com/josephholmesKevin Olusola: kevinolusola.comDonovan Dee Donnell: donovandeedonnell.comBookDesigned to Succeed: A Faith-Driven Blueprint to Building the Life You Were Created to Live: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310370124/?bestFormat=true&k=designed%20to%20succeed%20kevin%20olusola&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-bk-ww_k1_1_13_de&crid=25MYANYDQMPZ9&sprefix=kevin%20olusola

Why Does Home Matter? (With Dr. Christie Purifoy)

Why does home matter? And how do we make it one that people want to stay in? Dr. Christie Purifoy discusses her book "A House to Call Home" with Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson on The OverthinkersWebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: linktr.ee.com/josephholmeschristiepurifoy.com

Is the Death Penalty Good or Bad? (With Dr. J. Daryl Charles)

Support for the death penalty is going down in America. But is this a sign of moral progress or moral decay? Nathan Clarkson and Joseph Holmes debate this question with political theologian and ethicist Dr. J. Daryl Charles. References and resourcesAmerican support  for the death penality going down: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/facts-and-research/religious-statements/opinion-polls-death-penalty-support-and-religion?Religious-secular divide on the death penalty: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/06/15/unlike-other-u-s-religious-groups-most-atheists-and-agnostics-oppose-the-death-penalty/Dr. J. Daryl Charles Recommended ResourcesJ. Daryl Charles, van den Haag, Ernest, “On Deterrence and the Death Penalty.” Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology and Police Science 60, no. 2 (1969): 141-47.idem, “The Ultimate Punishment: A Defense”; accessible at the PBS “Frontline” website.idem and John P. Conrad, The Death Penalty: A Debate. New York: Plenum Press, 1983.J. Budziszewski, “Capital Punishment: The Case for Justice.” First Things (August 2004); accessible the First Things websiteJ. Daryl Charles, “Outrageous Atrocity or Moral Imperative?: The Ethics of Capital Punishment.” Studies in Christian Ethics 6, no. 3 (Fall 1993): 1-14.idem, “Crime, the Christian, and Capital Justice.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 38, no. 3 (1995): 429-41.idem, “Toward Restoring a Good Marriage: Reflections on the Contemporary Divorce of Love and Justice and Its Cultural Implications.” Journal of Church and State 55, no. 2 (2013): 367-83.idem, “Capital Crime and Punishment: Reflections on Violating Human Sanctity.” Touchstone (September 2002): 29-35.idem, “Lethal Rejection: Is Capital Punishment Barbaric, Uncivilized and Always Wrong?” Touchstone (September 2016): 30-36.idem, “Capital Crimes and Capital Punishment.” Public Discourse (March 14, 2023); accessible at the Public Discourse websiteidem, “Capital Crimes and Punishment.” Providence: A Journal of Christianity and American Foreign Policy (September 22, 2025); accessible at the Providence websiteWebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkers.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: linktr.ee.com/josephholmesDr. J. Daryl Charles: https://crcd.net/fellow/j-daryl-charles-phd/
 

Why Do We Love Cozy Stories? (With Keelia Clarkson)

Why do we have such a love for cozy comfort stories--whether they're books, movies, TV, or video games? Nathan Clarkson and Joseph Holmes welcome back Keelia Clarkson to discuss this along with her new book: "Chapter One Again: A Novel", the first of the Avila Falls series. References and resources
Searches for “cozy” and “comfort”: https://thecozyowlet.com/the-rise-of-cozy-reading-mystery-fantasy-and-more/Why people watch “comfort shows”: 
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/1700/https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/defining-memories/202212/play-and-repeat-why-we-watch-the-same-shows-over-and-overWebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: linktr.ee.com/josephholmesKeelia Clarkson: ivpress.com/keelia-clarksonChapter One Again: A Novel (Avila Falls Series): https://www.amazon.com/dp/151401372X/?bestFormat=true&k=chapter%20one%20again&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-bk-ser_k0_1_17_de&crid=1ESWQJCIVVVRV&sprefix=chapter%20one%20again

How Do We Find Common Ground? (With Justin Brierley)

Why do we have so much division today? How do we rebuild relationships across the divide? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson talk with Christian author and apologist Justin Brierly about his new show "Uncommon Ground", where he tries to do just that. References and resourcesIncreased US hatred for opposing political parties: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/08/09/as-partisan-hostility-grows-signs-of-frustration-with-the-two-party-system/Increased feeling of division in UK: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/uks-sense-of-division-reaches-new-high-as-culture-war-tensions-grow-study-findsExposure can increase polarization: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1804840115Don’t overstate political violence in US: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-the-u-s-in-a-new-era-of-political-violence-experts-say-its-complicated/WebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: linktr.ee/josephholmesJustin Brierley: justinbrierley.com

Are We Shaped More By Nature or Nurture? (With Dr. Steve Stewart-Williams)

Are we shaped more by nature or nurture? Is biology or culture stronger in determining our choices? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss this topic, with Evolutionary psychologist Dr. Steve Stewart-Williams joining for the discussion, on this latest episode.
References and resources:
Defining nature vs nurture: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/nature-vs-nurture
Plato’s “inatism”: https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/innatism
Aristotle and John Locke’s “tabula rasa”: https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/psychology/tabula-rasa

Does Christianity Make Your Life Better?

Does Christianity make your life better? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss their experience of faith.WebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: linktr.ee/josephholmes

Why Do Aesthetics Matter?

Nathan Clarkson and Joseph Holmes discuss the nature of "aesthetics"--appreciation for beauty and art--and why so many of us don't have the relationship with it we should.References and resourcesAesthetics definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aestheticsAesthetics history and thought: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136466132100067XWebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: linktr.ee.com/josephholmes